10 Great Convertibles for This Summer

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- With temperatures rising and the sun sticking around longer, commuters shouldn't be spending their summer drive in a dark cabin built to withstand a blizzard.

And indeed, the sunroofs are sliding back and the windows are rolling down. Still, drivers who want to soak up the sun should cultivate more than just a farmer's tan this season.

We spoke with Brandy Schaffels, senior editor at car pricing site TrueCar, and put together a list of the top 10 convertibles on the market. If you're feeling cramped in your rolling cave, drop the top and step into the light:

2013 Jeep Wrangler
Starting price: $22,045
That loud, flapping soft top gets a lot quieter when you put it down. Chrysler's marketing team will be more than happy to remind you of this on May 19, its fifth annual Jeep Go Topless Day.

2013 Porsche 911 Cabriolet
Starting price: $109,400
Its six-figure price, 385-horsepower and 4.7-second zero-to-60 acceleration hide the fact that this sporty drop top's seats can carry four people as it cruises. Seriously, full-sized human beings fit in the back seats.

2013 Fiat 500C
Starting price: $19,500
The tiny, underpowered Italian toy comes with a faux-canvas retractable roof that stacks up like an automatic pool cover and turns any coastal town into an American Riviera.

2013 Mini Cooper
Starting price: $25,650
How much does Mini love letting the sunshine in? Enough to build a sunroof into its soft top and install an "Openometer" on the dash that counts the minutes you spend with the top down.