Calm Chris Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Over on the 4 x 4 thread I dared to suggest that a cabriolet based on a saloon is flawed when compared to the tin top equivalent So could someone give me the benefit of ownership comparision? So when you compare:- A4 cab with A4 tin top BMW 3 cab with 3 series tin top Any cab model with same make tin top Are they flawed? My arguement would be:- Cabs tend to be 150+ kg heavier due to extra floor bracing and mech for the roof lift off Due to weight they are slower in every sector of performance on like for like comparision Cabs tend to suffer from shuffle / scuttle on fast snaking roads Cabs have less rear load capacity Cabs are anti social for rear seating passengers at speeds above national speed limit Weaker security, stanley knife access So if you accept the above (an you may not )is the only advantage the sun factor? Before any of you cab owners take this as an anti cab (bashing ) post. It's not, I like them and am considering spending £30k on one, (no Daz I don't want your S4 thanks .) I do consider them flawed, capable cars, but side by side with the tin top 'mirror' model they are the weaker link. Let debate commence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 "Weaker Link"? - A touch of Anne Robinson perhaps ? This thread is so begging for cab bashing! I think it's 'swings and roundabouts' [he said diplomatically].............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 This debate could run and run... I think it's a case of the suffer in performance is fairly minimal and you don't notice the handling difference unless you're "pushing on". Less space in the back? How many cabs do you see being driven with 4 people in anyway? They are essentially a 2 + 2 layout. That said, they don't really appeal to me. In part it's because I don't use a car for posing. The other side is because I just know having the roof up [as you would most of the time in this country] would just... detract from the cab ownership experience. Guess you could solve that by owning another car and keep the cab as a toy, but that'd be an expensive option! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lottiefox Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Cabs have one big unique feature though. You can put the roof down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I think the point of the performance 4x4s thread was the (mistaken? ) impression that the performance angle conflicted with their '4x4ness' so that they were no longer capable of fulfilling the original 4x4 brief. A Cab does have compromises compared to the coupe, which you have set out. Some will suffer more in some areas and less in others. But it still meets the original brief; it may do so less well, but it offers something else in addition. Such is the nature of a compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I suggest you drive one Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Cabs have one big unique feature though. You can put the roof down. [/ QUOTE ] ....Yes - IF you want to put up with hot sun (UV etc), bugs, people staring at you, wind noise. I'd much rather have a motorbike. I drove a 1970s Porsche Targa when I was working in Southern Spain and even that was too open for my taste. I enjoyed my short ride with A_S recently but not for anything long distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 More on topic - Unless you roll it, there surely isn't an appreciable difference in modern cabs versus hardtops is there ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I couldn't own a cab, too open for my liking. I wouldn't want the whole world and his dog gawping at me in traffic and around town, I much rather be hemmed inside my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I would (well, I have) go for a convertible designed as such. A cab will always be a compromise - for the person who wants a soft top but with some of the practicalities of a saloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I don't even know the difference between a 'cabriolet' and a 'convertible'....I thought that 'cabriolet' was just a term which Audi had lifted for marketing, just like 'Avant'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 The simple answer is yes of course they are a compromise compared to their tin top equivalent. But it is then down to the individual to decide if the compromise is outweighed by the pleasures of top down motoring. For me personally, due to my size, I cannot drive a Cab. I look like a 6 year old in a pedal car and everyone laughs and points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lottiefox Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Personal view - I didn't like having the A4 cab - I felt too on show and too vulnerable and got too hot! The MX-5 is fabulous, its a little go-kart, it doesn't stand out but lets the wind get in your hair. If its really hot I'll take the TT and put the air con on. I like cars that were designed to be open tops as Peter says. However, most cabs that are derived from the saloon version look great and seem to have good handling, but you'll always compromise a car if you chop the roof off it. S2000 for me as my next 2nd car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I suppopse it depends upon if the car is designed as a cab in the first place. If designed solely as a cab, then it will be a very strong chassis. (eg TVR???) If it is a conversion of an existing model (as most are), then the chassis has to be strengthened, which adds weight etc etc. Depending upon the manufacturer, depends upon the lengths they go to to eradicate that 'scuttle shake' thing that journo's talk about. The new tin top jobs, should be stonger still, as they are metal! However, on a day like this a Cab would be utterly superb, and who would care about any flaws? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I had an MX-5 and loved it. It didn't rattle or squeak, was watertight and on nice days you could put the top down and enjoy the sunshine while smelling the countryside and listening to the birdsong. People tend to see cars rather then the person in them so I never felt exposed in it- but then I must admit if I was driving through a populated area I tended to turn the stereo down so I didn't look like an arse. I can't comment on closed cars converted into open ones a la A4, 3-series etc, but a purpose built convertable is as safe and as solid as anything else on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Sunroof and open windows (I never use aircon) allows you to hear birdsong and smell the countryside but also gives you so many more options regarding how much of that you want at the time. But, enough said from me cos I clearly don't enjoy the open top experience over any distance. I'm one of those guys who chills out under the shade of the palm tree and not staked out in the sun. Don't cabs/convertibles feel quite claustrophobic when the hood is up ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I never had any problems of feeling hemmed in. I used to regard roofless driving in the same way as walking in the countryside- you wouldn't walk with a brolly up on a nice day so why bother with the roof? Using the same rationale I never felt silly driving with a coat on- I was "outside" after all... Plus in hilly places such as Wales or Scotland you can see so much more without the roof in the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 [ QUOTE ] ... if I was driving through a populated area I tended to turn the stereo down ... [/ QUOTE ] In the RS6 I almost always have some music on - in the MR2 I don't bother (although I did turn it on once - just to see if it worked!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikw Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned the other advantage of cabs/convs - being able to hear the exhaust note better. Not much of an advantage if you're in (say) an Astra Cab, admittedly, but a definite bonus for six cylinder 3 series and A4s, not to mention M3s and ®S4s. I would argue that this makes such cars considerably more satisfying at the reduced speeds demanded by modern traffic conditions. If I had the money for a Fezza 355/360/430 I would almost certainly go for the convertible because of the opportunity for repeated top-down roll-on acceleration tests in tunnels . This in spite of the real risk of verbal abuse while in the car, or vandalism when separated from, it in urban environments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_m Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I have to agree, they are flawed whenn you compare them to the tin top, onlt the other day I had to borrow my dads car to take 4 people to the airport, I cant seat 5 in my car for a start and there was just no way I would have got the luggage in the boot Having said that, you obviously accept that when you buy one, and the open roof is good enough compensation for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I have to agree, they are flawed whenn you compare them to the tin top, onlt the other day I had to borrow my dads car to take 4 people to the airport, I cant seat 5 in my car for a start ... [/ QUOTE ] Ah but the flipside to that is the pub excuse- "I know it's my turn to drive but I've not got enough seats to get us all in..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 [ QUOTE ] ...I've not got enough seats to get us all in..." [/ QUOTE ] A two-seater is best for that - when there's only room for the most attractive young lady (and not her less attractive friend)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_m Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Ah yes, but this was 4 attractive young ladies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccombie_5 Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Sunroof and open windows (I never use aircon) [/ QUOTE ] You do use it occasionally though? Just wondering, because I heard that if you don't it could seize stuff up and cause you problems. Well, my dad's ex wife had a 1999 Yellow Saab 9-3 Convertible, and previous to that she'd had the coupe (3 door?) version. She always preerred the cabriolet, because it was't that compromised over the hatch, the luggage area yes, the back seats weren't all that less spacious, however my dad remarks on how much it used to shake and vibrate. Although every convertible of that size was the same back then, the Volvo C70 was the same in those terms but IMO far superior looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 I'll reply more intelligently once i've read all the crap and baiting... er, I mean discussion points. Meanwhile... Are cabs flawed? Not if they're designed properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now