Sure, any car will get you where you need to go. In a convertible, however, you can feel like you're traveling in style and soaking up some sun.
New this year is the convertible version of the latest Ford Mustang, which has a base price of just over $29,000. For most of the original "pony car's" more than 50 years, a drop-top has been part of the lineup.
New in the modern age is a kind of optional performance engine, with four cylinders. But don't write it off as a weakling. Turbo-charging and other tricks have it putting out more than 300 horsepower. It helps the Mustang make muscle car tracks, but with economy car gas mileage.
The Detroit sporty car wars continue on next year, when Chevrolet brings out the convertible version of its new 2016 Camaro. Chevy made sure to debut it to the public as soon as it could to try to steal a little of the new Mustang's thunder. The open-top Camaro won't even be in dealerships for about six month.
One big Camaro plus: a sleek self-deploying hard tonneau. The Mustang, and the upcoming Camaro should sell very well, especially in sunny places like California. But another new entry in the convertible segment won't necessarily sell in big numbers, but it's significant nonetheless.
It's the new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, priced from $63,900. Alfa has big new plans for the U.S. market, starting with sports cars.
The Spider lets the sun in when you remove this folding roof. It rolls up and stores in a bag, which then takes up about half the space in the tiny trunk. The interior's a bit tight too if you or your one passenger are more than 6 feet tall.
Don't laugh at the low-grade radio. Well, okay, go ahead and laugh at it. A bit of a joke in a car that costs over $60,000. Then again, most drivers will likely just enjoy the music of the Spider's four-cylinder engine.
Whether it's a pure sports car or something sporty with room for four, a convertible can turn "just driving" into a short, sunny vacation every time you're behind the wheel.