Convertible Car Rental in Dubai – Page 3

Dubai is a good city for a convertible for about half the year, and a great one in the evenings. If you want to rent a convertible in Dubai, OneClickDrive puts the convertible car rental Dubai suppliers on one screen: a Mustang for a week of beach roads, a BMW 4 Series for business trips with the roof down after six, or a Ferrari Spider for one big night. Rent a convertible car in Dubai directly from the company that owns it, compare their offers side by side, and see where each car is kept before you call.

Most people who rent convertible cars in Dubai want the same three things: a fair rate, a car delivered to the hotel or the terminal, and clear terms on the deposit. Many convertibles listed here come with zero deposit, so filter for no deposit listings and nothing is held on your card. Where a supplier does ask for one, the listing says so up front. Whether it is a Dubai car rental convertible for a weekend or a month, the booking works the same way.

Prefer the sea breeze? Look at yacht rental Dubai Marina trips.

Convertible Car Rental Costs in Dubai

The daily rate is only part of what a convertible costs you. Read the full picture before you compare two cars, because the cheaper headline can end up the dearer week.

• The rental rate itself, quoted per day, per week or per month. A week costs less per day than three separate days, and a month less again.
• The deposit, if the supplier takes one. It is a hold on your card, not a payment, and it is released after the car is returned and the tolls and fines have come through. Pick a listing without deposit and this line disappears.
• Salik, the Dubai road toll. Every gate you pass under is charged to the car and passed on to you after the rental.
• Fuel. Most cars go out with a full or a level tank and come back the same way. A performance convertible drinks far more than a 2.0 litre BMW, which matters on a long weekend.
• Extra kilometres beyond the daily allowance, which are charged per kilometre and add up quickly on a supercar.

If you plan a trip to Abu Dhabi or the east coast, add up the distance against the allowance first. That one sum changes which car is the better deal more often than the daily rate does.

Key Convertible Rental Requirements

The rules come from each rental company, so they vary a little, but the shape is the same everywhere in Dubai.

• Age. Most suppliers want the driver to be at least 21. For a high powered convertible such as a Corvette, a Porsche 911 or anything from Ferrari or Lamborghini, expect 25 and a longer driving history.
• Licence history. A year of holding a full licence is the usual minimum, and some companies ask for more on the faster cars.
• A card in the main driver's name. Even with zero deposit, the supplier needs a card on file for Salik and any fines.
• Extra drivers. Anyone else who drives must be added to the contract with their own documents, or the insurance does not cover them.
• Where you can go. Driving anywhere in the UAE on public roads is normally allowed. Mountain roads such as Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet are often excluded, so read that clause before you plan the route.

Popular Convertible Models for Rent in Dubai

The convertible fleet in Dubai runs from easy cruisers to cars that are mostly about the noise. These are the ones renters ask for most, with a link to each car's own listings.

• Ford Mustang Convertible. The one most visitors picture. EcoBoost for an easy week, GT V8 if you want the sound with the top down.
• BMW 4 Series Convertible. The 420i and 430i are the sensible choice for four adults and a daily commute, and the M4 Competition is the fast version of the same shape.
• Corvette C8 Stingray Convertible. Mid engine, two seats, and a folding hard top that keeps the cabin quiet when it is closed.
• Mercedes E450 Convertible and the CLE convertibles. Four proper seats and the calmest ride of the group, good for a longer stay.
• Mini Cooper Convertible. Small, easy to park in Jumeirah and the Marina, and the cheapest way to get the roof off.
• Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Targa and 718 Boxster. Sharper to drive than anything above, and the Boxster is the more relaxed entry point.
• Ferrari F8 Spider and Portofino M, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder and the Bentley Continental GTC. These are the occasion cars, and in luxury convertible hire the Portofino and the GTC are the two you can live with for a week.

Some of these use a fabric roof and some a folding metal one, and the listing photos show which. Either way, the roof has to fold into the back of the car, so boot space shrinks when it is down. Two people with cabin bags fit in almost any of them. A family of four with suitcases for a fortnight is a job for the BMW or the Mercedes, or for a second car.

A few habits make the roof easier to live with. Put it up whenever you park in the open, both for the cabin temperature and so nothing is left on show. Leather seats and the steering wheel get hot in direct sun, so a minute with the air conditioning on and the roof closed before you set off helps on warm days. Some roofs work only at a standstill and others up to town speeds, but every one has a limit, so do it at the lights rather than on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Top Convertible Rental Agencies in Dubai

OneClickDrive is a car rental marketplace, so the convertibles listed here belong to many independent Dubai rental companies rather than one fleet. Each sets its own rate and its own terms, which is why the same Mustang or 4 Series can appear twice at two different prices. You see the offers side by side and book straight with the company that owns the car, with no commission added on top of their rate. That is the short answer to where you can find convertible car rentals in Dubai from several companies at once.

Brands name these cars differently. Mercedes and Porsche badge theirs Cabriolet, Ferrari uses Spider and Lamborghini Spyder, and many suppliers simply write cabrio. So whether you want to rent a cabriolet car in Dubai or book cabrio car rental in Dubai for a weekend, you are choosing from the same open top fleet listed here.

Each listing tells you the things that usually take three phone calls to find out: whether there is a deposit, how many kilometres a day are included, where the car is parked, and whether delivery is offered. Suppliers based in Al Quoz, Business Bay, Jumeirah and the Marina cover most of the city. If you prefer to compare across body styles first, the luxury car rental and sports car rental listings include convertible cars too.

What Is Generally Included in a Convertible Rental

The basics are the same whichever supplier you pick. The extras are where the offers differ, so check them line by line.

• Included as standard: basic insurance to the level the RTA requires, a daily kilometre allowance, and roadside assistance if the car breaks down.
• Often included: delivery and collection within Dubai, to a hotel, a home or the airport. Many suppliers do it free, and the listing says which.
• Usually extra: Salik, fuel, kilometres beyond the allowance, an additional driver, and a full insurance upgrade that lowers your excess.
• On request: a child seat, subject to availability. Check that one fits in the back of a convertible before you book, because some rear seats are small.

At the handover, open and close the roof once with the supplier standing there, and photograph the fabric or the panels along with the bodywork. A roof that sticks halfway is the one fault you want found before you leave, not on the beach road.

Arriving by air? A convertible car rental at Dubai airport is easy to arrange: you rent the car here and the supplier brings it to the terminal. The Dubai airport car rental listings show which suppliers deliver to DXB and DWC.

Documents Required to Rent a Convertible in Dubai

Bring the originals. Most suppliers also ask for clear photos when you book, so the handover takes five minutes instead of thirty.

If you live in the UAE:

• A valid UAE driving licence
• Your Emirates ID
• A card in your own name

If you are visiting:

• Your passport with the entry stamp or visa
• Your home country licence
• An International Driving Permit, unless your licence is from a country the UAE accepts on its own. Your supplier will tell you which applies.
• A card in the main driver's name

Factors Affecting Convertible Rental Prices in Dubai

Two convertibles on the same street can be priced worlds apart. Here is what pushes the rate up or down.

• The car itself. A four seat soft top and a mid engine spider are not the same market, and the rate follows the car's value and running costs.
• The season. Demand peaks from November to March, when evenings are cool and the roof actually comes off. In the summer months rates soften, and the roof stays down only early in the morning or after dark.
• Length of rental. Weekly and monthly convertible car hire in Dubai is priced well below the daily rate. Staying a month? The monthly car rental deals are worth a look.
• How early you book. Around New Year, Eid and the big winter events the popular convertibles go first, and the ones left are rarely the cheap ones.
• The deposit and insurance terms. A rental with no deposit and a higher excess is a different deal from one with a card hold and full cover.
• The model year. A Mustang or 4 Series a year or two older often drives the same and costs less.