It's finally nice out and, like I do every year, I'm fantasizing about a cute little canvas-top convertible. I like to pretend I'm not old enough for a fancy midlife-crisis car. I'm definitely not rich enough. So what newer cars can I get for $15,000 or less? – Kieran
You can go topless without spending top dollar.
There are a few options for $15,000 or less. You've asked for a canvas-top. However, you may want to consider Volkswagen's Eos, a hardtop with a built-in moonroof. It's named for the Greek goddess of the dawn. That's fitting for a car that lets you see the sky all the time.
But you asked for cute and canvas, and here are a few possibilities:
2009-2010 Mini Cooper Convertible
This is your only option, in any price range, with an Openometer. An Openometer tells you how many minutes you've spent with the fabric top down – so you can let your dermatologist know on your next visit.
New for 2009, the second-generation convertible has a 1.6-litre, 118-hp inline-four. The Cooper S has more pep, but it'll be tough to find one in your price range. It's a Mini, outside and in, which means a giant centre-mounted speedometer that's easier to see from the back seat than it is from the driver's seat. That makes it easier for back-seat drivers to complain about your driving and they'll be grumpy already because they can't feel their legs back there – it's cramped.
It's easy to rack up minutes on the Openometer thanks to a power roof that can be fully retracted in 20 seconds while driving at speeds up to 30 km/h. Plus, you can open only the front part of the top if you need a sunroof. And, there's a hidden rollover bar that will pop up in milliseconds should you roll off a cliff.
Consumer Reports says the Cooper convertible is fun to drive. But it's noisy and has a stiff ride, confusing controls and lousy rear visibility. The magazine gives these years its lowest grade for predicted used car reliability.
Transport Canada says the Mini gets a combined 7.4 litres/100 km for the manual and 8.1 litres/100 km for the automatic. It takes premium gasoline.
2012-2014 Fiat 500c
You could argue that the 500c is the poorer man's version of the Cooper – if that poorer man likes to order ristretto shots at Starbucks. It's cute, it's fun, it has style and you can close the top at near-highway speeds if it starts to snow in June. The canvas roof retracts, like a window blind, between the roof pillars. When it's fully down, the tiny rear window retracts into the trunk and the top folds up like an accordion. It's nifty, but almost totally blocks rear visibility.
The Cinquecento (Italian for 500, just like Venti's Italian for 20) has a 101-hp, 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. And it's surprisingly fun to drive.
There's retro-styling inside and out, like the Mini. But its controls and gauges are less confusing. That includes a tachometer nested inside the speedometer – like a turducken's duck inside a turkey (Car and Driver called it a "speedtachen"). Rear seats are tight. Some of the finishes, including easily-scratched plastic on the doors, feel a little cheap.
Consumer Reports griped about the acceleration, jumpy ride, road noise and driving position. It gives the 2012 and 2013 car low ratings for predicted used car reliability, focusing on potential troubles with the paint, rattles and squeaks and power equipment. The 2014 car has average reliability.
Reported gas mileage is a combined 7.1 litres/100 km for the stick and 7.8 litres/100 km for the automatic. It takes regular gas.
At this price, you can probably find the Lounge model – which adds some snazzy chrome trim to the front and rear. The Abarth gives the 500's 98-pound weakling the Charles Atlas treatment. But it starts at $27,995 new, so you probably won't find one used for anywhere near $15,000.
2010-2014 Smart fortwo Passion Cabriolet
Passion can be tricky in a confined space, so getting rid of the roof might help. This is the topless version of the Smart's mid-range trim level. It's cute, but it feels like the car equivalent of the 1980s Nike half shirt – it's not practical, and dudes look silly in it.
And forget about impromptu drag races at stop lights – the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, 70-hp engine's acceleration is weak from a full stop. One reviewer compares the automatic's shifting abilities to a 15-year-old learning to drive a stick.
Of course, that's not what the Smart's built for – it's a relatively cheap, easy-to-park, two-seater city car.
Most reviews use the word tiny multiple times. That's because it's tiny. But, you can definitely get one for well under your budget.
And it might be okay for a second car – as long as you won't ever need it for a trip to Costco or to haul more than one person at a time to the airport.
Consumer Reports doesn't have a used car predictability ratings for these model years, but the '09 gets its lowest rating. The magazine pans the fortwo's sluggish steering, clunky transmission, rough ride, road noise, lack of cargo room and low-quality interior finishes.
It takes premium gas. Reported gas mileage for the automatic is 6.4 litres/100 km combined city and highway.
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