Bring a life-long New Yorker Living in Los Angeles I much prefer a convertible. I leave the top down all year long even during the winter when I'm ridding on the highway--just blast the heat, no big deal.

However, my wife doesn't like having the top down all the time, so I have to put it up when we're under 60 degrees. :-(

Convertibles have such great seals on their tops now that it really isn't much different than a hard top I've found in terms of noise or ride.

I have a corvette just like this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nino63004/2644377523/

and I want one like this:
http://www.rivercitiescorvetteclub.com/cars/ray70.jpg
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I usually get a hardtop, simply because I'm too lazy to ever put the top DOWN if I had a convertable. Also, I don't live in the best of neighborhoods, and it's a LOT easier to get into a convertable than hardtop.
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I would have to pick the third option here and vote for T-tops. Although less popular now, they give the happy medium between a hard and soft top. Yes, most leak, but they are still really cool in nice weather.
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I tend to be a fan of hardtops for the simple fact that I drive high horsepower little cars and the extra support a hardtop gives makes the handling just slightly better in my eyes. Over the years this concern has become less and less but when I go out and want to drive a car hard that little extra support is still a thought I have.
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Why not go for a hard top convertible? I'm not a fan of how soft tops look on convertibles, but how can you not love having the top down on a warm day?

For example, check out the Mercedes SLK below: no gaudy looking soft top, but you still have the luxury of a convertible when its nice out.
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You'll get the best of both worlds with the 2009 BMW Z4. BMW's first roadster with a retractable hardtop, the 2009 Z4 represents the first complete makeover of the z4 since its debut in 2002. It features a two-piece aluminum top that collapses into a back compartment in 20 seconds. There's no soft-top version offered. It goes on sale here in the US by May, priced in the low $50,000 for the range topping sDrive 35i and in the mid-$40,000 for the sDrive 30i.
Source(s):
Autoweek-Jan 12, 2009

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We have been convertible folk for many years, form our first Jeep Wrangler to our current Volkswagen Eos, the best of the lot. It beats other convertibles by not only being a hardtop but also having a separate sunroof feature! It's quick, roomy for four (or the two of us and a lot of luggage) and economical. We find it very attractive and the interior is quite sumptuous, especially for the price (loaded for about 37K).

http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:-v9D3YdozFLzGM:http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/motorshows/frankfurt2005/convertibles/03-large/volkswagen-eos-2.jpg

http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:vRPhd_1temPaaM:http://www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/full/CARmageddon2446.jpg

http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:0B-fGbklgdZ29M:http://www.gaywheels.com/images/vw/eos/VW_EOS_sunroof_web.jpg

http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:L2TCRnAVzXBRRM:http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/0/R/d/ag_07vweos_sunroofclosed.jpg
Source(s):
www.vw.com

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