Second Hand Sense/VW Beetle convertible:This tends to be the time of year when some people begin to think that owning a carbriolet in a country like this might make sense. A surprising number of people are willing to take on the odds that we will have more sunny summer days than not.
There are plenty of cars to choose from if you are of such a mind, and one - the VW Beetle convertible - tends to feature near the top of most people's wish lists.
The Beetle is, of course, an iconic car and its story hardly needs re-telling. Suffice to say that it is one of the few cars (the others perhaps being the Mini and the Fiat 500) that have managed to provoke affection through generations.
Of course, there was little sentiment involved in the re-launch of the Beetle in the late 1990s. VW realised it had an asset that could stand re-invention and re-launch because a new generation appreciated its abiding charms. The clever part of the re-launch, however, was to simply package the existing VW Golf to look like a modern "Herbie".
The Beetle has made more of an impression on women than men, but this is generally true of all small convertibles. Men tend to go for bigger and less practical ones. It is charming and smart, but most of the attraction is on the outside. Apart from the very large speedometer, everything else on the inside is Golf and VW-group derived. The steering wheel, dashboard, seats and driving position are all familiar and a major criticism has to be that the dashboard is just a lazy and cheap transfer from an older Golf generation.
To compare, look at the way Mini went all out to retain the charm of the interior design while making it look fresh, original and classic at the same time.
You can get the car with all the usual Golf engine options, from the basic 1.5-litre petrol with a very average 75 horse power to the 1.6-litre petrol, a 1.8-litre petrol, a 1.9-litre TDI diesel and a 2.0-litre petrol.
The 1.6-litre is possibly the best buy, as it is economical and nice to drive around town, but is also adequate on a longer journey.
With the roof down on a nice day you won't find many cars to match it. The ride is good, but you can expect some body roll when you push. Also, no convertible is sound-proof, so be warned.
You can forget about accommodating anyone in the back except children, or small adults at a squeeze and the boot is ridiculously small.
This is a town car that will barely take the shopping, never mind a golf bag. You can get the roof down automatically in jig time, but the mechanism is something you need to check very carefully before buying a second-hand one.
Serious hesitation in the drop mechanism may suggest problems that will cost a lot to fix, and could also leave you soaking on the side of the road some day.
The Beetle Cabriolet has a four-star rating, out of a possible five, in the Euro NCAP crash tests and the usual Golf reliability assurances are a strong feature.
A 2003 1.6-litre model with four airbags, ABS, electric windows and mirrors, alloys and central locking and with just 20,000 kilometres on the clock is on offer for €19,995.
A 2005 1.4-litre with 70,000 kilometres up is on offer for €19,500. There is a 2006 1.4-litre with fewer than 8,000 kilometres on offer for €27,950.
FOR:charm, driving pleasure AGAINST:small rear space and boot. Second-hand values too high