Used Car Hunter: exciting, inexpensive convertibles for £15,000
Our Car Hunter has £15,000 to find a fun drop-top for the summer months, but which one?
“Dear Auto Express, I have £15,000 to spend on a small convertible for the summer. Practicality isn’t a priority, but fun is. What can I get?" - James H, E-mail
The British public love their convertibles, and it’s largely thanks to this popularity that there are quite a few low cost drop-tops to be found on the used car market. Of course, convertible cars come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from two-seater roadsters to spacious premium models. Whichever one is best will boil down to your personal tastes and requirements, but there’s plenty of variety to be found.
With a budget of £15,000, we’ve found three of the best used convertibles on the market. The Mazda MX-5 isn’t only a top car for driving enthusiasts, but it was also our 2024 Convertible of the Year. If you prefer something a bit comfier, there’s the timeless MINI Convertible. You can even bag a more practical drop-top in the form of the BMW 2 Series Convertible. There really is something for everybody.
Here's our expert pick of the three best entertaining convertibles for a budget of £15,000. Each one is enjoyable to drive and will provide open air by the bucketload, and we’ve also provided links to buy one through our Find a Car service...
BMW 2 Series Convertible - the practical choice
- For: Handling, strong infotainment, top ergonomics
- Against: Lacks a little joie de vivre in this company
Perhaps the most sensible of our trio, the BMW 2 Series Convertible comes with two more seats than the Mazda MX-5, and while these may be small, they could come in handy in a pinch.
That’s not to say the 2 Series is boring; it’s a rear-wheel-drive soft-top and is available with a wide variety of engines. We found a 67-plate 218i in Sport Navigation trim with 27,500 miles on the clock for only £13,200. This car’s 1.5-litre engine certainly isn’t the most powerful of the range, but it should bring lower running costs.
It’s hard to pick fault with the 2 Series’ cabin for ease of use or clarity of design. Everything you would want to be controlled via a button or a dial is controlled via a button or a dial, all of which are within easy reach.
Turn to the infotainment screen and you will find BMW’s iDrive system is intuitive and feature-rich, even if the cabin ambiance is a little grey, unless you find a car with bright-coloured upholstery.
Things perk up on the road, mind, where the meaty manual gearbox, accurate steering and rear-wheel-drive push make for an entertaining drive, while motorway refinement is strong.
Used BMW 2 Series Convertible deals
Mazda MX-5 - the sporty choice
- For: Top handling, low running costs, fun in spades
- Against: Cabin tight for tall drivers, so-so refinement
It is really, really hard to find negative things to say about the Mazda MX-5. Assuming you don’t need to move wardrobes about or carry more than one passenger, it is tricky to think of a car that offers greater fun for this sort of money.
The only real downside is that not everyone can fit in an MX-5 comfortably. If you’re relatively tall, and depending on whether your height is in your legs or torso, you may wish the driver’s seat went a couple of inches further back.
For a mere £12,500 we found a 1.5-litre MX-5 in SE trim. This car had less than 23,500 miles on the clock and was even main-dealer approved.
Even if you have your heart set on one of the other cars here, if you haven’t tried an MX-5 before, we would strongly recommend you take a test drive.
In the unlikely event that you’re not convinced, or if you find you’re too tall to fit comfortably behind the steering wheel, you’ll at least see what all the fuss is about. While the MX-5’s steering is a delight and the manual transmission is one of the best in the world, it’s the way the Mazda’s individual elements combine that makes this roadster so special.
The cabin is neatly designed if aesthetically unexceptional, but interior storage is tight.
MINI Convertible - the comfortable choice
- For: Cute looks, great sense of fun, wide variety of specs
- Against: Wind buffeting in the rear, confusing options
The MINI Convertible’s two rear seats make it more practical than the MX-5, while its youthful character may have greater appeal than the BMW’s more mature nature.
It’s certainly fun to drive. While the BMW and Mazda are both rear-wheel drive and the MINI’s engine turns the front wheels, this is no impediment to sharp handling. The steering is accurate and well weighted, the gearbox decent and the brakes strong, and overall the MINI offers a comprehensively entertaining package. The best news is that a 2017 Cooper with 22,000 miles can be had for well below £15,000.
The MINI Convertible unquestionably has the most character inside. While the BMW is logical, sensible and rational, and the MX-5’s designers arguably placed far more emphasis on handling finesse than interior brio, the MINI’s cabin has a funky look.
You may feel that it’s trying a little too hard to be quirky, and some controls could be more logically placed, but the MINI’s cabin is a really nice place to be – assuming it’s to your tastes in the first place.
The MINI’s handling isn’t quite as pure as the MX-5’s, but it still offers a connection to the road that often draws parallels with a go-kart, even if this is also true of the ride, which can be a little unforgiving in models with larger alloy wheels.
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