Depending upon where you live the idea of a convertible may be one that is always on your mind or one that is never thought of. Living in Florida we have many days when a convertible is highly desirable, especially in the spring and fall when temperatures are really comfortable. On the other hand if you live in Alaska or Northern Maine you wouldn’t get a whole lot of use out of one, maybe a couple of months out of the year at best.
A convertible very image that we see in our mind when we think of sports cars, they just go together. Whether or not it is practical for us to own one is another question. There are a lot of factors to consider in order to be able to make a decision if you would be happy with a convertible besides the weather in your area. If your area has a lot of cold or otherwise inclement weather you have to weigh the additional costs of owning and maintaining a convertible over the fun of having a topless car.
First off you need to be aware that the cost of insuring a convertible is considerably higher than the same model with a hard top. The reasons are not only due to theft but also because they are not as safe as the hardtop model in the event of an accident. If you live in an area that has a relatively high level of crime and in particular auto theft, you probably don’t want to consider a convertible. Thieves will take a sharp knife and use a slash and grab technique to grab your valuables and be gone before anyone even sees what they have done. As far as the safety part goes, it is just common sense really, but crash reports back it up, convertibles have a higher risk of injury or death in accidents.
You may find that you are happier with a more practical compromise of settling for a sports car with t-tops, a sunroof, or even a removable top sometimes known as a targa top. These can give you the feel of a convertible for the most part without sacrificing so much of the safety and security like a true convertible does. Some people would look at this like a Harley rider does a Honda calling it a rice rocket, in other words it just isn’t the same!
In order to make an intelligent decision about what is right for you, weigh all of the factors discussed here and look at where you stand. What is most important to you the freedom and the feeling of the wind wrapped around you and the sun on your face or does the issue of safety and higher insurance rates concern you more?
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about cars and car care products at stopwaxingdotcom