Recommend me a 4-seater convertible second car
Discussion
For the last 15 years or so we've always had a 'big' family car, typically a company car but not always. This would invariably be an estate and usually relatively dull. C-Class, 5 Series, Superb, A6, that kind of thing. Along side this we've typically had another small car, classic 'second car' fodder. Panda, Up, Polo etc.
Both were used for commuting and needed to be able to do the school run so needed to fit four as we have two kids. Mrs LLA has always wanted a fun car like a 2-seater convertible (she hankers after a Fiat Barchetta), but garage/driveway space has never allowed three cars at once.
Now though the second car is not used for commuting and the kids are able to get themselves about by public transport, more or less, so we're only needing the one car 95% of the time. The second car sits there, not being used, as we'll always pick the big car for family trips. I even had the battery go flat recently on the current second car, a VW Up, as it hadn't been used in months leading into lockdown. We are shortly to move further out from the city though so definitely need two cars, if only for the times my wife is away on business.
So my mind has turned to having something a little less sensible for the second car on the basis that for the right kind of trip we will actually prefer to take it, and I'm wondering if it's finally time for a convertible. Unfortunately there is still a need to occasionally transport more that two people at once, so four seats it has to be.
My son is only just 14 and is already 6ft tall though so I know getting something that he can even fit in the back of might be a bit of a challenge. It's going to be a squeeze, but the times we'll be using it four up will be limited to driving to a riverside restaurant on a sunny day etc. so I figure he can put up with being squashed in for 20 minutes or so.
So, requirements:
E46 or E90 M3?
Nice noise, good steer, nippy. Might not be big enough?
6 Series or E-Class?
Should be large enough, range of engine possibilities, although mostly diesels.
S5?
Again, would this be big enough?
996?
Middle-aged cliché alert! Is it even possible my son would fit in the thing? Would certainly be the best way of avoiding depreciation, and hell, it's a Porsche
Anything else?
Edit: s
t. Just noticed Continental GTCs are available for just over £20k... 
Both were used for commuting and needed to be able to do the school run so needed to fit four as we have two kids. Mrs LLA has always wanted a fun car like a 2-seater convertible (she hankers after a Fiat Barchetta), but garage/driveway space has never allowed three cars at once.
Now though the second car is not used for commuting and the kids are able to get themselves about by public transport, more or less, so we're only needing the one car 95% of the time. The second car sits there, not being used, as we'll always pick the big car for family trips. I even had the battery go flat recently on the current second car, a VW Up, as it hadn't been used in months leading into lockdown. We are shortly to move further out from the city though so definitely need two cars, if only for the times my wife is away on business.
So my mind has turned to having something a little less sensible for the second car on the basis that for the right kind of trip we will actually prefer to take it, and I'm wondering if it's finally time for a convertible. Unfortunately there is still a need to occasionally transport more that two people at once, so four seats it has to be.
My son is only just 14 and is already 6ft tall though so I know getting something that he can even fit in the back of might be a bit of a challenge. It's going to be a squeeze, but the times we'll be using it four up will be limited to driving to a riverside restaurant on a sunny day etc. so I figure he can put up with being squashed in for 20 minutes or so.
So, requirements:
- 4-seater convertible with actually usable rear seats, even for just short (<30 mins) journeys
- Reasonable amount of poke, no dull 2.0 diesels
- Budget definitely under £20k, preferably nearer £10k
- Running costs not important
- Happy to consider something a bit older
E46 or E90 M3?
Nice noise, good steer, nippy. Might not be big enough?
6 Series or E-Class?
Should be large enough, range of engine possibilities, although mostly diesels.
S5?
Again, would this be big enough?
996?
Middle-aged cliché alert! Is it even possible my son would fit in the thing? Would certainly be the best way of avoiding depreciation, and hell, it's a Porsche
Anything else?
Edit: s
t. Just noticed Continental GTCs are available for just over £20k... Edited by loudlashadjuster on Monday 8th June 15:41
Edited by loudlashadjuster on Monday 8th June 15:46
I'd scrub the 6 series for rear space, I have one and am 6'2 and nobody can sit behind me that has legs so I call the car a 3 seater (the Mrs is much shorter so space behind her!). There is probably more space in the back of a 3 series than a 6 as the 6 is a lot of bonnet.
Not in fitting with your initial list but how about a Mini Cooper/S/Works depending on each end of your budget? I've had Mini's as garage courtesy cars and as you sit very low there is quite a bit of headroom (just a little hard on the knees getting out again from that low!) and the back seats don't look any worse than the other cars you mention although I must admit I've not carried anyone in the back of one. Very entertaining to drive too as like go karts.
Not in fitting with your initial list but how about a Mini Cooper/S/Works depending on each end of your budget? I've had Mini's as garage courtesy cars and as you sit very low there is quite a bit of headroom (just a little hard on the knees getting out again from that low!) and the back seats don't look any worse than the other cars you mention although I must admit I've not carried anyone in the back of one. Very entertaining to drive too as like go karts.
Edited by Jules Sunley on Monday 8th June 16:55
911 could be a squeeze, A/S5 is a nice choice, don’t discount E Class cab either as the cabin in these is well cosseted which your rear seat passengers will thank you for!!!
E93 M3 is a nice idea and probably at the bottom of their curve now, only thing is factor in £1500-£2000 to do rod bearings and actuators from the off, they are a bit of a ticking time bomb. If you find one with a actuators already done that’s a saving but even if someone has had rod bearings done you don’t really know how it has been driven after the rebuild.
I think Continental is exceptional value and will certainly give you the rear seat space but need some big balls to run a used one of them I reckon!
Si
E93 M3 is a nice idea and probably at the bottom of their curve now, only thing is factor in £1500-£2000 to do rod bearings and actuators from the off, they are a bit of a ticking time bomb. If you find one with a actuators already done that’s a saving but even if someone has had rod bearings done you don’t really know how it has been driven after the rebuild.
I think Continental is exceptional value and will certainly give you the rear seat space but need some big balls to run a used one of them I reckon!
Si
jrinns said:
Had a Audi A5 convertible, was fine for four (2 adults , 2 kids), as was the latest C class and Mustang convertibles.
Very rarely did we have four in the cars as had a 4x4.
Now looking at 2 seaters due to the above reason....
Mustang may be a good shout, will add to the list, thanks.Very rarely did we have four in the cars as had a 4x4.
Now looking at 2 seaters due to the above reason....
My parents had an E88 1 Series Convertible when I was roughly your son's age/height, and it was a bit tight but worked fine for shorter journeys (although legroom was helped by the fact my Mum is only 5'1"), so I'd imagine anything 3 Series/A5 sized or bigger would be fine for what you need. Would echo what's been said about the 6 Series though (at least where the F13 is concerned), I can only compare coupes but the back is much tighter than in an E92.
Jules Sunley said:
Not in fitting with your initial list but how about a Mini Cooper/S/Works depending on each end of your budget? I've had Mini's as garage courtesy cars and as you sit very low there is quite a bit of headroom (just a little hard on the knees getting out again from that low!) and the back seats don't look any worse than the other cars you mention although I must admit I've not carried anyone in the back of one. Very entertaining to drive too as like go karts.
A MINI hatch would be just about fine (managed to fit myself and 3 other 6'+ friends in my R50 on a few occasions- imagine the newer generations are roomier) but the convertibles seem to have much tighter rear seats (both in terms of legroom and width), so can't imagine them being suitable unless the convertible requirement is dropped.Edited by Sofa on Monday 8th June 18:01
I’ve been looking into 4 seat convertibles recently.
For me they seem to fall into two categories.
1) small and great fun to drive in the same kind of way a 2 seater might be. Mini convertible or Abarth 595C. Downside is they’re very tight on rear space so you may struggle. The Abarth does seem to have slightly more leg room and it’s a cool badge.
2) coupe based convertibles which have more space but don’t drive as well as the hard top versions. A5, E class, BMW 2 or 4 series.
Where your requirements differ from mine is that you have a larger budget so you might have some tastier options. If I had a bit more money I might look at something like the M235i convertible or the S3 cabriolet. They seem to have all bases covered being fairly small, fast, fun and reasonable on space. Or if you wanted to go a bit older there’s the CLK55 which seems highly recommended.
For me they seem to fall into two categories.
1) small and great fun to drive in the same kind of way a 2 seater might be. Mini convertible or Abarth 595C. Downside is they’re very tight on rear space so you may struggle. The Abarth does seem to have slightly more leg room and it’s a cool badge.
2) coupe based convertibles which have more space but don’t drive as well as the hard top versions. A5, E class, BMW 2 or 4 series.
Where your requirements differ from mine is that you have a larger budget so you might have some tastier options. If I had a bit more money I might look at something like the M235i convertible or the S3 cabriolet. They seem to have all bases covered being fairly small, fast, fun and reasonable on space. Or if you wanted to go a bit older there’s the CLK55 which seems highly recommended.
Merc E class looks tasty.
I just found a great car on Auto Trader.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...
More of a comfy cruiser than anything else, but there's nothing wrong with that.
I just found a great car on Auto Trader.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...
More of a comfy cruiser than anything else, but there's nothing wrong with that.
Sofa said:
A MINI hatch would be just about fine (managed to fit myself and 3 other 6'+ friends in my R50 on a few occasions- imagine the newer generations are roomier) but the convertibles seem to have much tighter rear seats (both in terms of legroom and width), so can't imagine them being suitable unless the convertible requirement is dropped.
Good point, the Mini's I've driven have been hard tops and didn't think about the rears in the convertibles being smaller
Good point, the Mini's I've driven have been hard tops and didn't think about the rears in the convertibles being smaller
Edited by Sofa on Monday 8th June 18:01
We have an A4 convertible (07 reg) and my son's 13 and 6'-3"! so he goes in the front if there's more than 2 in the car.
He can in the back with the seat quite far forward but it's pretty cramped.
It get bloody windy in the back so it's short journeys only with people in the back.
My mate has an A5 convertible and it looks bigger in the back but not by much.
Another mate has had a 6 series and I was pretty cramped in the back and that's with the front seat pretty far forward and I'm only 5'-10" but it was the old shape. He now has an E Class and it feels more spacious than the 6 series.
It feels like a quality car and the cabin is very nice.
He can in the back with the seat quite far forward but it's pretty cramped.
It get bloody windy in the back so it's short journeys only with people in the back.
My mate has an A5 convertible and it looks bigger in the back but not by much.
Another mate has had a 6 series and I was pretty cramped in the back and that's with the front seat pretty far forward and I'm only 5'-10" but it was the old shape. He now has an E Class and it feels more spacious than the 6 series.
It feels like a quality car and the cabin is very nice.
rev-erend said:
The BMW E90 M3 convertible is a great choice.
Plenty of go. Rear seats have plenty of room too.
Most cars will suffer from a lack of roof space with the roof down though.
I just sold a 2008 E93 325i Plenty of go. Rear seats have plenty of room too.
Most cars will suffer from a lack of roof space with the roof down though.
Nice cars generally but the Bork factor is high. Had it just over a year and spent over a grand on stupid stuff going wrong. Gearbox sump leak, springs snapping, caliper sticking, spark plugs needed doing etc etc....and the previous owner spent a lot more than that before me.
Just be prepared for chasing constant problems. Older BMW = constant worry/f
king liabilityI had a similar dilemma and ended up with an E Class 350D - would have liked a petrol but couldn't find one with the spec I wanted at the time and the diesel is plenty quick enough in a straight line.....as it's a GT it's never going to be that great in the corners (which it isn't) so I doubt petrol would make the driving experience that much better. The diesel is actually a very good engine, pulls like a train and give 40+ mpg on a long run at a constant 80mph.
I have an 8 and 10yr old and they preferred the back of the Merc to the BMW 6 Series (640d) which was on the shopping list; the Merc's gadgets reduced the wind buffeting and it has cup holders which they use quite often and were apparently 'very' important.
Only downside I would say is that the seats in the Merc are ridiculously hard. You get used to it but why Mercedes decided to make the seats of a grand tourer so hard I really do not understand.
I have an 8 and 10yr old and they preferred the back of the Merc to the BMW 6 Series (640d) which was on the shopping list; the Merc's gadgets reduced the wind buffeting and it has cup holders which they use quite often and were apparently 'very' important.
Only downside I would say is that the seats in the Merc are ridiculously hard. You get used to it but why Mercedes decided to make the seats of a grand tourer so hard I really do not understand.
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