Best used convertible cars

It might seem strange in a country that experiences more than its fair share of rain, but the UK loves a convertible. In fact, sales figures show that the UK has long bought more drop-tops than most countries in Europe.

If you’ve ever driven one, you’ll probably understand why. There’s something intoxicating about breezing around on a fine day with just the sky above your head and – if you’re lucky – the sun on your face. Folding down the roof turns what could be a humdrum journey into an adventure.

If you’re tempted, there’s a great selection of used convertible cars available. Here’s our guide to the 10 best.

If you’re looking for a stylish around-town runabout, there are few cars better than a Mini. Already a very appealing, characterful car that’s enjoyable to drive, the Mini Convertible is even more fun when you whip off the roof.

It has a fabric roof that folds electrically in 18 seconds and you can pop it up or down while driving at speeds of up to 20mph. That’s really handy if it suddenly starts to tip down with rain.

You have a choice of petrol or diesel engines, plus sporty Cooper S and John Cooper Works models if you want to raise the fun factor even more. This car doesn’t have much space for back-seat passengers or for stuff in the boot, but there are far more expensive cars that won’t make you smile as much as the Mini Convertible.

If you want a bit more sophistication and a lot more space in your convertible than the Mini offers, take a look at the Audi A3 Cabriolet. It’s great for cruising around in comfort and style, and has interior quality that would shame cars costing twice as much. Its conveniently compact size means driving around town is easy and it’s relaxing on long journeys too. Even the boot’s usefully big, with space for six carry-on suitcases.

You can choose from a wide range of well equipped models, including some very efficient diesels and the sporty, powerful S3 Cabriolet. On all models, the fabric roof will fold down in 18 seconds as you cruise at speeds up to 31mph. The roof on high-spec models has thicker insulation, which makes the car feel even quieter when it’s raised. 

Read our full Audi A3 review

The BMW 2 Series Convertible is about the same size as the Audi A3 and has a similar amount of space – there’s room for four adults and a boot big enough to hold your luggage for a week-long holiday. You may find that you prefer the BMW’s sportier look and driving experience, compared with the Audi.

That sportiness doesn’t come at the expense of everyday comfort. With the roof down, ‘wind buffeting’ – when the air blows into the interior – is kept at bay, so you can better enjoy the weather and scenery. You can choose from several well-equipped trim levels and petrol and diesel engines, which range from fine-for-everyday to really-quite-powerful, so there’s likely to be one that fits your needs. 

Read our full BMW 2 Series review

The BMW Z4 gives you the fun driving experience you expect of a two-seat sports car, but with the comfort and features of a BMW saloon car. Being behind the wheel is exciting and enjoyable, especially in the more powerful models. But you can also settle down into a comfortable cruise when you just want to get home. While doing so, you can take advantage of the many standard features, including sat nav on many models.

You get quite a big boot, so you won’t need to pack especially light when you go on holiday. The latest version of the Z4 (pictured), sold from 2018, has a fabric roof that opens and closes in 10 seconds at the touch of a button. Older versions, sold from 2009, have a folding hard-top roof, which takes longer to go down and uses up about half the boot space when folded.  

If you want a fun, sporty, two-seat convertible that won’t break the bank, the Mazda MX-5 should be your first stop. It’s a brilliant sports car, modelled on classic British convertibles of the 1960s. It’s light, accelerates rapidly and you sit low down with the wind in your hair. It’s fantastic fun. 

There are two versions of the MX-5 – the soft-top MX-5 Roadster, which has a roof that easily folds up and down by hand, and the hardtop MX-5 RF. The hardtop has a section above the seats that folds back, but the back window stays in place. So you can enjoy being out in the open as you drive, but the car is quieter and more secure than the soft-top with the roof closed. 

While the Mazda MX-5 is great, it’s not the fastest car of its type. If you want a similar vibe but with more power and an extra layer of sportiness, the Abarth 124 Spider could be for you.

The Abarth and Mazda share many components, including the interior and much of the body structure, but the Abarth has different styling and its own more-powerful engines. It’s huge fun to drive, feeling really fast and engaging. There’s also a toned-down version of the 124 Spider sold by Fiat. Both have a manually folding roof mechanism, which you can raise or lower with one hand. It has a snug, stylish interior and there are some stylish colour schemes available.

Read our full Abarth 124 Spider review

If you want to experience top-down motoring while sitting in the lap of luxury, look no further than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, with space for four adults. The boot is one of the biggest you’ll find in a convertible and the car is stuffed full with the latest high-tech gadgets.

The engines, whether petrol or diesel, are excellent. The diesels are a particularly good option if you do lots of long journeys because their low fuel consumption means you can go very long distances between refills. This gives you more time to luxuriate in the sumptuous interior. The fabric folding roof can raise and lower in 20 seconds as you travel at speeds up to 31mph.

Read our full Mercedes-Benz E-Class review

If you simply want one of the best sports cars,check out the Porsche 718 Boxster. Porsche has a deserved reputation for making cars that feel absolutely fantastic to drive and the Boxster is no exception. It’s fast and fun, yet comfortable and quiet when you just want to get from A to B.

The Boxster has a beautifully made, user-friendly interior that’s very well-equipped. It’s surprisingly practical too, because it has not one but two boots – the engine is behind the seats so there’s luggage space up front under the bonnet and at the back behind the engine. All of that means it’s a car you can buy with both head and heart.  

The BMW 4 Series Convertible sits in a nice middle ground. It’s bigger and more spacious than the Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series, and feels sportier to drive than the comfort-focused Mercedes E-Class. Four adults will have enough space to be comfortable on a long motorway journey, and it’s fun for the driver on winding country roads. If you get a diesel model, you won’t use much fuel, either.

The current version of the 4 Series Convertible, sold from 2021, has a fabric roof. Older models (as pictured) have a folding hard-top roof, which creates a bit more headroom but it takes up a lot of space when folded into what’s otherwise a generous boot. 

Read our full BMW 4 Series review

The Audi TT Roadster is a great option if you like the style of a two-seat roadster but want the greater comfort you get from some four-seat convertibles. You can use it for a stress-free commute during the week, then have some fun zipping around the countryside at weekends. Its interior is just as comfortable and has the same high-tech features as Audi’s saloon cars and it also has plenty of storage space. 

You have a choice of engines with varying levels of power, including some diesels that are great if you want to minimise your fuel bill. There’s also the sportier TT S and very high performance TT RS. The roof folds up and down electrically in just 10 seconds as you cruise at speeds up to 31mph.

Read our full Audi TT review

There are lots of high-quality used convertible cars to choose from at Cazoo. Find the car you love, then simply decide on the length of your contract and choose either home delivery or collection from your nearest Cazoo Customer Centre.

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