With warm weather sweeping nigh-on all of North America at this point, it’s about that time of year for the roofs to come down on convertibles, should you have a car with a removable roof. If you don’t and have always wanted a convertible, there’s no time like the present to get cracking, because hitting the road with your ceiling stowed is a truly special experience.
In fact, we love convertibles enough that many of us have voted with our wallets. David has a Wrangler, Lewin has an Audi TT roadster, Mercedes has a Honda Beat and a Saturn Sky, and I have a Porsche Boxster. The best bit? None of them took convincing. We each arrived at the roofless conclusion on our own, which means there must be something to it.
The rules here are very simple: Each car must have a removable roof, each one must’ve sold on an online auction platform for less than $10,000 in the past week or so, and each sale must be reasonable repeatable, so nothing massively under market value. Fortunately, that still leaves an overwhelming amount of choice, so let’s run down some of the coolest.
1989 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 — $9,501
Let’s kick things off with an American icon. More than 30 years after the end of its production run, the Fox body Mustang decidedly rules. It’s a slice of iconic, forward-thinking American speed, and this five-speed 1989 ragtop just scratches the V8 cool itch so well. From the period-correct five-spoke dished wheels to the drop to the redder-than-red paint, this thing’s desire with a 140-mph speedometer.
Even better, it’s a five-speed car breathing through a full exhaust system, so it’s going to make all the right noises and let you command all the right shifts. While the drop-top fox bodies used to be at the bottom of the Mustang heap, these cars are getting collectable. Even if the ragtop had the torsional rigidity of a wet noodle, $9,501 feels like a good price for an example like this.
2010 Saab 9-3 2.0T — $4,100
On first glance, this Saab 9-3 seems like a reasonably practical left-field choice. After all, it has four seats, is from this millennium, and has less than 50,000 miles on the clock. Sure, it may have its share of cosmetic scars, but the interior’s in shockingly good shape, and the air-con is still said to be operational. However, at $4,100, there are a few issues worth noting. The fabric for the roof is deteriorating, so that’ll be due for replacement soon. In addition, the Cars & Bids listing claims that power top operation “works intermittently,” and that’s not massively confidence inspiring when the whole car brand doesn’t really exist anymore.
Is this Saab 9-3 well-bought or well-sold? That depends on whether you prefer to buy on mileage or condition. On mileage, $4,100 for a cabriolet with 49,700 miles on the clock is an excellent deal. On condition alone, it feels priced about fair, if not a tad high. A hit on the Carfax does bring the resale value down, but if you’re shopping the auction sites and looking to spend as little as possible, something like this is it. And you know what? For an urban runabout cabriolet, this 9-3 is where it’s at. It’s practical enough, comfortable enough, easy enough, and pockmarked enough that you can take it anywhere, hop out with the top down, do your stuff, and then carry on to the next location. If that isn’t freedom, I don’t know what is.
2002 Lexus SC 430 — $8,000
How about the exact opposite of that Saab? Something in great cosmetic shape from a brand that’s a byword in reliability, but it has nigh-on moon mileage. Well, say hello to this 2002 Lexus SC 430. At first glance, you’d never guess that it has 203,100 miles on the clock, but that’s just how big Lexuses of this era are. The ruched Garfield upholstery still looks reasonably fresh, there’s no undue button wear, no massive scuffs in the paint … it’s just a brilliant-looking car.
Granted, it has seen some cosmetic work. Two Carfax-reported collisions mean this SC’s seen some fresh paint over the years. However, it’s been years since the work was done, and if the car’s still on the road, looking decent, and trading hands for the right price, that’s no hardship. Plus, there’s more good news: More than 20 years after the launch of the SC 430, Clarkson and Co.’s vitriol towards it has faded. Below $10,000, these are tremendous convertibles that’ll offer nigh-on the luxury of a Mercedes-Benz SL without anywhere near the number of problems an SL can bring you.
1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 — $8,000
But hang on — what if you do actually want an SL, and an R129 on monoblocks at that? First off, congratulations for having outstanding taste. Secondly, you might want to have a look at this recently sold one on Hemmings Auctions, because it’s singing all the right notes for $8,000. Wheels? Tick. Spec? Tick. Hardtop? Tick. Fantastic 32-valve M119 V8? Tick. Yep, this is the one you want, alright.
Remember when you used to be able to tell how expensive a car was by how far the carpet went up? Yep, this thing has it in spades as the last of the true engineered-to-a-standard Benzes, and it’s just a lovely, lovely thing to do some miles in. At $8,000 with 136,496 miles on the clock, I’d consider this example well bought, even if the interior of the 1996-up cars was decontented compared to the cabin of the 1990 to 1995 SL convertibles.
2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible — $8,800
Alright, cruising over, let’s talk engagement. The reborn Mini Cooper was a stroke of brilliance, and chopping its roof off only added to the housefly feeling. Not only does this manual Cooper S Convertible have a limited-slip differential, but it’s also equipped with the John Cooper Works tuning package, which means it gets a spicy 207 horsepower thanks to new injectors, a new supercharger pulley, a revised cylinder head, a new airbox, and an ECU remap. Oh yeah, this’ll get after it.
Even if the car market’s coming down, a final Bring A Trailer hammer price of $8,800 feels about fair for a California example with 84,000 miles on the clock and a few cosmetic imperfections. Although modern Minis aren’t exactly easy cars to care for, this is a cabriolet someone will have a ton of fun with.
2001 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition — $9,050
No list of cheap convertibles is complete without a Miata, so here’s a properly good one. The second-generation NB Miata may have lost its pop-ups, but it gained a host of liveability and performance improvements that make it a more capable starting point than the NA we all know and love. This one’s more capable than most, with a Torsen helical limited-slip differential and the six-speed manual transmission rounding out the list of factory performance hardware.
More importantly, this 76,500-mile 2001 Special Edition is actually nice, with gleaming green paint, fairly taut upholstery, and a lovely wood-rimmed wheel with the shift knob and handbrake lever to match. Plus, it has a full Flyin’ Miata exhaust system, Koni dampers with Flyin’ Miata springs, and a set of Enkei wheels. This Miata’s proper, and given how proper ones are starting to get thin on the ground, $9,050 isn’t a bad price for an exceptional example.
2003 Porsche Boxster — $9,000
Here’s the thing about MX-5s, though — nice ones cost nigh-on as much as a Porsche Boxster, and although the Porsche will be substantially more expensive to maintain, it might be the one to have if you grew up with a Porsche poster on your bedroom wall. I did, so I actually bought an original Boxster, and you can too. Here’s one that recently sold on Cars & Bids for $9,000.
Sure, this one might not be rocking the most imaginative color combination in the world, but it’s a 2003 model year car, so it gets some nice upgrades like a glovebox, a glass rear window, some upgraded interior materials, and a boost to 225 horsepower. Alright, so it has a hit on its Carfax and could use both a cut-and-polish and IMS bearing replacement, but this is a serious amount of car for $9,000, and Porsche parts support is an incredible luxury to enjoy. As far as cheap sports convertibles go, this is a genuinely great one.
2003 Audi TT Roadster Quattro 225 — $6,910
Then again, maybe you prefer your cabriolets from another German brand. We’re big fans of the original Audi TT, with Lewin having one in his personal stable. The manual Quattro 225 is the model to have, and here’s one that recently hammered for the reasonable price of $6,910 with 98,000 miles on the clock.
From the deep blue paint to the seven-spoke wheels to the silver roll hoops, this TT’s a slice of Y2K nostalgia done right, and it has both a clean Carfax and the coveted baseball glove stitching on the seats. For less than $7,000, this is a pretty solid little roadster for summer fun.
1990 Cadillac Allante — $7,800
Well, that ought to do it for German convertibles. How about an American cruiser? Well, part-American, but still. The Cadillac Allante was a massively misunderstood car, built to compete with the Mercedes-Benz SL and beloved by Cadillac fans and, um, that’s about it. Still, these intriguing and rare convertibles make for cushy summer cruisers, like this one that recently sold on Bring A Trailer.
With just 53,000 miles on the clock and an interior festooned in immaculate maroon leather, this candy cane Caddy ought to soak up roads and elicit smiles everywhere it goes. Sure, the chrome wheels might not be to everyone’s tastes, but they fit the car relatively well, and you could do a whole lot worse for $7,800 than a well-kept drop-top Cadillac.
1987 Jeep Wrangler — $8,000
We can’t have a list of reasonably priced convertibles without mentioning one of America’s biggest icons. For more than 80 years, the Jeep has been the roofless off-roader, and this YJ is exactly where the Wrangler lineage began. While many examples have suffered from salt over the years, this southern-owned Wrangler has survived, and it’s sporting some proper off-road goodies.
We’re talking about 33-inch tires, tube bumpers, steel fenders, and half-doors. Sure, this isn’t anywhere near a showroom stock example, but if your idea of top-down fun involves bogging deep and/or scaling obstacles, this is your ticket right here. Plus, with 66,500 miles on the clock, this five-speed Wrangler is barely broken in.
So, which of these reasonably priced convertibles has your interest? Perhaps something cushy, or something sporty, or even something off-roady. There really are no bad choices here, because
(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer, Cars & Bids, Hemmings Auctions)
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I love the TT with the baseball glove stitching….but all black in a summer car?
Miata is always the answer…but my motorcycle has more storage and id want to take my dog. Miata only as a autocross option for me
Id go 9-3. Yes saab is gone, but they made these things for a long time. Parts will be far easier to source than that allante. And it will be a good cruiser year round. A replacement top and actuator should be an easy project. Parts will be $600-$2000 for both the top and acutator and cylinders…depending on whats wrong, and availability is plentiful.
Went through this decision last fall. Wanted a cheap convertible, but also wanted 4 seats, and a manual. Came close to flying to Dallas for a BMW E93 with the folding hard top. It was a ton of car for the money. But having owned several in the past, I think I’m done with BMW BS. Plus it was too nice to put the dog in. So I got a Wrangler TJ with half-doors. Almost as far from the Ultimate Driving Machine as you can get, but here in my area I don’t have fun roads to drive anyway and at least I can row my own gears and the dog likes it.
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I already have two, with enough spare parts to build several more…what’s a third Miata between friends
I just bought a 2010 BMW 328i convertible (E93) for less than $10k. Lot of value there – the N52 is not as peppy as the turbo but very reliable for an aging German car, and super smooth.
I recently passed on a purple Wrangler and I’m still kinda feeling sad about it. So I will spend my imaginary money on the Jeep, the Miata, and the Boxster, thank you very much!
I think I’ve looked at a local example of just about everything here the past few weeks except the Allante and the SC, which are really just not my cup of tea. Awesome picks up and down the list.
This is a really tough choice, lots of good options there. But I’ll order the ones I would want in order of what I want most; SL500, SC430, TT, Boxster, Miata, Allante.
Part of the toughness of my decision is the fact that I’ve never had a convertible anything, but kind of want to. But I have had a couple of Benzes, so of course the MB would be my first choice.
I just bought a 1998 BMW Z3 for $10K, super low miles and impeccably maintained…I didnt know how much I would like it!
Fun to drive, easy to service and tons of parts still available!
9-3 or nut-thing.
That Lexus is the one to own… For $3k less.
The jeep has the dreaded Puke-o BA 10/5 trans, but to be honest, so does mine after 37 years and 160k, it just can’t stand up to abuse. I’d definitely get rid of the Carter carb and all 175 miles of vacuum line and go with a Weber.
No Dodge 600?
No C5 Vette?
No Jags?
Hear me out: GM J-Body convertible.
Cheap. Cheap to fix with plentiful parts available anywhere.
And doesn’t rust just looking at it like an old VW Cabrio.
I used to drive one of those all-white Sunbird ‘verts with the V6, and honestly? It wasn’t awful.
Unless the Allantes went way up in the last couple years, that’s far too expensive. I was frequently seeing decent ones for $3500 and under—so cheap I thought of buying one for the hell of it even though I have little interest in them. Mileage is low (as were many of the ones I saw) but those wheels are hideous.
I was all-in on the R129 until you dropped that Allante on me.
…I make bad decisions.
Kinda love the 9-3. It’s possibly the unconventional choice, but they were such cool cars. In another universe, Saab and Volvo still dominate sales amongst the 1/4 zip fleece sweater-wearing market.
This is the most pragmatic choice. And might be the most fun.
Agree. I have a black on tan 2008 with 70k miles, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s a great little summer car. It’s not the fastest, but fast enough. Comfy. Great for road trips (2 people with a reasonable amount of luggage). Great on the highway with the top down (as long as you have the deflector). Most importantly, it’s relaxing–a joy to drive, which, isn’t that the point of a convertible?
Convertibles make every trip an adventure. I’m due for a beater like one of these. Have had boxsters, the IMS on this one is good cause it has lasted this long. Brother had the 50th(? whatever it was anniversary) Mustang that only came in green and liked it but the cowl shake was worse than my 72 Delta 88. The SAAB, Alante, and Merc are bad news more than the others if/when the hydraulics for the top act up. I’d buy the SC for a seldom used convert. High miles, but Lexus? Over built in the good way. Not a cross country rig, but a great around town car.
Keep the Ford and the Cadillac, and I’ll take all the others.
I’m not a Fox body fan in the first place, so that one’s out.
The Cadillac doesn’t have my number; it just doesn’t appeal to me for that money when the rest of these are out there.
The Jeep seems a bit sketchy; it’s probably those garbage LED headlights, but I could work with it.
The rest are really nice examples of what to look for.
Sure the SL is cheap because of the mileage. But does it still have it’s hardtop?
If not that’s an issue that will cost about $1500 to rectify – or $2000 for a Panorama Roof
It’s probably due for a $2000 regular service, plus another $2500 in deferred maintenance, plus a $2500 hydraulic cylinder maintenance.
But after that’s done – it’s good for another year or so.
I already daily drive a 30+ years old convertible. It’s not the perfect car when you live in a tropical country where you will either cook in your car or be completely wet, but it’s so much fun. (I still need to remember to dry the car tomorrow because we had bad weather yesterday….)
This is all so wonderfully autopian, so I have to know more…at least tell me what car!
92 Peugeot 205 CJ.
Just beautiful, esp. that back end.
And so fun to drive (when you don’t have a broken rib).
The back end is from Pinifarina
It was only the convertible version that was designed by Pininfarina, right, not the regular 205, right?
Yes, only the CT and the CJ where by Pininfarina, and only the rear going from the driver’s Seat.
But they dis a good job, I can open and close the top manualy faster than a modern Mercedes does it automaticaly
List has insufficient levels of Murano crosscabriolet.
I’ve seen the cross cabriolet in person driving several times in MN
It is a magnificent beast, so strange and trying so hard to look like a normal car and it just can’t.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the the design meetings
One of those lives in my neighborhood and it puts a stupid grin on my face every time I see it. They should never have existed in a ‘sane’ corporate environment, so I’m glad they do. And props to the owners because the top is almost always down, and the back seat is often occupied. They and their crosscab are most definitely living their best life.
Funnily enough, it’s the end of convertible season here in Phoenix as the daily highs start climbing to triple digits regularly. It’s top up and AC on max season.
My husband would get so angry at me when I would insist on making the drive from LA to Palm Springs with the roof down anytime from June thru October.
It’s not like I didn’t put the AC on for him.
I’m in the Austin area and was thinking the same thing, already missed top-down season. Our 1st triple digit day is expected this Sunday. Unlike Phoenix, it is not a dry heat.
Mustang for me. And b/c Mustang and parts, it’ll be easy to raise back up to its proper height, get the actual correct wheels, and (likely) replace the exhaust with something not obnoxiously loud. Oh and add some subframe connectors. 🙂
We definitely differ on height, because I think it is perfect lol. It would likely be my second choice.
Yeah, that’s b/c you’re a hotrodder and I’m just a regular guy…;-)
Can’t argue that point lol. My dad also says my cars are far too low
Wait, when did Mercedes get a Sky? I don’t recall seeing this car written about.
All of these cars are outstanding choices imo. Not a bad pick in the lot except for the jeep for me.
Same, I recall her mentioning wanting a sky, but didn’t realize she had one. WHERE IS THAT ARTICLE
I think she wrote about it at the gelatinous outdoor meal site. IIRC, it is even a redline version.
As always I’ll take the Miata
These are all pretty great for the money, at least on the surface. Maybe I’d avoid the 9-3 due to the parts issues you mention. The Allante can be nice looking, I’m not sure if it is those awful wheels or what, but something seems off with that one.
The Mustang…I usually don’t get too excited for a fox body, but that one just has “it” for me. Must be the “squat” and the wheels.
The Miata is a great color. The Audi is cheap enough to give it a whirl because I do love those TTs.
The R129 though…I might really have to start watching for those if you can get one like that for $8k. Hell how much are the monoblocks if you wanted to buy them separately?
TTs are absolutely gorgeous but I’m not going to lie…the fact that it’s just a Golf underneath is weirdly off putting to me for some reason. If I’m buying a roadster purely for fun it’s going to be rear wheel drive.
Having had a Mini for almost 2 years now, I have completely gotten over my anti-fwd bias. The Mini is the absolute funnest car I have ever driven. I’ve had a fox Mustang GT convertible and a super-charged SN95 Cobra, and while both were quite entertaining, the Mini is just so much more fun within the limitations of sharing public roads.
Just think of the TT as a convertible two-seat GTI.