In many ways owning a convertible is more like owning a boat than it is like owning a car. With the exception of fishermen and lighthouse keepers who live on islands, nobody really needs a boat — but a lot of people want one. Ditto for a convertible. You don’t need it. (Really, you know you don’t.) But you just can’t help craving one.
As with a boat, a lot of people are enamored of the joy associated with having a convertible, but they are less than thrilled about all the potential costs and time-wasters that accompany the process. Just as the most cost-effective solution is to have a good friend who owns a boat, so it goes with a convertible as well. Of course, if your friend with the convertible always insists on driving, it dulls the sensation somewhat. Having both owned boats and convertibles, I can tell you straight from the shoulder that if you believe you won’t have a great time owning a convertible, that the thrill of the open road in the open air means little to you, then don't buy a convertible. But if you do, here are 10 things you should know about convertibles.