Advantages And Disadvantages Of Canvas And Rigid Roofs On A Convertible

Advantages and disadvantages of hard and canvas roofs on a convertible

The purchase of a convertible type car is usually motivated more by the heart than by reason. They are the kind of impulsive purchases in which a few cons are not able to overcome the advantages of these, so we end up wanting one. The choice of the type of roof has become a headache.

Until the arrival of electronics to automobiles, all convertibles had a canvas roof, made of one material or another, but of the same style. However, little by little the rigid retractable ceilings were gaining adherents,  which almost extinguished the original configuration.

Fortunately, trends change and the canvas roof is once again popular, to such an extent that the few hardtop convertibles are mutating into Targa. We can observe this phenomenon in the current Porsche 911 Targa and the Mazda MX5 RF.

Canvas roof

Advantage

The advantages of a convertible with a canvas roof are not few. For starters, the weight of the set is much less, especially if the drive is manual. A lower weight, less consumption and wear of other components, such as tires and brakes, having to move and stop less mass.

Obviously, there is the aesthetic point, much more favorable for these. In addition, the brands offer different colors of fabric to combine the roof with the body or the passenger compartment. This type of car also benefits from a larger cargo space, as a soft top folds over on itself, so it takes up less space.

Despite the high price of a replacement roof, it is much lower than a rigid equivalent and all its parts. In addition, a soft top can be protected with rigid covers;  you can have two cars in one.

Disadvantages

Among the disadvantages of this type of convertible stands out the lower safety, since in the event of an accident, despite the anti-roll bars, it is much less resistant. There is also the issue of vandalism, because they can always crack the roof and access our car, and a new one is not exactly cheap.

The passage of time also affects the appearance of our roof. Like used clothing, the roof fabric in the open for many years ends up deteriorating, losing color, elasticity, insulation, etc. The noises are also higher, either from the air or the rolling.

Rigid roof

Experiments with this type of roof began in the 1930s, and during the 1950s Americans perfected the technique. However, success did not come. It was not until the 1990s that this concept finally triumphed thanks to the first Mercedes SLK and in 2000 with the inexpensive Peugeot 206 CC. 

Since then, this type of convertible has enjoyed a great acceptance, which is descending again now that retro is in fashion.

Advantage

The main advantage of a hardtop is safety. Whether in the event of an accident or vandals, these types of convertibles are much more protected compared to those with a canvas roof. The insulation offers a plus of comfort, with less noise from the outside and less probability of water infiltration.

Disadvantages

Metal can’t fold, so these convertibles divide your roof into sections that overlap once it’s removed. Due to this, the space they occupy is greater, which reduces the load capacity to a minimum. Its consumption is higher given the greater weight of the roof and all its components.

The aesthetic factor also has a negative influence, especially if the car is derived from a coupe. Having a hardtop, closed, it will never look like a convertible, but its lines will not be as fluid and natural as in a coupe, so they are in a no-man’s-land.

The best choice

The buyer has the last word, without a doubt, but this is influenced by his needs, which may favor the purchase of the convertible that he least likes. For history and style, a canvas convertible will always look better, but depending on where we live it may not be the best option.

In the northern part of the country, where the climate is much harsher in winter, the materials with which the hoods are made suffer more, so they deteriorate faster and force you to invest extra money in maintaining it. In these cases, a hardtop offers greater durability and less maintenance.

If the weather is not an issue where you live, a soft top is the most convenient purchase. In addition, with one of these you always have the possibility of buying a hard roof for winters, and leaving it in the garage in summer. This is impossible with a rigid roof, as it is there, period. With the canvas one you can have both.

In conclusion, we recommend buying a canvas roof as the first option, which in case of winter problems can be solved with a  temporary hard top . If you don’t have enough space to store your hardtop when you’re not using it, we recommend a car with a hardtop.