The sun has finally returned, and Brits are finding every opportunity to soak up the Spring heatwave. Brand new data from Auto Trader has revealed that convertible season is back, with searches for convertible cars soaring over 34% during the recent spell of warm weather.

Over the last two weeks, Brits have been dreaming of a life with the roof down and the wind in their hair, as Auto Trader saw an increase of 34% in searches for convertibles, which reached a peak on the sunny Bank Holiday Sunday (4th May).

It’s clear that Brits are looking for the ultimate summer driving experience, especially across a sunny weekend, as between the 1st and 5th of May, searches for convertibles remained consistently high, averaging over 330,000 searches per day. This was a notable lift from the previous week's average of 285,000, proving the power of the sun on convertible fever.

Based on ad view data from the last 12 months, the following are the top 5 most viewed new or used convertible models on the Auto Trader platform:

Porsche 911 (6,478,399) – brand new from £127,500. Used from £9,990
Mazda MX-5 (4,712,414) – brand new from £27,490
BMW Z4 (4,307,300) – brand new from £46,138
Porsche Boxster (3,845,025) – brand new from £64,850
BMW 4 Series (3,787,172) – brand new from £49,991

Auto Trader has also compiled a list of used affordable convertibles, for Brits who want to experience the rush of driving with the top down, whilst keeping to a budget.

MINI Roadster or MINI Convertible

Prices for used MINI Roadster models start from £3,490 and used MINI Convertibles £980

MG TF

Prices for used models start from £1,395

Mazda MX-5

Prices for used models start from £1,245

Abarth 500C or 595C

Prices for used Abarth 500C models start from around £4,695 Abarth 595Cs £5,595

Fiat 124 Spider

Prices for used models start from £6,495

There's nothing quite like that moment of the sun on your face, top down as summer arrives. Year on year we see an increase in searches for convertibles when the sun appears, and while some might think convertibles are expensive and just for summer, there are plenty of budget-friendly options suitable for use all year round. With over 15,000 new and used convertible models currently listed on our platform, whatever your budget and needs, there’s bound to be an option for you.”