Convertibles

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What's behind our convertible Ratings?

CR’s Ratings include road test results and safety information. Reliability and owner satisfaction Ratings are based on surveys of millions of subscribers.

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We look for:

Overall Score
The Highs, Lows, and Overall Rating refer to the model and trim line that we tested. A model earns the "CR Recommended" label by Consumer Reports when it has performed well in our tests, our subscriber -survey data indicate that it should be at least average in reliability, and has performed at least adequately in any government and/or insurance-industry crash tests or government rollover test, if tested. There are several reasons why a model would have no designation: It wasn't tested recently; it didn't test well; it did poorly in a crash test or tip-up in the rollover test; it has a below-average reliability record; it'S too new to have reliability data; or we have insufficeint reliability data.
Predicted Reliability
Predicted reliability is our forecast of how well a model is likely to hold up derived from our latest Annual Car Reliability Survey. We averaged a model's Used Car Verdict for the newest three years, provided the model did not change significantly during that time. Refer to Reliability History for more detailed explanation.
Owner Satisfaction
Indicates percentage of owners surveyed who would definitely purchase the same vehicle again.
Accident Avoidance
A composite score of CR's test results for braking performance, emergency handling, acceleration, driving position, visibility, and seat comfort. Braking and emergency handling carry the most weight.
Overall (Mpg)
Overall MPG (overall mileage) is CR's measurement based on a realistic mix of highway, country-road, and city driving.

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Recommended convertibles

See the models that perform well in our tests, and meet our standards for reliability and safety.

Recommended convertibles

Buying guide video

Convertible buying guide

What to look for when buying a convertible. Also see our video guide.

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Buying guide video

Reliable used convertibles

See CR's Good Bets: These used cars have performed well in our tests over the years and have had much better than average overall reliability for multiple years.

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Convertibles can be affordable, fun, and thrifty, though they can vary widely in practicality, price, and performance. The best overall convertibles excel in all those attributes, and top our Ratings for the category.

Ratings & recommended convertibles

Overall convertibles (2)

Affordable roadster (1)

An affordable roadster convertible has all the great handling and power of a regular roadster at an affordable price. Typically these models also have good fuel economy. If a sporty roadster convertible is on your list, see which ones are recommended and affordable.

Four-seat (3)

Four-seat convertibles provide open-air motoring for the whole family, typically based on a sporty model whose dynamics can add to the experience, but sometimes on a humdrum sedan. Roof design and materials vary, as do rear passenger and cargo space. We highlight the best the breed.

Reliable used convertibles (8)

Recently reviewed convertibles

VIDEO: Audi TT convertible Premium Plus 4-cyl

Audi TT convertible Premium Plus 4-cyl

(Tested)

Audi TT convertible Premium Plus 4-cyl

Mercedes-Benz SLK SLK250 4-cyl MT

BMW Z4 sDrive28i 4-cyl MT

Porsche Boxster Base 6-cyl MT

Convertible buying guide

Buying a convertible has little to do with practicality and everything to do with looking and feeling good with an open-air driving experience. Modern convertibles come with fewer compromises than the ragtops of yore. More and more convertibles feature retractable hardtops, with a folding metal roof that stows in the trunk at the push of a button. When raised, these hardtop models minimize some inherent convertible compromises by providing better insulation from noise and weather, increased interior security, improved visibility, and better resistance to fading and wear than cloth. But when lowered, they can consume much of the available trunk space.

Even soft tops are now mostly well insulated and almost all now come with a glass rear window instead of flimsy, scratch-prone plastic windows that were common years ago.

Today's convertibles tend to have more rigid construction, reducing wear-inducing structural flex caused by the lack of a fixed roof on a coupe and also improving handling. What hasn't changed is that soft-top convertibles remain more susceptible to break-in and theft than hardtop vehicles, and they require more diligence to protect them from the elements.

Hardtop or soft, a convertible can typically transform from closed to open in less than 30 seconds. All hardtops must be stopped before the top can be raised or lowered, though some soft-tops can metamorphose a low speeds.

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