Best All-Wheel-Drive Convertible | 2025 Ratings
Practicality and versatility are often secondary concerns when purchasing a convertible. These cars are typically acquired for their stylish designs and luxury appointments. That’s still true of the cars on this list, but the addition of all-wheel drive also makes them suitable for use in a wider variety of conditions. In winter, you can head out with the assurance of added grip, while the ability to lower the roof is a joy during the summer months. These are the best AWD convertibles you can buy for the 2025 model year.
Vehicles are assigned a BuzzScore in relation to their direct segment competitors, and as such, vehicles in this list, while similarly scored, do not necessarily compete directly against one another. Find out more about how the BuzzScore ratings work here. These lists are continuously updated with the latest BuzzScores and vehicles as they become available; models without BuzzScores have not yet been fully tested by our team.
1
BMW M8 Convertible
Thr first all-wheel-drive convertible on our list with a score of 8.4 out of 10 is the BMW M8 Convertible. With the news that the M8 Coupe is going out of production, this could be your last chance to buy a new BMW M8 at all. The base price for one of these is $150,000, which is expectedly high when you consider the balance of luxury and performance it provides. Under the hood is a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. That means it’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 miles per hour, or 190 mph with the M Driver’s Package.
We loved driving the M8 Convertible with the roof down, giving a clear path from the exhaust tips to our eardrums. An M850i doesn’t sound nearly as loud nor can it match the M8’s brutality on a racetrack.
– Jared Rosenholtz, CarBuzz Editor-at-Large
2
Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
Another great AWD convertible that most people could have expected here is the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet. Since it’s a Porsche, you’ll be paying a premium over the regular coupe version if you want the Cabriolet. This version of the 911 starts at $133,400. With that being said, it’s still a great sports car despite the loss of a fixed roof. This model year is powered by an updated 3.0-liter flat-six engine that carries some parts from last model year’s Turbo and GTS models. The 911 Cabriolet makes 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Anyone who’s driven a modern Porsche knows that those numbers feel a lot larger behind the wheel. Porsche claims it can do 0-60 in 4.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 181 mph.
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3
BMW M4 Convertible
BMW circles back around on this list with the M4 Convertible. Available only in Competition form with the xDrive AWD system, this M4 starts at $96,200 this year. This version of the 4 Series has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six-cylinder that makes 523 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. With that much power, BMW claims a 0-60 speed of 3.6 seconds. Like the M8 mentioned above, this BMW is electronically limited to 155 miles per hour, but that can be increased to 174 mph with the M Driver’s Package and summer tires.
Combined with the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with Active M Differential, this high-end convertible is a guarantee of boundless driving dynamics that ultimately embodies the essence of M.
4
Bentley Batur Convertible
2025 Bentley Batur Convertible
- Base MSRP
-
$2,300,000
- Engine
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6.0-liter W12 Twin-Turbo
- Horsepower
-
740 hp
- Drivetrain
-
All-Wheel Drive
There are two Bentley convertibles on our list, and this one is a real heavy hitter. The Bentley Batur Convertible is limited to just 16 examples worldwide, so it costs $2,300,000. No, that’s not a typo—the Batur Convertible really costs $2.3 million. Usually, Bentley’s Mulliner design studio makes the already expensive luxury cars even more bespoke, but the Batur starts well above any standard Mulliner. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 that makes 740 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Expect unparalleled refinement and stupendous acceleration.
5
Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible
This would usually be the most expensive model on most given lists since it’s easily built to be over $300k, but the last Bentley took that crown today. However, the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is still an extremely luxurious and powerful car. This GT Speed left the W12 behind, and replaced it with a 4.0-liter plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain that makes 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Bentley claims this version of the GT Speed can hit 60 mph from a dig in just 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 177 miles per hour.
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6
Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
We still don’t know every detail of the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore yet, but it’s shaping up to be an impressive all-electric drop-top sports car. Starting at $205,000, only the well-heeled can afford this Italian beast. We can confirm, though, that the GranCabrio Folgore will have three electric motors that are capable of producing up to 751 hp combined, or 818 hp for short bursts. We can also assume a blisteringly quick 0-60 time of about 2.7 seconds, and a top speed reaching 180 mph. While we still don’t know what this EV’s range will be, Maserati estimates between 260 and 277 miles.
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7
Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Convertible
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Convertible
- Engine
-
3.0L Turbo Inline-6 MildHybrid
- Horsepower
-
443 hp
- Drivetrain
-
All-wheel Drive
Moving away from six-figure exotics for a moment, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Convertible starts at $82,600. That’s still no small amount of money, of course, but this is an AMG we’re talking about. While some AMG models are equipped with four cylinders lately, this one hasn’t gone down that rabbit hole yet. Powering the CLE 53 is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid that makes a total of 443 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes-Benz claims that there’s enough power to bring this convertible to 60 mph from a standstill in about four seconds, and it can reach an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.
Other AWD Convertibles
There are other AWD Convertibles that are not on this list, although not many of them, as it is quite a unique niche within the car world. These 2025 models will be added to the list when their full ratings become available:
- Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Convertible
- Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4MATIC+
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Characteristics Of AWD Convertibles
There are a lot of different types of drop-tops out there. Some are built purely for laid-back driving, while others have sportier inclinations. Similarly, luxury and comfort may take a back seat at times. All offer open-top driving, but what other similarities should you expect?
- Style: By design, these are sensuous cars, with lines that are only accentuated further when the top is down. The interior is generally quite well-appointed, with between two and four seats available. Those with the latter are usually quite cramped in the rear, though larger models do supply enough space for larger passengers.
- Performance: Often based on popular sedans or coupes, many convertibles come with a powerful engine that should make them pretty fast. However, replacing a solid hardtop with a retractable roof does have an impact on aerodynamics, and this is exacerbated when the roof is down. Having AWD instead of rear- or front-wheel drive helps to improve handling if you enjoy driving a little harder, but very few models have a manual transmission, so engagement is not always the best.
- Price: Most convertibles with AWD are produced by premium brands, so you can expect the price tag to reflect as much. When you add the poor mpg figures because of all the extra weight convertibles suffer from, the total cost of ownership is quite high. This is true even of cheaper models.
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What To Consider When Buying All-Wheel-Drive Convertible Models
Anyone that owns a convertible car will certainly tell you all about the benefits, though they may forget the downsides in their excitement. So, here we list some of the obvious advantages and disadvantages of AWD convertibles:
Pros
- Stylish design
- Drop-top driving is ideal for summer months
- Added grip and security of AWD
- Most models in this segment offer impressive performance
- Many feature all-weather comforts such as neck warmers
Cons
- Most AWD convertibles are expensive
- Structural integrity is compromised, sometimes hindering handling dynamics
- Most convertibles lack generous rear passenger and trunk space
- Poorer gas mileage
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Are there any AWD cabriolets available with a manual transmission?
Manual transmissions are quite rare in this day and age, and among convertibles with all-wheel drive, they are non-existent.
Are AWD convertibles less economical on fuel?
All-wheel-drive convertibles do often return lower mpg figures than their FWD and RWD counterparts because of the extra weight that AWD adds to the vehicle. Their poorer aerodynamics when driving with the top down also impact fuel economy.
Sources: Bentley, BMW, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche
