I did a search and couldnt find anything really. How does the Cabrio do with noise at high speeds? Can you hear yourself or your passanger? How does music hold up? This is with the roof up of course.

Im just really torn to go Cabrio or not

 

Noise w/ roof up is not bad at all. Once you go topless, you'll never go tin top again.

Every day I drive my Cabrio, I remind myself that it is the perfect car - it seats 4, performs like a sports car costing 3x the price, has a drop top and is reasonably priced. What more could you ask for?

 

I have only had Maggie since February and only recently have been getting a lot of topless driving in - many times at highway speeds up to 85 or so. The absolute loudest thing is when you have all the windows up and just open the sunroof part of the top without cracking the rear windows - it sounds like you are in the middle of a roar. Opening or cracking the rear windows helps a huge amount with the sunroof noise.

Funny but I don't notice the huge sound with the top fully down - only once or twice has topless driving been annoying, and that was when there were hugely strong crosswinds (20 to 30 mph winds) that change the normal road wind patterns over the car. With the steering wheel radio volume control, I just up the HK a couple notches as the speed increases and I am fine. However, you certainly won't get every nuance of "delicate" music in a cabrio with the top down - that goes for any cabrio I would think - but if you judiciously select good driving music, it is a great expereince.

I have a windscreen but have yet to try it on the car - I know that people swear by it for lowering the wind level at higher speed. I would assume that it helps a bit with the sound level as well. I am planning an 8 hour drive across PA topless next month and will try out the windscreen at highway speeds then. The reason I don't use it more often (or leave it on the car) is that the screen also horizontally covers the open rear seat opening (no one can sit in rear seats using this) and I often use that space for stuff I carry.

The only weird noise I sense in the cabrio is with the top UP - it seems like when driving or parked that sound hits me from the general direction of the rear wheels, coming through the fabric or the well for the top - nothing objectionable but somewhat more noise than expected in a hard top. But, hey, its fabric. Nothing to worry about hearing loss from.

I was originally concerned about making the wrong choice by going cabrio but now that I have the car I would never go back - just imagine a glorious sunny day cruising around the neighborhood in a topless MINI - the car is so compact that it is a lot like sitting in a bobsled and the outside seems so much closer to you than in a huge American convertible. The windscreen seems to recede as well and all you see around you is the sky and trees and birds (kindly do not poop on the canvas...) and it is just wonderful.

I drove in some cold weather since getting the car and I am not concerned about the fabric making the car an icebox in winter - the seat heaters and the general heating system are fine for keeping yourself toasty.

Please take the risk and go for the cabrio - you will never regret it !!!

Bill

 

I previously wrote this in another thread...
I've given up on driving on the highway with the top down, unless there is almost no traffic. It's not the wind turbulence (actually quite comfortable with the wind deflector), it's the traffic noise that bothers me. Driving at 70 mph, the tire and engine noise from nearby cars and trucks can be very loud. Going through an underpass at the same time as a large truck, the noise can be deafening.

It can frustrating to have the roof up in nice weather, but I have done a few 45 minute freeway commutes in traffic with the roof down, and they gave me headaches from the high level of noise.

 

As stated, once you own a carbrio, you'll never want to go back to the tin top.

At high speeds with the top up, you may notice a slight "wind blowing" sound on the top, but it is relatively minor. It's much less than I would have expected before I test drove.

Get the cabrio!

 

The MINI cabrio is one of the quietest ragtops on the market when the top is up and quite calm when it is down. I was amazed when I took my test drive. Really not much louder than the tin top. None of the road roar that you get from other ragtops as the top is lined and very well engineered. Try taking a Miata on a 4 hour road trip with the top up and you'll never complain again about the little bit of road noise the MINI allows in the cabin.

 

It's not bad at all with top up. I've had 2 previous convertibles, a 60 VW KG (which I sold to buy the mini) and a TR6. Both were as noisy with the top up as with the top down. I commute with the top down as often as possible. The freeway noise doesn't bother me a bit even with all the windows down. The stereo however does lose its "ooomph" with the top and windows down. That's my only complaint. Ok well, and about two weeks ago some kid (about 3 yrs old) in the back seat of an SUV tossed a jelly bean into the car while I was stuck in traffic.

 

Darn little juvenile delinquents......

 

A MINI Adventure . . .

 

It's nice to be riding with the top down eating jelly beans and chucking them straight out.

 

I've ridden in several convertibles... and the MINI is one of the quietest with the top up. The first thing we did when I got Nemo was take a weekend trip to Tennessee (about 4 hours of highway driving.) My nephews in the back seat kept commenting on how quiet the ride was when the top was up. The only thing they didn't like was the noise from Semi's driving by when the top was down. (So I told them to shut up and turned the radio up. KIDDING!!)

I went from an Infiniti FX45 SUV, which was VERY well insulated, to the MINI Cabrio.. the noise is nothing. Sure do miss that 315hp though. If I could only get that in Nemo...

 

I had a 2003 MINI "hardtop" and traded him in on my 2006 convertible and I loveit. Anytime the temperatureis above 65, the top will be down. I bought the wind deflector and use it all the time. I drove from Memphis to the "Dragon" with the top down the entire time and the noise was no bother.

 

My first MINI was a tin top as well.

Decided to move up to a rag top and have never looked back.


(actually, it's hard to look back anyway)








Get it? "Hard to look back".







Okay - never mind.

 

I love the top down - the HK stereo paired up with my satelite radio has awesome sound on the hwy - 55-70 mph every day for my work commute 54 miles each way. Although, I have to admit I did like how quiet the tin top loaner car I had for two days was. You do get a little outside noise and rattles and creeks with the top up. But as soon as the temp guage reaches 63+ everything is made better with the simple push of a button.