WIND IN THE HAIR

I’m looking at buying a used four-seat convertible, either BMW or Mercedes, with a budget around $40,000. Any suggestions? I’m leaning more towards a hard rather than soft top – can you please advise on any advantages and disadvantages?

Graeme Andrews, email

With all these damned lockdowns, the roof-down freedom of convertibles is more appealing than ever. As drop-tops are typically lifestyle cars, most have low mileages, which makes up for all the Germans in your price range being out of warranty. Hard-top convertibles are the preference – they’re better insulated and less prone to damage. That said, modern soft-tops do a great job of keeping wind noise out. Benz CClass cabrios are out of budget, so a seven-yearold E-Class is your only option. I’d favour a newer (2017) BMW 2 Series. A 220i M Sport has the looks and talent, but I’d stretch to an M235i with its sublime 240kW twin-turbo six-cylinder. That’s my pick. Check out a 2016 Audi A5 Convertible too: it trumps the others aesthetically.