Spring is coming! There’s a convertible for everybody.

A convertible for everybody.

Ah! Us South African’s love a good drop-top, don’t we? I mean , what’s better than cruising in the summer heat, feeling sticky whilst the leather seats give us 3rd degree burns? The reality is convertibles should be marketed as winter cars locally, because thankfully we have sunshine and a cool breeze to accompany us. This is assuming you live in Johannesburg, if you’re from Cape Town…eish askies. So, for those looking to get into summer looking fabulous, here are some cars that you might like. We’ve catered for ranging budgets here, so here goes:

Toyota Aygo X-Cite: R 189 500

Coming in at under R200K, this is a car aimed at the young, wild and free. Wild may be an overstatement since it only has a 1.0 litre engine and I don’t know if you can technically call it a convertible, but it will still allow you to feel the wind in your hair. Overall the Aygo X-Cite is an accomplished little car. It’s from a reliable brand, has great connectivity options and is well priced considering the price of anything nowadays. For someone starting out, it’s a decent drop-top to go for.

Fiat 500C: R 240 900

If you can’t spend more than R300K and you happen to be what the youth refer to as a “hipster”, then the Fiat 500C is right up your alley. It has the “I only drink almond milk” appeal to it. Jokes aside, this is a good little car with trendy looks and a summer vibe. It only has a 0.9 litre turbocharged engine but it will still get you from A to B. Again, this is a youthful car, or rather, for someone who doesn’t require much space, as it is compact. It has all the safety features you need and you  also allows you to pair your phone and jam some Katy Perry.

Mazda MX–5 Roadster: R 441 700

In theory, this car was meant to be under R400K but we’ll let that extra bit slide. The MX–5 really needs no introduction, it’s a small, visceral car that has tons of personality. For decades, the MX–5 has offered thrills with its normally aspirated engine and terrific gearbox. The new one doesn’t disappoint toot, too. With it comes a BOSE sound system, heated leather seats and a big grin. It doesn’t have too much power but has enough to keep you driving. If you want some fun at under R500K, this is one great choice.

BMW 2 Series Convertible: R 600 084

Literally scraping the R600K mark, the 2 Series Convertible is a winner in SA with BMW being a brand of aspiration and all. The 220i is what you can get for that money and it gives you a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that has enough power to match its good looks. It’s only available with an 8-speed automatic gearbox so cruising is a stress free thing since all the work is done for you. Those looking for more power have a 230i to choose from and if that’s not enough then there is the M240i, but those cars cost much more. The people’s choice, then, is the 220i since it offers the performance and the looks at a palatable price.

Mercedes C Class Convertible/ Audi A5 Convertible/ BMW 4 Series Convertible -/+ R700 000

These three cars are start at the same price bracket of approximately R700K. All are German engineered and all offer 2.0 litre turbocharged engines as a starting point. There’s really no point is us telling you what’s better than what because it’s all subjective after all, there is no bad car amongst these three. What we can tell you is that all three cars appeal to different people. BMW has always been associated with dynamic driving, whilst Audi is the more chicer option. The Mercedes-Benz is stereotypically the classy car but all of them do the same thing, basically. They are luxurious, they have great standard kit and they carry enough swag to make people look. Isn’t that the whole point of having a drop top? Either way, these are three very good cars indeed.