Best Deal Convertibles

Owning a convertible is a dream for many people. Of course, not so much for the folks living in cooler climates, but driving a beautiful convertible down a sunny coastline sounds quite appealing to many of us. Unfortunately, convertibles are not cheap, and since most people wouldn’t name one as their first choice when buying a car, most of the convertibles sold are actually used ones.

When buying a used convertible it is crucial to keep your eyes open, even more than you would when buying a hardtop. This is because convertibles are more exposed to the influence of weather than a regular car is. A lot of reviews on used convertibles can be found on www.consumerreports.org. Here are a couple of additional tips to help you buy a reliable used convertible.

Test the roof first

You should test the roof both when the car is standing still and when it’s in motion. When the car is still you shouldn’t have any problems with an automatic one, but if the roof is supposed to be raised and folded manually, then you need to see are you able to do it by yourself. Don’t lie to yourself about it, because you will pay for your choice dearly as soon as a rain shower hits you. Even if you can raise it by yourself but it is difficult, you should pass that convertible no matter how beautiful it might be.

Roof types

A hardtop roof is made out of the same material as the rest of the car. It folds down automatically, provides more protection and is more durable than a soft top roof made of fabric. Hardtops are visually more alluring but they can jam, they weigh more than soft tops and they occupy a lot of trunk space. Nowadays soft top roofs are made of several different layers that usually provide good insulation, but they are more prone to leaks and these leaky spots tend to become a serious problem as the car gets older.

Safety first

Many people fear that convertibles are extremely unsafe in case of an accident. Most of these cars have side-positioned airbags designed to cover even the head, so they are not that different from your family sedan. Another problem that arises with convertibles is that they have very small rear windows. This is often seen with soft top roofs, so one should pay extra attention to possible blind spots while test-driving the car. If you are looking for a reliable convertible, a Toyota Camry Solara might be one of the options you should consider.

How does it actually feel

People with sensitive sinuses will probably hesitate to take a ride in a convertible, but such problems have been anticipated by the car designers and as a result, convertibles are equipped with wind deflectors placed in the right positions to keep the wind turbulence as low as possible. A Mercedes E-class convertible would be a good choice since it has a carefully designed deflector that keeps the cabin unbelievably calm. Most convertibles have seats with a heating system and some of the more luxurious models, like Lexus SC, even have systems for hot air channeling to the shoulders and neck.

Make sure you inform yourself well before spending all of your savings. When buying a used convertible cars you should check several car dealers or ones with good reputation like Auto Trader from UK or Carzoos from AU.

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