Driving a Convertible in the Middle of Winter

Before I’d ever experienced a convertible, I used to see people driving with the top down in the middle of winter and think, “They must be freezing and just putting up with it… Why go to all that trouble to drive with the top down? lol”

But once you’ve experienced the thrill of driving a convertible, you understand why you want to drop the top even in the middle of winter.

So, can you really drive a convertible in winter? As long as it isn’t snowing, I think you can do it without any problem. The other day, I took the Boxster out on my own to buy some coffee beans. I thought, “If I’m going to drive it, I might as well put the top down,” and set off with the roof open. It felt absolutely wonderful.

It felt so good that, instead of heading straight home after buying the beans, I got carried away and drove all the way to the Royu Driveway. lol

What It’s Like in the Boxster

As for why driving our Boxster with the top down in winter is no problem at all, the cabin stays surprisingly warm, even in cold weather.

With the top down, I turn on the heater and direct most of the warm air toward my feet. It gets quite warm. At first, I set the temperature much higher because I thought I’d be cold—but it actually got too hot, so I turned it down.

I usually keep my coat on while driving, but lately it’s been warm enough that I’ve even thought, “I could totally take this off.”

Our Boxster is also equipped with optional heated seats. I tend to get warm thighs (I’m not sure how else to put it—I just don’t like my thighs getting too hot.), so I don’t use the seat heaters much, but my husband seems to enjoy them.

This winter has been especially mild, too. We stopped by the Royu Driveway the other day. I seem to remember snow piled along the roadside around this time last year and the year before, but there wasn’t any snow at all that day.

If anything, the breeze flowing around my face felt pleasantly cool, while my feet stayed warm—a perfect example of “cool head, warm feet.” I actually found it more comfortable to drive with the top down than with it up.

I asked my husband what he thought about driving with the top down in the middle of winter. Here’s what he said:

Convertibles are definitely better in winter than in summer. It feels great to drive at night in summer with the air conditioning blasting, but during the day, it can be pretty brutal. I think it depends on the person, but an outside temperature of 10°C (50°F) is plenty warm enough for top-down driving, and I’m personally fine down to about 5°C (41°F). When it gets close to 0°C (32°F), though, the Boxster lets in a lot of wind, so your head and neck get cold.
Our Boxster has manual climate controls by choice, which makes it easy to adjust the heat and fan speed directly.
When we’re driving with the top down in winter, families in minivans sometimes peer at us with a look that says, “Are these people crazy, driving in this cold?” I want to shout, “Just try it once!”
Driving a convertible in winter feels like soaking in an open-air hot spring: your head stays cool while your feet stay warm, and it’s genuinely wonderful. You experience the engine note, the wind, and even the scents around you directly—it’s fantastic. A lot of people dismiss convertibles without ever trying one. I understand, because I used to be the same way, but I strongly recommend owning one and experiencing it for yourself.

That’s what he had to say.

Summer Can Be More Dangerous Than Winter

As my husband mentioned, driving with the top down in winter isn’t a problem. The season to be more cautious about is actually summer. No matter how cool you keep the cabin with the air conditioning, the sun beats down relentlessly from above, so it’s still hot. You can also get a serious sunburn (my husband got quite a burn on his forehead).

And it’s not just the heat—there’s also a risk of heatstroke. For your own safety, I think it’s best to keep the windows up as much as possible when driving in the height of summer.

Spring is just around the corner. Cruising beneath rows of cherry blossoms with the top down sounds absolutely wonderful, so if I get the chance this year, I’d love to give it a try.