THE four seat Audi A4 Convertible came out in 2002 and is a fine looking alternative to BMW or Mercedes.
It is one of a few cabrios that can really be called a four seater even though others claim to be big enough.
Getting into the back is rarely elegant with the hood up, but that's true of most three door hatchbacks.
It's as good as the A4 saloon in every way, with a very wide range of engines including a number of turbo-diesels and a hugely powerful V8.
These are immensely enjoyable cars to drive, with excellent road manners, smooth engines and a high level of comfort.
Out and out sportsters most are not, but driving a number of different models has shown me just how well they handle and hold the road.
As age catches up, they are more affordable, where at one time, short supply and good demand meant that prices stayed high.
Interior
All have a comfortable if occasionally lumpy ride, safe handling and a high level of equipment including aircon, electric hood, excellent stereo, electronic stability control and umpteen airbags.
Drive is to the front or all four wheels and bodies are galvanised so that rust should rarely be a problem. Reliability is excellent.
FAST FACTS
Audi A4 1.8T cabrio
Price: Pay about £6,300 for an '02 02-reg 2.4, £8,300 for an '03 53-reg 1.8 Sport, or £13,000 for an '06 06-reg 2.0 TDI
Mechanical: 160bhp, 1,781cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 140mph
0-62mph: 9.1 seconds
Combined mpg: 32
Insurance group: 15
Marks: 9/10
Main rival: BMW 3-Series