Best convertible cars and cabriolets to buy 2025
Love the feeling of the wind in your hair while driving? These are the cars for you
Variously known as cabriolets, roadsters or convertibles, roofless cars have come a long way from the wobbly, soft-topped machines of the not too distant past. Today, the best convertible cars offer similar levels of refinement and security to their fixed-roof counterparts - especially when fitted with a metal folding roof.
Our experts have driven, extensively tested and rated every convertible car on the UK market so you don’t have to. So what are the best convertible cars to buy right now? Check out the list below and we’ve got more advice on how to choose the best convertible for your needs at the bottom of this page.
1. Mazda MX-5
| Pros | Cons |
| Fabulous handling | Small boot |
| Brilliant control weights | Refinement of RF hard top |
| Low running costs | Limited cabin storage |
- Priced from £28,000
Would you believe that our favourite convertible has got even better? The Mazda MX-5 enjoyed its second round of updates in 2024 (the first round came in 2018, when it got a more powerful 2.0-litre engine), and the changes have made Mazda’s lightweight roadster even more fun, and more engaging, than ever.
As well as typical MX-5 traits like a superbly tactile gearshift and responsive engines, the MX-5’s steering now is among the best you’ll find on a modern car, and tweaks to the suspension and limited-slip differential have made the handling more progressive too. But the MX-5 also now has a better infotainment system, LED headlights and tail lights across the range, and updated safety kit, so it’s not just fantastic to drive but also easier to live with.
2. MINI Cooper Convertible
| Pros | Cons |
| Fun to drive | Tight rear legroom |
| Four-cylinder petrol power | Small boot |
| Fabulous interior | Relatively pricey |
- Priced from £28,000
The new MINI Cooper Convertible is a bit of a hoot. That’s to be expected given that it’s essentially a reskin of the old MINI Convertible - which also means there’s no electric version to go with the tin-top Cooper E. MINI’s twee claim of ‘Go-kart handling’ remains surprisingly accurate, and the new drop-top is the nimblest convertible this side of a Mazda MX-5.
You also benefit from the latest generation MINI cabin, with its striking circular OLED infotainment screen and tactile fabric-covered dash, though like the hatchback, one big downside is the absence of any way of changing gear yourself: all Cooper Convertibles are automatic, with no lever or paddles to let you shift gears. And it’s still a bit impractical, albeit less compromised than the two-seat MX-5.
Latest MINI Cooper Convertible deals
3. Ferrari 296 GTS
| Pros | Cons |
| Ferocious performance | Six-figure price |
| Very refined | Heavier than GTB |
| Proper badge appeal | Small pure-electric range |
- Priced from £278,000
If money’s no object and you want nothing but the most thrilling wind-in-your-hair driving experience, then the Ferrari 296 GTS is the drop-top supercar we’d recommend.
Ferrari could have blundered by dropping the V8 from its mid-engined roadster, but we need not have worried. The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 in the 296 GTS is even more musical than the engines it replaced, and entirely lives up to the “piccolo V12” moniker the company bestowed upon it.
It’s part of a 819bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain, with every ounce of power being sent to the rear wheels, and 0-62mph dispatched in a mere 2.9 seconds. The 296 GTS delivers all the theatre and thrills of a true Ferrari, with the added bonus of a 16-mile electric range for when you’re pottering around quiet Italian towns.
4. Porsche 718 Boxster
| Pros | Cons |
| Sharp handling | Muted engine noise |
| Blistering performance | Expensive options |
| Superb build quality | Servicing costs |
- Priced from £56,000
It may only be packing four cylinders, but the Porsche 718 Boxster’s mid-engined layout means it feels beautifully balanced mid-corner, plus it changes direction with acrobatic agility. There’s a huge amount of driving pleasure to be found here, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from a Porsche sports car.
Yes, the engine is less characterful than the brand’s signature flat-six that’s found in focused variants such as the GTS, but it makes up for it with blistering performance and decent efficiency, and given the next Boxster is planned to be an electric car, we may even end up missing the raucous four-pot. There’s a choice of a six-speed manual or Porsche’s excellent seven-speed PDK automatic gearbox, and both are a joy to use. The Boxster’s interior also feels beautifully made.
5. Bentley Continental GTC
| Pros | Cons |
| Incredible performance | Expensive to buy |
| Luxurious cabin | Expensive to run |
| Impressive refinement | Cramped rear seats |
- Priced from £237,000
Another money-no-object convertible, the Bentley Continental GTC is devoted to delivering the most luxurious open-top driving experience possible. Opulent, finely crafted and full of the very latest technology, Bentley’s new-age interior design is a marvel. As befitting of a grand tourer, the cabin remains exceptionally hushed at high speeds – despite the fabric roof.
Gaining speed is just as effortless as the way the air suspension soaks up imperfections in the road, because the Continental GTC comes with the brand’s all-new V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain. This delivers a combined 771bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, meaning the GTC can sprint from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds. It also claims up to 50 miles of pure-electric battery range.
6. Porsche 911 Cabriolet
| Pros | Cons |
| Performance | Turbocharged engines could sound more emotional |
| High-quality cabin | Expensive to buy |
| Driving engagement | Lost its compact footprint |
- Priced from £110,000
Buyers looking for the sharpest handling four-seat convertible should look no further than the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. The recent introduction of a hybridised Carrera T Cabriolet has given the drop-top even crisper throttle response too – though it’s no more frugal than the regular Carrera. The price is high – entry-level models will set you back by around £110k – but this car is as good to drive as the 911 coupe and, with the flick of a switch, the fabric roof folds in 13 seconds, even at speeds of up to 35mph.
When it comes to ownership, Porsche always performs well as a brand in our Driver Power satisfaction survey, so the experience should be a pleasant and drama-free one.
7. Fiat 500e Convertible
| Pros | Cons |
| Nippy in town | Fidgety ride on bigger wheels |
| Good on-board tech | Overly light steering at speed |
| Stylish | Hard interior plastics |
- Priced from £31,000
Over the years, the Fiat 500 has evolved into a fully-electric city car, but it still retains plenty of the original model’s retro charm. It’s far from old-school when it comes to tech, though, as it features level 2 autonomous driving – this means it can automatically adjust acceleration and braking while staying in the correct lane. There’s plenty of standard on-board kit, too, and opting for the 500C adds a full-length retractable canvas roof into the mix.
While the little, all-electric Fiat, with its zippy and near-silent drivetrain, is at its best on city streets, it will also take on long motorway journeys without feeling out of its depth. Fiat says the 500C can cover up to 199 miles when fully charged, while a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes around 30 minutes from most DC rapid chargers.
Latest Fiat 500 Convertible deals
8. Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
| Pros | Cons |
| Supercar looks | Heavy |
| Blistering performance | Pricey options |
| V8 soundtrack | Limited availability in UK |
- Priced from £100,000
The C8 Corvette is a far more sophisticated machine than its ancestors, so much so that it can safely be regarded as a fully-fledged supercar. It still has a V8 heart, but this is now mid-mounted for better weight distribution. The eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox is also on par with Porsche’s renowned PDK system.
Perhaps most crucially, though, the Corvette now looks like a proper supercar, and opting for the convertible means you can feel the wind in your hair while blasting onto a top speed of 184mph.
9. Maserati GranCabrio
| Pros | Cons |
| Stylish | Very high starting price |
| Plenty of power | Heavy |
| Fully-electric variant | Tiny boot |
- Priced from £131,000
If you’re planning to take a road trip to the Amalfi Coast, there are few cars that’ll be more at home on these sun-drenched Italian roads than the Maserati GranCabrio (although it doesn’t look too bad on the M25, either). A new 483bhp entry-level version has brought the starting price down by around £40,000 too, so those looks are now a lot more affordable.
Maserati’s four-seater drop-top has lashings of style and comes with the choice of V6 or fully-electric power, and it has been designed with luxurious high-speed cruising in mind rather than track days. It’s anything but sluggish, though, with up to 750bhp on tap.
10. MG Cyberster
| Pros | Cons |
| Impressive battery range | Not the most exciting to drive |
| Distinctive styling | Heavy |
| Plush interior | Intrusive safety systems |
- Priced from £55,000
After a hiatus of over ten years, MG finally brought its iconic octagonal badge back to the sports car sector in 2023. It’s no mere revival of the old MGB or MGF either, since the Cyberster is an all-new electric car, with thoroughly modern styling and performance.
This zero-emission powertrain means the Cyberster keeps things sensible when it comes to running costs, and the 77kWh battery has a claimed maximum range of well over 250 miles. The MG Cyberster isn’t the most exciting car to hurl into corners but there is a healthy dose of power on offer, especially in the dual-motor GT model which produces 503bhp and 725Nm of torque. This is also one of very few EVs where you can fold the roof down completely.
How we choose the best convertibles
Our road test team have driven every convertible car on the UK market over thousands of combined miles. Even though the choice isn’t as large as it once was, open-topped cars still come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and types, designed to suit a range of different buyer requirements.
Convertibles are statement cars at heart so we always look for an element of style in the design and some fun in the driving experience - more so than with other car types. The lack of the extra bracing that comes from a fixed roof can affect the ride quality and agility of a convertible car but the best convertibles manage to side-step this with clever engineering, offering good levels of composure even on bumpy B-roads.
When it comes to practicality, the need to stow a roof arrangement in the car can limit interior and boot space. Lots of convertibles have rear seats but many only have space for small children in the back. When taking your test drive make sure that any back seats are roomy enough, if you plan to use them, and that you can fit what you need to in the boot - even when the roof is down.
We also test the cars with the roof up and roof down to assess the refinement in the closed cabin and the level of buffeting from the wind when the roof is retracted. Cars that deliver well in these areas and those above put themselves ahead of the convertible pack.
Britain’s love of convertibles
Are British buyers mad for buying as many convertibles as they do? Not necessarily. You might expect our mainland European cousins to have the right weather for roof-down driving, but it can be a recipe for sweltering sticky car seats and sunburn. It might rain more here in the UK, but milder temperatures and balmy summers give us pretty much a perfect climate for dropping the top. Even the UK’s generally mild spring and autumn can offer delightful opportunities for driving roofless, when it can be a genuinely exhilarating experience to waft along accompanied by the twitter of birdsong and the risk of an occasional cloudburst. Even winter isn’t out of the question; most convertibles have powerful heaters and good draught protection, making the cabin a bubble of warm air.
We Brits have always been outdoorsy in our transport choices, and at the dawn of motoring it was simply natural to continue where horses and open carriages left off. Early Rolls-Royce and Bentley models were typically open to the elements with phaeton and landaulette bodies from coachbuilders of old.
It wasn’t just the exotics either. Throughout the twentieth century marques such as MG, Austin Healey and Triumph made hay out of the British love affair with open sports cars, when light weight and agility were key to the best performance.
Nowadays, even the best convertibles tend to be considered less sporting than their coupe brethren by purist drivers, largely because a unibody with a roof is typically more rigid than a roadster. That means better suspension control, and ultimately faster cornering potential – although some brands like McLaren, with their super-rigid carbon fibre body tubs, would beg to differ.
Which convertible should you choose?
McLaren and fellow supercar makers like Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini sit at the top of the convertible tree, but there are a multitude of options available to open-air enthusiasts at all budget levels.
At the other end of the scale there’s a vast range of convertible models based on superminis, hatchbacks, coupes and saloons. Thanks to the demand for SUV and crossover models, you can even get a convertible version of the Volkswagen T-Roc – proving that demand for convertibles isn’t confined to drivers with sporting aspirations.
That’s not to say sporty drivers aren’t well served with convertible options, of course. There’s a vast array of fabulous open-topped sports cars available, from the BMW Z4 to the Maserati GranCabrio. And how could we forget the near iconic Mazda MX-5, the Caterham 7, or the Morgan Super 3?
Our round-up of the best convertibles isn't a true top ten list, because the sheer diversity on offer means not all of these cars can be fairly compared. Instead it's our pick of the cars that will give you the wind-in-the-hair thrills of open-top motoring, while still delivering everyday usability that means they’re no hardship to run. And who knows? Some of these cars are so effective at keeping the cabin warm on a cold day that you could consider lowering the roof when it's cold outside.
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