{"id":79318,"date":"2014-07-22T12:28:43","date_gmt":"2014-07-22T16:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=79318"},"modified":"2014-07-22T12:28:43","modified_gmt":"2014-07-22T16:28:43","slug":"convertible-owners-are-more-educated-affluent-finds-new-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2014\/07\/convertible-owners-are-more-educated-affluent-finds-new-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Convertible Owners are More Educated, Affluent, Finds New Study"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Beetle Convertible was last year's most popular ragtop - but only #48 on the U.S. sales chart.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t let it go to your head, but if you drive a convertible, chances are you\u2019re both more educated and more affluent than the typical American motorist, or so shows a new study from Experian Automotive.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also\u00a0 lot more likely to live in one of the sunshine states, especially California, Texas or Florida \u2013 though ragtops also have plenty of fans in more northern climes, including coastal communities in New York, as well as that heartland state, Illinois.<\/p>\n

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A Breath of Fresh Air!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While convertible sales have been shrinking in recent decades, most manufacturers offer at least a couple ragtops, and though luxury makers typically have more models in their line-ups, some of the most popular models are mainstream offerings, such as the Ford Mustang convertible and Mazda Miata roadster, noted Experian.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one long-standing perception of convertible vehicles is that they are driven predominately by consumers who live in sunny, coastal areas,\u201d said Brad Smith, director for Experian Automotive. \u201cWhile that notion certainly rings true, it\u2019s not the only difference. Our research shows that convertible drivers also tend to be more affluent than the average new car buyer. One explanation to this could be that more luxury brands tend to have a convertible option.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Aston Martin set to roll out 595 hp Vantage S roadster. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for a closer look.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Luxury makers tend to have the biggest choice of convertibles, such as this Bentley GTC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The study, which focused on the first quarter of 2014, found that fully 50% of all convertible buyers had at least a bachelor\u2019s degree, compared with just 38.2% of all new car buyers. Nearly one in five ragtop purchasers had incomes of at least $175,000 a year, and 11.7% owned homes worth more than $1 million. By comparison, the figures were 10.7% and 4.4%, respectively, for buyers on the whole.<\/p>\n

(Mazda set to reveal all-new Miata MX-5 in September. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for a preview.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

No surprise, Sunbelt states dominate demand for those who like to drive al fresco. In fact, Experian\u2019s research found that 23% of all convertibles were registered in just three states \u2013 13.4% in California, 9.6% in Florida, and 7% in Texas. Rounding the Top Five, New York accounted for 4.3%, and Illinois 3.9%.<\/p>\n

In terms of individual communities, Los Angeles, at 6.4%, was number one, but here New York City shot to the second spo, at 5.2%, followed by San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta.<\/p>\n

As for the Top Five convertibles on the road during the first quarter \u2013 including both new and old models, they were:<\/p>\n