I have never understood the sunroof hate (other than weight up high and eating into headroom). I've had 5 cars with sunroofs; my mom and dad have had 9 more in my lifetime. Out of those 14 vehicles, there has been exactly 1 that had an issue--and that one issue was an aftermarket sunroof.
Factory sunroofs have been pretty foolproof in my experience.
mtn said:I have never understood the sunroof hate (other than weight up high and eating into headroom). I've had 5 cars with sunroofs; my mom and dad have had 9 more in my lifetime. Out of those 14 vehicles, there has been exactly 1 that had an issue--and that one issue was an aftermarket sunroof.
Factory sunroofs have been pretty foolproof in my experience.
Truth. My SHO doesn't have one, and I really miss it.
I think I have a smaller tolerance for temperature extremes than some of you. I've owned convertibles (Miata and Mustang) and tried the whole "it's 40 degrees, but I have the top down and heat on" thing, and... no thanks. I'll admit that on a warm summer night, cruising around at low speeds in town, convertibles are pretty nice, but that's not a circumstance I encounter enough to make a droptop worth it.
I love convertibles / roadsters. Admittedly, larger convertibles effectively become 2-seaters at anything much over parade speeds, but they are fine for the priveleged front seaters.
Any sunny day that the temperature is high enough that I won't crack the plastic back window, I will drive a convertible with the top down and the heat full blast. Likewise, I have no problem driving with the top down and AC on when it is hot.
Of course, in the Manic Miata, I removed the AC and bypassed the leaky heater core... which limits my comfort a bit.
I also disagree with the premise that sunroofs are useless. I do the vent-crack thing whenever it is mild out. The trick to opening the sunroof is that you also have to open all the windows all the way. Anything else is pointless noise and buffeting as Keith describes.
Chicks dig convertibles.
Done.
I've only owned one convertible. That would be a larger number if I spent more of my life where the humidity isn't so high, but living in the SE US a convertible just isn't fun/useful often enough to be worth the compromises. I get convertibles, but don't desire one badly enough to relocate to where I would be willing to own one if that makes sense.
Have had several convertibles and I loved all of them. They were all two seaters where the top could be put up manually in seconds and the cost to replace said top when the time came was not a financial Waterloo.
If the top required more than ten seconds to put up or down, I would pass as it would not be worth it for short trips. Being in the back seat of a Mustang convertible is a torture.
Pete
I like both. But currently have a coupe.
Ideally, I'd have both. In the future, my garage will probably look something like "quicky, comfy, lux 4 door" and "Miata"
I'm solidly in the "I like convertibles if designed as a convertible" camp. Otherwise, coupe or sedan.
I've owned 4 convertibles and 3 t-top cars. Don't think I need to say much more.
Z31Maniac....My garage looks exactly like that. Miata and G37 sedan.
Convertible guy from the jump. Long trip on the interstate I might put the top up, or if it is raining or something. Targa top is second choice.
VW beetle had the best convertible top of anything I have seen. Thick pad and a nice headliner.
I’m a fan. My first car was an MGA that I still have 23 years later, though it has been driven little in the last 20 of those years, and will be for sale this summer hopefully.
Ive had 4 Miatas over the years too, which spent lots of time with the top down as it is so easy to do.
When I was buying a new toy car last year having a top that came off was a requirement, for a toy I love the sensory experience that comes with it. I ended up with a late NSX, and am quite liking the targa life, as it is a sealed, quiet coupe when I want that, and gives a good open air experience with the top off, and it is simple to remove and stores without taking up any luggage room. It isn’t as easy as a Miata, but I still do it even for my 18 minute commute.
+1 to having a convertible and a lux sedan with the NSX and CLS63.
Just bought a Miata with a hard top. Don't even have a soft top, and it turns out that the roll bar doesn't have room for a glass rear window.
Would have bought a Toyobaru if I could get one in my price range. Not sure I would like it as much, though. No regrets.
Huh. I've got a TSX and Miata. Guess I fit that mold pretty well, although we may be turning over the entire fleet soon.
For the most part I like convertibles the most. As I grew up with my dad having a 69 427 corvette convertible it didn’t take long to long to love the experience of the top down driving. Also with my family having my grandfathers old 67 buick electra 225 convertible it allows the convertible love with a back seat aswell. In fact my dad grew up around convertibles as before the buick my grandfather had a 60 Parisienne,62 starfire,64 deville convertibles. Plus my dad had ridden motorcycles since before he got his car license so to him they are both a similar experience.
I love pulling down tops... You interpret that as you wish. 
mtn said:I have never understood the sunroof hate (other than weight up high and eating into headroom). I've had 5 cars with sunroofs; my mom and dad have had 9 more in my lifetime. Out of those 14 vehicles, there has been exactly 1 that had an issue--and that one issue was an aftermarket sunroof.
Factory sunroofs have been pretty foolproof in my experience.
Hate is a bit strong. I have a few cars with them - one of them (yes, factory) is broken. It's simply a feature I don't use and it has no bearing on my decision to buy a car. I've found they simply don't get used.
I've always had at least one convertible in the stable, with only a very short period of time with only one car where it wasn't a convertible. I'm also one of those that has the top down if it's not raining or snowing. And if I have to drive a sedan or coupe, I want a sunroof to open the car up as much as possible. If there's a convertible choice in the model's lineup, I prefer it over the coupe. I've had large and small convertibles, from traditional sports cars to '60s domestic iron.
Some of my more memorable:
mtn said:I have never understood the sunroof hate (other than weight up high and eating into headroom). I've had 5 cars with sunroofs; my mom and dad have had 9 more in my lifetime. Out of those 14 vehicles, there has been exactly 1 that had an issue--and that one issue was an aftermarket sunroof.
Factory sunroofs have been pretty foolproof in my experience.
I don't hate them either, but idea of having a hole in the roof never made a lot of sense to me. I've had them leak, and also the drains can get clogged and/or divert water inside the body of the car where it causes rust.
ProDarwin said:I would also add that simpler = better. The more complicated a top, the less I'll use it, the more i will wish I had a coupe instead.
I'm looking at you, Honda S2000. The Miata top is a lot easier to deal with. And of course the other extreme is the Solstice top which is a ridiculous abortion.
which is funny, one of the best convertible top mechanisms produced was one of the simplest. The original Fiat 124 Spider's top.
As for sunroofs, my Disco has two. I use the front one all year and both once it gets warm out. I am of the opinion that if you use all a car's parts, they don't get gummed up and break
SVreX said:Chicks dig convertibles.
Done.
I have loved them since my first in the late 1980's-convertible that is.
My wife isn't a fan.
BTW-keep an eye out in the 'hood Adrian. I have a run to Home Depot planned for tonight and I'll have tmy Cougar out and about.
penultimeta said:I'm solidly in the "I like convertibles if designed as a convertible" camp. Otherwise, coupe or sedan.
Same here, but I really like roadsters. I loved my S2000 and motorcycles when I had them.
I technically have a great convertible now, but it’s a race car project (first gen Boxster) so it has a hard top, no interior, no HVAC, and no muffler. I still take the hardtop off and drive it around on a nice day once in a while. It’s still emissions legal and has a license plate for a little longer.
Our current street cars just have big sunroofs. It’s definitely not the same but it’s still nice on a sunny day and it’s far less compromised in the snow and rain.
I'm torn. As much as I enjoy having the top down on my Miata, I don't do it that much. If it's under 60 or over 80, a convertible just isn't that much fun. Can't really drive into work with the top down because arriving looking like Beeker is frowned upon.
I honestly think I would drive the car more if it had a tin top and decent air.
I'm coupe/ hardtop all the way. I might consider a miata with a hard top, but I'm no fan of convertibles. I prefer no sunroof, but I'll tolerate them.
I miss this little bugger.
I really like convertibles, I know they aren't as fast or reliable or a good value, but still I can't seem to let go of the MINI that my wife passed on to me. Sometimes I think of getting a slick top MINI to use for autox, but then I would miss the vert, so I think about a JCW vert with a manual, but stop because it is too much trouble.
All the women in my world don't like convertibles. Their hair blows around too much.
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