I really want a convertible, but I live where it is cold/snowy much of the winter.

I'm not concerned about cold as much as top maintenance with the snow/salt/wind factors.

I can't afford (and don't have room) for two cars, so my car has to be a daily year round driver.

Anyone?

 

Here are a couple of threads to browse.
Winter topdown motoring
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=89435

and Winter top care

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=89078

 

I do. I live in CT and the MINI is my daily. I have a good set of snow tires and that solves most of the problems. If it is really bad, then I stay home but those storms only happen once or twice a year. The heater is more than capable and heated seats make it even easier to deal with the cold. As far as salt, I wash it whenever possible, not much more you can do. Personally, I would not let winter stop you from getting a convertible. We get maybe 10 storms a year but we have well over 100 days where you can put the top down.

 

I live in Toronto. Mini convertible is my only car. No problem with salt/snow/wind. I really do treat it as if it's a hard top in the winter. I was a bit worried some days, when the whole car was encrusted with ice; I just had to be a bit more careful than usual with the ice scraper (especially on the rear window) and everything was fine.

I should note, however, that in extreme cold, the rubber seals (or something) around the convertible get hard, resulting in a LOT more rattling noise. No leaks or problems, just more rattling.

C

 

I live in Pittsburgh and my '05 MCSc is my daily driver. I can't say that I've experienced any winter problems with the car. fortunately I have a garage at home and a parking garage at work, so it's exposure to the elements is minimized. I do wash and wax frequently and use the RaggTopp conditioner on the top a lot, to minimize problems. Hopefully my efforts will pay off long term.

 

I wouldn't think the top maintenance would be a major issue, but it will be noisy, and you'll probably need some good snow tires because the Dunlops that are on my 05' are not good at all in the snow.

 

I live in the snow belt of Northeast Ohio. It was 40 this morning, so I guess I live in a cold area year round.

Just ensure that you order heated seats and get a windscreen. That will extend your topless time about 2-4 months.

 

I live in Maine, and was going topless until I left for deployment a couple days after Thanksgiving. The wife continued to drive the Cabrio, and had the top down periodically throughout the winter.

 

+1 what ThomB said. I got my cabrio when winter finally decided to kick in NJ. It was fine driving around after the plows had come about (I wasn't keen on driving on unplowed roads in a brand new car), and you can even drive with the top down like ThomB says when it's cold. The top up is also more than adequate for keeping the cockpit warm and dry when it's storming out.

 

I live in Maryland where we have 2 seasons, winter and summer. The optional wind deflector and windows up helps keep the temperature up in colder weather. I'm usually good to about 40 degrees on my 25 mile commute and lower for short trips. I have the car cover and put it on the car any time snow is predicted overnight. I also have a set of aftermarket wheels with summer tires and kept the oem wheels with all season tires for the winter. Go cabrio