When the sun’s out, you want to get your hood down and make the most of it. There’s no better way to enjoy a sunny day than cruising around in a convertible. But whether the roof is raised or lowered, your sun-seeker car needs to be not only fun to drive, but also practical and usable. Our Best Car for Sun-Seekers – the Mazda MX-5 – is brilliant for top-down driving on the open road and living with day in, day out.
Written by Keith AdamsPublished: 26 October 2020Updated: 26 October 2020
The super-successful MX-5 wins the Best Car for Sun-Seekers award 2021. It takes the prize because it remains true to the two-seater, sporty and affordable roadster ethos that has kept it at the front of enthusiasts’ minds for the past 30 years. Mazda has struck an impressive balance between 21st century convenience and classic open-topped fun in the latest model.
Better yet, the MX-5 remains the most affordable roadster you can buy, while a potent 2.0-litre 184hp engine makes the most of the engaging rear-wheel drive arrangement for keen drivers, as well as making motorway drives more comfortable. And it’s priced alongside low-spec family hatchbacks!
Porsche may have downsized the engines in the 718 Boxster, but it remains one of – if not the – best-driving roadsters on sale. It’s great fun on almost every road, isn’t intimidating to drive, is surprisingly practical and oozes kerb appeal. Key to the 718 Boxster’s allure is its handling, which is simply excellent. The mid-engined layout means near-perfect weight distribution, too, allowing for impressive cornering performance. While you could quite happily run a 718 Boxster as a daily driver in town, it’s equally at home being pushed to the limits on a twisting road, or even round a circuit on a track day.
If you’re after an affordable four-seater cabriolet, your options are limited these days. Volkswagen aims to put that right by recreating the spirit of the 1980s Golf rag-top with the unlikely T-Roc Cabriolet. This new SUV-convertible works well – and there’s no denying that the T-Roc Cabriolet turns heads, in a way that’s far more positive than you might expect. It’s fun, drives better than it has any right to and is a surprisingly practical alternative to more conventional four-seater soft-tops, such as the more expensive Audi A5 Cabriolet or BMW 2 Series Convertible.
