Convertibles and Cabriolets

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Tuesday, April 04, 2006

The best buys and the ones to avoid for the Convertible and Cabriolet market in 2006....

The Best

OUR PICK

Opel Tigra
The Opel Tigra is easily the best of the small cabrios on sale today.

Build quality is great, the dashboard attractive and easy to use, the folding metal roof is slick and secure and there’s a choice of a 90 bhp 1.4-litre petrol or a 70 bhp 1.3-litre diesel engine, which makes it absolutely ideal for Irish buyers.

It’s not as much fun to drive as, say, the Streetka but then most small Cabrio drivers don’t really buy their cars for back road high-jinx.

They want cute looks, a fun personality and good value, and the Tigra hits the mark each time.

The best model is the basic 1.4-litre for €24,495, which comes with sports seats, electric windows, a leather steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels and the power folding hardtop.

The Sport has 16-inch wheels, foglights, and an alarm for an extra €1,500.

The Fiat-made 1.3-litre turbo diesel is a fine engine but an unusual power-plant for a small Cabrio.

It’s economical at 4.6 litre/100 km, saving you about 300 litres a year compared to the 6.1-litre/100 km petrol model, but at around €1,600 more than the petrol models, it’ll take years before you start saving money.

I’d say stick to the basic model in a nice colour with optional air conditioning (€900) and maybe the cruise control/trip computer package (€640) or rear wind deflector (€250).

Peugeot 307 CC
Peugeot’s pretty convertible boasts a folding hardtop, seating for four and a choice of engines to suit all tastes.

The performance and handling isn’t too compromised by the weight of the chassis re-enforcements and the folding roof, but it’s still more of a cruiser than a bruiser.

Interior is surprisingly spacious and the build quality seems much better than its troublesome 206 counterpart, so it seems like Peugeot is on to a winner here.

The 110 bhp 1.6 offers adequate performance and will hold its value better than any other 307 CC.

At €33,245 it’s priced competitively, coming complete with 16-inch alloys, climate control and electric windows, roof and mirrors.

We’d recommend spending the extra €550 on 17-inch alloy wheels and €485 on the ‘Visibility pack’ that offers cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and a self-dimming rear view mirror.

The 136 bhp 2.0-litre is relatively poor value at €37,656 because apart from a little more power it’s basically the same thing.

The 136 bhp 2.0-litre HDi diesel is very steep at €41,000, limiting its appeal to Irish buyers, so we say if you’re going to spend that much you may as well go the whole hog and enjoy the sportier 180 bhp model for €42,705, complete with half-leather trim, a CD changer and 17-inch wheels standard.

Citroen Pluriel
We love the C3 Pluriel because it offers simple, affordable fun for someone with a family.

It’ll carry four people, while at the same time offering four-star NCAP safety.

You decide how ‘convertible’ you want it, whether it’s just rolling back the canvas roof or stowing the roof under the boot floor and removing the arced roof rails altogether.

It takes practice to transform it from supermini to cabrio without scratching the paintwork, though most people aren’t going to bother with all that anyway.

The Pluriel’s ride and handling is acceptable without being earth shattering, but equipment levels are high for the money, making the Pluriel a highly recommended purchase.

There’s just one engine now, the 75 bhp 1.4-litre, and it’s listed at €22,500 including electric windows and mirrors, front fog lamps, an electric hood, a trip computer and 15-inch alloy wheels.

Citroen is always doing deals, though, and recently lopped €5000 off the price of the Pluriel so keep an eye out for Citroen promotions and only buy when there’s an offer on the table!

Saab 9-3 Cabrio
We like the 9-3 saloon’s cool looks and the new Sportwagon is quite a sharp machine too, but the Cabrio is the best looking 9-3 of all and you also have to applaud the remarkable job Saab did transforming the 9-3 into a soft-top.

The chassis is almost as taut as the saloon’s and a lot of work has clearly been done to keep scuttle-shake and body-flexing well suppressed, so you can enjoy its Turbo-charged power without worrying about rattling it to bits.

The roof is snug and cosy and folds away electrically under a very neat cover, and even the process is something to enjoy.

The 1.8T (which is actually a 2.0-litre Turbo engine, as are all petrol 9-3s) Linear model for €49,950 has 16-inch steel wheels, air con, a leather steering wheel, ESP and 150 bhp.

An extra grand-and-a-half gets you the 2.0T that’s identical except it’s been tuned to produce an additional 25 bhp.

The Vector model adds cruise control, leather trim, climate control and 17-inch alloys for €56,200 (150 bhp) and €57,700 (175 bhp), making the Vector 2.0T the model of choice.

The 210 bhp Aero model gets standard 17-inch sport wheels, a rear spoiler, sports suspension and climate control for €62,250.

Audi A4 Cabrio
The recently face-lifted A4 Cabrio is unusual in that it offers a bewildering array of engines and transmission combinations for a drop-top.

Super-stiff body allows the suspension do its work, meaning flexing and scuttle shake only appears on the roughest of surfaces.

That also means the ride and handling is almost saloon-like, while the interior and canvas hood are beautifully made and work with precision.

Normally, the range of convertible models offered by a carmaker is pretty limited, but not here.

Broad range goes a long way to explaining the A4 Cabrio’s popularity but choosing the right one can be tricky.

Do a lot of long distances? Try a 163 bhp, 2.5 V6 TDi Cabrio for €57,240 but watch that torque steer on wet roads.

Most drivers will be more than pleased with the 6-speed, 1.8T Quattro.

The 4WD system means it has no problem getting its 163 bhp to the ground and it’s the best all-rounder for €53,000, including alloys and climate control.

If you want a more pace, you’ll have to dig deep to get the six-speed, 220 bhp, 3.0-litre V6 Quattro priced at €65,710.

The Rest

Nissan Micra C+C: The Micra’s already a bit too girly for mainstream acceptance and taking the roof off just compounds the issue.

MINI Convertible: Despite tiny rear seats, microscopic boot, ugly rollover hoops and noticeable scuttle shake, it’s still a lot fun to drive.

BMW 3-Series: Still an excellent drive, but replacement isn’t far away, and besides, it’s too common now.

Renault Megane CC: Great value and plenty of equipment but edged out by the better handling and nicer looks of Pug 307 CC.

Mitsubishi Colt CZC: New Mitsubishi Colt is 206CC-like in concept. We wait to see how good it is in execution.

Opel Astra Cabrio: The old Astra convertible was a quality cabriolet, so new folding hardtop version should be excellent. Due in the spring of ’06.

BMW 6-Series Convertible: Eye-watering price aside, the rear is too cramped for adults and exactly how much attention does one person need?

Mercedes CLK Convertible: Some say classy, others say bland. No arguing over excellent refinement and resale value.

Avoid

Volvo C70 Convertible: New C70 with a folding hardtop is moments away. Don’t touch an old model even if they’re giving it to you.

Peugeot 206 CC: Apart from the trick room, the terrible packaging and build quality of the ancient 206 CC means it is to be avoided now.

Jaguar XK8: New model is coming very soon so don’t buy this cramped dinosaur even if they beg you.

Ford StreetKa: Fun little drive but not practical, not fast and the interior is not pleasant. Patchy build and pricey, too.

VW Beetle Cabrio: The Beetle Convertible is like a frilly frock with wheels and that’s fine if you like frocks. 2005 face-lift all but undetectable.