The three best sporty vehicles when choosing to drop the top
Michael Vaughan and Jeremy Cato
Globe and Mail UpdatePublished on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 3:28PM ESTLast updated on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 3:31PM EST
Gentlemen: I owned a number of convertibles when I was much younger and now I think I’m ready for another one.
Here’s the problem: the soft-tops that I always had were noisy and wet and one even got cut open by a thief who stole my briefcase.
So, at this time, it has to be one of those hard-top convertibles, or whatever you call them.
I’ve seen a Volkswagen and one from Volvo, but they were rather uninteresting looking, with big back seats. I want something sportier, two seats and at least a little luggage room.
I’ve looked at the Mercedes SLK and the BMW Z4 and I like both of them. Which do you prefer and have I overlooked any others?
Leonard
Cato: Leonard, sounds like you have some cash to burn. The SLKs are perfectly good cars, but you can get a Mazda Miata – ahem, MX-5 – with a retractable hardtop for thousands and thousands less.
Vaughan: Lenny, I’m with you when you say you’ve given up on the vinyl-topped jobs. I had a Mustang
5.0-litre ragtop and I had to wear a raincoat inside if the skies opened. Ear plugs, too. And I had to replace the top when it got torn and …
Cato: I remember your old ‘Stang. What a sloppy, twisty body structure. With the lid down, it rode like a wet noodle. Chassis and body engineering are so much better now. Convertibles today, for the most part, have pretty tight rides – especially the crop of retractable hardtops.
Now Leonard, the two you mentioned are good and if you insist on a two-seater, I’d throw that little Miata into the mix.
But I don’t want you to dismiss completely all hardtop convertibles with a back seat. Leonard, don’t overlook the Infiniti G37 convertible ($58,300-$61,600).
Vaughan: Cato’s right, for once. Put the G37 on your list, Lenny. It is very different in appearance and character from the German pair, but it has some real elegance about it. And I think it looks the best of the lot with the steel roof folded away.
Cato: That’s because Nissan has come up with a very clever fold and stack arrangement for the roof’s steel panels. They tuck tightly into the trunk. What’s left is a nice low rear deck. There’s a back seat, sure, but the lines aren’t interrupted with a big bulge in the back. This is a near-roadster shape.
Vaughan: That’s the essential trick of a good retractable hardtop. TheVolvo C70 and the Volkswagen Eos both have a big rear deck that rises up to hide the roof. And remember the Pontiac G6 convertible? It’s rear end was bulked up so much you thought someone was driving around with a piano in the trunk.
Cato: You’re drifting into irrelevance, Vaughan. Lenny does not want a C70 or an Eos.
Now the Mercedes SLK ($57,500-$84,800) is the little brother of the much more expensive SL but it has that distinctive Mercedes look and style. It’s a quick little two-seater, though at the risk of being smacked by the Politically Correct Police, I have to say the SLK is a bit of a lady’s car. I mean, the majority of buyers are women and there’s a reason for this.
Vaughan: Cato, you are a Neanderthal.
Cato: No, no, no, no, no. Some cars have more appeal to women than men, and the SLK is one of them.
Vaughan: I’ll tell you what I like about the SLK – it’s the heated seatswith little vents on top that blast hot air at the back of your neck.
Look, Cato, convertible season is too short in Canada. When I had the ‘Stang, I would extend it by wearing a big parka and a hat with flaps in order to keep the roof down on the old ‘Stang. With the SLK, that heating system means it’s roof down until the end of December – you’re nice and warm.
Cato can get snobby about the SLK, calling it a woman’s car or a boulevard cruiser. But he’s dead wrong. This is a nimble, powerful sportscar that will never disappoint you with its driving performance.
2010 BMW Z4 sDrive35is.
Cato: Spoken by a man who’s been seen wearing a hat with flaps. My case is closed.
Now as for the Z4 ($54,100-$62,100), I love styling, and the road manners are even better. That beautiful inline six-cylinder engine burbles beautifully. There is power to spare here. It sits nice and low to the ground; you’re planted in true sports car fashion.
Vaughan: Lenny, note the heated seats. The Bimmer does not have little hot air vents, but cranked up full, the heater and those warm seats will get you most of the way through December. The Z4 strikes me as a classic German roadster updated with all the mod cons. I took a lengthy trip in one through the Sud Tyrol and that was pure driving pleasure.
Cato: But Lenny, I’d own the G37. It’s gorgeous, loaded with features and go-power and I like having a smallish back seat. This car is a great combination of design, comfort, performance and practicality.
Vaughan: I can’t argue with that, but I’m attracted to the German-ness of the other two, and might lean toward the Z4. But Lenny, go sit in both and see which one puts the bigger smile on your face. Check the rear view mirror to see which one has you most grinning like an idiot. Only then will you know.
Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 2 p.m. on CTV.
what-car@globeandmail.com
How they compare
|
2010 Infiniti G37 Sport |
2010 BMW Z4 sDrive 3.0 |
2010 Mercedes-Benz SLK300 |
| Wheelbase (mm) |
2,850 |
2,496 |
2,430 |
| Length (mm) |
4,657 |
4,239 |
4,103 |
| Width (mm) |
1,852 |
1,790 |
1,788 |
| Track (front/rear in mm) |
1,544/1,590 |
1,511/1,599 |
1,530/1,541 |
| Engine |
3.7-litre V-7 |
4.4-litre V-8 |
3.0-litre V-6 |
| Output (hp) (torque) |
325/267 lb-ft |
255/220 lb-ft |
228/221 lb-ft |
| Transmission |
seven-speed automatic with manual mode |
six-speed automatic with manual mode |
six-speed manual |
| Drive system |
RWD |
RWD |
RWD |
| Curb weight (kg) |
1864 |
1470 |
1470 |
| Fuel economy(litres/100 km) |
11.9 city/7.8 hwy |
11.2 city/7.0 hwy |
11.2 city/7.6 hwy |
| Base price |
$ 60,125 |
$ 56,195 |
$59,595 |
|
|
|
|
| SOURCE: CAR MANUFACTURERS |
