SO, CHOSE the Peugeot convertible for your topless test. A sort of guinea-Pug, eh? Sorry, couldn’t resist it.
Very amusing. But not for those of us at the cutting edge who have to do the testing.
So what did you discover about top-down winter motoring?
It was freezing.
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Brilliant. Keep it up and you keep your job. Anything else?
Er, yes. Actually, the CC is a coupé, a hard-top that folds away. In common with all but the most expensive convertibles, it suffers from that distracting vibration once the rigidity of the roof disappears. Even when it is up, there is a throbbing. And there is some odd wind noise.
But the roof works, does it?
Incredible. Push a button and it folds itself away neatly like one of those robot thingies the kids play with. Even then, there is plenty of boot space. Just don’t invite any friends for a drive in the country.
Why?
Because the legroom is only enough for circus midgets, or vertically-challenged performers, or whatever we are supposed to say now.
Sounds like a duffer.
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That would be unfair. The cabin is very nicely appointed, it drives pleasantly, with a 138 horsepower, 2-litre that tops out at 129mph. If there is a big criticism, it is that all-round vision is not great. Reversing is like playing blind man’s bluff and the A-pillar is so big, you feel you are peering around Vanessa Feltz to see if anything is coming.
You didn’t set off in the right mood on this one, did you?
Well, convertibles — who’d have ‘em? All right, plenty of people. If you want a budget convertible, the Pug at £18,340 is as good as anything around.
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Alternatives?
Citroen C3 Pluriel (£12,195 to £13,795), for the designer peasant look; Ford Streetka (£12,710 to £13,960), just for peasants; Mazda MX-5 (£15,000 to £18,000), world best-seller; MG TF (£15,995 to £21,195), British best-seller; Mini Convertible (£13,325 to £20,594), we love it; Vauxhall Astra Convertible (£18,395 to £22,145), 18 grand for a Vauxhall!; Audi A4 Cabriolet (£25,025 to £28,200), pricey small car. Stick with the Peugeot.