Best Open-Top Cars of 2013

Mini Roadster

Winner, Best Open-Top Car

You could say Mini saved the best for last. Of all the bodystyles it now offers, none seems to sum up the brand as well as its most recent addition: the Roadster.

As good as the Mini Convertible is, it doesn't get close to the lower-slung, sportier Roadster for fun, and that's a big part of what affordable drop-tops such as this are about.

The Roadster feels every inch the little sports car it looks like, thanks to its sharp steering and grippy handling. Go for the Cooper S version and you get power to match; its 181bhp turbocharged petrol engine rockets you from one corner to the next, yet average fuel economy is an impressively frugal 47.1mpg.

The cabin has only two seats, but the driver and passenger get plenty of space and the boot has a useful 240-litre capacity. As you'd expect from a Mini, the interior is quirky and most of the materials have a good-quality feel. Running costs are affordable, helped in no small part by rock-solid resale values.

Read the full Mini Roadster review