Featuring small rear windows, wide sections of fabric substituting for rear roof pillars, oversized headrests, and thick roll bars, convertibles can pose a challenge for outward visibility. Even when the tops are lowered, there can be a stack of fabric, or ever-present roll bars, reflected in the rearview mirror and blocking the view out.

Not so with the 2005 Ford Mustang convertible. With a relatively large rear window and low rear headrests, top-up visibility is on par with some hardtops, and with the top down it provides the clearest view out. Visibility out of the PT Cruiser is acceptable, but hindered by thick rear “pillars” with the top raised and a high rear beltline when lowered. The Solara convertible suffers thanks to huge rear headrests that limit the driver’s sightlines regardless of whether the top is up or down. And, then there’s the Mini. Ugh. The claustrophobic combination of oversized rear headrests, big chrome roll bars, a small rear window, and large expanses of fabric make those side view mirrors worth their weight in gold.

4th Place: 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible
Some folks shopping for a convertible worry that they’ll never actually drive their new car with the top down. Mini engineers have just the solution – make top-up visibility so horrid that you only dare leave the driveway with the top down. Thank goodness for the Cooper convertible’s standard rear parking sensors.

Working in tandem to almost completely eclipse visibility are massive rear headrests and rear “pillars” of fabric that effectively obliterate the outside world. Great for creating privacy and unrivaled blind spots, but not for much else. Behind those beefy headrests are thick roll bars, and between these virtual walls is a small patch of space through which the driver gets a glimpse of what lurks beyond the Cooper’s tail. At this point, commenting on the small size of the window itself might be a bit superfluous.

Unfortunately, dropping the top only serves to shed some light on things, but offers little benefit in regards to visibility. Those rear headrests and roll bars remain, yet stacked up behind them now is the convertible top, and the chrome on the roll bars sparkles brightly enough in sunshine to sear your retinas. Granted, the side mirrors do a fine job of filling in some of the blanks, but a clear view over the shoulder – or through the rearview mirror – can’t be beat.

3rd Place: 2005 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible
Skull protectors are great, but sometimes they can be too big. The Solara convertible features huge outboard headrests for rear seat passengers, and they are nearly as effective as the Mini’s in limiting rearward visibility. And, like the Mini, the Solara’s rear headrests can’t be lowered or folded out of the way (though the 2006 Solara convertible comes with hoop-style see-through headrests). So, with the top up, there’s a narrow gap allowing visibility through a small rear window. Undersized sideview mirrors offer little help, and the expanse of fabric that is the rear pillar makes a guessing game out of who might be behind and beside you. Drop the top and things get better.

With the top down, those big melons of head-protecting leather remain, but the Solara convertible’s retracted top sits flush, thereby providing for a better rearward view. And since the rear bodyline doesn’t rise dramatically (as is the case with the PT Cruiser), the driver is granted a decent view around the headrests.

2nd Place: 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
There’s one key difference between the second place 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible and the third and fourth place finishers – the size of the rear headrests. In fact, both the PT and the Ford Mustang convertible have small, integrated rear headrests that greatly improve visibility. Mix in a generous view from the mirrors, and the PT Cruiser convertible serves up one of the best examples of what to see out of, if not what to be seen in.

Top-up visibility is much better than both the Mini Cooper and the Solara, but the small rear window sets it behind the Mustang convertible. However, without any significant obstructions, all of that window is usable. With the top down, all-around visibility is quite good, with only the stacked top, roll bar, and high rear beltline acting to block things out.

1st Place: 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible
Thanks to a large rear window, small rear headrests, and large side mirrors, the 2005 Ford Mustang convertible gets the #1 spot for visibility.

The rear window of the Mustang convertible most resembles that of a hardtop car – it’s wide and fairly tall. Match that to large side windows, and the result is a relatively thin rear fabric pillar, with an improved all-around view being the benefit. Oversize exterior rearview mirrors make sure that all of the bases are covered.

The view with the top down is very good, spoiled only a bit by our tester’s raised rear spoiler. Otherwise, the flat rear deck, flush-folding top, and small rear headrests allow the driver to see any vehicles that may be beside or behind the Mustang.