Used Car Hunter: cheap convertible city cars for £9,000
Our Car hunter has £9,000 to buy a city car that offers cabrio fun in the sun
In modern convertible city cars, a single button press is enough to peel back the roof. Gone are the days where bite-sized, drop-top motoring meant contending with fiddly latches and struggling with a heavy roof before setting off on a sunny day’s drive.
They may not be the last word in refinement, but that hasn’t halted the popularity of cars such as the Fiat 500C. It was an instant hit, with a bold cabin design and a nifty foldaway canvas roof enhancing a willing, peppy companion around tight city streets.
But for a true top-down experience, you might lean towards the Smart ForTwo Cabrio, which has a fold-away roof where only the B-pillars stay in place. The rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout enables a tight turning circle.
Then there’s the Peugeot 108 Top, which has more mature looks and is the only one here available with five doors.
Here's our expert pick of the three best used convertible city cars available for a budget of £9,000, together with links to buy them through our Find a Car service…
Fiat 500C - the retro choice
- For: Chic design, low running costs, peppy engines
- Against: Flimsy quality, chassis feels old, poor visibility
The Fiat 500 is one of the most desirable city cars and the 500C is even more appealing. The pillars stay in place unlike a full convertible, but opening up the top brightens up the interior and exposes occupants to the elements.
Structural rigidity doesn’t feel massively compromised by having a fabric roof, but the 500C does occasionally fidget on rough roads. It’s comfortable, though, and easy to manoeuvre. For around £9,000, you can buy a facelifted 2021 500C with a 68bhp 1.2-litre petrol motor that’s covered 34,500 miles
A body-coloured dash, classic-style dials and a range of stylish seats and upholstery options lift the cabin, but it’s hampered by poor build quality and low-rent materials in places. Not everyone will feel comfy in the driver’s seat, either, because the pedals are quite close and the steering wheel isn’t adjustable for reach. Taller passengers will find the rear seats cramped, but you get the same 185-litre boot as in the standard hatch. The updated 500C brought a five-inch Uconnect infotainment system, electric windows and a multifunction steering wheel, with an optional seven-inch TFT screen replacing the traditional dials.
Peugeot 108 Top - the grown-up choice
- For: Mature styling, five door option, decent ride comfort
- Against: Weak 1.0-litre engine, could be more fun
It might be an optional extra rather than a stand-alone model, but you shouldn’t rule out the Peugeot 108 Top if you want a convertible city car. Instead of being overly quirky or retro like its rivals here, the 108 is more mature and, crucially, the only one with five doors.
The Top version offers a similar canvas hood to the Fiat, but it doesn’t extend as far back. The 108 isn’t the sharpest handler, but the ride is acceptable. Early cars were offered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, but the later 1.0-litre engine provides enough grunt. A 2019 19,000-mile car comes well within budget at around £7,600.
Inside, the 108 doesn’t have the Fiat’s flair, but it gets the job done. The switchgear feels robust and the layout is logical, while optional decals and coloured trim provide some visual impact. Like its rivals here, cost-cutting measures are evident from a few hard plastic finishes, but the boot is larger than the 500C’s, at 196 litres. A pair of rear doors make the 108 instantly more usable for four passengers, but it can only just carry four adults for short journeys. A seven-inch touchscreen takes care of infotainment duties, and it features Bluetooth connectivity and Android smartphone screen mirroring.
Smart ForTwo Cabrio - the nimble choice
- For: Full convertible roof, manoeuvrability, funky design
- Against: Only two seats, vague steering and brakes
With its two-tone body and a near-square footprint, the Smart ForTwo Cabrio has changed little over the generations. Even so, it looks smart and has a few neat tricks. In driving the rear wheels with a rear-mounted engine, it is the reverse of many city cars, and its stubby wheelbase enables a super-tight turning circle.
With light steering and good visibility, it’s a doddle to slip through traffic. The Smart is less comfy at higher speeds, with vague steering, soft brakes and a lack of poke from the 1.0-litre petrol engine. We found a 2016, 30,000-mile dual-clutch auto version for just under £7,500.
The Smart’s funky styling continues inside, with a curvy and funky dash. Quality is mainly decent, even though there are some hard, cheaper plastics dotted around, and cruise control comes as standard. Opt for a car with the Premium equipment pack and you get a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav. Unsurprisingly given the name, the ForTwo Cabrio is a strict two-seater, which will rule it out for some buyers (the larger ForFour is fixed-roof only). However, there is plenty of room on board and a useful 260-litre boot. Unlike its rivals, the ForTwo Cabrio’s folding roof design provides a true open-top experience as well, which is a big advantage.
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