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The Sun
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Used convertibles UK: Find out which used soft-tops you are eligible for this summer, from Mazdas to Mercs.
SUN'S out, funs out – it's time to make that dream of a convertible car a reality. While car experts will tell you spring is the perfect time to bag a convertible car bargain, you can still find great deals in summer. 12 FIND HERE Sellers in a crowded market are still itching for the cash and can often reduce costs to make a deal. No cash? No worries. Buyers can get a boost with Sun Motors Finance, an affordable and accessible way to access cash to buy a new car. We're working with some of the UK's best lenders to provide every driver with access to the low-cost credit they need to pick up a dream car. PCP Representative Example - Total Cash Price £6995 Deposit £2000 Amount of Credit £4995 47 Monthly Payments £95.09 Total Amount Payable £8834.23 Fixed Rate of Interest 6.715% Optional Final Payment £2365 Duration of Agreement 48 Months Annual Mileage Limit 10,000 Miles APR (Representative) 12.9% There's no waiting, either. You'll get an instant decision on eligibility and affordability in just 60 seconds. Whatever the season, when you're buying a convertible, you'll want to do some research to find the right make, model, and specification before parting with your pounds. In this guide, we're going to explain why spring and summer are the best time to buy a convertible car. Sun Motors experts have also selected their top 5 used convertibles for sale today, including two-seater and four-seater convertibles and super sporty models. It's top-down and shades on for our round-up of the best used convertible cars in the UK today for you to ponder ahead of the heatwave. Why is spring and summer a good time to buy a used car? March (and spring in general) is the best time to buy a used convertible car. Why? The age-old rules of supply and demand. The market for convertible cars hibernates during the winter, as drivers and dealers forget the sun and focus on surviving wind, rain, ice, and snow. Convertibles are designed for fair weather. By March, we've banished the winter blues, and things are beginning to heat up – including the market for convertibles. As we head into summer, market forces take over. As demand for convertible cars increases (reaching a peak during the summer), dealers can respond by putting up their prices. 2025 is breaking records for car sales, with more buyers, sellers, and motors on the market. That's good because competition encourages sellers to price competitively and provides buyers with the power to bag a bargain. Sellers don't want stock hanging around, and convertibles are harder to sell than a standard saloon, for example, as the market is smaller. Basically, while spring is probably the best time to buy a convertible, competition in the market and the pressure to make a profit mean you'll still be able to strike a good deal on a used convertible in summer. Stuck for cash? Spread the payments for your summer convertible Convertible cars, as you'll see from the list below, aren't exactly cheap, but there is a way you can get your dream car. Sun Motors offers car buyers a straightforward and simple way to finance a new car. The easy-to-use affordability calculator provides a guideline on the amount you can borrow, including interest rates and monthly repayments. That means you can have complete confidence that you can afford a car before falling in love with it. Even better, you don't need to worry about any searches damaging your credit rating. Our finance partner will only do a soft check. It's worth checking even if you've been previously denied credit. We work with a specialist lender who may consider applications from those with a bad credit rating. Give it a try, you've got nothing to lose. What is a convertible car? A convertible car is a car that can be driven without a roof. Most convertibles will have a roof that can be secured in place, converting it back into a car with a roof. (Hence the name.) On the market, you'll find two types of convertibles: soft tops and hard tops. What is the difference between soft-top and hard-top convertibles? Soft tops have a roof (made from canvas, cloth, vinyl, or another material) that can fold up or down. Hard-top convertibles have a solid roof that folds down. 12 Model: Audi TT FIND HERE There are advantages and disadvantages of each. Soft top convertibles can be cheaper to buy and often easier to maintain. On the other hand, soft roofs are more likely to degrade over time, are easier to damage, and won't be as warm as a hard top. Hard tops are more durable, warmer (because of greater insulation), and more secure. However, they can be more expensive to buy, maintain, and fix if they break. Benefits of a convertible car There's really only one reason you'd buy a convertible car, and that's because you want to experience the fun and freedom of driving without a roof. If you haven't tried it before, you should. Convertible cars are often sportier and more stylish than their hard-top cousins. Drive a convertible, and you're making a statement. (Especially if you forget to put the roof up and it rains.) Convertible cars are more expensive, but they can hold their value better, too. Top 5 used convertible cars for sale Here is Sun Motors' choice of the five best used-convertibles for sale in the UK today. Mazda MX-5 12 Affordable, reliable and the world's best-selling roadster. You knew it would be the Mazda MX-5, didn't you? Since its launch in 1989, the MX-5 has become a firm favourite, with the latest model still getting rave reviews. An abundance of MX-5s on the market keeps prices low. Insurance and maintenance costs won't break the bank – especially when compared to some of the other brands on our list (we're looking at you, Mercedes). Check out the WhatCar? guide on potential problems for your Mazda MX-5. (And always check the roof!) Shop around for the best deals, like this low-mileage 2016 SKYACTIV-G Sportmodel at less than £275 per month. Audi TT Convertible 12 FIND HERE Another best-selling classic, the Audi TT convertible, is no longer in production, which makes us sad. It's slightly bigger than the Mazda MX-5 and is highly reliable, says WhatCar?. Common problems include water leaks, faulty roof mechanisms, and issues with the interior trim. Sporty models like S and RS could have been driven hard, and damage to panels, paintwork, and alloys could all be expensive to fix. Find a good Audi TT convertible and you'll get years of stress-free motoring in a modern classic. Check out this almost spotless 10-year-old AUDI TT Coupe 2.0 TDI ultra Sport in impressive (and easy to keep clean) gun metal grey. MINI convertible The MINI convertible is small but strangely spacious, with enough room for four people, says Autoexpress. While you're not going to be running around with a rugby team, the MINI convertible is a practical, fun and attractive car. We like the 2016 model with its bullet-proof, BMW-approved, 3-cylinder 1.5-litre engine. It's fast enough for country lanes and forgiving for stop-start city driving. You'll often pay a premium for the MINI badge, but they retain value well, so buy with confidence. Our choice? The market for MINIs is vibrant, so it's hard to select one, but we like this box-fresh 2025 Mini Cooper S Class. Mercedes SLK The Mercedes SLK is sharper, faster, and more comfortable than many of the other convertibles here. It's a great grand tourer, capable of taking you, a passenger and a few small cases pretty much anywhere you want to go. Pick up an SLK55, and you'll reach 60mph in 4.6 seconds. Ouch. The hardtop roof goes up and down with German precision. Check everything is working, as replacements can be very costly. One thing to mention is that automatics are standard here, while manual cars are rare. Car reviewers seem to favour the SLK 200, which is a great car. Used SLKs are affordable, like this 2016 AMG for a pint under £300 per-month. BMW Z4 12 Model: BMW Z4 The BMW Z4 Roadster features a unique long bonnet design with an awesome BMW grill. Modern models are monsters, but we prefer the older – and more affordable – 2013-2017 Z4s. Why? They look great, perform well, and feature a reliable metal folding roof. Find one with a full-service history, and it's a good buy (especially when you see rising prices for older Z3s.) The BMW Z4 is a classic two-seat, big engine, small boot roadster, and we love it for that. It doesn't take long to find bargain BMWs out there. We like this 2015 M-Sport model. Best 4-seater convertible cars Need to carry you, your partner and the kids? Get a four-door convertible. Here are a couple of our favourites: The Mercedes C Class isn't particularly roomy, but you'll get four in at a push. And they will all want to get into this superbly-specced 2018 Mercedes C220 AMG Line D Auto. Model: Mercedes-Benz C-Class FIND HERE Another shout-out for the Germans, the BMW 4 Series Convertible is our second-favourite four-door convertible. Current models are all well and good, but we love the classic BMW grill on this sub-£10k BMW 4 Series 2.0 420i SE Euro 6. Here are a couple of our favourite all-out sports convertibles: The Porsche Boxster is a fast and cool mid-engine sports car that's incredible to drive. Model: Porsche Boxster Our choice on the market today is this immaculate 2016 Boxster with a high-powered 3.4-litre engine. FIND HERE The Lotus Elise is a small, lightweight, and blisteringly fast British-designed sports car. This canary yellow 2016 Lotus Elise convertible is all kinds of crazy, in a good way. Convertible car buying FAQs Here, we answer some common questions convertible car buyers have. What to look out for when buying a used convertible When buying a used convertible, you'll want to ensure that the roof itself is clean, the mechanism functions correctly (basically, that it goes up and down as it should), and there are no splits, tears, or damage. Ask the seller about the age of the roof (if it's a soft top) and if the roof has been repaired or replaced. If you're considering buying a soft-top convertible, get on a stool, chair, or stepladder and check over the whole roof of the car. Tears and splits can (and sometimes are) covered with tape, which can be impossible to spot unless you get up close. If you're happy that the roof goes up and down as it should and isn't damaged, then you can check all the other essentials, including condition, damage, service history, MOT records, mileage, etc. How to clean a convertible roof If you have a hardtop roof, you can clean it in the same way you would clean the rest of your car. Soft-top convertible roofs should be cleaned using a specialist cleaning product. These will help to remove any first and stains (including corrosive substances like bird poo) but won't dry out the material, which could cause it to become brittle and split or break. Take your time, follow the instructions, and you'll be fine. Always check for water ingress into the car after washing your convertible. Early warning enables immediate action! How to look after a convertible Convertible cars should be serviced and maintained in the same way you would any other car. If your car has a soft roof, you should regularly clean it (see above) and apply a protectant. This guide from detailing experts Autoglym is a good place to start. Over time, the soft top covering can wear out or dry out, leaving it susceptible to rips, tears, and other damage. You can protect it by storing it in a garage or under a cover, especially during the worst of the winter weather. Any soft-top convertible car left exposed to the elements for too long will become damaged. How does pre-approved car finance work? The best thing about Sun Motors' pre-approved car finance is that you can check how much you can borrow before you fall in love with a new convertible car. How? The magic of the Sun Motors system is that it runs a soft credit check. The result is a realistic monthly budget with no impact on your credit score. Armed with this, you can start the fun part: finding a new convertible car. How long does car finance approval take? It's very, very fast. In most cases, you'll get a pre-approval decision within 60 seconds. When you find a car you like, you can go through the final approvals process on the same day. Decision in 60 seconds, finance in a day, and a new dream car on its way. Motor Genius Group Ltd t/a Sun Motors is an Appointed Representative (FRN 960504) of The Compliance Guys Ltd who is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 941360). We are a credit broker not a lender. We work with a select group of lenders and will receive commission. The full details of how the commission arrangements work will be provided before you proceed with any arrangement. Finance subject to status and income. Terms and Conditions apply. The advice we provide is not impartial due to our commercial relationships with lenders. ICO number [ZB640135].
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
How you can buy a luxury car for a fraction of the price... but you may need to look past its dodgy history
For sale: one top-of-the-range BMW X5; five years old, one owner, 3.0 litre diesel engine, average industry value £30,000. But why did this example fetch just £11,750 at auction in Herefordshire earlier this week? The answer probably lies with its one not-so-careful owner. The prime German motor is covered in scratches, its interior has seen better days - and it just so happens to have been seized by the police. Car buyers are increasingly turning to police auctions for their next purchase - and those willing to the work to bring cars with interesting service histories (or a lack thereof) up to scratch can find a real bargain. Auction houses with police contracts say these cars are big business - particularly among those handy with a spanner and a buffer who are able to bring these cars up to scratch and either use them or sell them on for a tidy profit. A closer inspection hints at why this BMW went for so little: it has a number of bumps and scratches on the outside and the interior trim has seen better days. Mileage-wise, it had managed some 163,000 in just five years - or 2,700 a month. Exactly what it was being used for isn't listed on the description. But the small manner of the rear seats being removed and dumped in the footwell suggests the car may well have been the subject of some intensive searches by police investigators. It did at least come with two keys - but failed its most recent MOT on an engine management warning and a deflated tyre, which means it would need to be loaded onto a transporter for delivery. With buyers' fees of 7.5 per cent, the total cost was just over £12,600 - a comparative steal when compared to the £18,800 CAP market price. But it was in better nick than some police-authorised cars we looked at. Some were Category D and Category S write-offs requiring work to make them roadworthy again. A Volvo XC90 SUV went for just £15,300 plus a 7.5 per cent fee of £1,100. While it had 96,500 miles on the clock in just three years, it passed its MOT earlier this year. Lower mileage examples on popular second-hand car websites were fetching more than twice the price when checked by MailOnline on Monday. Similarly, we watched an Audi S3 Sportback - a 2.0 litre 'hot hatch' capable of hitting 60mph in under five seconds fetch £5,160 on Monday morning after a fervent last-minute bidding war - despite the fact it was deadlocked and had no keys. Road-ready examples of these mean-looking five-doors tend to fetch three times that price on the market - meaning someone with the know-how has just landed themselves a real steal. Some examples raise more questions than they answer, however. We spotted one family hatchback for sale that saw its mileage drop by 4,000 miles in between MOTs - the listing did not specify whether it was an error or something altogether more suspicious. Buying a car at auction, then, is a risk - and as these events are run online, there's no chance of going down and seeing a would-be purchase in the metal beforehand. But many of the vehicles sold at auction are largely roadworthy - often towed for illegal parking and never reclaimed, or seized by police for offences such as driving without insurance. These may have been seized under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), or the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), or even the Road Traffic Act, which permits police to seize vehicles in connection with driving offences. Not all will have a dramatic history behind them. A Freedom of Information response published by Devon and Cornwall police showed that in 2024 7,287 cars were seized under various laws, and of that just 378 - 2.7 per cent - were sold at auction. Other than those seized following collisions, most cars were seized under the Road Traffic Act for no licence or insurance; some were also taken by request of the DVLA for lack of tax. Just two per cent were seized under PACE or POCA. The Audi was sold on auction house Raw2K, whose boss Mark Bennett told the Telegraph that many of the vehicles sold tend to be ready for the road. 'Typically you can get a car for 60 per cent of its CAP value. Some will have a full MOT, be in very good condition and have a standard mileage,' he said. 'We get a lot of private individuals buying and fixing them up as a side hustle, plus businesses which turn them round and sell them.' Proceeds from the sales are reinvested in public services, or sometimes given to charity - and auctioneers say they are selling more and more seized cars and other property on behalf of the police. Addison Pye, the director of auctioneer John Pye & Sons, said: 'We're selling more vehicles on behalf of the government and police authorities each year, both due to increased supply as well as our success in securing government contracts.' Alongside cars, auction houses also sell vans, motorbikes and even seized e-bikes John Pye also hosts auctions for property like Rolex watches, some of which are landing bids in the tens of thousands of pounds. Police forces are also selling other items online via the likes of eBay and even second-hand clothing app Vinted - with trainers, speakers and other electronics among the goods that can be found by budding bargain-hunters.
