10 Convertibles with the Most Legroom

2016 Jaguar F Type convertible ・ Photo by Jaguar

If you’re tall (or even if you just have long legs), you’ll know the pain that is riding on a bus or flying on a plane. Unfortunately the situation is much the same for many of the convertibles on the market, but thankfully there are a few that have a more reasonable amount of legroom. If you’re in the market for a convertible but didn’t think you could find one that you could fit into take a look at our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom. Included on the list is a fairly wide assortment of cars including luxury cars, pony cars and sports cars, all with a comfortable amount of space for your lower appendages.

10) Buick Cascada

While the mid-size soft-top Buick Cascada doesn’t look that big, it offers a surprising amount of interior room. Front legroom is a relatively generous 42.2 inches, while headroom measures in at 37.8 inches. Rear passengers are a bit worse off with only 32.8 inches a legroom but a decent 36.1 inches of headroom. All Cascadas are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 200 horsepower, which is then sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. The Cascada’s curb weight of nearly two tons and its meager power combine to make it one of the slowest convertibles around, but it does make our list of the top ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by General Motors

9) BMW 4 Series Convertible

The compact BMW 4 Series Convertible with its folding hardtop features the same amount of legroom as the Cascada at 42.2 inches but significantly more headroom at 40.4 inches, while rear seat passengers also get more space with 33.1 inches of legroom. Engine options include a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 248 horsepower or a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that produces 320 horsepower, both are available in rear or all-wheel drive and backed by an eight-speed automatic. Looking for a manual transmission? You’ll need to opt for the sporty M4 with its 425-horsepower turbo 3.0-liter six. If you regularly carry passengers the 4 Series is worth considering as it has more headroom and more rear legroom than any other car on our list.

Photo by BMW

8) Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class

The compact Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class is a two-seater roadster with a folding hardtop that replaces the previous SLK. Interior legroom of the new model comes in at 42.5 inches, while headroom is 39.1 inches. The tradeoff for the hardtop and interior space is a trunk that loses much of its volume when the top is down. Drive for the regular SLC300 Roadster comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 241 horsepower, while the high-performance AMG SLC43 Roadster uses a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with 362 horsepower. Both models send power to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. If you’re looking for a roomy and luxurious small convertible, take a look at the SLC, which makes our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

7) Nissan 370Z Roadster

The Nissan 370Z Roadster  is a two-seat folding soft-top convertible that has 42.9 inches of legroom combined with 38.7 inches of headroom. Trunk space is minimal, but at least it remains the same whether the top is up or down. Power is supplied by a somewhat coarse 3.7-liter V6 engine that makes 332 horsepower which is then sent to the rear wheels by either a six-speed manual transmission (with automatic rev-matching) or an optional seven-speed automatic. Despite the rather long-in-the-tooth design (which is almost ten years old at this point, with only a minor refresh), the 370Z Roadster has more than enough interior room to make our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by Nissan USA

6) Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The two-passenger Mercedes-Benz SL-Class convertible uses a folding hardtop to keep the weather out when necessary and offers 42.9 inches of legroom and 39.1 inches of headroom. Standard engine options include a 362-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 or a 449-horsepower twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 backed by a nine-speed automatic, while the AMG models are almost over-the-top with either a 577-horsepower twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 or a 621-horsepower twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 backed by a seven-speed auto box. All engines send power solely to the rear-wheels, making the higher horsepower versions more than a handful in poor weather. In fair weather (or with one of the more reasonable powerplants) however, the SL-Class is good choice if you’re looking for a comfortable convertible with plenty of legroom.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

5) Jaguar F-Type Convertible

The Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible is a soft-top sports car that has a respectable 43.0 inches of front legroom but a rather paltry 37.0 inches of front headroom. The Jaguar is a bit heavy for an aluminum-intensive design, but its engine range offers more than enough power to overcome any extra mass. Available motors include 340 and 380-horsepower versions of a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 as well as 550 and 575-horsepower versions of a supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Depending on the model power is sent to either the rear wheels or all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. The Jaguar makes an awesome sound, but it’s the F-Type’s roomy footwells that put it on our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

4) Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

The Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is a two-seat soft-top sports car with a 43.0 inches of legroom and 37.9 inches of headroom. Power in the Stingray comes from a 6.2-liter V8 with 455 horsepower (or 460 horsepower with the performance exhaust) while the Z06 gets a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 650 horsepower (making it the most powerful car on our list). Both engines send their power to the rear wheels via either a seven-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic. Despite its high performance the Stingray is also remarkably frugal with models rated up to 29 miles per gallon on the highway. It’s remarkably easy to live with Corvette, and it’s near the top of our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by General Motors

3) Fiat 124 / Mazda MX-5 Miata

The Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Fiat 124 that is based on it are both two-passenger convertible sports cars, and both have a remarkable (for their size) 43.1 inches of front legroom, though headroom is a bit on the short side at 37.4 inches. Power for the lightweight Miata comes from a 155-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while the slightly heavier (but still light by modern standards) 124 is powered by a 160-horsepower (164-horsepower in the Abarth) turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder. Both models can be had with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Both of these cars are similar in character, though with slight differences, and both deserve a place on our list of the convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2) Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

The Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is a soft-top pony car with a healthy 43.9 inches of front legroom and 38.4 inches of headroom. The rear seats on the other hand are best used as additional cargo room, as you’d be hard pressed to get anyone into them for long. One benefit to the convertible is that it seems to improve the Camaro’s normally poor outward vision. Power is sent to the rear wheels by either a 275-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a 335-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 or a 455-horsepower 6.2-liter V8, backed by either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Despite the Camaro’s performance it’s the interior room that puts the Camaro in the number two spot on our list of the ten convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by General Motors

1) Ford Mustang Convertible

The Mustang Convertible is Ford’s soft-top pony car and it leads the pack with 44.5 inches of front legroom, though it only has 37.6 inches of front headroom. On the opposite end of the spectrum the rear has only 29.2 inches of legroom making it more suitable as a luggage tray than as a seat. Power options include a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a 310-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 435-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, all of which send power to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. As long as you don’t need to carry more than one passenger the Mustang has plenty of room and tops our list of the convertibles with the most legroom.

Photo by Ford