Especially in warm weather, many people dream of driving a convertible with flowing hair. And because a convertible is not the cheapest car, most aspiring buyers look for a good used convertible. But what should you pay attention to when you want to buy a used car? And what are the specific things you should keep an eye on if your dream car has no roof? Read more in this article about everything you should be aware of when buying a convertible.
What should you pay attention to when buying a used car?
Convertible or no convertible; there are a number of tips that are definitely worth taking with you when you want to buy a used car. One of them is that you can buy better and more safely through a dealer than through a private seller. This is because the dealer or sales company is bound by an obligation to deliver a good quality car. There must be no hidden defects and it must be in reasonable working order.
Also make sure that wherever you buy the car you get a valid registration certificate (parts 1, 2 and the transfer certificate) and that the seller can show proof of identity. When the car is insured, it is more likely that it is not, for example, a stolen vehicle and it is therefore smart to check the history of the vehicle as well as possible when purchasing a convertible.
Checking the history also ensures that you know how often the car has been serviced, how it was maintained and at which company and how the car was used in the past and by whom. This is not a superfluous luxury, especially when buying a convertible. Always take someone with you who can assess the condition of a car and its interior to some extent. Assessing the condition of a used car prevents problems and leads to a more realistic estimate of the convertible’s worth.
What should you pay attention to when buying a convertible?
It is of course not always warm in the Netherlands and the most important tip when buying a convertible is that you should very carefully check the roof of the car for damage. Most convertibles have a hood, which can be easily damaged in use. But even with convertibles with an electric roof or hardtop, it certainly doesn’t hurt to properly test the roof and its mechanism in practice. Make sure you put the cover on completely and look from the inside to see whether or not you see holes in the cover.
If you do not have a good view with a folded roof, it may be that the folding rear window is broken or needs to be replaced. When visibility is good, everything there works properly.
Always take a test drive and do it partly with the roof down and partly with the roof operational. Now you can get used to the feeling of driving a convertible and get a good idea of what it feels like to drive this type of car in different weather conditions. It may sound crazy but it’s not a stupid idea to drive the car through the car wash with the roof up/hardtop attached to see if water is entering through the canopy or not.
In addition to the roof, it is often recommended to pay attention to so-called torsional stiffness. When the car is often used open, the body flexes more than a normal car. And that can cause the car to vibrate and move relatively more while driving. This does not necessarily have to be a problem, but it can be disruptive if you become aware of it and would stay while driving.
What is a good price for a second-hand convertible or convertible?
Never let the dealer force or tempt you and only proceed to purchase if the car in question is really all for you. It certainly doesn’t hurt to compare prices of used convertibles of different construction years, with different engines and in different state of maintenance, via the Internet.
Also do comparative research at other dealers or ask advice about this convertible at a competing dealer and see what he says. You cannot compare the price of a used convertible one to one with that of another used car. In general, a used convertible is more expensive than another used car of the same make and type.