With these 5 tips you can buy a good convertible used car

Car manufacturers are bringing fewer and fewer new convertible models onto the market. In all segments, the supply is shrinking with every new rationalization and cut. The selection on the used market is much larger. We give you five tips to choose the right convertible and avoid expensive problems.

Driving with an open top is an incomparable experience. The special thing remains that doing without a simple car part (the roof) has such a strong influence on the driving experience.

With these five tips you can buy a good used convertible

Convertibles come in all shapes, sizes, ages and price ranges. Car manufacturers have occupied just about every convertible niche imaginable over the last few decades. Affordable sporty roadsters, roofless supercars, Targatops, SUV convertibles, mid-size cars with lifting roofs, city cars with soft tops – you can’t imagine it being invented and sold.

1. Determine the purpose of the occasion

As a potential convertible buyer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options. A good place to start in the buying process is to ask why you are buying a convertible. Do you already have a decent car for everyday use and are you looking for the ultimate automotive kick for the weekend? Or do you have to take the children, the dog, the holiday luggage, the bicycles and the caravan with you?

The best-driving open-top cars aren’t too big, not too heavy, and have a powertrain that honors the dynamic talents of the chassis. If the idea of ​​open-top driving is worth more than the means to achieve this goal, you can choose from a wide range of used Abrios that have poor driving dynamics, are not very popular and are therefore very cheap.

2. Create a checklist

Buying a used convertible is more complicated than buying a “normal” used car. In addition to the optical and technical condition, the maintenance history and the history of damage, the roof is an additional checkpoint on the checklist. Without knowledge and experience, a convertible roof is difficult to judge. An electric convertible top mechanism can work perfectly for years and then suddenly fail.

Other parts to look out for are hydraulic roof pumps, sensors, wiring harnesses and micro switches. Folding roofs are known to be more prone to failure than soft tops. But when you consider that new top material for a top ranges in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars, it becomes clear that every top construction has advantages and disadvantages.

3. Maintenance

The good news is that with normal maintenance, most convertible tops can last just as long as the rest of the used car. Regular cleaning, impregnation and proper treatment of the soft top fabric have a positive effect on the lifespan of a soft top.

On a convertible top, cleaning and lubricating the pivot points and keeping the sensors and switches clear will prolong its life. With all convertible roofs it is important to keep the sealing rubbers clean and flexible and to check the drainage channels for function. In addition to wet seats, carpets, and mold, water leakage can cause rust and electronic problems.

4. Gather a lot of information about your future used convertible car

It is advisable to collect as much information as possible about model-specific weaknesses and part prices during the orientation phase. That’s difficult, because a second-hand convertible is often an impulse buy as soon as the sun shines. While it’s better to buy a convertible when it’s raining or snowing.

Under the scorching summer sun, even a worn convertible top seems absolutely waterproof.

5. Take the opportunity to test properly

Wrinkles, tears, vandalism damage, frayed edges, loose stitching, error messages, slow electric motors, opaque plastic windows and leaking glass rear windows are easier to identify before the sale than after. And drive it too.

If a bonnet of the used car is not fitted very tightly, you can only hear its whistling at around 100 kilometers per hour. Sometimes a damaged or non-functioning hood can be saved with a simple repair, sometimes seemingly minor damage or defects can only be fixed with expensive repairs. If in doubt, call in a specialist – then you will also know where you stand financially.