All About Tops

For convertible buyers, the top is a key consideration. There are several types, with important differences that can impact your driving enjoyment.

The soft top on the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata is easy to open and close, even though it must be done manually. + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

The simplest tops are little more than a layer of canvas stretched over a steel framework. These must be manually unhooked from the windshield bow and physically folded down into a recess at the rear of the car. Some ragtops, such as the one on the Mazda MX-5, are so simple and light that their lack of power activation is almost irrelevant.

When these tops are folded, they can be hidden under a plastic tonneau cover that clips in place. But the cover is optional; you can drive such roadsters without it if you don’t mind the slightly messy look.

The next level is the cloth top, with a modicum of soundproofing, and the capability to go up and down at the push of a button. Purists argue that tops such as the Porsche Boxster’s or Chevrolet Corvette’s are semi-automatic, because they require the driver to physically unhook a latch that secures the top to the windshield bow. Fully automatic tops, such as those on the Audi TT and BMW Z4, do the unhooking/hooking electrically and top operation is seamless.

The fabric tops on luxury cabriolets appear from the outside to be standard convertible tops, but from inside the car the heavy padding and soundproofing are apparent. There’s often a color-coordinated final layer that makes the top appear from inside the car to be the roof of a conventional coupe (the Mercedes CLK cabrio is an example). Such tops are invariably automatic, but a few have the disadvantage of being bulky enough that they can’t be retracted entirely out of sight and instead perch atop the trunk.

The new Volvo C70 has a four-piece metal folding hard top, which is totally automatic.

At the head of the convertible class sits the folding, retractable steel roof on such cars as the Lexus SC 430, Mercedes- Benz SL and Volvo C70. These are totally automatic, with glass rear windows that can be heated, and full sound- and weather-proofing. Such cars offer all the comforts of a conventional coupe plus the ability to select convertible mode when the weather’s nice. These tops are typically operated by a network of solenoids, hydraulic pumps and multiple electric motors, all moving in perfect synchronicity. We haven’t seen any data on convertible-top durability, but our advice is to think twice before buying a 10-year-old version of such a model.

Several popular cloth-roofed convertibles (Mazda’s MX-5 and Porsche’s Boxster and 911) also offer optional semi-permanent metal or fiberglass tops for winter-time use, and others can be so fitted by aftermarket suppliers.

Porsche's Carrera GT supercar features a two-piece targa top. + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

A few cars we included in this convertibles feature — notably, the Lotus Elise and Porsche Carrera GT — have a removable roof panel called a targa top, instead of a retractable roof. Targa tops offer more structural integrity and more protection from wind turbulence than a fully convertible soft top. But they can be more cumbersome because drivers must manually remove the rigid panel, which is sometimes an unwieldy, two-person job.

Some cars have a place to store the targa top once it’s removed. For cars without this storage feature, you’ll have to leave the top at home, so you won't want to remove it on a day when rain is possible.

Before you buy a car, test for yourself how much effort is required for switching in and out of convertible mode. Some models are fussier than others, and a few, like the Pontiac Solstice, require getting out of the car to put down the top.