Soon we'll be driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping for hiking, shopping, eating, etc. Would you feel comfortable leaving your top down while you hike, while you eat, while you shop, etc.?

 

not me, I was always afraid I'd come back and find a milkshake tossed inside... and just dont trust people that much

 

Only if I was going to be a few minutes in the store or I could see it from a restaurant. I'd never leave it down and go off for awhile.

 

I agree with the others, only time mine stays down is in the garage.

 

IMO - having ridden a motorcycle (which you cannot lock) and a MINI on the BRP many times, I have a different perspective. I think the vast majority of people you will encounter at the various stops along the BRP are: 1. Vacationers - who have no desire to steal or vandalize anyone's car; 2. Sight-seers - who are "locals" on a day trip and again no trouble; 3. Other sports car/bike people who love the curvy road and again pose no threat.

Having said that...and I admit to being a little paranoid...I do leave my top down at most stops, even to go for a short hike. But I do make sure anything loose is locked in the trunk (and of course the rear seat backs are locked). I have never had any theft or vandalism. If I am going on a longer walk than 15-20 minutes and there is a large parking area and a lot of vehicles I usually do lock up.

Some folks are so paranoid though, there is no way they could ever ride a motorcycle. Here we have a GPS on the handlebar and a duffel on the hitch. We leave our helmets (with intercoms) on the seats, we throw our jackets over the helmets. So we have a lot of expensive gear out in the open. But what else can you do with it.

 

If I can't see the car, then the top goes back up.

 

Maybe I'm too trusting but I left the top down on my convertible many times when I parked it somewhere.

Now, even I have my limits and would not leave the top down if I left it parked near downtown Baltimore or D.C. I'm trusting, but not stupid.

 

What's that line in "The Italian Job"? "I trust everyone. It's the devil inside them I don't trust".

In our little small town world here, no worries. When we breach the curtain into the twilight zone, up she goes regardless.

 

NO!
Don't do it.
A bear might decide to find where you hid the picnic...

 

On my Miata, I'd leave the top down a lot, even in the City (SF). I rarely do in on the Mini, although I couldn't explain why I feel differently than with the Miata. When I do leave the top down in the Mini, I roll the windows up, making it harder to reach into the car. I do worry about putting the top up and down so much, with wear and tear on the mechanism and the canvas though.

 

I've had convertibles for 20 years, 15 years with my last one. I almost always had the top down when it wasn't raining. I figured if they were going to steal something, I'd rather them steal it than steal it AND slit the top or break a window.

Now, I did not leave anything I valued visible, and anything longer than half an hour or so I usually tossed a car cover over it, but that wasn't secured either. In general, I felt it was reasonably safe, and it was not worth the trouble of putting the top up.

Buuuuuuuut, as I'm sitting at the dealership waiting for them to finish my new car, I wonder if I'll be able to continue that behavior with a new/expensive car. I live and work in decent neighborhoods, but it seems like the consequences are a lot larger now.

I have a feeling I'll be putting the top up at night now. (At least I'll know the top is regularly getting stretched back to it's needed shape.)


On a related note... a guy I work with bought a Z4 a few years ago, drove home from the dealership, parked in front of his house, and put the top up. He came out 2 hours later to find the top cut open and his plastic water bottle he'd left in a cupholder missing... This was in the mid to late afternoon, and he lived in a pretty affluent neighborhood. ("Better" than any I've lived in.)

 

Top up. 1. Protection from humans 2. Protection from animals. 3. Protection from the elements. 4. Very easy to put up/down.

 

He should have left it open. Just goes to show you that just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they won't steal your water bottle.

 

The top up to keep Bird poop, rain, and people out.

 

Collectively you're about as conflicted by this as I am. These were my thoughts as well (although I never thought about those nasty bears). It would be much easier if I wasn't thinking about the wear and tear of opening and closing the top. I'm sure I'll end up closing it sometimes and leaving it open sometimes, depending on the sit.

 

6 years with our 06 no issues with leaving top down and out of view with the exception of one time at our lake place a cat got in and used passenger seatback as a scratching post (leather) insurance took care of that no questions asked, weather is hard on interior more work to keep clean. '12 HIGHGATE now sitting in garage (3 days old! ) we may change our thinking somewhat due to the fact that interior is such a dark color, I due think that keeping the top up does help with the wrinkling and keeping the top stretched to shape. Bottom line for us is that if it's not raining then why have it up.

 

Yes, I have gone shopping quite a few times and left the top down.

 

Is that a HIGHGATE?

 

Somebody mentioned bears. Most people think of the big toothy ones. Actually, mini bears (chipmonks, squirrels, pack rats, field mice and etc.) do more damage collectively than maxi bears just because there's more of them and they can get into places you never knew you had.

 

My last vehicle was a BMW convertible - manual roof. If I was going to be driving it around (errands, to a friend's, etc), I left the roof open with the windows up all day. When I was done for the day, I closed it up -- mostly because of things like leaves, sprinklers, & raccoons (we did not have a garage & parked on the street). However, I did forget on occasion the top was down & it stayed open, once for two days. I never had an issue, except yellow pollen was a pain to wipe off of black leather.

I now own a new MINI convertible & will apply the same process.

 

Yup!

 

Very nice, brought ours home on Sunday 7/29, retired our 06s cabriole after 80,0000 plus fun miles

 

Congrats!

I hope my Highgate last that long!