Why 2 seated Sport Convertibles & Automatic transmission cars are more priced than other regular cars with ...

Question

...with hard roof tops & a standard stick shift ?

Answer 1

Convertibles have always been more expensive because:
#1. The mechanism that raises and rectracts the top.
#2. The under carriage (frame) and cornerposts are thicker and braced to keep the regidity of the sides, rear, and front- end of the car stiff and strong. A hardtop keeps all these stress points rigid.
#3 I'm sure you have seen convertables which have removeable hard tops. The rear deck of the car is much cleanerlooking
#4. People will pay the extra price. Me included.
#5. Any time you look at small new car a standard stickshift is the transmission that sometimes comes on a car. The car companies charge extra if you want an automatic as it contains many more complex moving parts.
#5. Ocasssionaly the automatic is the only choice. In this case your not carged extra for the transmission.

Hope I didn't confuse the issue.

Answer 2

Convertibles/roadsters/ cabriolets are small sellers, so few are made, so the unit cost of building is higher. The fabric roof and frame is complex to make and fit too.

The metal roof of a sedan or coupe is cheap to punch out and adds a lot to the strength of a car body. So convertibles etc have to have extra steel below the floor. Sometimes thicker steel is used through most of the body and a convertible version of a sedan is nearly always quite a bit heavier (and slower) than the sedan.

Automatic transmissions are mechanically much more complex than manual transmissions, even with a clutch pedal which automatics do not have. The engine often has small modifications to open the throttle a little when the car is idling in gear against the resistance of the fluid in the transmission. This is not needed in a manual as the driver will have the gears in neutral or a foot on the clutch.

Answer 3

That depends. I live and work in a country where hills are very common. Even though I am also living and working in a rural area, the country where I am is so overpopulated that the traffic flow is more densed than in Australia or North America, especially when you go into a small town. If you live in North America on flat lands, Australia, or South Africa, driving manual is better (but not inthe big cities). If you are in South Korea, drive automatic.

Answer 4

Convertibles cost more to make and they hold their value better. As far as transmissions the same here too auto transmission always seem to cost more to make and are more complex.

Answer 5

Not only that, but they cost a LOT more to insure too