Cars have different meanings for every person. For some, it's just a form of transportation, a way to get from point A to point B. Others see cars as entertainment, they enjoy to drive and to work on cars, assist to a meet or show once in a while and have a good time. But there is a group of people, us, car enthusiasts, who see cars are much more than the rest of the people. For us, cars are a way to escape from reality, to keep our minds busy. For us, cars mean freedom. Cars are that inexplicable passion that just runs through our veins.
And what better way to celebrate the feeling of freedom that driving with no roof over your head, feeling the wind on your face, and the fresh air on your skin and having the blue sky as your only roof that with a convertible?
Oftentimes, convertibles seem like luxurious expensive cars, but some manufacturers have found a way to build cheap (and gorgeous) convertible cars that you can find today in the used car market for basically peanuts. Here there are some examples.
10 Mazda Miata NA ($3,000 - $10,000)
The Mazda Miata is such a special car. Is the first car for many enthusiasts for being reliable, fun to drive, cheap to buy, to maintain, and to modify. The NA Miata (first generation) has a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine wich produces roughly 120 horsepower. What makes it so special it's that it's RWD and it's a convertible, making it the driver's car by excellence. The price range for Miatas is pretty wide, with $1500 you can get a beaten up one, and for $6,000 to $10,000 you can get one in good condition, but don't expect it to be low mileage.
Also, for the same money, you can easily find an NB or even an NC Miata. It all comes down to taste.
9 Honda S2000 ($16,000 - $23,000)
The Honda S2000 is a convertible sports car built by Honda from 1999 to 2009. It has a 2-liter turbocharged engine producing around 250 horsepower to the rear wheels. If you are looking for an S2000 don't expect to spend less than $12,000 except if the car is in bad condition. It may not be as cheap as other cars on this list, but for sure the S2000 is worth every dollar. From $12k to $16k you can get a car in nice condition, and from there on, the car will not only be in great condition but also is not going to be extremely high mileage.
8 Audi TT Roadster ($4,000 - $10,000)
The first-generation Audi TT is a great car. For about $4000 you can get a 2000 or 2001 base model, which is the FWD 1.8T with a manual transmission and 180 horsepower, which is pretty decent. Moreover, there is also an AWD 225 horsepower version, that will probably be more expensive but definitely worth it. If your budget is not super tight, for about $12k or $14k you can skip to the next generation and get a TT with the 2-liter turbocharged engine, both FWD or AWD.
7 Porsche Boxter Cabriolet ($12,000 - $20,000)
Believe it or not, there is a Porsche on this list. It's not the fanciest, quickest, or the most luxurious of them all, but the Boxter is overall a great car. It was introduced in 1996 and it was powered by a 2.5-liter flat-six engine until the 2ooo when it was upgraded to 2.7 liters. The units in the best conditions go for around $17k to $21k, depending on the year and mileage.
For more or less the same money, it's also possible to find a Boxter S, which has a 3.2-liter engine. It is also possible to find some cars for under $12k or even $10k, but they might be a little rough around the edges. On the downside, all Porsche Boxter build between 2001 and 2009 have a huge issue in the intermediate shaft bearing which could lead to a total failure of the engine.
6 BMW Z3 Roadster ($6,000 - $10,000)
The Z3 Roadster was built following the recipe for perfection: naturally aspirated engine, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. This two-seater from BMW was built from 1995 to 2002, so most of the cars you will find are over 20 years old. Despite the age, the design has aged really well and it still looks contemporaneous. There are endless Z3 listed for sale, and most of them go fro $6k to $10k, except some units with low mileage, but those are rare.
This car was available with many engines, from the base 1.8L and 1.9L to the more powerful 2.8L and 3 liters. It's interesting that with the same money you can get either of those engines, depending on what you are looking for. My personal recommendation would be to look for a car with the 2.5L or 3-liter engine, as those have the best price/quality ratio.
5 Nissan 350Z Roadster ($6,000 - $12,000)
You want a cheap convertible Japanese car, but the Miata is too slow and the S2000 is too expensive. What do you get? Of course, the Nissan 350Z Roadster. In my opinion, this is the best car on this list when it comes to the price/quality ratio. For $10,000 you can get a unit in good condition and with not extremely high mileage, but if you don't care to buy a car with 100k miles on the clock, $5k or $6k should be enough to get you this sports car. The 350Z is powered by a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V6 with around 300 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission.
4 BMW 3 Series Convertible (E36 or E46) ($3,000 - $16,000)
The 3 Series has always been the most popular BMW. One of the reasons is the number of options available, regarding engines and body styles. The E36 and E46 are the most popular generations of the 3 Series, and in my opinion, they are the best too. In the used cars market there are tons of 3 Series for sale and that's why the price range is so wide. For example, with $6k you can get either a 325 or 330 E46 or well an F90 328, all depending on how you choose to spend your money. Overall, the 3 series is a great car with everything you want, it doesn't matter if u are a car enthusiast or not. The are rear-wheel-drive sports cars, with either manual or automatic transmissions, and they perform great a last a long time if you take well care of them.
3 BMW 1 Series Convertible ($6,000 - $12,000)
The smallest member of the BMW family is a pretty good car, and one of the best on the price/quality ratio on this list. For about $6k to $9k you can get a 128i in really good condition, as these cars don't get beaten too much. There are many engine options available, but my two top choices are the 128i and 135i, as both cars are cheap, easy to find, and have decent power. The 128i packs a naturally aspirated inline.six with 230 horsepower, while the 135i has a turbocharged inline.six with 300 horsepower. Another great thing about the car is that you can get with a manual or automatic transmission and all models are rear-wheel drive.
2 Renault Megane II CC
For the US readers, the french make Renault is nonexistent, other that the Formula 1 team. It's actually a pretty strong brand in the European and South American markets. This car is the convertible version o the second generation of the Renault Megane, a name that might be familiar for those who know the Megane RS in wich some F1 drivers move around. The second generation of the Megane was built from 2002 to 2008 and had several engine trim levels and engine options. The CC version packs a 2-liter inline-four engine with 136 horsepower and a manual transmission. Of course, is not a sports car like some other on this list, but it a pleasure to drive around in a hard-top convertible.
1 Peugeot 206CC ($2,000 - $5,000)
For the people in the US or Canada Peugeot might also be a complete stranger to you, but for the European/South American readers, the 206CC is a great choice for a cheap convertible car. Thanks to its small size and the small engine the car is perfect for city use. Of course is not a performance car, as it packs a 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engine with 110 horsepower, but those numbers don't care too much when you are driving through the city and the sky is your roof.
One particular thing that I really like about the 206CC is that the retractable roof is a hardtop, unlike many others on this list. If you are from the US you are probably not interested, and if you are, you probably won't find this car on the used market. If any European readers are interested, you are lucky, it's pretty cheap.