Top down?

[L John]

I was in Zante last week and hired a car.
At first I was looking to get a hard top convertible but it was very hot and I thought it might be too hot with the top down at low speed and noisy or the wifes hair blowing all over at higher speeds.
I thought it would be a good choice because if I kept the roof up I could just use the aircon.
In the end I decided to get a standard car as I really couldn't see me getting any use with the top down apart from an odd photo, so not much point despite only being around an extra £80 for a 4 day convertible hire against a hard top non convertible (both had aircon).

With your replies I might feel I should have got one but in four days of driving, I only saw one convertible with the roof down. Not sure how many with the roof up as hard top convertibles are not as easy to spot.
Lots of open jeeps, buggies and quads but that's not what I was wanting.

I'm sure many will say I should have given the convertible a try and I'm looking forward to hearing peoples experiences.

When the top is down is the noise intrusive at speeds over 30 mph?
How fast is too fast with the top down, from a noise and comfort point of view?
How hot is 'too hot' and you feel the need to get some shade above you?

I wear a cap to protect my scalp as my hair is thin on top and I don't want to use sun spray on it to make it oily. If you wear a cap or hat does it blow off at speed.

 

[andynpz]

You are thinking all the right things but the answers are subjective and will be different from one car to another. But, conversation becomes more difficult as you go much over about 40-45 mph in a CLK or an SL, IMHO. Faster is OK on your own but with the messy hair not so good for two up, and I'd say above about 25 C is too hot if sunny. Keep hat pulled low at front and it'll stay on OK and act as a sunvisor

 

[LostKiwi]

When the top is down is the noise intrusive at speeds over 30 mph?
How fast is too fast with the top down, from a noise and comfort point of view?
How hot is 'too hot' and you feel the need to get some shade above you?

Those questions are highly vehicle dependant.
In the Smart with the roof down wind is intrusive at 50 onwards. In the SL 80 is fine.
In both the noise is relatively ok at those speeds as well (in the Smart it's actually better roof down till beyond 60).
Similarly the 230 can become a bit hot and bright on the head at 27 degrees but tht 129 is fine till 35 simply because of where the windscreen is in relation to your head and the configuration of the sun visors.

 

[sl500amgsport]

I was in Zante last week and hired a car.
At first I was looking to get a hard top convertible but it was very hot and I thought it might be too hot with the top down at low speed and noisy or the wifes hair blowing all over at higher speeds.
I thought it would be a good choice because if I kept the roof up I could just use the aircon.
In the end I decided to get a standard car as I really couldn't see me getting any use with the top down apart from an odd photo, so not much point despite only being around an extra £80 for a 4 day convertible hire against a hard top non convertible (both had aircon).

With your replies I might feel I should have got one but in four days of driving, I only saw one convertible with the roof down. Not sure how many with the roof up as hard top convertibles are not as easy to spot.
Lots of open jeeps, buggies and quads but that's not what I was wanting.

I'm sure many will say I should have given the convertible a try and I'm looking forward to hearing peoples experiences.

When the top is down is the noise intrusive at speeds over 30 mph?
How fast is too fast with the top down, from a noise and comfort point of view?
How hot is 'too hot' and you feel the need to get some shade above you?

I wear a cap to protect my scalp as my hair is thin on top and I don't want to use sun spray on it to make it oily. If you wear a cap or hat does it blow off at speed.

I can only comment on the SL experience, any speed up to 80mph is quiet you can have a normal volume conversation, if you are wearing a cap any temperature up to late 20s ok, I drove 300 miles from Devon in 23 degrees without a cap and was comfortable without a hat. You can also blast the aircon on you....

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[L John]

I've seen some rear covers and screens that help with wind, noise too I believe but that wasn't an option on the hire car as far as I'm aware.

In England it may be more useful than mid summer on holiday abroad in hot weather.
The idea seems great but I feel the reality may be a long way from expectation.
My next car might be a hard top convertible, it's a long way off but I do like the idea, just wondering if it's a realistic option to get enough use out of it rather than just a bit of fun a few times a year.
Even in this country I see convertibles with the roof up in good weather.

 

[LostKiwi]

Even in this country I see convertibles with the roof up in good weather.

They're probably the ones with flat consumer batteries...


We took the Smart to Beziers 3 years ago. The temperatures were in the low to mid 30s. The roof was down virtually the entire time.
The following year we returned to BG exists in thec129. Temperatures were in the high 30s peaking at 40 for two days. The roof only came up when sat in a huge traffic jam in 38 degree heat when we had no airflow.

The rear window deflectors as fitted to the 129s and 230s make a huge difference in buffeting and noise. They also create a bubble of cooler air (or warmer in winter) that helps reduce the effects of heat.

 

[Chrishazle]

I don't have aircon in the 968 cab, but do have a proper wind deflector which makes a major difference. I wear a baseball type cap to keep the sun out of my eyes, and if it's dry we'll have the roof down almost irrespective of temperature as the heater is very effective and even in cold weather puts enough heat into the footwells and face level vents. A couple of years ago in mid September - early October we did 2600 miles in 19 days across northern Spain and back, through the Pyrenees then Millau, Puy de Dome etc to Epernay and Calais, roof down but not motorway, fantastic. Even here, Sunday drives March - November are roof down unless it's raining.

 

[sl500amgsport]

If you buy an SL with Airscarf and heated seats you can have the roof off in Winter as well. Hard top convertible basically gives you 2 cars in one.

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[McDonald]

In the R230 there's no issue with keeping your hat on. I wear a Panama sometimes while tootling around near home and have never thought it might blow away.

It's a bit noisy on a busy motorway of course, but the sheer joy of open top motoring can't be overstated. I'll never choose a saloon car over a convertible.

 

[SRE]

I drive with the top down as often as possible and in the sun, for a bit of UV protection, have a collection of flat caps and baseball caps none of which have ever felt like they were about to depart my head. Conversation with the wife is fine at legal speeds and beyond (allegedly). When I purchased the car the wife spent a month wearing a head scarf everywhere we went so as not to disturb her hair but eventually I managed to persuade her that with the wind deflector up there was no need and now the scarf rarely comes out of the glovebox.

 

[John Laidlaw]

As all the above really. Only thing I would comment on my SL500/Red leather was that the seats would be uncomfortably hot and in 25o+ temperatures I would arrive at destination with a sweat soaked back ( and seat)
I tried all sorts from just a towel to a kind of plastic divider / vent which went against the seat back to stop direct contact and increase air flow. Nothing worked really - I didn’t have ventilated seats either ( which I read are next to useless anyway).
Otherwise baseball cap on so no burnt napper
I hate you lot so much right now by the way ( yes I know had my chance etc etc)

 

[Gkinghorn]

Same as the previous guys but make sure your air con is working when the temperature is mid 30 and over otherwise it’s a nightmare ..(as I found out in France 3 years ago when my air con failed in the middle of a 800km drive)


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[Wighty]

Was doing 80mph in France last week , converstaion in the Clk is fine at that speed , im ok with hat at that speed , never had it blow off . I always use sun cream and a hat (bald head , see user pic ) .
Temperature wise , roof down with aircon on today at 33 degrees , 34 degrees , roof was back up with aircon on

 

[flowrider]

Before i bought my SL one of the issues my wife was worried about was having her hair blowing all over her face like we see in some convertibles but in the SL this does not happen, the cabin is surprisingly calm. In hot sunny weather i tend to close the roofas it can get rather warm but generally at temps under 25c i have the top down. We have no issues holding a conversation at normal road and motorway speeds but i don't go long distances on the motorway with the top down.

 

[Denis O]

80 mph on Zante. You're 'aving a giraffe. The roads are not up to it.

I live in Corfu for a good percentage of the year and this year, drove the SL down here in April. For the most part it's sat in the garage having an affair with a C-Tek. It's been out on a couple of evenings, after the heat has gone out of the days sun but not been used during the day. It's been pretty hot (30c+) since the end of April and that's not comfortable in a convertible. There's a reason why few people have convertibles in this part of the world.

Back to the UK soon for July and August when the temps get up, and sometimes over, 40c and then back for September which is usually a lovely month. No SL though so it's down to the Duster or the Smart for 2 we imported 5 years ago.

 

[L John]

Nobody has said 80 mph in Zante, just what speeds are comfortable in general.

After reading the replies I was coming to the conclusion I made the right decision avoiding a convertible and UK is actually a place more likely to be good for top down despite us moaning about the weather so often.

 

[Gkinghorn]

Nobody has said 80 mph in Zante, just what speeds are comfortable in general.

After reading the replies I was coming to the conclusion I made the right decision avoiding a convertible and UK is actually a place more likely to be good for top down despite us moaning about the weather so often.

The uk has the highest number of convertibles per capita globally was a fact I once heard .... for the reasons mentioned above...


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[LostKiwi]

Nobody has said 80 mph in Zante, just what speeds are comfortable in general.

After reading the replies I was coming to the conclusion I made the right decision avoiding a convertible and UK is actually a place more likely to be good for top down despite us moaning about the weather so often.

With an SL/SLK you have the best of both worlds.

In fact even with canvas roof if it's too hot put the roof up and nothing lost. In reality it's normally only the middle part of the day where the heat can be too much.
One of the big joys of convertibles is driving under a star filled sky with the roof down.

 

[keefysher]

With an SL/SLK you have the best of both worlds.

In fact even with canvas roof if it's too hot put the roof up and nothing lost. In reality it's normally only the middle part of the day where the heat can be too much.
One of the big joys of convertibles is driving under a star filled sky, with frost on the ground, with the roof down.

FTFY

 

[sl500amgsport]

Since buying the SL I have tanned unbelievably, because of the airflow at speed you don't notice the heat (like being on a boat), everyone keeps asking where I have been on holiday, they look bemused when I say Devon and Scotland! You even tan on cloudy days, something I didn't consider before buying the car..

Mercedes SL500 R231