Top five Convertibles Under $45, 000
Top five Convertibles Under $45,000
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Warmer weather means it’s ultimately time to take the plunge and get that convertible you’ve been dreaming about. To help you find the flawless car for top-down motoring, we’ve compiled a list of the five best fresh convertibles available for less than $45,000.
The competition indeed starts to warmth up around the $40,000 mark, so that’s where we’ve determined to concentrate. However, if you’re looking for a convertible on a tighter budget, there are a handful of value-oriented choices out there, like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, which starts at less than $24,000 and the Mini Cooper Convertible, which starts at about $25,000.
The two thousand twelve VW Eos might be the cheapest car on this list, but it lightly holds its own against the competition. At very first glance, the Eos looks like a shortened Golf with a funny roofline. But there’s more to the Eos than meets the eye.
Distinguished from the rest of the pack by its front-wheel drive setup and a Two.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing two hundred horsepower, the Eos is remarkably joy to drive. And at twenty five mpg in combined city and highway driving, the Eos is one of the more fuel-efficient convertibles in its price range.
Another high point with the Eos is the retractable roof. With the shove of a button, the metal hardtop automatically retracts, folds and stows in the trunk in just twenty five seconds.
On the road, the Eos feels more powerful than it looks. The turbocharged motor is especially responsive. Both the treating and steering are taut and responsive, and the 6-speed automated dual-clutch transmission shifts with Germanic precision. If you don’t want an all-out spectacle convertible, the Eos is the flawless blend of excitement and the kind of down-to-earth sensibility that has become VW’s hallmark.
2012 BMW 128i Convertible – $36,900
The 128i Convertible harkens back to the three Series convertibles of the 1980s in the best possible way. Compared with the three Series convertibles of today, however, the one Series convertible is slightly smaller, a little cheaper and arguably more joy.
The base model comes with a 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing two hundred thirty hp and two hundred lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a six-speed manual. This classic BMW rear-wheel drive setup will make a 0-60 run in Five.Four seconds.
Like a few of the other convertibles on this list, the 128i comes with a cloth, soft-top, automatically retractable roof. Needing only twenty two seconds to fold away, the top can be activated at speeds of up to twenty five mph, which permits drivers to drop the top on the fly.
Opt for the leather upgrade and you’ll find the upholstery has been treated with BMW’s Sun Reflective Technology, which boundaries the effect of the sun’s ultraviolet rays on the leather.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, rear-wheel drive, two-door convertible fitted with a manual transmission, the 128i is hard to hit for the price. Just be forewarned – albeit its base price is $36,900, the sticker price can quickly rocket northward with the inclusion of any optional extras.
2012 Nissan 370Z Roadster – $40,050
It might not be instantaneously apparent, but the Nissan 370Z convertible is more expensive than both the 128i and the VW Eos. Albeit comparing the Eos and the 128i is a lot like comparing bananas and apples, the two German cars have an air of refinement the Z lacks.
By comparison, the 370Z convertible is more aggressive. The Z is much more at home making high-speed runs around a racetrack than hauling a set of golf clubs to the course.
Under the spandex hood, the 370Z convertible has the same three hundred thirty two hp Trio.7-liter V6 as the standard roofed version. As for transmissions, customers can choose inbetween a close ratio six-speed manual and a seven-speed automatic.
Customers interested in the 370Z convertible are likely be those antsy to tackle a twisty back road and less interested in luxury.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible – $40,680
To be fair, the base Camaro convertible starts at $30,180, well under our $45,000 self-imposed limit. Still, the Camaro LT is slew of car for most people, as the V6 just got a bump in power up to three hundred twenty three hp. However, the level-two SS with leather, 20-inch wheels, and a massive four hundred twenty six hp 6.2-liter V8 is pretty strong contender in its own right. It’s priced at $40,680. Option it with the six-speed manual transmission and you’ll be melting the road all day long with this American muscle car.
Compared with the other convertibles on this list, the Camaro gives a lot of bang for the buck. Leather interior, premium sound system with Bluetooth, heads-up display – it’ all there. Plus, the Camaro is very likely the most handsomely distinctive looking of the lot as well. Consider, too, the Camaro is packing almost dual the horsepower of the 128i, and you’ve got one heck of a convertible.
With rising fuel costs, the Camaro might not be the best daily driver on this list, as it only achieves sixteen mpg in the city and twenty four on the highway.
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK two hundred fifty – $42,500
SLK in German stands for “Sportlich, Leicht, und Kurz,” meaning Sporty, Light, and Brief. The story with the SLK two hundred fifty is much the same as the 128i Convertible: once customers add creature convenience optional extras, the MSRP rises quickly. Want the “White Diamond” paint? That’s an extra $720. How about dual-zone climate control? That’s another $760. Look past the expensive extras, however, and the SLK two hundred fifty stands out as brilliant convertible.
Like the Eos, the SLK has a metal retractable roof, which makes it a convertible that’s very effortless to live with every day. Under the spandex hood, Mercedes has placed its two hundred one hp, 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. The SLK two hundred fifty will hit sixty from a dead stop in 6.Five seconds and stir onto an electronically limited one hundred fifty five mph.
With a gorgeous fresh assets and almost ideal steering, the SLK is the kind of giggle-inspiring convertible that the English would build if they still made cars. The SLK is the most expensive convertible on the list, but it’s also one of the most joy to drive.
