10 Cheap Used Convertibles For Under £5000

Summer has officially arrived in the northern hemisphere, which here in the UK, inevitably means that after a spring full of clear skies and balmy temperatures, it’s started raining.

Still, a spot (or even a deluge) of rain has never stopped the British public from buying convertibles, with our often damp cluster of islands nonetheless typically being one of Europe’s biggest drop-top markets.

That means the classifieds are littered with temptingly cheap convertibles, cabriolets and roadsters of all stripes. If you want to experience the highs (and sometimes the lows) of convertible ownership this summer, then, we’ve picked out 10 of our favourite used drop-tops that you can buy for under £5000.

Mazda MX-5 (NC)

Right, let’s just get this one out of the way, shall we? A Mazda MX-5 was obviously going to be on this list – the only question is which one? Non-rotten NAs and NBs are getting harder to come by at this end of the market, and the current-shape ND hasn’t yet dropped below the £5k mark.

The third-gen NC it is, then. It may be the least favoured of its lineage among Serious Drivers™ (although nobody told our own our own Alex Gassman), but if all you’re after is the ability to throw back the roof and buzz around, it’s hard to go wrong. And at the end of the day, it’s still an MX-5, so it’s not exactly going to be bad to drive, is it?

Audi S4 Cabriolet (B6)

Want to spice up your summer with a bit of financial dread? How about a leggy V8-powered Audi? The B6 S4 Cabriolet has much to offer – a thunderous 4.2-litre V8 sending 339bhp to all four wheels, a 155mph top speed, a 6.2 second 0-62mph dash, space for four, the propensity to completely ruin you if something goes wrong…

Still, if that last bit’s not enough to put you off, the S4 Cab is a seriously appealing package. Those handsome, understated looks belie a serious turn of pace, and when the heavens inevitably open, it’ll be as competent and grippy as you’d hope from a fast Audi.

Mini Cooper S Convertible (R53)

It may be front-wheel drive and a four-seater (technically), but a Mini Cooper S convertible might be the only thing on this list that can challenge the MX-5 for sheer driver appeal. In its original R53 guise, you’ll be treated to Mini’s typically excellent handling and snickety manual ’box paired with a rorty little supercharged espresso shot of an engine.

There’s also the convertible Mini party trick of being able to roll the roof partially back without dropping it completely, so it’s like a big, rumpled sunroof. This presumably appeals to someone somewhere, but frankly, you may as well go all the way, right?

Porsche Boxster (986)

Write A Used Car Listicle Without Including A Porsche Boxster Challenge (Impossible). Seriously, the sheer surfeit of used Boxsters around means that even at this price point, you could have your very own six-cylinder, mid-engined Porsche sports car.

At this price, you’re looking at a first-gen 986, most likely a very early 2.5-litre or slightly later 2.7-litre base model. The more potent 3.2-litre S is available too, but naturally, it will be a bigger risk. Again, we’re not really considering outright performance here, just convertibleness, so our advice is to go for one of those basic cars, throw the roof back, and enjoy that flat-six woofle.

Daihatsu Copen

Japan’s unique kei car ruleset has produced many diminutive drop-tops, but the ones you really want – the Suzuki Cappuccino and Honda Beat – are most likely going to be out of budget.

Happily, Daihatsu not only had its own take on the kei roadster format in the shape of the Copen, but also officially sold it in Britain. Early cars sold here had the Japanese-spec 659cc turbo four-pot, while later ones had a bigger 1.3-litre naturally aspirated motor. Either will do the job, but for the full kei experience, we’d try and track down one of the tiddly-engined versions.

BMW 3 Series Convertible (E93)

We don’t really need to tell you a whole lot about the BMW 3 Series. Beautifully balanced rear-wheel drive chassis, silken straight-six engines, etc, etc. And of course, from day one, it’s been available as a convertible (well, until BMW decided to spin off the coupe and convertible into the separate 4 Series instead).

At our budget, you’ll find lots of clean examples of the mid-to-late 2000s E93 generation, the first to use the then very much in vogue folding hardtop arrangement. You could get a boggo four-pot 320i or a top-spec six-cylinder 330i, or even, if you’re really serious about pinching the pennies, a diesel. We’d advise against that, though. It’s a convertible. Live a little.

Jaguar XK8 Convertible (X100)

What this list really needs is a touch of class, a smattering of wood veneer and slightly Brunellian engineering. Enter the Jaguar XK8 Convertible, one of the cars to emerge from that slightly odd period when Jag was between its ‘crumbling country estate on wheels’ and ‘handsome British BMW’ phases.

That too-old-to-be-remembered, not-old-enough-to-be-a-classic status means prices have stayed low, and that a 4.0-litre V8 convertible Jaguar sports car can be yours for very little money. Granted, it probably won’t be cheap to maintain, but if you want to look like someone with a triple-barrelled surname on a budget, it’s hard to go wrong.

Alfa Romeo Spider (916)

Then again, if style above all else is what you’re after, something with a funny badge featuring some guy being eaten by a snake has to be worth a look. The Alfa Romeo Spider has taken many forms, but for our budget, your best bet is the wedgy ’90s GTV-based one.

There can’t be many arguments to be had with its Pininfarina-penned styling, and by all accounts, it’s a decent steer as front-wheel drive convertibles go. At our budget, you’re probably looking at the 2.0-litre Twin Spark rather than one with the lusty Busso V6, but some say it’s the nicer version to drive anyway. Just make V6 noises with your mouth as you go along.

Suzuki Jimny Soft Top

Around the turn of the millennium, there was a brief revival of the soft-top 4x4. We can’t in good conscience recommend an original Land Rover Freelander, and Mercedes G-Wagens aren’t exactly pocket change, but thankfully, you can still enjoy some top-down off-roading in the Suzuki Jimny.

No, it’s not fast, or spacious, or particularly nice to drive on the road, and its soft-top arrangement isn’t what you’d call elegant. But it does brim with character, and it’s a properly handy little off-roader too. Stick some knobbly tyres on and head out into the wilderness with a passenger standing up above the windscreen, scanning for obstacles like a ship’s captain (note: our legal team has advised us to point out that you definitely shouldn’t try this).

Saab 9-3 Convertible

Oh, Saab. It’s been 13 years now, and we still miss you every day. Luckily, there’s still the used market to remind us of the good times, like when you made the lovely 9-3 Convertible, a charmingly Swedish alternative to the drop-top versions of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes CLK.

Sure, it’s not going to be as nice to drive as any of those, yet a big part of us would take a convertible 9-3 over all its German rivals – especially in turbocharged 210bhp Aero guise. We love it in spite of its flaws – torque steer, scuttle shake and all.