Going Topless: Stripping Down to the Final Four

Welcome to the second part of our new series ‘Going Topless’ where writer Amy Tokic goes on a journey to find her ideal convertible. Did you miss her first article, chronicling the decision to get her dream car? Check it out right here.

It may be tedious, but research is invaluable. Without it, my car-buying search will be a crap shoot. Literally – I will be stuck paying and driving a crap-mobile. I want to come out of this experience smelling like roses, so I’m putting in my fair share of car research.

As with any good search, I start my sleuthing on the Internet (seriously, what did we do before the web came around?). And research is important – I want to be equipped with all the facts before I make my way into the dealership. I’ve looked at reviews, features, specs and prices on a plethora of different cars.

The downside of the Internet is that there is so much intel available it can be overwhelming. Am I getting everything I need? What if I miss some important piece of information? I found that this kind of thinking can stop the car buying process in its tracks. So, I’m going to get enough information that I feel confident that I know what’s important to me. Going from novice to car expert in a few weeks or months is impossible, so I’m going to go out there with what I know and learn along the way.

After some Internet research, I’ve narrowed down the shortlist to four picks and what I like most about each one, as well as a list of pros and cons from sites (like this one) that offer unbiased reviews. If you’re conducting a search, Google the year, make and model, as well as the word “review.” Be sure to read what the pros and the average Joes are saying about the car you are interested in.

Starting price: $23,470.

Pros: Super fun to drive; great steering and handling; just like the original, but better; retractable hard-top is awesome.

Cons: Crappy stereo; tight squeeze in the trunk.

Starting price: $25,850.

Pros: Sharp handling; great fuel economy; hip look with plenty of options to choose from; innovative convertible roof; perfect vehicle for robbing a shipment of gold (just ask Michael Caine).

Cons: Poor rear visibility; lacks rear legroom; questionable reliability; only available in a soft top.

Starting price: $34,350

Pros: Innovative retractable hardtop with large power moonroof; Good performance and handling; Rock solid body structure, sleek exterior.

Cons: Lots of junk in the small trunk; built for comfort, not speed; the most expensive of my picks.

Starting price: $30,660

Pros: Strong acceleration with any engine, which give you the opportunity to really “give ‘er”; head-turning looks; good V6 fuel economy; my pick of the gear heads who flock to this car when I visit the folks at the old homestead.

Cons: Poor visibility; budget interior; cramped backseat; crap-tacular gas mileage in the city.

$20,000-$35,000

I’ve got about half of that saved, so the rest will be financing or dipping into a line of credit. I’ll be talking about leasing and financing in a future article. Convertibles are more expensive, but I knew that fact going into the process and have planned for it. Because of this, I have to decide what is needed rather than what is wanted. I would love to have heated seats (perfect for cold winters), but on my budget, that might not happen. Same goes for GPS navigation. I’ll just have to do it the old fashioned way and stop at a gas station to ask for directions.

It’s going to be hard giving up my hard-earned cash and shelling out for a monthly payment. My other car was paid off right from the start, so this will be new to me. I’m glad I have a big chunk of the down payment already, but I’ll have to add the leftover debt to my budget – which will be another factor on how much I can afford.