First Sun Burn of Summer.

Saturday we decided to do some more car shopping. We've made the decision that we're going to get a convertible, but it not only has to be convertible but it has to be a fun car to drive. With this in mind we set out to do some test driving. First off the rank for a test was the Smart Roadster, which I have to say is LOADS of fun to drive. It's not the fastest off the line, which is a mainly due to a combination of the electronically controlled gearbox, the braking assistance and the turbo lag, but once it's rolling and you need to pull away from something it definitely has the legs. The best part about it is taking it around corners. The thing just doesn't seem to step off the line no matter how hard you try and push it through a corner. I tried my hardest to get the tail to let go, dropping some serious right foot in the middle of a corner but the moment it looked like stepping out the traction control grabs you and off you go. So in the fun stakes it's well and truly up there. On the downside though it's not a lot of car for the money and the interior reminds me of the finish that you'd expect from a Ford Fiesta rather than a $40k+ convertible.

Next of the test drive list was an Astra Convertible, (the silver with red leather was a nice touch). We hired one of these when we drove the Great Ocean Road earlier in the year, which was a lot of fun, but driving one now is a little on the boring side. It's just not an exciting car, very safe, very stable on the road. It's like driving a Statesman with the top down, so we quickly scratched it off the list.

The other's we went to look at (but didn't test drive because we were burn from wandering all the yards) were the Mini Cabrio and the New MX-5. The Mini was off the radar until the weekend when ness saw the interior. They have a very fun/funky interior that really appeals (my favourite bit is the centrally mounted tacho!).
The New MX-5 however is just generally gorgeous. We haven't been for a drive yet but it just looks stunning. We saw a red on the weekend and I was hooked.

The current running list is :-

1. New MX-5
2. Mini Cabrio
3. Smart Roadster

I think it will be decision time after a test drive on the weekend!