Peugeot Convertibles have been around since about 1937 and Peugeot is well known for making stylish versions of their smaller cars into Coupe versions. The first real Peugeot convertible was the Peugeot 402 Eclipse cabriolet. As a major producer of convertibles, Peugeot has tried out several different style of soft tops over the years and now use the electric strengthened soft top on its two hatchback model cars to make them into convertibles. As with most auto manufacturers, Peugeot charge... (full review continues below)
Peugeot Convertibles have been around since about 1937 and Peugeot is well known for making stylish versions of their smaller cars into Coupe versions. The first real Peugeot convertible was the Peugeot 402 Eclipse cabriolet. As a major producer of convertibles, Peugeot has tried out several different style of soft tops over the years and now use the electric strengthened soft top on its two hatchback model cars to make them into convertibles. As with most auto manufacturers, Peugeot charges a hefty premium on their convertible models over the base model of the same design which hasn't affected their sales. Once someone has their heart set on a convertible car, the price is not as much of an issue as opposed to whether or not the convertible version still retains the character of the original vehicle while adding even more for the wind in hair experience.
Most convertibles nowadays including Peugeot Coupes are carefully designed with an emphasis on aeronautic schematics to minimize the streamlining effect on the car when travelling at higher speeds. An emphasis is also placed on minimizing the safety risks associated with not having a solid roof to absorb impact in the case of an accident. The Peugeot Convertibles is fiercely competitive in this area and a leader amongst the large auto manufacturers. The major competitors for the two Peugeot Convertibles are the Mazda MX-5 Miata, BMW 3 series, Audi A5, Mercedes Benz SLK Class and the Nissan 370Z.
At the lower end of the Peugeot Convertible scale is the Peugeot 207 convertible with two models: the Peugeot 207 starting from $35,000 with a 1.6 liter engine and a 4 speed automatic transmission giving 118 horsepower and reaching a top speed of 121mph with 0-60mph in 7.82 seconds. Fuel economy is decent with it managing 22mpg in cities and 41mpg on the highway. The five speed manual version of the Peugeot 307 convertible has almost the same performance - it is a couple miles per hour faster and the acceleration is about 0.8 seconds quicker. The fuel economy is significantly better at 27mpg for cities and 44mpg for highways and this Peugeot Convertible starts at $33,000.
For the Peugeot 308 Convertible there are also two trims: the first is the Peugeot 308 with a 6 speed automatic transmission for the 1.6 liter turbo engine giving 154 horsepower and a top speed of 133mph with 0-60 in 6 seconds starting at $50,000. The fuel economy is reasonable for a convertible at 23mpg in cities and 42mpg on highways. The second trim is the Peugeot 1.6 liter six speed sport automatic transmission starting at $50,000 and producing 154 horsepower pushing this Peugeot Convertible to a top speed of 131mph and 0-60 mph in just over 6 seconds. Fuel economy for the automatic is surprisingly close to that of the manual managing 23mpg in cities and 42mpg on highways.