Convertible for the mother!

Michael Myers · 19 Mar 2010 at 23:37

Hi Guys

My mum is after a new car and it has to be a convertible just because she has never had one before.

Now theres a few requirements which she has, the car needs to be an Auto gearbox and have 4 doors.

she currently drives a bmw 328ci which is soon to be mine and would like a smaller powered engine on her new car.

The budget is around 7k and the car needs to be year 2000 onwards.

Now i have been looking at BMW 320 convertibles which look fine but is there any alternatives?

Thanks

[TW]Fox · 20 Mar 2010 at 00:05

You cannot get 4 door convertibles? :confused:

If you mean 4 seats, then she should look at a 318Ci Convertible. It has a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine - whereas the 320i has a 2.2 litre 6 cylinder engine delivering the running costs and fuel consumption she's used to with a 328i, but without the performance.

Is she actually going to use a convertible? Ie, have the roof down more often than not? Getting one just because you've not had one might be a tad daft because convertibles tend to have a MASSIVE price premium over conventional cars. If you are going to get use of it, its worthy every penny, but if you are going to be another one of those curious people who drive around on sunny days with all the windows open and the roof up... buy a Coupe.

Irish_Tom · 20 Mar 2010 at 00:09

Well technically there are a few 4 door cabs but very few.

I thought it was a very odd specification.

Michael Myers · 20 Mar 2010 at 09:54

[TW]Fox;16192807 said:
You cannot get 4 door convertibles?

If you mean 4 seats, then she should look at a 318Ci Convertible. It has a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine - whereas the 320i has a 2.2 litre 6 cylinder engine delivering the running costs and fuel consumption she's used to with a 328i, but without the performance.

Is she actually going to use a convertible? Ie, have the roof down more often than not? Getting one just because you've not had one might be a tad daft because convertibles tend to have a MASSIVE price premium over conventional cars. If you are going to get use of it, its worthy every penny, but if you are going to be another one of those curious people who drive around on sunny days with all the windows open and the roof up... buy a Coupe.

Oops i did make a mistake there, 4 seats is correct. Apparantly she has wanted one for years. ill take a look at the 318ci as well.

stulid · 20 Mar 2010 at 09:59

My mum got a new saab 9-3 convertible, don't know what the previous shape 9-3 is like? Based on a GM?

EvilDreams · 20 Mar 2010 at 20:07

[TW]Fox;16192807 said:
If you are going to get use of it, its worthy every penny, but if you are going to be another one of those curious people who drive around on sunny days with all the windows open and the roof up... buy a Coupe.

Ever owned a convertible?

Fr0dders · 20 Mar 2010 at 20:09

Panzerbjorn said:
Well technically there are a few 4 door cabs but very few.

I thought it was a very odd specification.

go on then, name a few

and a few is 3 or more technically.

[TW]Fox · 20 Mar 2010 at 20:09

EvilDreams said:
Ever owned a convertible?

No, but I drive one all the time.

Roof off at every opportunity. Even on my way to the office at 8am when its 1c outside, as long as its sunny. It's fantastic. I appreciate not every convertible owner is THAT dedicated but come on, the amount of people you see in June when its sunny, gorgeous, its 20c outside and they've got.. all the windows open and the roof up.

Epic, epic fail. Buy a Coupe if thats you

iaind · 20 Mar 2010 at 20:13

stulid said:
My mum got a new saab 9-3 convertible, don't know what the previous shape 9-3 is like? Based on a GM?

It's the same as what you'll buy new - the 2007 onwards version was just a facelift with a slightly different interior and front end. Anything 2002 onwards is the current shape, which 7k will buy

EvilDreams · 20 Mar 2010 at 21:33

[TW]Fox;16197267 said:
No, but I drive one all the time.

Roof off at every opportunity. Even on my way to the office at 8am when its 1c outside, as long as its sunny. It's fantastic. I appreciate not every convertible owner is THAT dedicated but come on, the amount of people you see in June when its sunny, gorgeous, its 20c outside and they've got.. all the windows open and the roof up.

Epic, epic fail. Buy a Coupe if thats you

If you're only doing a 5 minute drive home from work there's really no point. Especially in one of these new fangled electric folding roofs where you have to sit there for 20 seconds while the roof goes up/down.

Sin_Chase · 20 Mar 2010 at 21:51

I put my roof down for 5 second journeys.

Despite the regular benefits I get it down just to get rid of blind spots, ever reversed a convertible with the roof up? Easily doable but a damn pain if you need to see oncoming traffic etc.

We have had some stunning days recently, and I saw one or 2 other convertibles that had their roof down out of many on the roads.

I bet it's the gf/wife whining about their hair!

w1lliam · 21 Mar 2010 at 23:22

Had the roof down today. Was awesome!

Gutted that im selling it tho

Aero · 22 Mar 2010 at 11:01

what about a volvo c70? aomething like this maybe http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1503447.htm

Crizzy · 22 Mar 2010 at 12:39

EvilDreams said:
If you're only doing a 5 minute drive home from work there's really no point. Especially in one of these new fangled electric folding roofs where you have to sit there for 20 seconds while the roof goes up/down.

Ever owned a convertible?

Irish_Tom · 23 Mar 2010 at 20:52

MrLOL said:
go on then, name a few

and a few is 3 or more technically.

The three I had in my head were the Merc Ocean Drive, Audi A7 and Chrysler 300, although I understand that both the Audi and Chrysler models have been dropped.

There's also the classic american 4 door convertibles like the Lincoln Continental.

The point I was trying to make was that it's a very strange request but it's also inaccurate to say that there are no 4 door convertibles in existence.

I'd go for the 3 series.

Simon · 23 Mar 2010 at 20:55

[TW]Fox;16192807 said:
Is she actually going to use a convertible? Ie, have the roof down more often than not? Getting one just because you've not had one might be a tad daft because convertibles tend to have a MASSIVE price premium over conventional cars. If you are going to get use of it, its worthy every penny, but if you are going to be another one of those curious people who drive around on sunny days with all the windows open and the roof up... buy a Coupe.

I don't have my roof down all the time.

[TW]Fox · 23 Mar 2010 at 20:56

Simon said:
I don't have my roof down all the time.

Change your sig then.

Would you ever drive it around on a really sunny day with all the windows down but the roof closed?

Simon · 23 Mar 2010 at 21:00

[TW]Fox;16218181 said:
Change your sig then.

Would you ever drive it around on a really sunny day with all the windows down but the roof closed?

Yep when im sat on a motorway using the car as a tool to get somewhere with aircon on full, note the star

I don't get all this OMG its sunny put the roof down. For a start I can't even get an S2000 coupe.

[TW]Fox · 23 Mar 2010 at 21:01

Simon said:
Yep when im sat on a motorway using the car as a tool to get somewhere with aircon on full.

Well yea but I'm talking about being sat outside a pub in a lovely area in a summers day watching people drive past with all the windows open and the roof closed, rather than people on the Motorway

Fr0dders · 23 Mar 2010 at 22:49

MrLOL said:
go on then, name a few

and a few is 3 or more technically.

still waiting panzer !