Breathe the fresh air; dizzy, hair whirling in the wind; follow the summer flowering; inhale the scents of the countryside as close as possible to the elements: what other automotive architecture than the convertible allows you to reconnect with these simple joys of existence? A bulwark against gloom, the convertible is an ode to freedom. The magic formula to get full of sensations at tolerated speeds. The very essence of the automobile, this vehicle is plural. To support your need for escape, we have selected four proposals responding to different buying habits and inclinations. Our only guide: pleasure at a low price.
The sports roadster
If there is one vehicle that does not create melancholy, it is the Mazda MX-5. Heir to the English roadsters in vogue in the 1960s, the Japanese has become in the space of thirty years the best-selling convertible in the world. It is only justice for this model which knows no equivalent on the market and which sticks perfectly to the definition of the pleasure car. Accessible from € 28,900 with the 1.5-liter 132 hp that we prefer to the 2-liter 184 hp, the Japanese roadster gray from the first kilometers. Sitting at ground level, one has the impression of being one with the machine. The small gear lever falls perfectly under the hand and is handled with the wrist, like that of a single-seater. The management answers from tick to tick. The MX-5 twists and turns from one turn to the other as if it were riveted on rails. The featherweight ransom (less than a ton). The simplicity of design, which goes through a manual hood as easy as it is quick to handle, is not obtained at the expense of comfort and state-of-the-art equipment. Still, the 2-seater architecture and the riquiqui trunk (130 l) confine the MX-5 to a very specific register. Families will follow other paths.
The Mercedes C-Class convertible. Daimler AG - Global Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars / Daimler AG
The wagon: the choice between sedan and SUV
Following the withdrawal of generalist brands, the 4-seater convertible market is now in the hands of premium players. The offer starts at € 26,400 with the Mini One (102 hp). Its compactness requires some concessions. Unless you don't need four real seats, you'll have to switch to sedan derivatives. From 4.43 m and € 37,650, BMW offers the 2 Series, powered by the 3-cylinder engine with 136 hp and 170 g / km of CO2 (218i). Again, space is counted in the rear seats and the load volume does not exceed 280 liters, hood retracted.
Always fitted with an electric canvas headgear, the Mercedes C-Class takes an extra step. Going beyond the Series 2 by 25 cm in length, the convertible with the star guarantees superior performance: the two rear seats are more livable, the load volume reaches 360 liters and the air flow is better controlled. The C-Class has the Aircap and Airscarf systems. The first combines a deflector on the top of the windshield with a metal net to deflect the air. The second is a neck heater blowing from nozzles located on the seat backs. Designed for large tourism, the C-Class emphasizes the quality of finish and comfort. The price starts at € 48,150 with the C 180 equipped with the 4-cylinder with 156 hp (151 g / km of CO2).
Motorists who only see life at height will turn to the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet. Despite past failures, this is the third time that a brand has opened an SUV. Is it the right one? The more attractive price - from € 34,600 for the 1.0 TSI 115hp model - calls for this vehicle which takes the place of the non-renewed Golf cabriolet. To increase the boot volume by 280 l and accommodate long objects, simply open a hatch and tilt the back seat backrests. Offering the same type of service as a T-Roc, this variant can be discovered electrically in 9 seconds, even when driving up to 30 km / h.
The Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet. Volkswagen AG / Volkswagen AG
The nostalgic fiber
Finally, some only design the convertible at the wheel of an old, if possible a youngtimer, a model from the 1970s and 1980s, which will remind them of their adolescence. For a reasonable budget both in terms of purchase price (between € 10,000 and € 14,000) and maintenance, you can access the market kings of the 1980s: the Peugeot 205 CT / CTI or the VW Golf Cabriolet. Nicknamed "strawberry baskets" because of the presence of a fixed hoop to stiffen the chassis, these models revive forgotten sensations: manual soft top, high air swirls, noisy engine, unpowered steering. Alfred de Musset was right: what does the bottle matter, as long as we are drunk.
The Peugeot 205 CT. Private collection
