Convertible Cars - Rise in Popularity

Seeing a convertible car on the UK roads five years ago was a rare event but trends over recent years have made these soft top machines a common everyday occurrence. So why has the British public warmed to these machines so much over the past few years?

Build quality - The build quality of these machines have come on leaps and bounds over the past few years with an increase in demand. Due to the manufacturers realising that there is a huge market for these machines the additional features and the build quality had to be raised accordingly.

Price - Price of a convertible is now at a reasonable level compared to what it used to be. Convertibles have become a car that can be used everyday due to the superior build quality. Add this to the reduced premiums that used to be put on these machines they are more popular than ever.

Car insurance - There was a time when getting car insurance for a convertible was very expensive. In fact the price of insuring a convertible put off the majority of new car buyers but the recent trend to price the car insurance more reasonably has attributed to the popularity of these cars.

With all this in mind it should also be recognised that a major factor in these cars becoming so popular has to do with personal preference. Lets face it these cars aren't perfect and there are numerous draw backs to buying a convertible car, which include:

Car insurance - Although car insurance for convertibles has come down in recent years it will still cost you more to get car insurance for a convertible compared to a fixed roof version of the same model.

Maintenance costs - The maintenance costs for a convertible can be higher than that of a fixed roof car. If you are unlucky enough to have a problem with the roof you will be facing a large repair bill.

Re-sale - The re-sale factor with a convertible car can be a problem for owners. The fact is that when buying a convertible you are reducing the pool of re-sale customers for your car dramatically, lets face it a convertible car isn't to everyone's taste.

Wear and tear - The general wear and tear on the interior of the car will be increased compared to the same model of car in a hard top version. This is due to the fact that the interior of a convertible is exposed to the elements more than a hard top car not to mention the soaking a convertible interior can get from time to time in sudden rain storms.

In closing, convertibles are more popular than ever but as this article points out there are still some distinct disadvantages with owning a convertible car. However if you are prepared for the extra costs associated with car insurance and maintenance bills there can be no better feeling of the wind in your hair on a sunny summer day.