Are you looking to enter the world of convertibles but have a tight budget? Wondering what the basic/lowest threshold for owning a roofless car is? And what can you buy for that? Below is a list of the cheapest convertibles available on the European second-hand market. What about the USA? A similar list will be available soon (link will be provided here).
Advertising portals offer the possibility to filter the appropriate parameters. In this case, the matter is quite simple. I selected two settings: a filter for roofless cars and sorting by the cheapest. It’s worth mentioning that the listed car prices are the asking prices—price negotiation is always possible. However, additional costs such as registration, insurance, repairs (don’t expect a perfect condition at this price range), and transporting the car from the purchase location to your home must be considered. For such cheap cars, these initial costs can constitute a significant portion of the total cost from purchase to road-ready.
Peugeot 206 CC
CC stands for Coupe-Cabriolet: Peugeot was available in many versions, but we are only interested in the roofless option
In this case, a hardtop—produced from 2000 to 2007. The official version from the French manufacturer is a 2+2 seater, but it’s clear how many adults can realistically travel in this car. An interesting feature is the trunk capacity. While with the roof down, it’s just 175 liters (46 gallons), when converted into a coupe, it offers a substantial 410 liters (108 gallons). The successor naturally became the 207 CC version.
Prices for the Peugeot 206 CC start from 400 EUR. Engine versions in this model are limited to two petrol engines and one diesel: 1.6 110 HP (10.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h), 2.0 136 HP (8.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h), and 1.6 diesel 109 HP (10.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h).
However, I believe that spending below 1000 EUR will ultimately increase initial costs, so I would rather focus on cars starting from 1000 EUR and up. If it is to be the second or third car in the family, I would also limit the selection to the 2.0 petrol version. Acceleration below 9 seconds to 100 km/h can already provide quite a fun driving experience… especially for that money.
The 1.6 petrol or 1.6 turbo-diesel versions are more economical to drive. While the 2.0-liter petrol is likely to consume over 10 liters per 100 km, the 1.6 petrol consumes about 7.5 liters according to users, and the diesel version can use around 5 liters of diesel, significantly affecting the costs of longer trips, though at the expense of smooth operation. As mentioned, the trunk is quite large, and with the roof folded, you can always throw luggage on the rear “bench.”
Ford Streetka (Ka)
This is a rather controversial entry on this list.
On the one hand, it has a very low entry price for owning this two-seater convertible produced in Italy at the design office, starting at 800 EUR. However, a safe price can be considered twice that amount. At 3000 EUR, you can already choose well-maintained versions with lower mileage. This car will either amuse or have its fans. Technically? Choosing the Streetka, you get a four-cylinder Ford Duratec engine with two valves per cylinder, producing 95 HP, which unfortunately won’t be fast (over 10 seconds to 100 km/h) or economical: about 9 liters/100 km of petrol. With a weight of 1061 kg, these are poor results. However, the Ford Streetka owner will stand out on the street—these are not commonly seen cars.
Renault Megane second generation
Although the first generation can also be budget-friendly, there are significantly fewer and heavily used models among the cheap offers, making it easier to find a second-generation Megane convertible in a lower price range that still runs. I would risk saying that a well-maintained first-generation Renault Megane convertible with a 2.0 16v IDE engine producing 140 HP (8.6 seconds to 100 km/h) could be a good investment or a capital deposit—but time will tell.
Back to the low-budget topic and the second-generation Megane. As with the Peugeot 206 CC, we have a coupe-cabriolet here. In my opinion, it’s a very beautiful (convertible) and very awkward-looking (coupe) car. Petrol engines include a 1.6 with about 112/113 HP depending on the year, a 2.0 16v with 135 HP, and a top 2.0 turbocharged engine with 163 HP and 270 Nm of torque. Accelerations are respectively 11.8 seconds to 100 km/h, 9.9, and 8.7 for the turbo version. On the diesel side, there are as many as five turbo-diesel versions. From 1.5 dCi to 2.0 dCi. Power ranges from 106 to 150 HP. Acceleration ranges from 12.2 to 9.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h.
Prices start from 700 EUR, but as with the Streetka, it is more reasonable to look at twice that amount. Over 80% of the offers are naturally aspirated petrol engines (1.6 and 2.0), and the distribution is even.
Volkswagen Golf MK3/MK4
A cult car for the people. Here, the German manufacturer conducted an interesting operation.
While the third-generation Golf was a completely new design, the next fourth generation was essentially a facelift of the third. Aside from the front section, virtually nothing changed in the car. Technologically, it was still a 1993 construction. Thus, this duo-generation lasted for nine years until 2002. The successor was the Volkswagen New Beetle, which began production in a convertible version in 2003. During this nearly decade-long period, engines and equipment changed. The Golf convertible returned only in 2011 in the sixth generation, which I personally consider one of the most beautiful compact convertibles ever. Unfortunately, it was a tough time for VW regarding engines. Practically all engines had significant issues, but that’s a topic for another occasion. I invite you to read the Volkswagen cabriostory!
Returning to our budget purchases: Prices for the VW Golf MK3 start from 600 EUR, but again, it’s worth looking at prices of 1200 EUR and up.
If we want the “newer” generation, adding a few hundred euros should solve the problem. It’s worth noting that the Golf MK3/MK4 convertible body was limited to only part of the engine range available in the regular Golf. Available petrol engines ranged from 1.6 to 2.0, with power ranging from 75 to 115 HP, and the famous 1.9 TDI diesels with power outputs of 90 or 110 HP. However, the 10.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, which was the best result according to the manufacturer in the serial model, can be improved by buying versions with engine swaps to VR6 units. The most popular among second-hand versions seem to be the 2.8 VR6 with 174 HP, which in the regular Golf had less than 8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and could reach over 220 km/h. Nevertheless, this is an expense equivalent to several cars from the lower threshold… I couldn’t resist adding this information.
Opel Tigra Twin Top
Opel, wanting to enter the small convertible market, modified its B-segment city car, the Corsa, into a convertible with a hardtop.
Although the car we are talking about here is the second generation of the Tigra, it became revolutionary for this line from the perspective of this blog—it can be categorized as a convertible. This two-seater car had three engine options. Two petrol engines—one fast, the other not so fast, namely 1.8 Ecotec 125 HP reaching 100 km/h in about 9.5 seconds and 1.4 Twinport with 90 HP reaching 100 km/h in over 12 seconds. There is also a 1.3 turbo-diesel option, developed in collaboration with Italian FIAT, which, if you accept the engine’s work culture (still a four-cylinder unit), will be one of the most economical convertibles on the market (not just in this budget).
Prices start from 700 EUR, but again, I wouldn’t go below 1000 EUR. With a budget of 2000 EUR, there will be plenty to choose from. I also find it hard to see a correlation between the engine and price. I assume the price is related to the condition and year. The diesel engine appeared only in the second year of production, 2005, and there are significantly fewer on the second-hand market. Manufacturer data confirms this. Out of 35,645 Tigra Twin Tops produced, only 912 units left the Opel factory with a diesel engine under the hood.
Other ideas for cheap convertibles
Obviously, these are not all the options that a future cheap convertible owner can consider. We also have the Fiat Punto, Ford Escort, Peugeot 307 CC, Citroen C3 Pluriel, Mercedes SLK (R170), or Chrysler Stratus, which can be found at really low prices. However, in my opinion, these cars are either not readily available or in poor condition within this budget.
Looking for the Best Convertibles within 10,000 EUR budget?
If the cheapest options don’t suit you, explore affordable convertibles within a 10,000 EUR budget that offer a great balance of price, style, and driving experience! LINK: Affordable Convertibles Under 10,000 EUR.
Summary of data in a comparison table
| Model | Price Range (EUR) | Available Engines | 0-100 km/h Acceleration (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peugeot 206 CC | 400 – 1000+ | 1.6 110 HP (petrol) 2.0 136 HP (petrol) 1.6 109 HP (diesel) | 10.5 (1.6 petrol) 8.3 (2.0 petrol) 10.8 (1.6 diesel) |
| Ford Streetka (Ka) | 800 – 3000 | 1.6 Duratec 95 HP (petrol) | 10+ |
| Renault Megane II | 700 – 1400+ | 1.6 112/113 HP (petrol) 2.0 135 HP (petrol) 2.0 turbo 163 HP (petrol) Diesels 106-150 HP | 11.8 (1.6 petrol) 9.9 (2.0 petrol) 8.7 (2.0 turbo petrol) 9.5 – 12.2 (diesels) |
| Volkswagen Golf MK3/MK4 | 600 – 1200+ | 1.6-2.0 75-115 HP (petrol) 1.9 TDI 90/110 HP (diesels) | 10.7-18.2 (petrol) 11.3 – 13.3 (diesels) <8 (VR6)* |
| Opel Tigra Twin Top | 700 – 2000+ | 1.8 125 HP (petrol) 1.4 90 HP (petrol) 1.3 70 HP (diesel) | 9.5 (1.8 petrol) >12 (1.4 petrol) >15 (1.3 diesel) |
