Me and Mrs D reckon that this spate of cold and horrid weather will surely be followed by an exceptionally warm, sunny and positively balmy Spring/Summer (absolutely NO scientific logic here but we do pride ourselves on our very british optimism and several glasses of something french helped too).
Anyway, it got us discussing the merits of soft-top motoring and to my surprise she is quite keen. We've never had a convertible and now the kids are old enough to get themselves in and out of a 2-door we think it might be fun to look around for something to replace Mrs D's runabout Focus. Budget would be no more than £5k although the whole idea is only really hyperthetical at this stage...
...so I've been having a look around. I assumed that a Golf would fit the bill but they seem to get slated in the C-by-C. As do Meganes, 306 and Astras. In fact I couldn't find anything that is on a par with the Focus that doesn't cost a banker's bonus.
Any thoughts? Is there anything else we could consider? What are the pitfalls?
Alternatively I'm willing to hear anyone's ideas on how to overcome the credit crunching, winter blues....
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We bought an MX5 last summer and it's great even on a good day in the winter top down motoring is most enjoyable. Ours is a spare car though I wouldn't like it to be a main car we used every day.
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I think a Volvo C70 is what you want to look at, seeing as you need 4 seats. You should be able to find plenty of nice ones (old shape) around the 5k mark I expect.
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wow, quick responces. thanks.
Yeah MX5 would be 1st choice if we didn't need to occasionally cart kids around.
Hadn't thought of a volvo. will check it out tonight.
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MB CLK's come into your budget too, nice car but needs to be checked carefully for rust.
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You say 'soft-top' - does that exclude the many versions of trendy folding hard-top now available?
The soft convertibles I have owned (205 and 306) all had shallow boot space to consider, and I think the hard ones may be worse in that respect. Some hard-tops also have leaky roofs, and the top corner of the screen presents a constant threat to one's head while getting in and out. Add to that the price premium and high insurance, and there is quite a lot on the debit side.
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I didn't think that retracting hard-tops would come into our budget.
The spirit of the original idea was to replace an 8 year old Focus with something slightly newer but should be similar in terms of cost of maintenance / reliability - but we'd expect to pay a bit more upfront and probably insurance too.
We're not too fussed about performance and not particularly annul about keeping it shiny either. In some ways a manual soft top may be preferable to reduce liklihood of hood breakdown.
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Saab 9-3's getting cheap and usually have bum warmers - v important...
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>I didn't think that retracting hard-tops would come into our budget - You're probably right, sorry.
>A manual soft top may be preferable. - I would guess only the most basic older cars would have manual roofs. Even the 205 CTi had a power hood from 1992 on. The 306 is a very pretty car, and I had no probs with mine - still a few around. Apart from the boot space, there are a few small niggles like rainwater running off the edges of roof because there are no gutters (and sometimes leaking into the car in a strong wind). Just make sure the roof is intact, they cost a bomb to replace.
Edited by Andrew-T on 12/02/2009 at 20:16
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I didn't think that retracting hard-tops would come into our budget.
i have a Mitsubushi Colt CZC its only £10,000 brand new so im sure that you could probably pick up a not so old 2nd hand one on your budget its a four seater (the back two are smaller then usual and would suit the kids perfectly) its a fantasic car economical and a great drive
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budget its a four seater (the back two are smaller then usual
WL have you really had a human of any size on those rear seats with their legs in front of them?
I've delivered these CZC's and i'm only 6ft but i have the seat back jammed solid against the front edge of the rear seat to even drive the thing off the truck, how do you get anyone in the back of the car?
I thought the 206/7 was small enough in the rear, but these mitsi's take cramped to a whole new level, or is there some way of moving the rear seat back that i didn't notice?
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i bought a '52 reg Peugeot 206 CC for £5,000 in June 2007. it was cheap (or so it seemed at the time) because it had several scratches and a dent, and stunk of fags. Not being used much at the moment, and loose battery cable aside has given us no trouble. Fun to drive and all that.
Very small back seats though.
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I would certainly not rule out the old-shape astra convertible. Conventional soft top, genuine 4 seater, cheap to run and falls nicely into the sub-£5k bracket. For that money you could have a nice late (04-05) model with the powerful & economical 2.2 engine. I also find it much prettier than most modern 'CC' convertibles.
For similar money you could have a slightly older SAAB 9-3, but it's really quite an elderly design as was highlighted in the NCAP crash test performance of the hatchback variant. If your budget could stretch by a good £1k, I'd go for an early new-shape 9-3. An ex-fleet model with highish motorway miles would be good value.
You'd be surprised how far £5k goes these days so long as your not after a 50mpg, £35 VED city car. I'd say now is a good time to buy a soft top, when the weather does improve others will start to get the same idea.
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Lowest spec 1.8 MX-5 can be had for about £200/mth personal lease (broadspeed.com) - if you find after 2yrs you still love it you can probably buy it at a good price too.
Keep a banger for carting the kids!
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Some interesting ideas abound. Have looked a little deeper and we like the look of the ragtop Astra G. I think they look prettier than the golf but as stated earlier both get a bit of a slating in the C by C. Are they really that bad or would a well maintained example have had it's faults ironed out by now?
we may also look into the 306 idea.
Have also looked at the Saab 93 and the Volvo C70 but feel that both are a bit too exotic and more power than we need.
Will keep you posted.
D.
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I've got one more suggestion for you Duncan16, how about the Renault Megane CC? Early examples (2004) have now dipped below £5k and there is plently of choice.
I'd reccomend a highish mileage, ex-fleet example. Such cars spend their lives doing easy miles completely understressed on the motorway. You can also be sure of the car's history. Go to the 'convertibles' section on CarGiant's website. They sell mostly ex-fleet stock and there is a nice '04 Megane CC diesel with good spec for a shade over £5k.
The car itself is rated highly by HJ with a strong reliability record and few complaints. It's no sports car mind, handling is said to be a bit slushy but as a fair-weather, 4 seater cruiser it does make a lot of sense. The folding hard top also affords better security. A more modern design than the astra, too, it has a 5 star NCAP safety rating.
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