If I choose to buy a new car, I don't want to stress out every time I cross a speed breaker.
BHPian evolution recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I'm looking to buy a convertible soon. I used to drive convertibles in the US a lot and absolutely love the experience. Been dreaming about owning one in Mumbai as well.
Now one of the problems is convertibles are only available in sedans. There are a couple of really good options for the Mercedes E350 convertible available, which is my ideal car - I had a fantastic experience with it in the US.
BUT - Indian roads :( I test drove one of these and it hit every damn speed breaker we tried to cross. This was a nightmare for me. If I choose to buy a new car, I don't want to stress out every time I cross a speed breaker.
Couple of questions:
- Where can I get accurate information about ground clearance? Is there a trusted source? Or do you guys physically measure it?
- Can you suggest which models would have the best ground clearance? My options are Mercedes C class, E class, Audi A3.
In my searches it shows C Class has a 157mm ground clearance whereas E class has a shocking 120mm ground clearance! Audi A3 seems to be at 165mm.. I'm quite surprised to see so much variation as visually all these cars look the same lol.. I guess it is only some 4-5cm difference.. But I'm wondering whether to trust these numbers!
Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:
Your concerns are legit. Long story short, if you are looking at touring, buy a CKD adapted for India, and not a direct-import CBU. But you'll see a lot more options for CKD sedans than convertibles.
Hope you've considered the weather. Convertibles are fun in India only in the winter, at night and in hill stations. In all other situations, there is too much dust, dirt & heat.
Consider the Mini & Boxster. Because they are tuned for sportiness & have shorter wheelbases, they handle speed-breakers better than large barges. You'll see many options for both these cars in the pre-owned market. Since you are looking at spending premium cash, I'm not sure if a Jeep Wrangler is an option for you? Convertible + go anywhere!
Range Rover had also launched an Evoque Convertible. That might be a fabulous option for you.
Best way to know about GC is either ownership reports (scarce on these niche convertibles) or test it yourself on big bumps. Don't go by on-paper stats. My C220 (~141 mm) and 530d (~158 mm) scraped their underbelly lesser than my Honda Civic did (170 mm rating).
Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:
All convertibles are direct imports and will have poor GC compared to their CKD counterparts, especially Mercedes increases GC a lot in their CKD cars (so high that you can actually see the fake-exhaust setup on most Mercedes CKD sedans). Like GTO mentioned, your best bet is to go for short wheel base cars.
I can't make head or tail of GC numbers - that number is fairly useless as wheelbase, stiffness of suspension, overhangs, number of people you are likely to travel with, the type of roads/ramps you have play a big role. Best would be to test drive and check it for yourself.
All I can say is that if you try too hard to be practical, you will end up with a car you won't particularly like. It is no big deal to scrape few speed breakers and ramps due to low GC. It doesn't cause any damage to your car beyond some superficial scratches. The inconvenience of having to drive very slowly and carefully over speed breakers is a reasonable trade off to enjoy the wow factor of a CBU convertible.
GC is a bigger risk if you are dealing with flooded roads, potholed roads, etc. - advisable to buy insurance with engine + gearbox protection add-on cover.
Here's what BHPian Turbanator had to say on the matter:
Look at Z4, especially in M trim with 6 cylinders. Have seen some examples in resales at 20-30% off in less than a year. You can also look at the Boxster range, due to the recent price increase by Porsche, not sure about the resale prices though. A shorter wheelbase helps in your mentioned scenarios. If you are looking only for a 4 door, try to find a clean 3 series convertible, there were a handful of imports.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.