Convertibles: Reviews

Updated August 2009

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Best premium four-seat convertible

2009 BMW 3 Series Convertible

*Est. $44,550 to $50,700 Compare Prices

The BMW 3 Series offers almost everything you could ask for in a convertible, experts say: Sports-car performance, seating for four, reliability, upscale features -- including a push-button retractable hardtop -- and, of… course, brand cachet. Testers find the BMW's backseat and trunk cramped, but that's normal for convertibles. The 3 Series convertible's only real stumbling block is price. For about the same money, you could go for the two-seat Porsche Boxster, which experts say is an even better driver than the BMW. Or you could save about $20,000 and opt for the spunky four-seat Mini Cooper (also built by BMW) or the fun two-seat Mazda MX-5 Miata.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports editors here test several BMW 3 Series body styles, including the convertible. ConsumerReports.org also offers ...

Car and Driver: Car and Driver chooses the BMW 3 Series as one of its 2009 10Best vehicles. In this brief, pros-and-cons-style buyer's guide ...

ConsumerGuide.com: ConsumerGuide.com says even though the BMW 3 Series is pricey, its "balanced performance" makes it an excellent value anyway. ...

Edmunds.com: The BMW 3 Series convertible is one of Edmunds.com's top recommended convertibles for 2009. Editors say it includes three things ...

Cars.com: Cars.com lists the BMW 335i as a top convertible to consider, noting its excellent driving dynamics. This dedicated BMW 335 page ...

Automobile Magazine: Automobile Magazine names the 2009 BMW 3 Series to its Automobile All-Stars list. We found no road test of the 2009 convertible ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: This chart shows how 10 popular 2009 convertibles stack up in terms of safety. The BMW 3 Series convertible lands far down the ...

Environmental Protection Agency: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's FuelEconomy.gov website lists official fuel-economy estimates for most cars on the ...

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Best premium roadster

2009 Porsche Boxster

*Est. $46,600 to $56,700 Compare Prices

Professional testers love to get behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster. Some say it offers the best driving experience of any convertible -- certainly of any convertible in its price range. Critics say it's even worth the… ridiculous prices you'll pay for options most carmakers consider standard equipment. The Porsche saves weight by sticking with a glass-windowed, power soft top. If you prefer a retractable hardtop, you'll find one -- and four seats -- on the BMW 3 Series convertible, which experts say is a precision driving machine in its own right.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Car and Driver: Car and Driver tests four performance convertibles head-to-head, and the 2009 Porsche Boxster S emerges the winner. Each car gets ...

Edmunds.com: The 2009 Porsche Boxster is a Top Recommended Convertible at Edmunds.com. This full, test-based review finds very few drawbacks, ...

Autoblog.com: The Porsche Boxster S's soft top admirably keeps out sheets of driving rain during a press launch in Sicily, reviewer Michael ...

Autoblog.com: Reviewer Jonathon Ramsey says he was once a Porsche 911 snob -- but not anymore, after driving a special edition Porsche Boxster ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org tests the Porsche Boxster's performance, comfort, cargo space and more. Safety and reliability ratings are ...

Road & Track: Road & Track picks the Porsche Boxster as one of its "5 to Drive" convertibles. A short write-up explains why the Boxster is ...

MSN Autos: The Porsche Boxster is "one of the best-handling cars on the road today," MSN Autos says. This brief review explains how the ...

Environmental Protection Agency: This chart compares the fuel economies of dozens of two-seaters, including all versions of the 2009 Porsche Boxster. The U.S. ...

J.D. Power and Associates: The Porsche Boxster rates just a bit higher than average in J.D. Power and Associates' dependability survey. This page also ...

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Bargain four-seat convertible

2009 Mini Cooper convertible

*Est. $23,900 to $34,300 Compare Prices

For a fun-to-drive, four-seat convertible that's both hip and reasonably priced, reviewers say the Mini Cooper is hard to beat. Its power fabric roof opens halfway like a sunroof or drops fully in a quick 15 seconds.… Performance ranges from peppy with the base four-cylinder engine to downright speedy with an optional turbocharged engine, and all offer fuel economy in the 29 to 32 mpg range. The BMW-engineered Mini Cooper convertible gets praise for its terrific handling. But unlike its much pricier corporate stablemate, the BMW 3 Series convertible (*Est. $44,550 to $50,700), the Mini's short wheelbase and stiff suspension can make for an uncomfortable ride.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com drops the 2009 Mini Cooper convertible from its Top Recommended Convertibles list. Despite a redesign, the Cooper ...

ConsumerReports.org: Editors of ConsumerReports.org test the two-door hatchback Mini Cooper on which the convertible is based, but not the convertible ...

ConsumerGuide.com: ConsumerGuide.com tests several versions of the Mini Cooper, including the turbocharged Cooper S convertible. Editors rate each ...

Autoblog.com: Performancewise, the Mini Cooper convertible is "every bit as sharp as the Cooper S with a closed cockpit," reviewer John Neff ...

Car and Driver: The Mini Cooper convertible isn't one of Car and Driver's top recommended models, but editors do like its "charisma and ...

Environmental Protection Agency: The Mini Cooper is the most fuel-efficient minicompact car you can buy, according to this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had not fully tested the 2009 Mini Cooper convertible when we checked, ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Like the U.S. government, the nonprofit, insurance industry-backed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had not crash tested ...

J.D. Power and Associates: J.D. Power and Associates doesn't rate the Mini Cooper convertible, but this page lists a slew of quality, performance and design ...

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Best roadster value

2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata

*Est. $21,750 to $29,290 Compare Prices

The Mazda MX-5 Miata delivers more fun per dollar than any other convertible, according to reviewers. Testers find plenty to love -- precise handling, impressive fuel economy, quality, reliability and the choice of an… easy-to-use soft top or retractable hardtop. However, tall testers feel crowded with the top up, and the MX-5 Miata's frisky four-cylinder can't match the raw power of many rivals. But at half the price of a Porsche Boxster (*Est. $46,600 to $56,700), the MX-5 Miata is the critics' darling when it comes to sheer driving fun.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Edmunds.com: In a well-rounded review, Edmunds editors praise the MX-5's low base price and economical operating costs, comparing it to the ...

TheTruthAboutCars.com: This tall reviewer can only get comfortable in the diminutive Mazda MX-5 Miata when the top is down, but that's OK with him. He ...

Car and Driver: The 2009 best-car list at Car and Driver once again includes the Mazda MX-5 Miata, described as "the sweetheart of sports cars." ...

ConsumerReports.org: Editors of ConsumerReports.org test the Mazda MX-5 Miata and rank it against other convertibles in its class. Unlike some other ...

Cars.com: Five Cars.com staffers test three affordable convertibles head-to-head. Two of the reviewers prefer the fun Mazda MX-5 Miata, ...

ConsumerGuide.com: ConsumerGuide.com rates the Mazda MX-5 Miata on a numeric scale that earns it a Best Buy rating. Editors especially praise the ...

Kelley Blue Book: Editors here name the Mazda MX-5 Miata to their 2009 Recommended Shopping List. They like the car's enthusiastic performance, ...

Environmental Protection Agency: This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chart compares fuel-economy estimates for most 2009 two-seaters, including both the ...

J.D. Power and Associates: The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the most dependable compact sporty car, according to owner surveys by J.D. Power and Associates. Owners ...

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