When you see the word convertible, a certain form of vehicle likely takes shape in your imagination; a 2-door car, either luxurious or sporty, rarely ever room for rear passengers, and a mostly-flattering appearance.
However, car designers have been known to go off the rails every once in a while, usually leading to car designs that just make you say, “What is that?” The weird convertibles on this list are certainly no exception. Let’s take a look at some of the weirdest convertibles ever sold in the United States.
#5. Volkswagen Eos
From one of the brands you’d least expect to even make a convertible, at least aside from the Beetle, comes a car from Volkswagen that is just confusing. With a rather bland appearance and offering only mild creature comforts at a mid-range price point, you’d probably have to be shopping specifically for a convertible without a care for any other features to leave the lot with an Eos.
It did, however, have a pretty slick “sliding and convertible roof,” a type of power-folding hardtop that could be partially opened as a sunroof. The front sunroof portion was also semi-transparent, so even when fully closed, the Eos had a rather bright and lively interior, despite its lack of otherwise enticing, convenient, or luxurious design.
Surprisingly, the Eos was available with up to 250 horsepower in the 3.2 L V6 engine option, which is more than some of Volkswagen’s current performance cars like the GTI. However, like any convertible, the Eos weighed in at a rather substantial 3,500 to 3,680 pounds despite its 2-door form factor.
#4. Toyota RAV4 Convertible
Things only get weirder from here, though this model makes some sense considering some other offerings becoming popular at the time. For a brief period, the Toyota RAV4 was available not only in a 2-door version, but a convertible as well. Though the platform is similar to something like a Jeep Wrangler in theory, its oddly small proportions and carrying the RAV4 title make this a peculiar car from Toyota, an otherwise tame brand focused on affordability and reliability that rarely experiments with design.
The RAV4 Convertible is much more playful than the aforementioned Volkswagen Eos, being surprisingly tiny and having an almost beach buggy appearance, often decorated with variations of those signature 90s abstract stripes on the rear quarters. The soft top is opened manually and only exposed the rear passenger area of the car; a sunroof could be opened over the front driver and passenger seats. Speaking of those rear seats, you probably don’t want to be involved in a rear-end collision in this vehicle—or any sort of accident, for that matter.
Performance-wise, the RAV4 Convertible was equipped with a decent 127-horsepower 2.0 L I4 engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. For a little extra, you could equip your RAV4 Convertible with 4-wheel drive to truly live your best Jeep life in your tiny Toyota.
#3. Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
Things are getting really weird now. The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet doesn’t make any sense from any angle. It’s somehow simultaneously too big and too small. Its proportions are far too large for a convertible, yet with 2-doors and a collapsed roof taking up any cargo space you’d otherwise have, it’s far too little to go anywhere with any gear, luggage, or more than 2 uncomfortable and embarrassed friends.
The Murano CrossCabriolet is a Frankenstein of a 2-door convertible and a midsize crossover, equipped with a power-folding soft top, standard all-wheel drive, and a whopping $47,000 MSRP in 2011. That’s right, if the CrossCabriolet’s appearance didn’t avert your eyes, paying the price of an entry-level luxury car, V8 sports car, or entry-level large SUV probably would. Reviewers have said the interior is actually quite nice-looking and comfortable, if that’s any relief.
On the topic of performance, the standard all-wheel drive is great, but its 265 horsepower and CVT transmission are otherwise pretty standard. Reviewers shared concerns about the vehicle flexing and shaking over bumps from stress on the car’s unique convertible-crossover structure.
#2. Range Rover Evoque Convertible
If $47,000 wasn’t quite enough money to spend on a crossover convertible, look no further than the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. With an MSRP of $53,000 in 2017, you could get a car equally as weird-looking with features like… nicer leather? With the Evoque being an entry-level Range Rover with fewer options and features than some of their more premium models, you’d likely spend upwards of $65,000 to make any upgrades over Nissan’s Murano CrossCabriolet.
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible also has a power-folding soft top and is misshapen in all the same ways as the Murano. It lacks sufficient storage space for long trips or leg room for comfortable passengers. A test car priced at $69,000 offered only a larger infotainment screen, some driver assistance features, and contrast leather stitching.
Additionally, that extra cash gets you worse performance than the Nissan. With just 240 horsepower, the Evoque Convertible struggles to an 8.1-second 0-60 time and lightens your wallet even more with its 15-mpg observed fuel economy.
Weird Convertibles: Honorable Mentions
Before we reveal our #1 weirdest convertible, these cars are weird in convertible form or not, so we put them here!
Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
The awkward-looking PT Cruiser is even more awkward in its convertible form.
Chevy SSR Convertible
With its hot-rod-like fender arches, bed with paint-matched cover, and roadster stance, the convertible top adds another layer of wacky to the Chevy SSR.
#1. Dodge Dakota Convertible
It’s estimated that only around 2,000 units of this ultra-limited convertible pickup—yes, convertible pickup—were made between 1989 and 1991. The Dodge Dakota Convertible was a ragtop version of Dodge’s midsize pickup competitor to the Ford Ranger and Chevy C/K trucks. At the time of its conception, product-planning chief for the Dakota Bruce Benedict admitted the ragtop Dakota was a marketing ploy to get customers into showrooms and look at the other Dakotas.
However, unlike the other vehicles on this list, the Dakota Convertible was actually a well-rounded and capable vehicle, and worked surprisingly well. Where the other weird convertibles on this list lose appearance and practicality points to their weird construction, the Dodge Dakota Convertible is still the same Dakota pickup as the rest of the hardtop lineup. The only difference is the ragtop folded over a roll bar in place of the normal roof and pillars.
That means you get all the same work ability with a 125-horsepower 3.9 L V6 with 225 lb-ft of torqe, a 5-speed manual transmission, and available 4-wheel drive.
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Did you enjoy reading about these weird convertibles? Check out our list of The 10 Most Interesting “Boring” Cars!
