why have convertible cars fallen?
In: 353
One reason is air conditioning.
Idk if everyone here remembers how hot cars were in the summer. A convertible was a “more expensive but fresh car”. Yes a convertible was a louder ride but all cars were pretty loud inside anyway.
Compared to the comfort of a modern conditioned and silent closed car, a loud convertible is not that beneficial anymore. It’s too much comfort to lose for a bit of “freedom feeling”
Convertibles are really fun the one or two days a month that you want to drive them. The rest of the time, they’re inferior to hardtops in every way. So they’re good second- or third cars.
Why are they inferior? They’re noisy, their tops are heavy & reduce passenger and trunk space, they frequently leak, the mechanical components squeak, the ones with vinyl rear windows eventually discolor, they’re dark inside when the top is up, and they’re missing the structural stability provided by the roof. And unless you’re careful, you can get way too much sun with the top down.
I love convertibles and have them three of them. The three I owned were when I was younger, and they were all crappy cars. I would love a new convertible, but they are quite expensive. If you want a decent one.
I had a convertible in Houston. At the freeway feeder intersections, there are ALWAYS panhandlers. Sometimes they would reach into my vehicle to pet the dog (no thanks) or even to touch my child (nonono!!!!!). It was very uncomfortable having to deal with that.
I’ve had a convertible for about 20 years. Funny thing is even though they aren’t popular to buy I get compliments all the time—I mean ALL the time. People like the idea of a convertible and the safety of an SUV.
Editorial comment—I drop the top year round. The heater and the heated seats keep me plenty warm. Like u/BloodAndSand44, if it’s not raining or snowing, the top is down. I also keep actual gloves in the glove compartment. 😬
I live in New England and briefly had a convertible. The number of days I wanted to actually have the roof down was very few. Obviously it’s too cold in the winter and part of spring and fall, but even on summer days when it wasn’t raining it was so freaking hot with the sun beating down I would have rather used the air conditioning. It’s also hard to arrive at work with disheveled hair and slightly sweaty and feeling a bit beat up from all the wind. They’re a fun car to have for joy rides but not as a daily driver.
Crime. I worried when I was stopped at traffic lights that someone would jump in the Jeep with me
Real answer is car manufacturers lean towards the largest market in the world,China. SUVs and cross-overs are huge there. Now we all know why you wouldn’t want an open cabin vehicle in China *cough cough* like literally you will be coughing
Buying power. The average person has far less buying power than they used to, and gender roles have shifted. Quite simply people can’t afford to have a “toy” car as much, and having their daily driver not being family friendly isn’t nearly as acceptable as it used to be
It’s noisy, people like air conditioning and convertibles mess up your hair. Also not super safe.
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