Convertible – cool or hot?

Parent Cafe
21

<p>We bought a Mazda Miata in February, and the top is down whenever it isn’t actually raining. Since you can raise the top in about five seconds or lower it in two from the driver’s seat, even while the car is moving slowly, it just couldn’t be handier. The car has His and Hers ball caps in it, although WashMom says her hair isn’t mussed very much. I’m nine inches taller than WashMom, and my head actually sticks above the windscreen so I’m more dedicated to my hat than WashMom.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>A soft top is noisier than a hard top.</p></li>
<li><p>The back seat in a 4-seat convertible is strictly for short trips. The wind gets pretty fierce back there.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve used the heater a lot with the top down, and sometimes used the AC to cool off hot feet.</p></li>
<li><p>Miata owners in the south and desert areas do say that it can be hard to drive top down in the summer.</p></li>
<li><p>Some convertibles, like the '07 Miata, come with a power retractable hard top as a standard or optional feature. This gives you the best of both worlds. If it wasn’t so much more than we paid for WashMom’s car, we would have a PRHT. Maybe on the next one.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know about M-Bs, but there is an accessory for Miatas called the Cool Breeze Scoop which clips on the windscreen and directs air straight down into the footwells. This is popular for getting moving air into the dead zone down by your feet.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>After 5,000 miles and 11,500 grins (for an average of 2.3 GPM), WashMom’s standard response to anyone asking about her car is, “I love it. You should get one.”</p>

22

<p>The bigger issue with a convertible I think isn’t the heat it is winter/rain weather. Tops leak etc. You also get alot of wind noise with most convertible tops. They are also subject to alot of wear and tear. A sunny day is what they are best suited for.</p>

<p>Also thefts are typically greater from a convertible car (whether the top is up or down).</p>

<p>I think the biggest issue with a convertible is safety. the body of a convertible car is not as rigid as the body of a coupe, which affects handling issues. And in a roll over accident…</p>

<p>But I’ve got one</p>

23

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<p>Yes, this is a much more serious concern than the heat, noise, theft or tangled hair. A very good friend of mine had a 21 year old son who hydroplaned and slid into a utility pole. The impact was on driver’s side. He died of head injuries. The parents were told if he had been in a hard top, the structure of the car would have given him the necessary head protection as his speed was not great.</p>