2010 Ferrari California: $249,000
2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro: $190,000
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet: $67,900-$77,500
Driving topless in a fast, sexy convertible: Almost priceless.
Somehow, someway, the open-lid car morphed into an extraordinarily expensive toy for the wealthy and the carefree. Where once the convertible world was largely about mainstream escapism dominated by affordable (though not always reliable) little roadsters from Britain (MGs, Triumphs) and Italy (Fiats) with a few American stalwarts thrown in for good measure (American Motors Rogue, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Ford Falcon, Chevrolet Impala and others), today most convertibles are aimed strictly at the monied classes.
That’s not to say the megabucks crowd isn’t getting something for their money. Not at all.
That Ferrari has a 453 horsepower, mid-front V-8 under the hood, a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and a folding metal roof. The Audi is a powerhouse: 525 hp, six-speed tranny (manual or R-Tronic automated manual), all-wheel-drive (AWD) agility and a sexy-as-hell look. The Mercedes, well, unlike the others, it seats four comfortably, yet still roars about using a 268-hp V-6 or a 382 V-8. If you like gizmos, the E-Class convertible is a techie’s dream.
And there are others of this ilk, from Porsches to Lamborghinis. But where are the middle-class convertibles? There are not enough of those.
The cheapest brand new convertible in Canada is the pint-sized smart fortwo ($21,250-$24,900) city car. It’s more styling statement than practical ride, but it does have an air of tranquillity and simplicity about it that is valuable in a reverse-snobbery sort of way.
Jeep’s Wrangler is not really a convertible car, but it does allow for open-air driving and at a fair price ($20,595-$30,495). There is a youthful exuberance expressed in driving a Wrangler, though putting up and taking down the top is something of a chore. Still, it’s affordable and delivers go-anywhere abilities.
The rest of the 30-something crowd ($30,000-something, I mean) is comprised of nothing more than a handful of old reliable brands and nameplates: the Ford Mustang ($31,399-$42,899, 2011 version), Chrysler Sebring ($30,665-$44,070), Mazda MX-5 Miata ($28,995-$39,995) and Mini Cooper ($29,950). Toyota Camry Solara? Gone. And so on and so on.
For under $40,000, if you work at it you might find a leftover Pontiac G6 or even a Solstice ($36,995 and $37,835). The odd one might still be sitting around, a lonely Pontiac on a dealer lot. Surely you’ll get either convertible at a massive discount. Same for the Saturn Sky ($33,715-$40,165). But a better choice might be Volkswagen Eos ($36,575-$43,375), which will give you a European-bred convertible with very nice ride and handling characteristics.
And then you start heading into I-have-leftover-money-and-can-afford-a-toy territory. Take the Nissan 370Z ($46,998). Very, very fast and sporty, and good value for a super-racy ride. But realistically, with taxes, bells and whistles, no one is driving away a 370Z for less than 50 large. The sub-$50,000 convertible might be possible if you’re really careful with the BMW 128i ($41,000), but not the more powerful 135i convertible ($48,400).
In fact, $50,000-plus is where a lot of convertible action starts. Here we have the likes of the Infiniti G37 ($58,300-$61,600), Volvo’s C70 ($52,995), Audi A5 Quattro ($56,300-$58,300) and Audi’s TT roadster ($52,350). BMW makes a lovely 3-Series convertible lineup ($56,800-$68,400) and we should never overlook the Z4 roadster ($54,200-$62,200). Lexus has two offerings here, the IS250C ($52,100) and the IS350C ($60,400). Mercedes-Benz has a lineup of SLK roadsters that start at $57,500 and top out at $84,800.
