Summer is here once again and with that the call of the Convertible beckons. I remember my first car was a 1966 Corvair Monza Convertible, with room enough for me and three of my friends, cruising with the top down on warm summer nights. However, it seems that affordable 4 seat convertibles are slowly disappearing from the North American market, and that is quite puzzling. Read more after the jump…
The roomy four passenger convertible offered here in the states are made up of either state of the art, and very pricey models such as the BMW 3 Series, or the VW Eos (I consider a starting price of around $30,000 pricey!), or models that have been in production for a few years that are starting to look old, like the Chrysler Sebring, or the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Recent models have been discontinued that were questionable (The PT Cruiser Convertible), a bit boring (The Toyota Solara), and somewhat innovative (The Pontiac G6 Convertible), with no replacements on the horizon.
European Convertibles are numerous, though they tend to be at the upper end of the market. BMW offers a bevy of models based on their 1 series, 3 series, and 6 series. There is at least one offering from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Maserati, Saab, Volvo, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin that is available here. The Japanese makers don’t offer that many, with 2 offerings from Lexus, and one from Infiniti. The Koreans are out of the running.
So the question of this first summer weekend of 2010 is this: Would you purchase (or even consider) a 4 passenger convertible if one was offered in your price range? Log your comments now.
Question of the Weekend: Would you buy a 4 (or more) passenger Convertible?
By Jim Brennan
Jun 20, 2010
Jeff Glucker
I don't think I would. I'd much rather have the coupe version of all the convertibles mentioned; I don't want the weight and performance penalty, and I don't like the looks of something like a 3-series convertible. If I were to get an open-top car, it would be a 2-seat roadster, like a Miata or a Boxster; until then, I'm happy with a coupe and a sunroof.
Four seater convertibles are awesome, but really only so far as they are full-size BOF American cars from Cadillac or Chrysler.
Only if it was built in the 1960's
I already have a two seater convertible (well it's a Targa, technically), so sure, why not? It would have to be a true four seater though, none of that silly 2+2 setup where the rear passengers will be comfortable only after removing their legs.
Of all the pictures shown above, the only one that I find interesting is the Cadillac.
If had to a four seater convertible, I might go with a 60's Mustang. A friend of mine had one with the I6 engine: it was not the fastest car around but then again that's not what convertibles are about. I did not get to drive it before he sold it but I suspect the handling was more akin to a boat than a Lotus. Again, no problem: that car was meant for cruising. It even had the original radio built into the metal dash. It was AM only, so he would listen to either the oldies station, or baseball games.
As a recent immigrant, listening to a baseball game while riding in a convertible Mustang was the ultimate American Experience!
Been there, done that. My first car (mid-'70s) was a fairly scruffy '65 Mustang convertible – 200 six and three-on-floor stick. I had it for four years, had plenty of fun with it, and even drove it to southern Mexico and back, as well as all over the US. I guess I got it out of my system, because I haven't really been all that aching to get another four-seater convertible. A two-seat droptop? Well, that's a bit more interesting…
I currently have an 88 E30 ragtop and love it. The back seat usually carries my beach chair, beach bag and cooler so seating comfort is not a huge concern. But if that huge "last of the convertibles" El Dorado was in my livery, I wouldn't complain one bit. Oh and Happy Father's Day to my fellow Hoons.
Yeah, I would, but for now, I think I'd prefer a 2 seater. Given my aching for a convertible, I think even a sawzall Beetle convertible would do. The weather where I live is very San Diego like, so open top cruising would be great
There are plenty of non-roadster droptops I'd be happy to rock: Audi S5, Aston-Martin DB7 Vantage Volante (though calling any two-door Aston a four-seater is a bit of a stretch), and a whole host of American parade floats from the '50s, '60s and early '70s.
It all depends what you want the convertible for. The larger they are, the less they are a performance sports car, and the more trouble the top is likely to be. The US used to make great convertibles out of Buicks, Olds, Galaxies, and Darts. The 1st gen Sebring wasn't as bad as a lot of folks say. The A4 convertible was great, and so is the SAAB 9-3.
No, the first-generation was fine – honestly, each generation of Sebring convertible, to me, is worse than the one before. My grandmother had a 2000 JXi with the 2.5 V6, forest green with black top and black leather, and gold-trimmed wheels; this car in a nicer hue, essentially. (That was the car that relegated my current parts car to second-car status, in fact.)
Me and my friend have plans for next summer to buy a big old Cadillac or Lincoln convertible sight unseen from out west(Indiana, Texas area) and drive it back to the Boston area without using the highway system. So as long as it was old, and a boat, I'd rock a 4 spot convertible, but not as a DD.
I read somewhere that the extra seats are put in for insurance reasons. Four seat cars are cheaper to insure than two seaters, or something like that.
But aren't four-door cars cheaper to insure than two-doors, as well?
Be sure to carry Jackie and John masks for rear-seat passengers.
"…as I've said many times, the only person who ever looked good in the back of a convertible was Hitler." – Jezza.
That said, I'd own one… but not a new one. Nothing sold today really does anything for me. However, a classic from the '50s or '60s would by no means be out of the running because of the composition of its top, provided it had one at all (or replacements were easy to find).
Nope. 2 seats. 30+ years old. British. Extra jugs of water and bailing wire in the trunk. :-))
It would have to be at least 40 years old and American for a 4-seater.
I have a 64 Cont convertible and wouldn’t give it up for anything. It has a backseat bigger than my last apartment and room for five or six on the benches. The only problems are the complexity of the top and the lack of trunk space when the top is down. If you are going to give up the rigidity for a lack of top, then drop the sporty aspirations and cruise.
You folks all know I'm a Truck-Driver, and while they're seldom four-seaters, I have always wondered why I have never seen a Convertible Semi? Even the most minimal have air for the brakes, and many have a PTO (Power-Take-Off) hydraulic pump capable of lifting 45,000 lbs of rock into the air in an a end-dump, so how hard could it be to just grab the roof and toss behind the cab/slide it into the sleeper? The Old-Schoolers remember the tip-out windshields (like old VW vans), but those were awful, they just brought all the dust and dirt and bee's into the Cab that should be on your windshield. I've talked to folks at the Truck-Stop and at Truck Shows about this, and while they all agree a Convertible Semi would be ten kinds of awesome, not a single one could ever remember even hearing of one.
I want that Eldo!
Thankyou for the outstanding blog post.
Thankyou