SPONSORED: Toyota convertibles: Why haven’t they made a comeback?

If you were lucky enough to be driving in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, then you may have had the chance to get behind the wheel of a Toyota convertible. This type of N Charlotte Toyota was exceptionally popular back then, perfect for soaking up the sun, hitting the beach, and making the most of a road trip. However, if you’ve been paying attention to the automotive market then you’ll have noticed that convertibles are no longer popular - in fact, you rarely see them up for grabs anymore at any dealership, not just Toyota dealers. Toyota of N Charlotte is here to explain why.

What ever happened to the N Charlotte Toyota Solara?

Toyota convertibles like the Toyota Solara were exceptionally popular in decades past. They offered a fun and carefree way to hit the road if the weather was good, especially for those who liked to let the outside in and get a dose of sunshine and fresh air. And they weren’t just popular models in the Toyota lineup - the Mazda Miata convertible was released in 1989 and sold a million units pretty quickly off the bat, leading it to be dubbed the most popular convertible car ever produced.

However, as fun as they might have been to drive, Toyota convertibles were actually pretty impractical vehicles when it came down to logistics. Our N Charlotte Toyota experts are explaining why below.

Why Toyota convertibles are no longer popular

Design and safety

Toyota convertibles looked cool - they were sleek, sporty, and fluid. However, designers couldn’t just throw a soft top or a retractable top on a car and call it a day. Remember, your N Charlotte Toyota’s roof is a critical part of your drive time safety and the structural integrity of the car. If your car were to roll or you were to get in a bad accident, you would be in serious trouble because you’d have no roof to protect you.

Safety standards have gotten higher throughout the years, and for Toyota to release a new convertible model they’d have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to give the convertible experience without compromising safety or structural integrity. They would also have to figure out a way to integrate current safety technology and features into a car without a roof, which provides another challenge.

Fuel efficiency

Even if you’re OK with the lack of safety in a Toyota convertible model, the fuel efficiency aspect of things might hit you where it hurts. To explain, we’ll use the N Charlotte Toyota Prius as an example. This sleek hybrid was designed with aerodynamics in mind - it’s sleek and designed in a manner that reduces drag. This means it can move through the air at high speeds without being slowed down OR having to exert more power to maintain speed, which in turn, boosts fuel efficiency.

Toyota convertibles, on the other hand, have the design flaw of trapping air when they’re in motion. Have you ever passed one and see the driver’s hair blowing in the opposite direction of where they’re headed? This is due to trapped air, and it creates a lot of drag. In turn, fuel efficiency is drastically lowered. Additionally, convertibles usually have heavier bodies to help compensate for no roof, which also lowers fuel efficiency.

As much as we’d like to see Toyota take another stab at a Toyota convertible, we don’t see it happening for a while. Why not check out some of the other sleek, sporty N Charlotte Toyotas we’ve got up for grabs? Visit us today at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23, or shop our inventory online.