Some of the joy depends on how well it was designed. If poorly designed with regard to aerodynamics you will get tired of the wind buffeting. Also, you can get tired of the constant baking in the sun if you use it when it’s really hot out. It depends on you and at what times you use it. In the morning or later in the day instead of when only mad dogs and English men are out was our rule.

I had a convertible in college. Nothing better than driving around Newport Beach with the top down. I really loved it. I don't know that I'd want one as a daily driver now with a soft top just due to security issues. I have my eyes on the Miata with a Targa style top though.

I've had a few over the years and really loved them. Never had an issue.

If Dodge would make the Challenger Hellcat in a convertible - I'd be 1'st in line to buy it.

I had a convertible sports car when I was about 34 and lived in Tempe, AZ. It was ok, but in the end I wished I would have gotten the coupe instead. Most of the time I put the top down because I had a convertible and felt like I was supposed to, more than because it was actually nicer than having it up. The novelty of having the sun beat down on you and the wind blowing everything around wears off pretty fast - at least it did for me. You roll up the windows, put in a wind screen behind that flows the air over you, and pretty soon you may as well have a coupe with a sunroof. Also I'm not much of an exhibitionist...the car drew enough attention already.

I guess it's worth owning one once in your life.

I never had the habit of parking it with the top down, but some people do. I always figured people would throw their trash in there just for spite.

I'm a 3 season Miata driver. Things I've learned:

- The top down in the mid day sun in the summer is miserable.
- Sunscreen is always in the glove box. I have a hat for me and my passenger at all time.
- Even in the evening, top down causes sun problems, either coming in over the top of the windshield or from the side.
- I have a PRHT now because the soft top version would not get warm in the winter or cool in the summer. May not be a problem for your car.
- Nothing in the car not secured is safe while moving.
- Always consider where you are parking if you are leaving the top down. Bird shit all over your steering wheel and dashboard is not what you want to find when you go to your car.
- Hand motions and comments that would not be noticed my a bad driver in a hardtop, is hard to miss in a convertible. I've had some interesting stoplight discussions.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

I have never been a huge fan of convertible sports cars, although I had a JEEP that I drove with the top off or down all the time.

Stand by for people to dispose of their trash in your car if you leave the top down and park in public. Stand by for the inevitable occasion in which you misjudge the weather and have to put the top up fast before the entire interior of the car is soaked. Stand by for anything you might leave in the car to be stolen, either because you left the top down, or someone cut the top to get to something nice.

I have had fun with convertibles for a few days on a vacation or something like that, but wouldn’t want one long term. The JEEP, on the other hand, I would leave the top off for months at a time. I bolted a tool box in the back in case I needed to lock something in there, but otherwise just didn’t leave stuff in the JEEP. If it rained, I didn’t care because the interior was water proof-ish, and I could always just pull the plugs in the floor to let it drain.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

I traded my Corolla for a Miata when I moved to Southern California in the 90s and have had one ever since. It suits me, and it is still really fun. Top is down today, went to the beach for a swim.

Thanks for the replies everyone, very interesting. One of the triggers that lead me to doing this was that my wife and I are doing 3 X 37 mile roundtrips shuttling my kids to school due to COVID and staggered schedules. I feel sometimes like I am living in my car. Hopefully closer to the end than to the beginning of this situation.

-I was hesitant to leave the top open while unattended for the bird poop, but never because of the possible vandalism/theft. Granted I live in a quasi police state where we have almost no crime. That was a really surprising consideration though.
-The sun definitely feels quite harsh midday even as we approach the winter solstice. Good idea on the hats and sunscreen always in the car.
- This is a hardtop which was a huge appeal here as I know there are 2 months a year where cooling a normal car can be a struggle. I also like the look of the hardtop way better than the soft. Most people wouldn't realize it is a convertible until it does its transformer thing opening up. Because of that the trunk is limited but I can still fit 3 backpacks and all the associated crap the kids tote each day with room to spare. Also surprisingly got a full cart of groceries in the trunk as well.

The design in terms of windflow seems pretty good. I usually don't get much above 60 MPH and it is very civilized. The speed limits around here can be up to 87 MPH and that would be a much different experience I would imagine.

It was neat to see a few comments from people who own one permanently over the years. I feel like that could be me as long as live here. Now if I relocate to Buffalo NY, that could all change ;)

Porsche Boxster S

Pinnacle of Convertible experience. Any Porsche fans who disagree .... well, I also own a 911 turbo S and the Boxster is the shiznit. If I had to choose over them, I would keep the Boxster.

End of thread

For most of the 45 years I have been driving, I have chosen a convertible.

As to trash/vandalism, it has never happened to me. I left the top down for literally months at a time when I lived in Las Vegas. Having said that, I also NEVER left anything in the open car.

The advice to carry sunscreen is very good.
What I can add from decades of experience driving a drop top is to avoid cloth interior. If it does rain, cloth stays soggy relative to leather.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Ha! I am not very familiar with Porsche but I see a ton of them around. I was surprised to see that Mercedes Benz has a convertible version of each sedan class they offer. I am guessing Porsche probably does the same thing with their "sports cars". I remember when I was around 19 I met a pilot who worked for USAir. He was the one who got me into flying and he was a huge fan of the Boxster (although he didn't have one).

Nice!

Go drive one. I have owned one of every body style over the years. They are all great. Witch each new version, a little faster, a little better to the eye, and a few more tech options

Had a Jeep when I was in my 20's. Soon as the warm weather hit, the top and doors were off. Middle of the summer though, when in traffic, the sun would just beat on you. Like others said, I wouldn't leave anything valuable in there. At the time I had a stereo with a removable faceplate. Put some velcro on the underside of the dash, below the steering wheel and would attach the faceplate to it. No one ever found it. Other than getting caught in the rain a couple of times, never had any other issues, no trash, no bird crap.

Was on vacation this summer and rented a Jeep for a day. Ended up buying one 2 months later, mostly for the kids. Had a couple of 70* days in October so took the top off, whole family piled in and we took a couple of drives down to the beach and on some back country roads. After we got home my daughter said if it wasn't for the snow and rain, she'd leave the top off the whole winter and just bundle up.

When the weather is just right, you can't be a convertible.

I have the average of your cars: 911 Targa 4S, best of both worlds in one car :)

A

I’ve had two convertibles (slow learner) and this is pretty much bang on for me. Intense sunlight and intense cold, or rain, and the hood stays up. They are nice for dry spring or autumn days - Goldilocks days which are “just right”. We’ve hired them in CA and I much preferred having it in SF than in LA.

Added to this, unless you’re looking at something with a monocoque tub like a McLaren, the handling is never as good as a hardtop equivalent. They flex and rattle.

Good points: dropping the roof made it not just possible but easy to get my bike into one (996 turbo) and I could even get a hard shelled bike box in one.

I was a convertible fanatic. Used to drive around in winter with the top down, heater blowing full, windows rolled up and wearing a toque and parka but don't do stuff like that any more. Still love my 1980 Triumph TR8 convertible. If the weather isn't nice enough to drive it with the top down, then it stays in the garage.

We had an MG Midget for a couple of years in SoCal, Nevada, and Arizona. It came with a tonneau cover, so 90% of the time we had the top down and put the tonneau cover on when we'd park it away from home. We never had a problem with vandals/trash, but this was back in the late 70's/early 80's. (People were nicer?) Then we took it to England/Germany for another 14 years. We almost always had the top up during the winter, but for most of the year we'd check the weather forecast and go with the top down if it didn't look like rain. Throw on a jacket and maybe a hat if it was cold. Again, never a problem with vandals/trash with the Europeans.

Loved that car and driving with the top down. Always had a garage to park it in when we were at home. The rest of the car eventually wore out, but we still had the original top when we sold the car.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

I had a Boxster for about 3 days but returned it for a 911 Cabrio. The Boxster was too small for me, felt like I was driving a cartoon car where you look over the windshield rather than through it. I might still own one if they fit me better, much better fun per dollar.