Shopping for a comfy soft top 4 seat convertible with a stick. Opinions?

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watchdoc

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So I turned 50 this year and decided to reward myself for surviving this long with a shiny convertible. I’m looking at comfy soft top convertibles with a stick. I would like a warranty and there just aren’t many choices. Looks like the BMW 2 series, Camaro, Mustang, and Mini are the only choices. This will be a fair weather cruiser for the family and weekend getaway car. Thoughts and suggestions?
 
I had a 2013 Mustang GT convertible, very comfortable, all the modern creature comforts, great fuel economy and plenty of power. I found it had far more room for me than the 2011 Camaro 2SS I had owned prior, though that car was a coupe. I'm 6 ft 7, and around 300 lbs. The biggest problem for me with the Camaro was the driver's door armrest location, my left knee was in constant contact with it, causing significant discomfort. Performance wise, the Camaro and Mustang were very similar, 426 HP for the Camaro, and 420 for the Mustang, and both were capable of respectable fuel economy, excellent handling for bone stock suspensions, and great braking ability. The Camaro's ride was somewhat more harsh, but not unbearable.
I have no experience with either of the other vehicles you are considering, so cannot offer opinion on them. Hope this helps some
 
You didn't mention new or used, but I got the idea you meant nice used. I have never owned one, but I would definitely go for the nicest Mustang GT convertible you can handle. Hard to beat the looks and performance. Plus, it will cost a fraction to have a repair done on a Ford as compared to a BMW or Mini (owned by BMW). BMW repair parts and labor are ridiculous. Also, the Mini does not have the best reliability record. I read an article in a Road and Track magazine a few years ago about the results of a year long test drive by the magazine. The car was in the shop so many times that the writer of the article could not recommend it.
 
Hmmm ...
I sell Mercedes , Porsche, Jag, Acura ,Rover and Volvo.
I dont think we offer a single manual 4seater Cabrio ...All the AMGs are sportshift autos.
911s offer manual but no back seat , F-Type Jag has a manual but only 2seats.

Hate to say it but you might have to buy a Camaro ! Lol
 
I have worked on beamers for 7 years. They are good for about 100 K. Then oil leaks to no end. It is not a 10 minute fix either. Then they always have tranny issues. Also electrical issues. I absolutely do not recommend them. Kim
 
watchdoc said:
So I turned 50 this year and decided to reward myself for surviving this long with a shiny convertible. I’m looking at comfy soft top convertibles with a stick. I would like a warranty and there just aren’t many choices. Looks like the BMW 2 series, Camaro, Mustang, and Mini are the only choices. This will be a fair weather cruiser for the family and weekend getaway car. Thoughts and suggestions?
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Restored C body, 383, with a/c and cruise control
 
missing linc said:
I had a 2013 Mustang GT convertible, very comfortable, all the modern creature comforts, great fuel economy and plenty of power. I found it had far more room for me than the 2011 Camaro 2SS I had owned prior, though that car was a coupe. I'm 6 ft 7, and around 300 lbs. The biggest problem for me with the Camaro was the driver's door armrest location, my left knee was in constant contact with it, causing significant discomfort. Performance wise, the Camaro and Mustang were very similar, 426 HP for the Camaro, and 420 for the Mustang, and both were capable of respectable fuel economy, excellent handling for bone stock suspensions, and great braking ability. The Camaro's ride was somewhat more harsh, but not unbearable.
I have no experience with either of the other vehicles you are considering, so cannot offer opinion on them. Hope this helps some
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Tons of bolt on horsepower for the GT too.
 
New or like new with a warranty would be my first choice. If mother Mopar would make a challenger convertible, I would just be posting pictures right now but that doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. I never seriously considered a Mini due to reliability or a 911 due to back seats and cost. It comes down to the following:

BMW 2 series. Comfy and very easy to drive. Styling is sort of bland inside an out. Feels nearly identical to a E46 330 I used to own. Too expensive new so i would have to find a used one and the manuals are very rare.

Camaro. I haven’t driven one in a long time but The styling is fine. Outward visibility is terrible.

Mustang. Really checks all the boxes. I like the styling except for the headlights and I love the Orange colored one. I need to give one an extended test drive for comfort. I would prefer a GT premium but I’m not sure if I want to spend that much considering how fast and hard they depreciate.

Someone mentioned a C body which I would think would be nearly impossible to find with a stick but this raises the point of “why not get a restored A body vert” and my answer would be cost and safety.
 
Buy this build it the way you want. Seats 4 comfortably and rides great.

6FD2A27E-79D3-4F51-BBD4-C9EAA57836AC.jpeg
 
Buy a used Sebring convert. Keep it Mopar. They are great cars.

sebring.jpg
 
toolmanmike said:
Buy a used Sebring convert. Keep it Mopar. They are great cars.

View attachment 1715471982
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Sebring convertible doesn't come with a stick. I wish there was a Mopar option but I haven't seen one since the Lebaron.

Took a new Mustang GT Premium for a spin today. Was comfy, powerful, easy to drive, and very expensive. Might could swing a 2019 with incentives or find a CPO car.
 
watchdoc said:
Sebring convertible doesn't come with a stick. I wish there was a Mopar option but I haven't seen one since the Lebaron.

Took a new Mustang GT Premium for a spin today. Was comfy, powerful, easy to drive, and very expensive. Might could swing a 2019 with incentives or find a CPO car.
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That's too bad. They are nice cars. My neighbor has a Mustang convert. It must be a 16 or 17 . I am just barely 6" tall and I have a real trouble getting in and out of the passenger front seat. The rear seats are terrible. I won't even ride back there. Our wives are 5' 6" or so and they are jammed in like sardines. What A POS I think.
 
Mustangs were never really great for rear seat legroom, the newest Camaro is no better, possibly even worse. My dogs did not even want to ride in the back of the Camaro. I never rode in any seat other than the driver's of my Mustang GT, it was the premium package, had all options except nav system. I found the '15 and up to have more room for the driver at least. Agreed that the visibility issues of the Camaro are problematic. One feature I really liked in the Camaro was the HUD, especially given the tiny instrument cluster, the Mustang offers some degree of customizability of the cluster. Ultimately comes down to personal preference. I also had a '99 Sebring convertible, and it was a pretty decent car, had the 2.5 V6, but no manual trans option. You could always pony up for one of the custom built Challenger converts offered by a handful of custom coachbuilders, I think Petty's Garage has done them, but expect to spend 100k to go that route, depreciation will be a factor regardless of what you decide on. I personally prefer to buy a couple years old, a little less painful that way.
 
The Sebring convertible was offered with a 6 cyl and manual trans 2001-2004. Fairly rare to come by and sourcing clutch parts is difficult
 
My wife turned 50 last summer and had the same idea as you ( plus a few shopping trips to Montreal and New York with her girlfriends) went with the mustang ... great performance car for the money...runs mid 12s no problem and has great brakes. Handling is good but not as solid as the hardtop.

95907ADB-92D4-4BDD-A6CA-53D25BE70814.jpeg
 
So I've just about decided on the mustang at this point and here is what I would want. 2018-2020 GT Premium Convertible with a 6 speed and the digital dash package. I can buy a new 2019 for around $42k (sticker $50-$51k) with 0% for 36 months or a used 2018+ for low to mid $30's. I have the cash but I'm pretty sure I could get 2.49% financing on a used one. The depreciation curve on these things is steep so I'm leining towards a used one with less than 10k miles and lots of warranty left. Decisions decisions....
 
How about a Solara? Its a Toyota so you know its gonna run great, IIRC they are long out of production but the prices keep going up? How about a new Buick? I saw a newer Regal wagon at Costco and had to do a double take on it not being some BMW wagon.
 
i think you need to take a step back and look at where you posted this thread, and then see if that jives with buying a mudstank


:poke:
 
pishta said:
How about a Solara? Its a Toyota so you know its gonna run great, IIRC they are long out of production but the prices keep going up? How about a new Buick? I saw a newer Regal wagon at Costco and had to do a double take on it not being some BMW wagon.
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I want a stick and warranty. If I wanted a older car that checks all the boxes, it would likely get an E46 M3 but I'd really prefer a newer car with a warranty.
 
diymirage said:
i think you need to take a step back and look at where you posted this thread, and then see if that jives with buying a mudstank :poke:
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Love the passive aggressive trolling humor but honestly, I did put some thought into it before I posted. I figured since Mopar didn't have anything that fit the bill, I could get some objectivity from here. BTW, I did try a new Wrangler with the 3.6 and a stick and didn't like it.
 
i thought about giving you an honest option, but i got nothing so i went with the humor angle

i thought for sure there would be something German out that would fit the bill, VW, or Audi but all VW seems to have is a topless bug, and well, thats kinda queer
 
watchdoc said:
Love the passive aggressive trolling humor but honestly, I did put some thought into it before I posted. I figured since Mopar didn't have anything that fit the bill, I could get some objectivity from here. BTW, I did try a new Wrangler with the 3.6 and a stick and didn't like it.
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No hard feelings from me, if Mopar made a *good* small or mid-size economy car that was reliable and well-built I'd get one for my next car... but they don't. And they currently don't make a convertible sporty car so I hear you there. I may end up with a Honda Accord V6 or Acura TL as a daily driver, Dodge/Mopar never made anything in that class as good IMO.

Wranglers suck unless you plan to actually use them for offroading. One big reason I got my old XJ Cherokee instead of an old Wrangler (other being cost, Wranglers are way overpriced especially in Colorado). The newest ones are "better" on road but still one of the worst riding and handling vehicles on-road you can get. And they're super heavy for their size so very little extra power and the gas mileage sucks.

I sat in a modern Camaro once, the visibility was atrocious I would be nervous actually driving one and it felt a bit cramped being 6'1" tall. I hear the Mustangs are more comfortable and IMO Ford has always been the best of the Big 3 with regards to interior design and ergonomics.

If I ever got a BMW it would be one from the late 1990s or earlier, I have a few car buddies who know Beamers and they say they pretty much all went to junk after the 1990s. Same with Mercedes-Benz cars. They are nice but too complex and expensive to repair and maintain on your own and the materials/parts quality went down significantly over the past couple decades. Just my $0.02 if it helps.
 
oldkimmer said:
I have worked on beamers for 7 years. They are good for about 100 K. Then oil leaks to no end. It is not a 10 minute fix either. Then they always have tranny issues. Also electrical issues. I absolutely do not recommend them. Kim
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Tell that to my rich single uncle lol... he LOVES driving around in flashy BMWs but I guess he has enough money to put up with the obscene repair and maintenance costs and he usually trades stuff in every 3-5 years like the typical modern American. Needless to say he's not big on wrenching and we have vastly differing opinions on what makes a car "good" LOL. I'd give him a LOT more crap about it too but he is my uncle and it's kind of our "family culture" not to disrespect the older generations. So I bite my tongue every time he makes an FB post about how much he loves his new Beamer (barf lol)
 
I've generally had good experiences with my BMWs. I've owned 3 M roadsters, 1 M coupe, and a 330 convertible and enjoyed them all. I'm a huge fan of the S54 engine but a used low mileage M3 is very expensive to buy and maintain at this point. I would still seriously consider a M240i convertible certified 235i convertible but they are very rare with a stick and tend to be expensive considering the bland styling inside and out. I will admit I'm kinda smitten with the idea of a bright orange american V8 convertible with a stick to play around with.
 
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