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    A MINI Convertible driving along a seaside highway.

    Convertible Buying Guide

    Driving a convertible on a beautiful day is an amazing feeling. There’s nothing quite like it. Peeling the top back on a roadster on a warm day, smelling freshly cut grass, and hearing wonderful mechanical noises as you cruise down the road is an automotive pleasure unlike any other.

    In years past, convertibles were strictly fair-weather cars, but modern convertibles require far fewer compromises than the ragtops of yore. Today’s soft tops are much better insulated against noise and weather, and all now come with glass rear windows instead of the flimsy, scratch-prone plastic windows that were common years ago. Plus, creature comforts such as heated seats and steering wheels can extend the top-down driving season by taking some of the sting out of winter’s chill. Hardtop models can provide even greater noise and weather insulation.

    Today’s convertibles are almost all two-door car models, with the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Gladiator as notable exceptions.

    Regularly piloting a convertible often requires compromises, such as a hard, noisy ride, and limited passenger and cargo space. These cars can be low to the ground, making access more difficult, and rear visibility is usually restricted when the top is up. Plus, models with fabric roofs are more vulnerable to break-ins.

    To assist as many members as possible, Consumer Reports focuses on the most popular versions of vehicles, and that often means buying and testing a fixed-roof coupe, rather than the convertible version. However, most insights relate to both body styles, and in cases where we haven’t bought the convertible, we have often rented one from the automaker to experience it.

    Continue this journey in the sports car and convertibles buying guide. There you will find rankings by price, with detailed road tests and ratings for reliability, owner satisfaction, and more to help with your purchase decisions.

    Go to the sports car and convertibles buying guide.

    2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (left) and 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (right)
    Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler

    Photo: Jeep Photo: Jeep