Best convertible cars 2024

We love a convertible here in the UK. Available in all shapes and sizes, there’s something for everyone and despite our often inclement weather Britons apparently can’t get enough. Indeed, many will tell you nothing quite compares to being behind the wheel of a car without a roof. So, grab your sunglasses and pop the top down as we explore the best convertibles of 2024.

Truly one-of-a-kind in its balance of sports car thrills with an attainable price tag, and so good that Mazda has sold over one million worldwide. The MX-5 is designed for the pure joy of driving. It may only have two seats but, unlike more extreme alternatives, it is still a car that you can use every day. Whether you choose the peppy smaller engine or opt for a little more oomph with the larger alternative, smiles per mile are guaranteed. And if you want the best of both worlds the RF version has a folding hardtop, meaning it feels like a coupe with the roof up but just as fun with it stowed.
Find a Mazda MX-5 on Auto Trader

While Fiat still makes the previous petrol generation 500 it’s the all-new electric version of the iconic car that makes this list. While the hatchback electric 500 gets two battery size options, the convertible is only offered with the bigger 42kWh battery. This gives you more miles between charges to enjoy wind-in-your-hair motoring. When you do have to plug in, you can debate with passers-by whether this really is the cutest electric car of the bunch. If you like that idea but want something (literally) louder we’re currently enjoying the new Abarth version on long-term test and discovering some unexpected practical benefits of having a convertible roof!
Read the review or explore the Fiat 500C range on Auto Trader

We couldn’t have a list of the top convertibles without the Boxster. Mid-engined and designed to be a purist’s sports car you can take your pick of the range depending on your budget and how quickly you want to get from 0-62mph. Whichever you go for, you will have fun behind the wheel. If the entry level 718 Boxster is too tame for you, then you’d best try the new 718 Spyder RS.
Read the review or explore the Porsche 718 Boxster range on Auto Trader

BMW prides itself on producing what it believes to be ultimate driving machines and offers brilliant convertible options. Its Z4 is a very appealing sports car, but what if you regularly transport more than one passenger, or you are off on a grand tour and want some extra space? Enter the 4 Series. Elegant, refined, and great to drive, BMW has nailed the brief.
Read the review or explore the BMW 4 Series range on Auto Trader

Building a truly luxurious open top car isn’t easy, but it’s a format Bentley understands well and has a rich heritage in going back to its earliest days. And perfectly reinterpreted for the modern age by the Continental GTC. Given the choice between coupe and convertible versions of the same car the coupe is usually the better choice for its refinement, sharper handling and sleeker looks. But the Continental might just work even better without a roof, the decadent ideal of wafting along the lanes in the sunshine with friends or family aboard very much living the dream. Plus, with an interior this plush why not show it off to the world at large? The rest of the time there feels to be very little compromise in having the convertible, given it looks equally good with the roof up and is pretty much as refined as the coupe in normal driving.

If building your own car is taking it a little too far, but you still want the option to get hands-on, how about a Jeep Wrangler? It’s a go-anywhere beast that allows you to take the doors, roof, and windscreen off. In addition to the standard hard top, Jeep now offers a powered roof which folds back with a push of a button, so you won’t need to break a sweat. You can have all this with an impressive hybrid version, capable of off-roading on electric power alone. Whilst the Wrangler may not be a traditional convertible, it is not the only SUV with a removable roof available. To that end Volkswagen makes a soft-top version of the T-Roc, which offers more creature comforts than the Wrangler.
Read the review or explore the Jeep Wrangler range on Auto Trader

Chopping the roof off a supercar of course makes it more exciting on a sunny day. But for serious drivers the compromises often outweigh the benefits, given they are usually heavier than their coupe equivalents, not as sharp to drive because of the extra flex in the body and somehow not quite as credible. While you can get a coupe version of the Maserati MC20 its newness mean it doesn’t have the same emotional baggage in terms of the looks, the stiff carbon fibre construction meaning it weighs little more than the regular coupe without any compromise in sharpness.
And doesn’t it look amazing, especially with that giant Maserati trident logo between the streamlined fairings on the rear bodywork! The acceptable face of open top supercars? This might be the dream ticket!

Some cars are so good that songs are written about them. From Don Henley’s Boys of Summer to Maren Morris in her ‘80s Mercedes, endless songs describe the joys of open top motoring. So, failing a 1980s Mercedes-Benz SL, how about a brand new one? With a history dating back to 1950s race cars it’s fitting that the SL models of today are now all developed by Mercedes-AMG. The mixture of performance and luxury is a winner and definitely worthy of a song or two.
Read the review, watch the video and browse Mercedes SLs for sale on Auto Trader

With an all-new Mini on the way the outgoing one enjoyed a last hurrah in limited edition electric SE Convertible form last year. Just 150 of the 999 built in total made it to the UK, this and the £50,000-plus pricetag ensuring its exclusivity. If the idea of Mini-shaped fun in the sun still appeals you can still buy the Convertiblein petrol-engined form while stocks last, the range going from the affordable Cooper through to the somewhat spicier, 231 horsepower John Cooper Works version. All offer the same blend of style, and opportunity to share the fun with friends or family thanks to the four-seater layout.

This plug-in hybrid Ferrari combines a V6 petrol engine with an electric motor. Don’t let the size of the petrol engine fool you, this is still very much a supercar, combining power, poise, and passion. Unusually for a supercar there’s even a nod to practicality. Ferrari made battery optimisations so that you can fold the roof down without losing space to stow luggage on the rear bench. Some may consider an open top Ferrari to be a predictable choice at this price point, so if you are after a less obvious suggestion, check out the Maserati MC20 Cielo.
Explore the Ferrari 296 GTS on Auto Trader

Cabriolet is a French term for the word convertible. The word 'cabriolet' originates from 1800s France. It was originally used to refer to light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriages. Like a convertible, the top could be pulled over if needed.
There’s no real difference between a cabriolet and a convertible. They are different names for the type of car and are often used interchangeably. Both convertible and cabriolet refer to a car that can ‘convert’ from a car with a roof to one without and be driven in both scenarios. Some manufacturers prefer to call their cars cabriolets (or cabrios) because it is an older, more traditional term. American manufacturers, however, are more likely to refer to their cars as convertibles. Shop electric and diesel convertibles

There’s a wide range of convertible cars on the market including two, four and five-seaters.
Beyond the standard soft and hard-top convertible cars, there are other varieties like:

Semi convertibles

Semi-convertibles, sometimes called cabrio coach or targas, are cars that have all the bodywork up to the top of the door – it’s just the roof that retracts. These cars retain most of the original car’s structure and can look almost identical to their hardtop equivalents when the roof is up.

Roadsters, also called spiders or spyders, are sporty two-seaters, like the Mazda MX-5.

Four-door convertibles are relatively rare because they are expensive for manufacturers to build. One example of a four-door is the Jeep Wrangler.

Many convertible cars have roofs made of fabric, which is usually multi-layered to keep the cabin as quiet as possible when the roof is up. These are called soft-top convertibles.

Hard-top convertibles have roof panels made of rigid material like metal, plastic, carbon fibre, glass or combinations thereof. Hard-top convertibles can have a roof of two types:

Retractable hard-tops

Convertibles with retractable roofs tend to be much quieter than those with fabric roofs when it comes to road and wind noise. In some cases, they can be as quiet and secure as a regular hard-top car. But folding hardtops tend to be heavier, which can affect fuel economy, and the mechanisms used to retract the roof can take up a lot of boot space when compared to convertibles with fabric roofs.

Detachable hard-tops

Some convertibles also offer a detachable hardtop. While some of these can be stored in the car’s boot, many can’t and so have to be left in a garage or storage. With so many improvements in retractable roofs, detachable hardtop is much less common nowadays but can be a useful semi-permanent fixture over the winter months.

Here's what our team had to say about the convertible cars available in the UK:

What is the best hardtop convertible car?

Take a look at... Mazda MX-5 RF BMW 4 Series Convertible Mercedes-Benz SL

What is the best four-seater convertible car?

Take a look at... Audi A3 Cabriolet Bentley Continental GT Convertible Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible Mini Convertible