Top affordable luxury convertible vehicles for summer
Summer is coming, and it’s time to look your best — because this season, there is a greater selection of well-priced luxury convertible vehicles offered by automakers than ever before. So grab a nice a cap, put on some designer shades and, if you’re feeling particularly jaunty, don a pair of leather driving gloves and hop into one of these machines for some fancy top-down motoring.
Lexus IS C
Starting MSRP: $54,850
Director of Lexus Canada describes the open-top variant of the IS best when he says, “With the IS C, Lexus guests get the most out of that point where the open road meets open sky.”
Like the sedan, both a 250 and 350 is available, the latter being the more powerful and well equipped of the two featuring a 306 horsepower, 3.5-litre V6 engine. It also benefits from F SPORT accessories like a specialized grille, 18-inch wheels, leather seats and steering wheel.
BMW 4 Series Convertible
Starting MSRP: $58,200
Replacing the two-door versions of the 3 Series, BMW wasn’t going to just let any model take over this important task. The 4 Series is wider and longer, with an extra 4,638 millimetres in length than its predecessor, giving it a more commanding presence on the road.
The powered roof is metal, so occupants still enjoy a warm and sound-insulated cabin when it’s up. When the sun is out, a single push of a button lowers the roof in 20 seconds, and can be operated while the car is moving at a 12 km/h pace or slower.
Starting MSRP: $58,600
There are few luxury convertible sports cars that give as much as value for your dollar as the Boxster. This mid-engine two-seater was introduced by Porsche back in 1996 and has steadily gotten better and more refined over the years.
The newest addition to the lineup is the Boxster GTS, which adds a more power engine and extra performance parts over the standard and S trim levels. GTS models can be differentiated by the much more aggressive front and rear bumpers, blacked-out Bi-Xenon headlights, 20-inch wheels and a sport exhaust system finished off with black tailpipes.
Addendum:
Audi A3 Cabriolet
Starting MSRP: $42,600
Canadian car buyers in the past associated the A3 badge with a hatchback, and with good reason, because that was the only form factor available at the time. The introduction of the current third-gen A3 has opened the doors to different possibilities, like the Cabriolet.
This compact 2+2 convertible packs in a lot for its modest price point, like Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive system and a 220 hp, 2.0 L turbocharged TFSI engine that will rocket the Cabriolet from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.
