Ad Feature: ten perfect cars for the summer

It’s summer! You want to go camping. But it’s summer in Great Britain, and being the self-deprecating lot that we are, we’re all only too happy to admit that ‘summer’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘warm’, ‘dry’ or ‘unlikely your tent won’t be uprooted by wind and blown asunder’. So you want a campervan, and you want it from the company most famous for them. This isn’t a classic 1960s VW, but it’s much more reliable, significantly better to drive and will beat a pile of canvas hands-down when the weather turns awry.

https://www.motors.co.uk/volkswagen/california/used-cars/

It’s only natural that a list of summer-friendly cars will be awash with cheeky little convertibles and rambunctious little roadsters. And roadsters get no more rambunctious than this. While it was made on the same factory line as the million-selling Mazda MX-5 – so you know it’s well engineered – it switched to a rorty, gargling turbo engine to ensure it’s way more mischievous to drive. And who wouldn’t want a car painted ‘San Marino 1972 Black’?

https://www.motors.co.uk/abarth/124-spider/used-cars/

And now for something completely different. The Abarth and Azure surely bookend the convertible scale; the Italian seats two people and bombards every single one of their senses. The Brit seats four and almost every item they own while suppressing such unclassy things as ‘exhaust noise’ and ‘handling’ to their absolute minimum. Bentley coupes and saloons a ten-a-penny in the classifieds, but the exotic Azure is a bit harder to pin down. 

https://www.motors.co.uk/bentley/azure/used-cars/

What, you actually want your senses pummelled? Then you need the rollercoaster-carriage-gone-loose Caterham Seven. A 210bhp 2.0-litre engine is strapped into, well, not much at all for one of the closest experiences you’ll get to motorcycling on four wheels. Which does mean that – however optimistic the weather forecasters may be – you’ll have to invest in a bit of extra gear to make it liveable. Goggles might be a wise option, as is something resembling a windbreaker. But the thrills are worth every compromise to normality you’ll make.

https://www.motors.co.uk/caterham/super-sevens/used-cars/

For many, ‘summer’ means packing the car to the gunwales with kids and their accoutrements before heading for far-flung family, perhaps on the other side of the Channel. So a seven-seat people carrier is the order of the day, and there are few more appealing to those of us infatuated with cars than the S-Max. It looks more like a sleek estate car than an MPV and Ford’s ride and handling team waved their usual magic wand at the chassis. Y’know, for when you’ve dropped the kids off and you’ve got the car to yourself. You could get one with the same 2.5-litre 5cyl engine as the contemporary Focus ST; at current fuel prices, you’ll want something a bit more economical.

https://www.motors.co.uk/ford/s-max/used-cars/

Need a seven-seater but prefer to travel upper class? Well, there’s one of those to please the petrolheads, too. Even if it actually runs on diesel. The 4.0-litre V8 turbodiesel in the Audi SQ7 is a thing of wonder; it sounds good and responds in a very feisty manner, while the rest of the car strapped onto it has been tailored to drive like something half its size and weight. That it happens to be huge and opulently upholstered inside is just a mere bonus.

https://www.motors.co.uk/audi/sq7/used-cars/

There are numerous reasons it’d be easy to turn your nose up at this little Renault. Telling friends ‘I’ve got Wind’ isn’t ideal, while some car folk may be snobbish about the image a dinky little convertible like this portrays. More fool them; in essence, it’s a little Twingo RS hot hatchback with two fewer seats and a flip-lid targa roof that apes an old Ferrari Superamerica’s. These are genuinely good to drive and cost a bafflingly small amount of money now. Lose your inhibitions and seize your opportunity while the sun’s shining.

https://www.motors.co.uk/renault/wind/used-cars/

This is the car for anyone who’s long since given up trying to appease their petrolhead mates. To describe the drop-top Range Rover Evoque as ‘love/hate’ on its launch would be a clanging understatement. Looking not unlike something Barbie or Ken might drive, it stirred enthusiasts up into a tizz, but therein lies its appeal. In a world obsessed with sportiness, here’s a car that deliberately goes another way. It’s also a Land Rover that can go off road, but flagrantly acknowledges not many of us actually do. Drop the roof and bask in the reaction of onlookers.

https://www.motors.co.uk/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/bodystyle/convertible/used-cars/

The good news for the small minority that do go off road is that there are still options. Land Rover offered a Freelander with a soft-top back in the day, likewise Suzuki with its diminutive Jimny. But if you want to go really far off road, you have little choice but to go for one of these. It’ll be somewhat thirsty, but short of a gnarly dirt bike or an actual monster truck, there’ll be nothing to beat it over rough terrain. The design is pretty timeless, too, with modern Wranglers looking little different to the casual observer.

https://www.motors.co.uk/bmw/4-series/bodystyle/convertible/used-cars/

Now for the one you really want. Short of a double bedroom concertinaing from its roof or an extra row of seats snuck in the boot, the BMW 4 Series Convertible covers every single base in this list. Here’s a convertible that’s classy, comfortable, relatively commodious, great to look at, fun to drive and – in 420d spec like we have here – rather economical too. A folding hard-top means it’ll be just that bit quieter and more refined when the clouds roll in and it’s time to whirr the roof back into place, too. A true all-rounder, and one you won’t want to part exchange come wintertime.

https://www.motors.co.uk/bmw/4-series/bodystyle/convertible/used-cars/