Ragtops are cool when weather’s hot
You can get in without opening the doors. You can get a tan on your way home from work. You can look at the stars without craning your neck. In fact, you can come up with all sorts of reasons to drive a convertible, but you only need one: They’re fun. “Driving a convertible is the kind of fun that doesn’t rely on speed or handling,” says an Autoblog ode to the ragtop. “Even driving a slow convertible can be engaging…The sun on your face, the smell of nature instead of the chill of air conditioning. There’s nothing better than being out in the elements while still being in your car.” Right now, automakers offer at least two dozen models for sale. They range from a jaunty little bubble car that clocks in at less than $20,000 to a lightning boltshaped roadster with a V-10 engine that “provides stomach-punch acceleration” and costs just shy of $180,000. “There’s nothing quite like driving with the top down with the wind in your face,” writes Autotrader.com’s Eric Brandt. “Luckily, drop-top fun doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. You might be surnew convertible market and how much bang for your buck you can get with the top down.” BRAEGER CHEVROLET of Milwaukee sales rep Zach Haack agrees — and reports that plenty of local drivers do, too. “Camaros in general sell pretty fast,” he says, “but convertibles go fastest.” He adds that most people who buy Camaro convertibles use them in summer and tuck them away in winter, though “you could drive them in winter if you wanted to. They have Snow/Ice Mode.” Reviewers say that Snow/Ice Mode really does improve traction and handling, and point out that current models are better insulated than their ancestors were. Making convertibles even more all-weather-friendly, Autotrader’s Doug DeMuro says, is the fact that some, such as the Audi A5, are available with allwheel drive. Spencer Marquardt, client adviser for MERCEDES-BENZ OF MILWAUKEE NORTH, says that many of his customers are snowbirds who have their soft-tops shipped between their seasonal homes “so they can use them for more than just the three months of summer we get.” Mercedes-Benz offers more convertibles than any other automaker. Marquardt says the E-class is the most popular because of its less-than-$60,000 price tag and, as a four-seater, it’s suited to taking friends to dinner and a ride in the night air. That suggests that convertibles can be practical, and DeMuro agrees, stating that that “several are bigger than most drivers realize.” He notes that the Jeep Wrangler, the only 4-door in the class, “can tackle just about any terrain and and that Ford’s Mustang offers as much backseat legroom as some sedans. The safety-conscious may be encouraged to know that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that even with their tops dropped, convertibles protect passengers as well as hardtops in crashes. Autotrader’s list of top convertibles for 2019 include the Mustang, Camaro and Buick Cascada, all of which cost about $33,000. Starting at between $26,000 and MINI convertible, Volkswagen Beetle, Mazda MX5 Miata and Fiat 124 Spider. On the luxury side, Car and Driver lists the Porsche 718 Boxster starting at $59,000, the Audi A5 at $51,200 and the BMW 2-series at $41,000. Mercedes Benz offers multiple convertibles, including the C-class ($51,900), E-class ($59,800), AMG E53 ($81,300) and S-class ($135,000). The previously mentioned near-supercar convertible that sells for $177,000 is the Audi R8 roadster, which Car and Driver calls “exotic.” The least expensive is Fiat’s 500c convertible, which sells for $19,285. And, of course, there are many preowned models - vintage and otherwise that are available at a wide array of price points.