People who drive convertibles tend to be extroverts, making themselves, their cell phone conversations, and even their choice in music available for all to see and hear. Part of a convertible’s appeal is being seen in it, so it’s got to look good. That’s when design becomes important.

With classic styling and sleek lines, the 2005 Ford Mustang convertible is easily the most attractive car among this group and offers universal appeal – regardless of gender, race or age, people can see themselves in this car. The Mini Cooper may be cute and is undoubtedly unique, but it’s not for everyone. Toyota’s Solara offers inoffensive styling, but its bulbous shape places it far behind the muscularly-toned Mustang. And the PT? Well, it looks so 2001.

4th Place: 2005 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible
Take a quick look at the Solara convertible, and you might find yourself suddenly singing Sir Mix-a-Lot’s classic Baby Got Back. For those fond of expansive derrières, the Solara soft top is definitely the way to go. But, subtract any affinity for booty, and this rather drab Toyota loses its visual appeal quickly.

Two of our editors agreed that the Camry Solara convertible is the car they could see their fathers driving – in other words, it’s an old person’s car. Of course, these pushing-40 car critics fail to realize that with kids, graying hair, and dreams of a 20-year-old Christie Brinkley, they are their fathers. And the Solara convertible is their car.

That’s not all bad. The tail end of the Solara convertible has strong Lexus overtones, and the dash design is simple and elegant. Unlike the Mini Cooper, the Solara is distinguished by fluid lines inside and out, with subtle accents shaped into the hood, along the side, and tracing the taillights in back. Our biggest gripe focused on the odd shape of the convertible top. However, typical of Toyota, the overall look is simple and understated, and the driver is afforded near-perfect ergonomics.

As a result of focusing on inoffensive styling and handy controls, Toyota has designed a car that lacks any pizzazz, a significant yet immeasurable element factored into each of the Solara’s competitors.

3rd Place: 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible
Our staff members are mixed on what they think of the PT Cruiser convertible’s styling, though we all agree that this Chrysler looks best with its top down. With the soft top folded behind the rear seats, the PT Cruiser convertible exhibits a sporty side profile, accented by an integrated, body-color roll bar towering just behind the front seats, a raised rear beltline, and the option of some five-spoke bling riding within the wheel wells. Chrome old-school door handles build upon the front end’s retro design, and deeply flared fenders and quarter panels give the body added character. Inside, body-color dash inserts and the large cue ball shifter continue the retro theme.

Since 2001, that retro thing has been working, but now it’s getting old, and as a result the PT is starting to look dated, especially when compared to relatively unique and fresh products from Mini and Ford. Points were deducted from the PT because of its convertible top. With the top extended overhead, the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible goes from the car you proudly park on the street for all to see to the one you hide in the garage. Unlike the almost vertical rear end of the PT Cruiser wagon, the convertible features a sharply angled rear window and top quarters. With a less severe angle, the convertible top would likely appear more at home on the PT Cruiser.

There is a mildly restyled 2006 PT cruising toward production, but for now, this aging version, complete with its odd roof, will have to suffice.

2nd Place: 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible
Cute. That’s what everyone says when they see this car. And this monosyllabic adjective perfectly describes the 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible. The Cooper is one cute little bugger.

That cuteness, combined with the Mini’s unmistakable styling, positions the Cooper as a refreshing entrant into the current market. Today, styling has become so homogenous that even high-end luxury and exotic cars can be confused with one another. Is that a Ferrari or a Lamborghini? A Mercedes or a Lexus? It’s hard to tell. Mini Cooper designers have no such trouble.

Riding on a tiny 97.1-inch wheelbase, the 143.9-inch Mini Cooper (making it about 25 inches shorter than its closest competitor in this test) features bug-eye headlights, a tilt-forward hood and front fender assembly, integrated chrome roll bars behind the rear seats, and a rear fold-down tailgate with hinges mounted on the outside. The front overhang is short, the rear even shorter.

Inside, the design is different from any other new car sold in the U.S. Gauges are mounted above the steering wheel and in the center of the dash, power window controls are split between toggle switches in the lower dash and buttons overhead, and lots of metallic-looking finishes spruce things up.

There’s different for the sake of being better, and different for the sake of being different. At least one editor thought the Mini Cooper’s interior exhibited more of the former, criticizing what he considered odd placement of controls and gauges and extensive use of cheap materials. That same editor suggested that if such a “nightmarish” interior were placed in a General Motors vehicle, the automotive press would rip it apart, but with this being a Mini, the design had been adopted as quirky rather than irritating. For instance, in addition to the unusual placement of the power window switches, the clock sits hidden away in the trip computer; the interior hood latch is in the passenger foot well (other European manufacturers can flip it to the driver’s side for us Yanks, why can’t Mini?); and the flat heated seat buttons, mounted in the front center console, make it impossible to decipher what setting they’re on in daylight (unless, of course, you take your eyes off the road and lean directly over them). However, despite these minor annoyances, even that lone staffer softened his discontent after a few miles behind the Mini’s sporty steering wheel.

We’re big fans of the 2005 Cooper convertible’s design, and welcome innovative interior styling, but only when it’s also intuitive.

1st Place: 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible
Like the Mini Cooper, the 2005 Ford Mustang is a modern interpretation of a car from decades past, possessing its own brand of American style.

Riding on the same size wheelbase as the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara convertible, the Mustang stretches the measuring tape 187.6 inches from stem to stern, losing about five inches in length (surely from the rear end) compared to the 192.5-inch Toyota. Unlike nearly every other new car, the 2005 Mustang features a front end built for style and not aerodynamics. The hood slopes forward, and the grille and headlights sit vertically. This design not only draws a close resemblance to the legendary late 60s Mustangs, but also sets Ford’s pony apart from other cars on the road. Other heritage touches include the single round headlights, the Mustang grille emblem, grille-mounted fog lights and Bullitt-style rims on GT models, and three-pane vertical taillights. Inside, the dual-cowl dash sits high and flat and analog gauges are viewed through a three-spoke steering wheel. The seats are buckets – front and rear. Everywhere you look, it’s classic Mustang.

There’s a reason why the 2005 Ford Mustang is selling like dollar bills at a half-price sale – it’s a well-designed, stylish American car that beats the foreign competition on power, price, and panache.