E46 330ci without a doubt (especially if you can get in Oxford Green). These will be a future classic - generally regarded as the best era of BMWs, and a really strong reliable engine.

I have one of the last SAAB 9-3 convertibles made before the company went bust in 2012. 2.0 petrol turbo. Plenty fast enough. Daily commuter, 98k miles, never let me down, seats 4 comfortably. Love it.

The Saab 93 the prettiest convertable

Shame a Saab didn't make it to the final five; such a cool car and well built too. Maybe a keeper if only used on summer weekends.

MX5 and MR2 before I watch the video

BMW Z4 has to be up there

If you want an 'on the cusp of being a classic' then a Pug 306 cabrio has to be one to look at. Drop dead gorgeous Pininfarina styling, good road manners, decent performance and sensible running costs.

Surprised you missed the Alfa Romeo Brera Spider!

Great video for the season…I have a E46 318Ci M Sport Individual, Convertible,Estoril Blue, Silver Leather, 92k FSH, almost showroom condition, searched years for this spec, a proper headturner, old school BMW, gets complimented. Proper analogue car, inc CD Multichanger😂Future classic for sure🎉😊 Great work as always HPA, enjoyable videos as always. Mo

Man, I really envy you guys' used car prices. Whatever you suggest in your videos as being "cheap" or costing "x amount of money", I head to my local used car site and bitterly have to realise that the same cars cost 3-5x as much over here...

Whenever i see cars for sale in this channel, being the ones that Matt sells or cars like the ones shown online, i get mind blown by the prices. They are so incredibly cheap, compared to prices in my country.

I had an Audi TT 2009 1.8 petrol turbo like the one in your video and all I can say is, do your homework on the engine before buying one. Mine was a nightmare and I got rid of it quite quickly. That aside, convertibles are great fun. I'm on my third one now and have used all of them as daily drivers. Even in the winter you can suddenly get blue sky and sunshine, so drop the roof, turn up the heaters (which are always good in convertibles) and enjoy! Another useful tip is drop the roof, get someone else to drive and enjoy the view all around. It's quite an experience.

I’m surprised you can’t get a silver 1993 SL500 for less than £5k 😜

I love my SLK 280, the V6 is smooth and sounds great. It feels special and they just seem so cheap for the car you're getting. Years ago I had an A3 Cabriolet. Beautiful condition, but catastrophic oil consumption (on the 1.8T) has made me wary of Audi petrols ever since - and indeed you mentioned this potential issue in the video!

Ooo the Oxford green BMW looks like a lot of car for the money 🥰

Now we know that it will be raining incessantly for the rest of the summer...

Toyota MR2, just bought one and it is amazing. Mid engine and so light. Incredible handling!

Fred flintstone had a great convertible 😂

The prettiest convertible on the road today is without doubt, the SAAB 9-3 Convertible.... Yes, they can be problematic and stubborn, but when they have that roof down, they are worth the frustration because they are a beautiful looking car. Timeless 👌

What, no Alfas? As a second car, the 916s and Breras are reliable enough, are fun to drive and look better than anything else for the money. Shame you skipped over Alfa.....

Just wanted to say, I’ve just realised that I’ve been watching your videos for over a year now and have gained a fair amount of knowledge about Cars because of them. Thank you for the entertaining content. 😊

Matt, I totally understand you. I love driving convertibles too. I actually got two of them (Audi TT and Chrysler Crossfire). It's a shame that more and more manufacturers stop building convertibles.

I think you should avoid any car from 2007/8 when the government were ripping people off with sky high road tax before reducing it to a more reasonable figure

Very timely Matt, you've got your finger on the pulse 👍🏾

My pick would be the Audi A5. I think they look beautiful. I also like that I can get AWD for it.

C70 top tip. I think you'll find the mkii T5 manual is half the tax of the auto. The government were weird on that one.

Hello; This was a very exciting video. I enjoyed it when you were looking at the beemers and the MX-5. All the best Shaun 🦉 of NYC 🗽

Love my Z3, just been for a play in the sunshine, only a 140bhp 1.9 but plenty of power and a lovely revvy engine. They are so cheap atm, mine was £1000 and its a absolute beautiful thing to drive.

Owning a convertible has always been a dream of mine, and it’ll remain as that thanks to hayfever. Nothing scared me more than having my roof down, driving around, stuck in traffic and thanks to having no roof being completely vulnerable to pollen!

Nice, you always gives us such great advice !

Loved the little Shawshank link...☺️👍

Hi Mat, just watching your convertible video, I sold my F-type last year because I wanted a 4 seater, then I spent a year looking for a clk because I wanted an older 4 seater convertible, we bought a one owner 2006 clk350 with 69k and full mb service history in Feb for £5495, a bit more than your budget, I’m so pleased with it .. I’ve done a gear box service and a full service. Great value for money.. you should do a video on the clk, great car and loads around under £5k if you are happy with slightly higher mileage. Loving the content Simon

C70 epic!

thanks for your videos Matt, excellent expert advice as always. I'm waiting desperately for the "How to Fix..." series, starting with JLR!

I had a 2003 Mk2.5 MX5 and I loved it.

Owned both the mx-5 and the e46 convertible 😂 The mx5 was the one with 2.0 160 hp, not super fast but fun, and the bmw was 323i 2.5, nice cruiser. If you want more fun pick the mx5 with the 2L engine.

Another enjoyable video Matt. My pick would be the BMW Z4, Toyota MR2 or Mercedes SLK 👌 can’t go wrong with any of those

Those Beemers look astonishing value for money, as does that CLK 350 (Cat N)! Neck Scarf on the SLK is a must-have option. Yet another well presented video, Matt.

Love a convertible, wouldn’t be without one, can’t beat it on a nice summers day. I own a Honda S2000 myself, love it.

Matt, tnx for all your work! Idea for next 10 best. Do 10 small city cars with automatic gear shiffter. All best!

I was one of those 22000 who watched the video about mint Z3 shipped to Bermuda. I think it was an amazing format and very cool car.

triumph herrald 2ltr vittese .And im making my E38 into a pick up truck .

Had 2 clk mk2s a 320 avant-garde and a 280 sport. Beautiful, real feel good cars. The 320 I think was better as the torquey v6 was better with a 5 speed auto whereas the later 280 had a 7 speed.

I have a 2005 audi a4 cab 1.8t with 210k kilometres on it. It does seem to often end up in the mechanics for one thing or another but it's a pleasure to drive when in full working order

Great insights here

I haven't watched it yet but as the owner of both a Saab 9-3 convertible and a Volvo C70 T5 convertible I'll be mightily disappointed if they're not on the list..!

Had a 2001 MGF for a couple of years and it was great fun to drive, loads of grip and it sounded good above 5,500 RPM. Really enjoyed it on nice country roads, but could never trust it enough to go very far from home. It had done about 70k miles but felt more like double that, build quality was not a strong point. Got 45 MPG driven economically, parts generally quite cheap and easy to find, and it wasn't bad to work on aside from getting access to the mid-mounted engine. Loads of information and support from owners community. The shell seemed a lot less prone to rust than MX-5s of the era, but when searching for the one to buy the same wasn't true of the subframes. Hydragas suspension gave an interesting ride quality, not bad for a small sports car. If you're a home mechanic you can get a car that's a lot of fun for not a lot of money, otherwise it's best to pay a bit more for one that's been sorted. Mine had the expected head gasket failure and checking the old invoices, it'd already had a new engine when it was just 4 years old. If only they'd spent more money on the engines are gear linkages and less on giving a 2 seat car 4 interior lights...

Just to say that I've had my MG Motor (so Chinese-built) 2009 MG TF 135 since 2014 and a lot of fun it has been and also totally reliable. Yes, really !! Of course I don't use it in winter, so it's still in immaculate condition. These MG 'F's and 'TF's got a really terrible reputation for head gasket failure but the ones made in China have all the mods that MG Rover never got around to doing before they went bust. All parts are available and they are reasonably easy to maintain, although, being a mid-engined car, the engine is not all that accessible. THe last ones were sold in 2010, and mine is now on a classic car policy.

Love your AT browsing vids

Enjoyed once again

Had our 1998 CLK 230 kompressor for ages, love it in summer.

Have been running Daihatsu Copen 1.3 for ten years, as second car, with no problems. Cost me £3500. Great fun,for very low running costs.

Got my 2013 2L sportech MX5 for £4800, what a steal! Few fixes and mods and its an awesome car! Got some coilovers to go on in a week or so too. Quick enough too!

4:05 they actually did a full on photo shoot for a 2009 Audi A4 AutoTrader ad I love that

Matt, I have had two MG's the MGF and the TF. In fact there is a TF still in garage. Aside from the fact that it is in the garage because it will not go, they are a great ornament. The head gasket failure has been solved and if you spend a few thousand you can fix all the bad construction problems. The TF has to be one of the most troublesome cars I have ever owned. When it goes I get some great placings in most hillclimbs. They can be made to really handle. Just make sure you have an alternative means of getting home. As you said, you really can get a lot of car in the UK for your money. Here in Oz, comparable vehicles are almost twice the price after I convert Aussie dollars to UK currency. Get a MX5 and have trouble free fun, or spend twice that and get a Boxster.

Great review as normal, thank you.

There is only one true appropriate convertible and that is a SAAB.

I once fell in love with a white convertible Volvo with white seats, it was on display at the Cottingham caravan show! But the thought of buying the previous owners trouble leaves me cold now that I have found out about the Reliability of a BEV car and all that fuel going up in smoke!

Love the videos, have you sped this one up a fraction?

I’ve recently bought a 2000 Porsche Boxster 2.7 and it’s great, it’s amazing for the money.

Great video, Matt - what would be the best one as a daily driver?

Hi Matt, I watch a lot of your videos, great work, here’s an idea for you - cars that you’d expect to be high road tax but actually aren’t, or is that too niche?!

Always wanted the 3 Series (the 2007+ one, I like the E46 but think it looks naff in cabrio unless you get a really good one). That CLK is nice too but the Saab seems like the sensible option since you can get a really clean one for that money and it will never go wrong

This is timely!!I was just browsing for a cheap convertible 😅

Good selection for the money brilliant cars for the summer

Another great video mat. Mat can I ask you a question for your next Q&A what are your thoughts on the 66reg 2.0 diesel BMW X1 auto cheers

Had a Toyota MR-2 Mk3 many years ago - still the best handling car I have ever owned. Would be tempted to get one again if the right car came along.

Just bought a 986 S in lapis blue! I was actually going to look at that silver 2.7 you stopped on too!

I went for a 07 Audi TT 3.2 V6 DSG with 70k on the clock in silver with green roof and red interior. It’s cat N, having had a rear knock in 2018. Everything works, it’s very rapid and drives beautifully. Only issue is the VED. Oh and it was £2.9k.

Great video, shows what you can get for you money. Much better spending £5k on car - you can swap cars often for variety rather than commuting to a £40-50K lease deal. BTW - what is going on with the ads, I counted 6 in this video and got a little annoying.

wrong time of year for this one, they've got the summer tax on now.. but I bought an E46 320d convertible in November 2017 (needed diesel for mileage but couldn't a 330d locally). Paid £2750 and I'm driving it till one of us dies. Last year it needed two rear tyres because i managed to run over two screws weeks apart, but apart from that including tax, insurance, MOT, the tyres AND diesel - it probably cost me around £1200

E46 330i or MK2 CLK, would love either! Great video Matt, keep it up! 👍🏻

Trying to make that car vertical sponsor integration seamless smooth

Great video matt I would stick to the reliability side of this and go for the volvo c70 or the saab much better cars to have your ABBA music blasting lol 😆 look forward to the next video 👍

Just as I’m in the market for a weekend car. Nice.

I’ve just done a similar exercise, needed something for my annual month back in the UK so it’s been a fun time on autotrader, car and classic, pistonheeds etc. Needing 4 seats rules out the obvious choice of a 986 Boxster S and anyway, Dad’s got one of those if I fancy a trip out. Didn’t even think of the Merc CLK, that one in Macc looked tidy and it’s local (we’ll be between Combs and Hale), cheap as well. E46 was the pick, but we’re also in and out of Londinium so that Oxford Green 330 (perfect spec, colour combo, who doesn’t like green over tan?) isn’t ULEZ friendly, which is a bugger. £5k doesn’t find a later 330 that isn’t ropey in some way, I’ve been looking for one for a couple of months. Then a friend said the fatal words : you can have my 650i, with a service and fresh MOT. I used it 2 years ago and it’s been sat in his shed ever since. He’s only the 4th owner, it’s mint. Black over cream interior, previous owner was Corbeau seats, so the interior’s been kept perfect. 104k miles, drives perfect, needs a couple of rear suspension bushes but don’t they all, easy £60 a side fix. So I bought it 2 weeks ago. Will be floating around the Peak District in August. What could possibly go wrong….

Spare a thought : A 3.0 litre BMW from 2002 costs €1,850 annually to tax in Ireland. Ouch

@HighPeakAutos - I'd love to see you do a full video on an SLK350 R171 era, if you can get it the facelift model.

18:00 agree, mk2 is beautiful

So, the next vid is “I massively overspent on a Jeep Wrangler”? 😂

I will stick with my E85 Z4 2.5si sport thanks. But it's interesting to see what else is out there.

Great video, convertibles we’re always seen as an elite car but amazing how these oldies are such good value now. I am indecisive between z3/z4 or slk /clk . Which of these 4 are the most reliable or best value ?

Got an xtype jag,2.5,v6,sport black,2007,72,136,miles.all original,real good condition,full black leather,ex company car the bosses comes with upgrades ,done by jag when bought,best in country once mot done,service,tlc low cost,I bought it after watching your channel to good to miss,v6 creamy engine,

You absolutely do want a Smart Roadster!

Actually the Vauxhall Cascada is a hidden gem. It's not a sports car but it's a well spec'd cruiser, with lots of buttons instead of horrible hidden menus on a screen. The Peugeot 206 cc is actually a great car as in the Mercedes SLK, which is more comfortable than a Z4. Saab - ugh. Spares are tricky and the ignition switch between the seats often fails. They were nice back in the day but best avoided now unless you like a car that could be difficult to fix when it does wrong. Best way to approach this is: is this for a daily driver or summer weekend car? Do you want 4 seats, a real 4 seater? Do you want cruising or sports? Buy after 2012 if possible for better emissions and better mpg, plus the usual toys such as Bluetooth and USB. 2 searer - it's an MX5 or SLK. 4 seater - Golf or Cascada. BMW 3 series can be expensive and the roof can leak. Sports - Volvo T5 or BMW 330. Deep pockets - Bentley continental (not at 5k though) or Jaguar XK8.

Brilliant video great info on all cars need to take you with me lol as changing next 2 weeks . RRSport plz lol .

Love my Vauxhall Tigra 1.8! Great fun to drive. Have you driven one?

At least when you buy a used Audi, you can guarantee the indicator stalk will be in as new condition.

I just bought a 06 MG with 44k with head gasket, timing belt and water pump done. It’s bargain basement top down fun. Not fast but enough. Build quality is a bit iffy though but a ton of laughs when you have a sorted one.

One of the best convertibles to own would be a replica Porsche 356 kit, which fits straight onto a Boxster chassis. I've been looking at one from a company called elite innovation classics and they look amazing. Problem is it would be over £5000 by time you purchase a Boxster and the body kit. 🤔

Morning Matt a very helpful video thanks. Like you a love a convertible I've had suzuki jeeps mx5s mk3 and mk4 but my favourite was my 2 series convertible BMW 1.8 and its a car I really miss, lve always wanted a Saab convertible but iam concerned about parts and servicing....cheers Phil from Newark

2009/10 Chrysler Sebring. 6 speed VW TDi 2litre Diesel and 60mpg. Cheap as chips to buy and fun to drive with oodles of space and toys. Win. Win.

The Cascada is an awesome car! Here in the states it's a Buick.

Figaro is based on the k10 MK1 Micra Matt, had a MK1 h reg Micra as my first car when I passed my test loved it. Wish I'd kept it now seeing what they're worth

I’ve just got the VW Beatle 06 Convertible.

I'm sure the TT was styled on the Microsoft mouse. It's a blob! The Z3 looks a bit like a Hotwheels toy (remember those?). Z4 looks better. I agree, XKs look very nice but.... timing chains??? Can cost lots more than the car's worth if they break (it has 4!). Lexus is for old men going to the golf club. That MX5 NC needs a lowering kit - it looks like a 4x4! Bt you can't beat an MX5 for driving fun this side of an Elise. And they are dead reliable and cheap to run. Merc 350 looks nice, but won't drive like an MX5. Don't touch a TF! BL - say no more! Minis just look silly, and worse with a drop top! If I was buying a Boxster I'd pay more than 5K and get a nice one! The Saab looks good if you need 4 seats. MR2s are OK but the MX5 is better as a driver's car. The Mk1 Golf GTi has a hood that looks like one off a pram when it's down. Yuck! And I won't be competing with you for the Jeep!

The only bad thing with the 350Z is the high tax. Here in rip off Ireland it would be nearly 2K a year road tax.

I had s4 convertible and start of every summer I had to take boot apart to stick screw driver in a pin so roof would work, other than that it served me well

The low sports convertibles look great and are fun to drive but oldies should beware, at 69 I nearly ended up sat on pavement getting out of friend's Boxter, 30 years ago would have looked cool ! Lovely cars though.

It’s good this, even though we are basically just listing ancient sitcom quotes.