Fiat 500C vs Mini Cooper Convertible vs Peugeot 207CC: 2009 group test

It’s August, so thousands of people are flocking to Italy for their annual summer holiday. But you don’t have to go that far to experience the new 500C.

Such is our love of open-topped motoring that UK dealers are the first in Europe to get their hands on the fashionable Fiat. Taking inspiration from the 1957 original, the modern recreation has a similar sliding fabric roof design. And with four seats, a decent-sized boot and the same blend of cheeky retro appeal as the hatch, it aims be the best small drop-top money can buy. But to take that title, it has to defeat the MINI Convertible.

The latest second-generation model has been on UK roads since the spring, and although it’s more expensive than the Fiat, its fully folding roof arguably makes it the purer cabriolet.

However, both newcomers need to take on the car that, along with its 206 CC predecessor, has consistently been one of Britain’s best-selling small cabrios. Peugeot’s folding hard-top 207 CC simply can’t be ignored.

Read on to find out which of this trio deserves to be 2009’s hot destination.

Verdict

Making a small car into a great convertible is a difficult task. The tight dimensions mean it’s hard to package the roof, passengers and luggage, while the need for the end result to be affordable means engineers have a tight budget to work with. So, which one of our trio strikes the right balance between all these demands?

It’s not the 207 CC. Although Peugeot’s big seller is still the best coupé-cabriolet in this price range, its rear seats are too small and its body simply not rigid enough. The car is fun to drive, yet finishes third here. 

That leaves the Fiat and MINI to fight for top honours. The 500C has all the charm and ease of use that made the hatch version our favourite city car. It’s also cheaper than the Cooper Convertible and well equipped. It has the best rear seats and a decent boot, too, but with its roll-back fabric roof and fixed side beams it just doesn’t feel like a real convertible. However, it can’t match the MINI’s driver appeal or interior quality, either. With fixed-price servicing, low emissions and great residuals, the British car is brilliant to own – and that’s why it’s a thoroughly deserved winner in this test.

1st place: MINI Cooper Convertible

Unlike the 500, the Fifties Mini didn’t have a strong drop-top tradition. But that didn’t stop BMW from lifting the lid of its British legend when it relaunched the marque in 2001.

Now, the second-generation model hopes to continue the success story – the new cabrio gets the same styling upgrades and interior improvements as the hatch and Clubman.

However, MINI has made some specific amendments to the design of the Convertible. Firstly, the rear protection hoops are lower – they now pop up in the event of a potential rollover – while the hood stacks in a neater fashion on the back. This not only looks better, but it aids rear visibility. The ungainly tailgate latches of the previous model have also been removed.

Inside, the driving position is near perfect, while the materials and build quality are first-class. The roof is well insulated and nicely trimmed, too. Plus, as with the old car, it’s fully electric and can be opened to an intermediate position, similar to a large sunroof, or folded completely. With frameless doors and no roof pillars, the MINI is far more of a ‘genuine’ cabriolet than the Fiat.

There is a price to pay for this, though. Rear passenger space is limited, the back seats are upright and the 125-litre boot is tiny – although you can fold the seats flat to boost practicality, unlike in the Peugeot.

But, most importantly, removing the roof hasn’t affected the MINI driving experience. The newcomer is even tauter than its predecessor. There’s a bit of shake through the steering and windscreen surrounds over really rough surfaces, yet it’s clear MINI has done an excellent job with under-body strengthening.

The Convertible has the same sharp steering, strong body control and precise handling as its hatch brother, and, as a result, it’s the most engaging of our trio on a twisty road. With perfectly weighted controls, a smooth stop-start system and a firm, but not crashy, ride, it’s great in town, too. The 1.6-litre engine is the same base unit as found in the Peugeot – it’s keen to rev and feels less strained than the Fiat under hard load. The Cooper is 35kg heavier than the 500C, but delivers an extra 18bhp, so it was three-tenths quicker from 0-60mph, with a time of 10.4 seconds. But despite a 29Nm torque advantage, the weight begins to tell, as the 500C recorded quicker 30-50mph in-gear times.

Overall, performance is pretty closely matched, but the MINI is more enjoyable to drive. However, you’ll have to dig deep for these wind-in-the-hair thrills.

Has the Cooper done enough to justify its higher price?

2nd place: Fiat 500C 1.4 Lounge

You have to hand it to Fiat. The 500 is now on sale in 59 countries and 360,000 have already found homes, so it has reinvented the style icon status of the original all over again. And now, the Italian firm is hoping to repeat this success in the small cabriolet market.

Back in 1957, the original 500 drop-top offered wind-in-the-hair motoring at an affordable price, thanks to its simple roll-back canvas roof. And Fiat has followed the same format for its modern recreation.

At first glance, with its fabric hood in place, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the newcomer for its hatch brother. Fold the roof, however, and the canvas concertinas back to sit above the bootlid – although this obscures rear visibility and looks scruffy.

The good news, though, is that standard parking sensors in Lounge trim aid reversing. And on all models, you have the choice of folding the hood back to just above the rear passengers’ heads. This intermediate position leaves the small rear glass screen in place. But either way, the fixed roof pillars mean the 500 doesn’t look or have the feel of a ‘real’ convertible.

There are advantages to this set-up, though. For starters, it means the 500 has the most legroom of this trio, while split folding rear seats help practicality. Plus, the boot is only three litres smaller than that of the hard-top, at 295 litres, and luggage space doesn’t change when you drop the roof.

The hood can also be opened and closed on the move, at speeds up to 37mph. As it’s fully electric, the system is simple to operate from the driver’s seat. Like other 500s, you sit quite high, although thanks to the side pillars, and a fairly upright windscreen, buffeting isn’t a big issue.

Plastics lower down in the cabin can’t match the MINI for quality, but the familiar retro-inspired dash still has real charm. Its logical layout is also easy to live with. Light steering and a well placed gearlever mean the Fiat is effortless to drive, although the controls lack the precision of the MINI. And while the 500’s Panda-based chassis delivers composed handling, it can’t match the agility and constant stream of feedback that make its British rival so entertaining.

Crucially, the 500C doesn’t suffer from body twist – no doubt helped by the fact it has lost only the top section of its roof. Some shake can be felt around the windscreen pillars and through the steering, but it’s more rigid than the Peugeot.

This boosts the ride quality, too, and the 500 is the most comfortable car of the trio. At motorway speeds, sound is well isolated from the cabin, and only minimal wind noise around the top of the windscreen reminds you that this isn’t a conventional Fiat 500.As you would expect from a cabriolet based on an affordable city car, the little Italian is also the cheapest of our trio.

And despite having a smaller power output than the MINI, its low weight means it feels quick enough through the gears.

The 1.4-litre unit is a bit strained higher in the revs, but unlike in the 207 CC, a six-speed transmission is standard.

Add strong safety equipment and generous kit, and the Fiat newcomer could be a big summer hit.

3rd place: Peugeot 207 CC

The standard 207 supermini isn’t as fashionable as the MINI and 500, but in folding hard-top CC guise, the model’s coupé-like dimensions mean it has plenty of style.

And ever since its predecessor the 206 CC introduced the idea of an affordable coupé-cabriolet, Peugeot has had a major sales success on its hands. While Pininfarina penned the old model, the design of the 207 CC was brought in house, although there are plenty of obvious similarities.

For starters, both cars have a roof made of two parts – and this has an unwelcome impact on the packaging. It means the windscreen has to extend a long way over the cabin, and this compromises headroom and causes nasty blind spots.

The driving position isn’t as comfortable as in the MINI, but you do at least sit lower than in the Fiat. As with other 207s, the upper part of the dashboard is modern and attractively designed. However, the plastics used lower down in the cabin look and feel cheap. There are further niggles in the back. Crucially, unlike its rivals in this test, the 207 isn’t a genuine four-seater. The rear seats are so upright and tight for legroom that even children struggle to fit i

What’s more, with the metal lid stowed, the boot space is shallow and difficult to access. On the other hand, its 187-litre capacity is still 62 litres ahead of the MINI, while with the roof up, the room available expands to 449 litres.

As with both its rivals, the Peugeot’s roof is fully electric, but its more complex folding action means it that takes longer to raise or drop. Of far greater concern, though, is the movement to be felt around the A-pillars with the roof down. The Peugeot doesn’t resist body shake as well as the MINI.

This also highlights the fact that the ride on rough roads isn’t great. Bumps and imperfections can be felt through the steering and the suspension. The chassis, however, is a mixed bag. While it lacks the rigidity to be totally composed, a sharp turn-in and reasonably agile handling mean there’s fun to be had.

Unfortunately, the flimsy and slack five-speed manual gearbox takes the edge off the driving experience, and the brakes lack the firm bite that makes the MINI so reassuring. Our 148bhp turbocharged model was quicker than its rivals here, but the normally aspirated 1.6-litre VTi – which was not available to test – is closer on performance and price.

Whichever engine you choose, the 207 is heavier than its fabric-roofed challengers due to its metal top. However, this is the car’s unique selling point, giving it a dual coupé-cabrio personality that is irresistible to some. But will the resulting compromises of reduced practicality and rigidity hold it back here?