Summer of love: great convertibles for £2000

When it comes to convertibles, less is more. Lowering the roof raises your spirits, allowing you to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the British summertime. This year, more than ever, you might fancy a post-pandemic blast off. It’s a chance to get outdoors after months of being stuck indoors.

Here are 20 convertibles that won’t break the bank, from stylish two-seater sports cars to bigger cars with room for four. All you need is a couple of grand and some fine weather.

An MG sports car is as British as a cream tea, a Pimm’s tent at a garden party, and moaning about the weather. They might live in the shadows of illustrious classics like the MG B and the Midget, but the MG F and later TF are surprisingly sensible alternatives to the hallowed Mazda MX-5.

The usual warnings about the head gasket apply, while the Hydragas suspension the MG F will need checking. You can avoid the latter by opting for the later TF. Find a good one, and you could be enjoying the thrill of a mid-engined sports car for less than a grand.

Few cars of the noughties have aged as well as the Audi A4 Cabriolet. It looks as good today as it did two decades ago, when it was the drop-top of choice for the fashion-conscious buyers of Britain. The BMW 3 Series Convertible was sharper to drive, but the Audi had a sharper image.

Thanks to its electro-hydraulic roof with triple-layer lining and heated, scratchproof glass, the A4 Cabriolet is no harder to live with than an A4 saloon. The ubiquitous 1.8-litre petrol engine does a reasonably good job of powering this heavy cruiser, but the 2.4 and 3.0 versions are preferable, if you can live with the fuel bills.

Affordable versions of the original Mazda MX-5 are disappearing fast – and we’re not just referring to their tendency to rust. Prices have been on the rise for a while, so your £2000 budget is better spent on the Mk2. Corrosion is still a problem. As Ashley Martin, The MX-5 Restorer, told us: “It’s not a question of if it will rust but when.”

Buy on condition rather than age or specification. An MX-5 is a joy to drive, regardless of the engine, so find one with a history of maintenance and as little rust as possible. Prices start from around £1000 – or less if you’re brave enough to take on a project – but we suspect values will rise in line with the Mk1.

Remember when the Saab 900 Convertible was the darling drop-top of Britain’s stockbroker belt? The Saab 9-3 Convertible doesn’t have quite the same gilt-edged image, but you won’t need a mint to buy one. Don’t be put off by the GM underpinnings – the 9-3 still has the essence of Saab.

All the engines are worth a look but avoid the thirsty 2.8-litre V6 unless you’re happy to spend a lot of time at the pumps. The diesels are excellent, especially the 1.9 TTiD, introduced in 2008. It’s a Saab, so it should come as no surprise to discover that the 9-3 Convertible was the first car in its class to secure a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

With prices starting from around £850, the Ford StreetKa is one of Britain’s cheapest convertibles. A small price to pay for a drop-top with genuine concept car looks, but it’s a shame that we weren’t lucky enough to see the central exhaust of the concept make production.

Granted, most examples at the bottom end of the market are more shabby than chic, but a good one will still turn heads, especially with the roof down. The roof might be of the keep-fit variety, but the absence of electronics means there’s less to go wrong.

The used car market is littered with cheap Peugeot convertibles. It’s a bit of a minefield, so you’re advised to tread carefully. The 207 CC and 307 CC lack a bit of polish, so we’d recommend the hugely popular 206 CC. That’s if you’re unable to find a cheap example of the oh-so-pretty 306 Cabriolet.

CC stands for Coupe-Cabriolet, which means you get the best of both worlds. A hardtop for the winter (and most of the summer), and a soft top for those rare occasions when the sun shines. Quality isn’t a strong point, so make sure everything works – including that clever but complex folding roof, which can leak.

A budget of £2000 isn’t enough to buy a R171-series SLK, on sale from 2004 until 2011, but don’t rule out the R170 model. It’s a case of ‘buyer beware’ at the bottom end of the market, because rust is a serious problem on the original SLK, to the extent that we’d encourage you to up the budget to buy the superior R171.

Find a good one, and you’ll be rewarded with striking good looks and a folding roof with more theatre than the West End. A car with a Varioroof that’s let down by vario-build quality. There are plenty to choose from, so your chances of finding a good example are higher than you might think.

The Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet sits alongside the Ford StreetKa as one of the nation’s cheapest drop-tops. The difference here is that the Mégane CC comes with a pair of seats in the back, so you don’t have to leave the kids behind.

You’ll have your own views on the styling, but we think it’s ageing well, especially considering its large rump. Renault needed somewhere to hide that complex roof mechanism. Check everything works; you don’t want to be left with a large bill should something go wrong.

Readers of our magazine will know that the BMW 3 Series (E46) makes regular appearances in our ‘buy them before we do’ section. Why? Because prices can’t get any lower and few, if any, cars of this price offer the same blend of performance, handling and quality. The E46 Convertible is no different.

The blancmange-like rigidity of some its rivals is replaced by a level of stiffness that will excite even the hardest to please punters. Handsome enough for the poshest dinner parties and sharper than a designer suit. Buy on condition and history rather than age and specification.

The already fashionable New Beetle received an image boost in 2003 with the arrival of the Beetle Cabriolet. Prices of the earliest examples start from less than £800, but it’d be worth stretching the budget to £1300 to secure a post-facelift model. Launched in 2005, these models boast sharper wheel-arch edges and restyled headlights.

There are many engines to choose from, including 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0 petrols, plus a 1.9 diesel. We’re not sure the diesel clatter fits the West Coast vibe, so we’d recommend one of the petrol engines. Not everyone loves the styling, but if you’ve caught the bug, nothing else will do.

A budget of £2000 is enough for a Mk3 Astra Convertible, but we’d recommend the later Astra TwinTop. Launched in 2006, this was Vauxhall’s attempt at muscling in on the burgeoning coupé-cabriolet (CC) market. Around 12,000 new Peugeot and Renault CCs were sold in 12,000, making it lucrative enough to warrant the investment in a fancy roof.

The TwinTop’s electrically operated metal folding should fold away in 26sec, so make sure this works before parting with your cash. It opens and closes at speeds of up to 18mph in a manner that would make a peacock turn green with envy. Like all coupé-cabriolets, the Astra looks best with its roof down, but the hardtop means that it can be used in all weathers.

The Micra C+C was, by Nissan’s own admission, a car for women. You couldn’t get away with gender-based targeting in 2021, and we doubt Nissan would have the courage to launch something like the C+C.

It was the first car in its class to feature a one-tap operation folding roof, with no need to undo any latches or push/pull the roof edge. The roof was the work of coachbuilder Karmann, while the final assembly took place in Sunderland. This blend of Japanese, German and British engineering should provide some reassurance when buying used. Standing out costs less than £1500.

Ford was late to the coupé-cabriolet party, but it was worth the wait. It’s hard to look good when you’ve got a heavy and cumbersome roof mechanism to fold away, but Ford and Pininfarina did a decent job of making the Focus CC look good with the roof up or down. It’s also the best CC to drive in an admittedly small segment.

The interior is standard Focus, which is a bit disappointing, but the boot offers a Mondeo-rivalling 534 litres of luggage capacity with the roof up. Be warned: the capacity is chopped in half with the roof down. Speaking of which, watch for roof leaks, especially on early cars.

Prepare to be amazed: you can buy an early Mini Convertible for as little as £750. Sure, you might need the fingers of two hands to count the number of previous owners, and there’ll be more miles on the clock than a ‘90s taxicab, but the fact remains: a used Mini Convertible could cost less than the deposit on a new hatchback.

It’ll drive as well as the regular Mini Hatch (assuming it’s been looked after), and the styling has aged as well as any other car from 15 years ago. You won’t care that there’s no room in the back and it can be noisy on a motorway, because you’ll be too busy smiling.

It’s easy to forget that the Toyota MR2 Mk3 was good enough to hold its own against the Lotus Elise, Mazda MX-5 and Vauxhall VX220. Today, you can buy this engaging sports car with near-perfect weight distribution for around £1500, although it must be said that prices are on the rise. It’s getting increasingly difficult to find a good and affordable example.

Pre-cat disintegration is a big problem on pre-facelift cars, while a rustprone rear subframe is another thing to check. Oh, and you’ll need to get used to travelling light – practicality isn’t an MR2 strong point.

The Volkswagen Eos boasts one of the cleverest roofs on our list of cheap convertibles. It’s made of steel and glass, but the inclusion of a sunroof means the cabin feels light and airy, even with the roof up. Just check that the drain holes are clear: water leaks are this car’s biggest weakness.

This was an expensive car when new, but the quality, badge and roof more than justified the premium over its more mainstream rivals. You’ll be looking at a 2.0 TFSI petrol or 2.0 TDI diesel for this price. Opt for the former, because diesel clatter is most unwelcome when you’re posing with the roof down.

Like the ‘90s coupé of the same name, the second-generation Vauxhall Tigra was based on the Corsa supermini. The difference here is that the Tigra features a clever electric folding roof, so you have the choice of using it as a small coupé or convertible. Problems with the roof mechanism are rare but check for leaks.

Low running costs are almost guaranteed thanks to its Corsa underpinnings, while equipment levels are good, even on the basic models. The 1.4-litre 16-valve petrol engine is the best option, but don’t rule out the Fiat-sourced diesel.

The C70 Convertible is based on the same platform as the Volvo V70 estate, which makes it one of most commodious convertibles you can buy for our £2000 budget. It’s a genuine four-seater, with enough room in the back for two adults. It’s comfortable, too, whether you’re travelling with the roof up or down.

It doesn’t look like a sports convertible, so don’t treat it like one. The C70 Convertible is more at home on a boulevard than it is a B-road, so don’t worry about choosing one of the lowest powered engines. Instead, find an example with the optional excellent 10-speaker surround sound system.

Before you start scoffing, we should point out that the other option was the Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio. In this context, the Chrysler Sebring seems like a sensible choice, so it’s ideal if you fancy a slice of Americana. It’s a handsome thing, making it an interesting alternative to the VW Eos.

Speaking of which, engines are limited to a VW-sourced 2.0-litre diesel or a Chrysler 2.7-litre V6. The latter is the most fun, but you’ll soon learn to ease off when approaching a corner. Don’t be put off by the American rental car interior – that’s part of its charm.

The Citroën C3 Pluriel is five cars in one: coupé, coupé with a sunroof, cabriolet, full convertible and even a pickup. You’ll know about the car’s packaging problems: switching between the different configurations requires the kind of skills you require for flatpack furniture. You also need somewhere to store those roof rails.

Quality isn’t a strong point, but it’s worth remembering that you’re paying as little as £900 for this quirky coupé-convertible-pickup. A future classic? Quite possibly.