When I think about convertibles, I always imagine them as red. And, if I am honest, I quite often imagine them as completely unaffordable supercars, Ferraris and Maseratis and Lamborghinis. This is just the ridiculously over-the-top and aspirational nonsense that is pumped into our heads on a day to day basis, when all the car magazines and websites out there talk about the models that we couldn’t even dream of affording. So, knowing that I want to own a convertible but that I will never be on such eye-watering high wages, I have decided to rebel. I have decided that I will look for a sensible convertible, one which gives me good value for money, good functionality, and most importantly a great feeling when I drive it with the roof down.

After a lot of searching, the brand that I decided on in the end was Saab. This isn’t perhaps the most conventional choice, but I was fed up with all the cars that tried so hard to be flashy and fancy, and which forgot about all the other important things that they have to consider when designing a car. Saab, in stark contrast, are the kind of brand that put one hell of a lot of effort into each and every car, from the engine through to the design and everything in-between. I know that you wouldn’t normally go to a brand that design in freezing cold Scandinavian conditions for a car that you drive with the roof down when it is sunny, but after a quick test drive it was evident that they knew exactly what they were doing.

As it happened, when I was looking into buying my Saab, the brand actually had a special offer on for all their convertibles over winter. This allowed you to make some big seasonal savings, and had I had the money to buy a brand new Saab 9-3 convertible then I may have been sorely tempted. Unfortunately my convertible budget is significantly below the normal levels for a luxury car like this, and even those Saabs aren’t overpriced I still couldn’t’ stretch to it. I did give into the fantasy a little and take a new one for a test drive, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, I put my sensible hat on, and did a lot of shopping, both online and around my local used Saab dealers. Within a few shops I had realised that it was more than possible to find a used car that is just as good in quality as a new one, but with massive savings. I had to look around a few different dealers to find something I liked, but eventually I came across a 2007 Saab 9-3 that ticked all of my boxes. I took it for a test drive and fell in love with the ride, and then all I had left to do was get it checked out by a dealer and then put in my order to buy it!