The automotive kingdom certainly has its fair share of misunderstood genres. The sport utility truck, the coupe SUV, even the sedan to an extent. However, as the decades have rolled by, cabriolets became one of the most misunderstood of all vehicle subtypes. Even though they were once common fixtures of the roads, as a society, we seem to have forgotten what they’re all about. Despite the vehicles themselves being at least mildly interesting, we’ve all heard the insults that get bandied about for drivers of convertibles. Mid-life crisis. Golfist. Poser.
Oh, and it often gets worse as the cars get faster. If a performance car offers the option of a fixed roof or a removable one, the one with the fixed roof is usually more desirable and the one with the ragtop is usually treated as a second-class vehicle. Why? Convertibles often cost more than their coupe equivalents, and people have proven willing to pay up for the privilege. What do these convertible buyers know that forum elitists don’t?
The truth is, they know a few things that are more overarching than outright technical expertise. They value experiences and involvement in the same way the slicktop, three-pedal-or-die brigade does, but their means of obtaining involvement are slightly different. Every convertible is, to at least some degree, an enthusiast car, it’s just that accepting this fact can be hard for some.
Granted, the elitists’ talking points aren’t drawn from thin air. Forty years ago, the average unibody had the torsional rigidity of al dente spaghettini, and cutting the roof off was a surefire way to make the cowl shake over expansion joints like it just took a polar plunge. Automakers attempted to compensate by welding in heavy bracing, but those mostly bloated curb weights without curbing apocryphal stories of air vents violently ejecting themselves from dashboards. However, we aren’t living in 1984 anymore, and for the past 20-some-odd years, convertibles have grown substantially more rigid. Sure, they’ve also grown substantially heavier, but in the real world, how much will you notice?
You may still be able to make this argument if you do a trackday every month and have teeth the shade of a freshly built model home’s walls, but most of us don’t commute to the office through carousel turns or think too much about what we eat in the context of lap times.
In fact, most of a typical car’s life will be spent sitting, followed by the daily grind on public roads at sensible speeds, and only a handful will ever turn a wheel on track. In the real world, with congestion and potholes and speed cameras conspiring to keep average speeds low, the sensations of letting the wind and sky in are more noticeable than a little extra chassis rigidity and a few dozen fewer pounds. It helps the car become an instrument of joy, and the Chrysler Sebring Convertible is one of the more telling examples from history.
Don’t get me wrong, the first-generation Chrysler Sebring was a perfectly okay car. Sure, the Ultradrive automatic gearbox wasn’t strong, but the Mitsubishi V6 was stout enough and the styling was perfectly handsome. When the second-generation model came along, it gained the abhorrent 2.7-liter Chrysler V6, frumpier styling, and a direct sedan version just to show everyone how truly uninspired the bones of the car were.
Despite this, the convertible variant took a subpar midsize sedan, removed two doors and a roof, and turned it into a little bit of an occasion. Sure, the interior was still an uncouth mishmash of shapes and materials, and the facelifted model still had the facial expression of a particularly bewildered rodent, but with the roof down and a breeze coming in, it was hard to care too much, wasn’t it? At that point, a dashboard is just a shelf for dust, after all.
Instead, drivers of these mediocre-at-best convertibles found themselves breathing in harmony with the universe, their senses fascinated by the machinations of Mother Nature. The rustling of hedges, the weight of the wind, an unfiltered view of 100 billion stars. A convertible reminds us that on a long enough timeline, we’re all just passing through, single-cell travelers in the universe’s largest terrarium. There’s a cathartic sense of insignificance that comes with such an experience, a freeing vulnerability that transcends metal and glass and reveals certain truths about humanity. Plus, it’s theoretically at least a little bit safer than a motorcycle, and you still get to meet some interesting people in the process.
Sadly, going roof-down is something fewer and fewer people are able to experience. Drop-top choices have been steadily dwindling since the turn of the millennium, with no signs of that trend reversing. There’s no more Chrysler Sebring Convertible or Toyota Solara Convertible or Pontiac G6 Convertible. No more BMW 2 Series cabriolet, or Mercedes-Benz SLK, or Audi A3 cabriolet. Mitsubishi doesn’t offer a convertible in America anymore, nor does Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Honda, Infiniti, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, or Volvo. Even Jaguar’s current convertible dies this year, with no guarantee of a replacement.
If you’ve ever wanted a cabriolet, buy one, and don’t let the haters convince you otherwise. Better yet, if you’ve hated on convertibles for technical reasons in the past, I encourage you to take a step back and query whether or not the universe is about more than just objective engineering truths.
Yes, cutting the roof off a car can make it a bit heavier, a bit floppier, and a bit slower, but it can also make it better, for “better” can’t always be measured. Every incremental improvement in tin-top car rigidity will eventually become outmoded, so it’s worth approaching things with an open mind and trying to let the sun in for an experience that will always be timeless.
(Photo credits: BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Audi)
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
“al dente spaghettini”
So is this the same kind that David eats in the shower?
“al dente spaghettini”
So is this the same kind that David eats in the shower?
Since it was mentioned: I rented a Sebring convertible for several days in 1997. Drove it from Las Vegas to, and around, L.A. Then did an overnight run up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, with the top down all the way. It was an amazing experience, and the Sebring wasn’t terrible.
That reminds me, years ago we did a trip to Barcelona and after a week I rented a Peugeot convertible and we drove north into the south of France. The weather was perfect and we got to see several castles and some gorgeous beaux villages. I was shocked how little power that 4-cyl engine had though. I had scary moment when I realized we were about to pass our exit on the highway and I was in the left lane. In my car at home there’s always power, but the little Peugeot didn’t move any faster at all when I stomped on the gas. Had to go to the next exit and turn around.
This is the way.
Since it was mentioned: I rented a Sebring convertible for several days in 1997. Drove it from Las Vegas to, and around, L.A. Then did an overnight run up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, with the top down all the way. It was an amazing experience, and the Sebring wasn’t terrible.
That reminds me, years ago we did a trip to Barcelona and after a week I rented a Peugeot convertible and we drove north into the south of France. The weather was perfect and we got to see several castles and some gorgeous beaux villages. I was shocked how little power that 4-cyl engine had though. I had scary moment when I realized we were about to pass our exit on the highway and I was in the left lane. In my car at home there’s always power, but the little Peugeot didn’t move any faster at all when I stomped on the gas. Had to go to the next exit and turn around.
Everyone always talks about sunny days and convertibles, but I’m here to tell you that what is really great is driving convertibles at night. My top three convertibles at night scenarios are:
Driving in the Mojave desert with a full moon and the headlights turned off.
Driving across Kansas in a light rain storm on the interstate, didn’t get wet until I stopped for gas. The smells of the farms were amazing, now I know why dogs stick their noses out the window all the time.
Manhattan at night in the summer, it’s always a party even if it’s Tuesday.
Love it. I’m right with you – there’s something magical about driving at night, especially nowhere near people. I love the drive out to Bend, Oregon, over the mountains and all around the volcanic peaks – it’s beautiful out there. The stars near Crater Lake are just astounding, so much so that I felt the danger of driving so diverted that I pulled of the road.
Yep. My favorite time to drive the MGB is on a summer night.
NIGHT CONVERTIBLE IS THE BEST
I’d have to drive mine more often at night then!
I’m a believer that the best time to drive a soft top is early in the spring or late in the fall, when the air is cold, the road is dry and the sun shining. I love it especially through the autumn colors!
YES this right here is what i am dreaming about and why I want to get one. You hit the exact conditions i am after. A comfy sweater and heated seats on… but the top down
I was in the Mojave in March with a convertible and night driving with the top down was so damned pleasant.
YES. Night driving and daytime during Autumn in New England are the two best times for a convertible.
Top down in blazing summer suuuuccckkksss.
Everyone always talks about sunny days and convertibles, but I’m here to tell you that what is really great is driving convertibles at night. My top three convertibles at night scenarios are:
Driving in the Mojave desert with a full moon and the headlights turned off.
Driving across Kansas in a light rain storm on the interstate, didn’t get wet until I stopped for gas. The smells of the farms were amazing, now I know why dogs stick their noses out the window all the time.
Manhattan at night in the summer, it’s always a party even if it’s Tuesday.
Love it. I’m right with you – there’s something magical about driving at night, especially nowhere near people. I love the drive out to Bend, Oregon, over the mountains and all around the volcanic peaks – it’s beautiful out there. The stars near Crater Lake are just astounding, so much so that I felt the danger of driving so diverted that I pulled of the road.
Yep. My favorite time to drive the MGB is on a summer night.
NIGHT CONVERTIBLE IS THE BEST
I’d have to drive mine more often at night then!
I’m a believer that the best time to drive a soft top is early in the spring or late in the fall, when the air is cold, the road is dry and the sun shining. I love it especially through the autumn colors!
YES this right here is what i am dreaming about and why I want to get one. You hit the exact conditions i am after. A comfy sweater and heated seats on… but the top down
I was in the Mojave in March with a convertible and night driving with the top down was so damned pleasant.
YES. Night driving and daytime during Autumn in New England are the two best times for a convertible.
Top down in blazing summer suuuuccckkksss.
I have and will continue to clown on every convertible without a waterproof interior.
Just drill some quarter inch holes through the floors and you’re fine.
You know the top goes up, too, right?
Not always, and when it doesn’t it’s not fun in rain, snow, hail, etc. Unlike older cars with manual tops you’re dependent on some system that can fail and you cannot put the top up manually.
Sure, and when the car doesn’t start the mileage suffers, too.
Having a dead engine doesn’t allow for water damage unless where you parked your car floods.
Having a convertible top stuck down in a convertible without a waterproof interior when it rains, snows, etc. is a recipe for water damage.
It never happened to me in 8 years of ownership. And even then, no guts, no glory. It’s a risk I’m willing to take for what it gives me.
I’ve owned four convertibles over the last 20 or so years. That convertibles *need* a waterproof interior is a ludicrous assertion.
How many miles have you put on them collectively?
I’d estimate about 320K miles. Three soft tops and one retractable hard top. Each one was/is a daily.
Never had a top fail?
Not once. Three Miatas and a Boxster.
How many of them had manual tops?
My automatic top BMW 330Ci has a backup manual way to raise or lower the top.
Nice!
The ultimate drenching machine.
I have and will continue to clown on every convertible without a waterproof interior.
Just drill some quarter inch holes through the floors and you’re fine.
You know the top goes up, too, right?
Not always, and when it doesn’t it’s not fun in rain, snow, hail, etc. Unlike older cars with manual tops you’re dependent on some system that can fail and you cannot put the top up manually.
Sure, and when the car doesn’t start the mileage suffers, too.
Having a dead engine doesn’t allow for water damage unless where you parked your car floods.
Having a convertible top stuck down in a convertible without a waterproof interior when it rains, snows, etc. is a recipe for water damage.
It never happened to me in 8 years of ownership. And even then, no guts, no glory. It’s a risk I’m willing to take for what it gives me.
I’ve owned four convertibles over the last 20 or so years. That convertibles *need* a waterproof interior is a ludicrous assertion.
How many miles have you put on them collectively?
I’d estimate about 320K miles. Three soft tops and one retractable hard top. Each one was/is a daily.
Never had a top fail?
Not once. Three Miatas and a Boxster.
How many of them had manual tops?
My automatic top BMW 330Ci has a backup manual way to raise or lower the top.
Nice!
The ultimate drenching machine.
Compare the Renault-AMC Alliance and its convertible version. The convertible makes every trip an adventure. Well the steel roof one makes every trip an adventure too, but not in a good way.
Compare the Renault-AMC Alliance and its convertible version. The convertible makes every trip an adventure. Well the steel roof one makes every trip an adventure too, but not in a good way.
Good article Thomas – my last car was a black manual Miata and I loved it. It was so small and apparently so black that I was hit THREE times. Once by a pedestrian running late to work (bloody, stomach turning!) , once by a drunk woman (I wasn’t even in the car!), and once by a guy returning his rental car he got when someone else hit him (I was sitting still in traffic!).
After that madness I sold it and bought a white Mercedes convertible. I love the car and (knocks on wood) no one has hit me yet.
Good article Thomas – my last car was a black manual Miata and I loved it. It was so small and apparently so black that I was hit THREE times. Once by a pedestrian running late to work (bloody, stomach turning!) , once by a drunk woman (I wasn’t even in the car!), and once by a guy returning his rental car he got when someone else hit him (I was sitting still in traffic!).
After that madness I sold it and bought a white Mercedes convertible. I love the car and (knocks on wood) no one has hit me yet.
I don’t know, I just keep buying (and driving) convertibles. Corvair turbo Corsa, c4 & c5 Corvettes, 3-series BMW, An SLK then a SL. RR Evoque, which would have been a great car if the audio system worked, and the designers hadn’t decided to disable voice recognition because it’s a convertible. Mustang, brief mistake of a C6, current Audi A5 which I expect to drive until someone makes as good or better EV convertible.
I think it is one of those things that are easy to hate when you don’t own one. My first convertible was a new S2000. I only bought it because that was the only way to get one. Now I’m on my fourth ragtop and can’t imagine not having one.
I don’t know, I just keep buying (and driving) convertibles. Corvair turbo Corsa, c4 & c5 Corvettes, 3-series BMW, An SLK then a SL. RR Evoque, which would have been a great car if the audio system worked, and the designers hadn’t decided to disable voice recognition because it’s a convertible. Mustang, brief mistake of a C6, current Audi A5 which I expect to drive until someone makes as good or better EV convertible.
I think it is one of those things that are easy to hate when you don’t own one. My first convertible was a new S2000. I only bought it because that was the only way to get one. Now I’m on my fourth ragtop and can’t imagine not having one.
At least for now, I’ve decided that if I plunk down the money and driveway space for a “toy”, it is going to be a convertible.
A hardtop convertible would be awesome if I weren’t convinced they would be nothing but trouble. Maybe the Volvo isn’t so bad.
If there were more targas out there, that would also be an acceptable solution.
I’m with you on the hardtop convertible. Every time an Eos comes up for sale near me at a reasonable price I consider it. Then I ask myself why the combination of VW reliability and a complex moving roof sounds appealing.
The Volvo does seem the better move, probably.
At least for now, I’ve decided that if I plunk down the money and driveway space for a “toy”, it is going to be a convertible.
A hardtop convertible would be awesome if I weren’t convinced they would be nothing but trouble. Maybe the Volvo isn’t so bad.
If there were more targas out there, that would also be an acceptable solution.
I’m with you on the hardtop convertible. Every time an Eos comes up for sale near me at a reasonable price I consider it. Then I ask myself why the combination of VW reliability and a complex moving roof sounds appealing.
The Volvo does seem the better move, probably.
I see cheap, ~15 year old Volvo c70 convertibles that look pretty nice inside/out going for under 5k. I might have to buy one as a toy.
Do it!
I kinda want one too. You can even find the C70 T5’s for about 5k. Turbo charged and a retractable hard top. Would be a cool first car for a teenager.
I see cheap, ~15 year old Volvo c70 convertibles that look pretty nice inside/out going for under 5k. I might have to buy one as a toy.
Do it!
I kinda want one too. You can even find the C70 T5’s for about 5k. Turbo charged and a retractable hard top. Would be a cool first car for a teenager.
My convertible is a truck, and I’ve owned it for 15 years. Before that, I had another for eight. No regrets.
My convertible is a truck, and I’ve owned it for 15 years. Before that, I had another for eight. No regrets.
I think a lot of it is how people (as Jerry would say, not you, but other people) engage with their cars these days – the driving experience is no longer the primary goal.
To most, cars are now are rolling tech platforms, avatars of power and speed, and things that say something desirable about them. What they’re not is about engaging in the activity of driving.
And engagement is what convertibles represent at their heart. Taking your car’s top away represents nothing else other than improving the experience of driving. So that’s why most buyers don’t want them.
There’s a great deal of truth in your statement, Jack. But I not sure it’s that they don’t want the experience, I think it’s that they don’t know the experience is available. High School girl down the street has a convertible Mini, just like my family’s. Our top is never up, hers is never down. Never talked to her, but I’d love to ask why.
Perfectly stated. I’m a motorcyclist and a car person. I love bikes because I’m out there experiencing the speed first hand. The wind. The noise. The smells and temperature changes and the like that make me very much “right there” on a ride, even a slow one. Convertibles replicate a great deal of what I love so much about motorcycles. You’re part of the landscape, not just rolling through looking at it through glass.
I love cars, too, but sedans/coupes with a roof are so isolated that the visceral parts of the speed are squashed for me. Sure, windows down is great, a sunroof is OK, I guess, but neither like no roof at all.
I have a Boxster and it’s the perfect amalgamation of my motorcycles and a car. My wife was my pillion and riding partner for decades. Now that she can’t ride comfortably any more (thanks, arthritis), a sports car convertible allows us to do “motorcycle”, but while we sit side by side. Same “right there” experience. The sounds, the speed, the smells, the temperature changes are all part of convertiblling. The link to what you’re driving through is all there in a way that isn’t possible in an enclosed vehicle.
It’s not for everyone. That’s fine. But there are fewer things better than rolling out on a warm summer morning, before everyone is up, and having a nice top down tear around the local curvy roads.
And a solid +1 on night time drives in convertibles.
I always worry that I’m gonna get pulled over for suspicion of a dui with the top down at night, but goddamn, it’s so good. Especially driving through the city – the lights, the building, the night life, it’s just amazing.
+1 on all your points. My wife and I took the same approach for similar reasons and replaced our Gold Wing with a Mini convertible. No it’s not the same, not “as good”, as being on a bike. But the experience is great.
I think a lot of it is how people (as Jerry would say, not you, but other people) engage with their cars these days – the driving experience is no longer the primary goal.
To most, cars are now are rolling tech platforms, avatars of power and speed, and things that say something desirable about them. What they’re not is about engaging in the activity of driving.
And engagement is what convertibles represent at their heart. Taking your car’s top away represents nothing else other than improving the experience of driving. So that’s why most buyers don’t want them.
There’s a great deal of truth in your statement, Jack. But I not sure it’s that they don’t want the experience, I think it’s that they don’t know the experience is available. High School girl down the street has a convertible Mini, just like my family’s. Our top is never up, hers is never down. Never talked to her, but I’d love to ask why.
Perfectly stated. I’m a motorcyclist and a car person. I love bikes because I’m out there experiencing the speed first hand. The wind. The noise. The smells and temperature changes and the like that make me very much “right there” on a ride, even a slow one. Convertibles replicate a great deal of what I love so much about motorcycles. You’re part of the landscape, not just rolling through looking at it through glass.
I love cars, too, but sedans/coupes with a roof are so isolated that the visceral parts of the speed are squashed for me. Sure, windows down is great, a sunroof is OK, I guess, but neither like no roof at all.
I have a Boxster and it’s the perfect amalgamation of my motorcycles and a car. My wife was my pillion and riding partner for decades. Now that she can’t ride comfortably any more (thanks, arthritis), a sports car convertible allows us to do “motorcycle”, but while we sit side by side. Same “right there” experience. The sounds, the speed, the smells, the temperature changes are all part of convertiblling. The link to what you’re driving through is all there in a way that isn’t possible in an enclosed vehicle.
It’s not for everyone. That’s fine. But there are fewer things better than rolling out on a warm summer morning, before everyone is up, and having a nice top down tear around the local curvy roads.
And a solid +1 on night time drives in convertibles.
I always worry that I’m gonna get pulled over for suspicion of a dui with the top down at night, but goddamn, it’s so good. Especially driving through the city – the lights, the building, the night life, it’s just amazing.
+1 on all your points. My wife and I took the same approach for similar reasons and replaced our Gold Wing with a Mini convertible. No it’s not the same, not “as good”, as being on a bike. But the experience is great.
I’ve owned three convertibles, all Jeeps of one stripe or another, and I wholeheartedly concur with the sentiments expressed by Thomas. And Jeeps aren’t easy convertibles to live with as it’s like putting up a tent in a breeze to get the top on or off. Still, top down cruising is worth every effort. Doors off doesn’t hurt either.
Several years ago a friend loaned me her Mini convertible while she was overseas for a month. At that time, it had been awhile since I’d driven topless. What blast that little car was. I determined then that I’d once again own a convertible. Hasn’t happened yet, but it will.
I’ve decided that even though there are technical disadvantages to driving old cars, my next convertible will be some type of classic. Older ragtops do suffer from all the structural and handling drawbacks Thomas mentioned, but the kind of driving I’d be doing doesn’t require modern car capabilities. Older rides are easier for me to maintain, too. Plus, preserving old cars, especially convertibles is a worthwhile pursuit. All bets are off, though, if I ever have enough fun money to buy a Morgan Super 3.
I’ve owned three convertibles, all Jeeps of one stripe or another, and I wholeheartedly concur with the sentiments expressed by Thomas. And Jeeps aren’t easy convertibles to live with as it’s like putting up a tent in a breeze to get the top on or off. Still, top down cruising is worth every effort. Doors off doesn’t hurt either.
Several years ago a friend loaned me her Mini convertible while she was overseas for a month. At that time, it had been awhile since I’d driven topless. What blast that little car was. I determined then that I’d once again own a convertible. Hasn’t happened yet, but it will.
I’ve decided that even though there are technical disadvantages to driving old cars, my next convertible will be some type of classic. Older ragtops do suffer from all the structural and handling drawbacks Thomas mentioned, but the kind of driving I’d be doing doesn’t require modern car capabilities. Older rides are easier for me to maintain, too. Plus, preserving old cars, especially convertibles is a worthwhile pursuit. All bets are off, though, if I ever have enough fun money to buy a Morgan Super 3.
I’m just bitter there aren’t more pillarless hardtops, because convertibles look like ass with the top up, and I can’t deal with direct sunlight. A pleasant cruiser sounds nice, I just want my canopy to hide under.
You need to try a Jeep Wrangler JL with the half-doors and the soft top in safari mode.
Or if you want a more convenient option go for the Sky One Touch top. It’s why I did since I had to go with the 4-door for the family. The dream toy remains a manual two-door with the soft top and a miracolous 392 or 5.7 Hemi swap 🙂