Despite sunny days being few and far between here, Britain loves convertible cars. We purchase more than the French, Italians and Spanish, with only the German market a match for our buying habits in Europe.

So a recent survey by Warranty Direct will be of great interest to Brits looking to make the most of fleeting summer days, as the insurer analysed its database of 50,000 live policies to find the most reliable used convertible.

The winner was the 2005-2015 Mazda MX-5, topping the list ahead of the Vauxhall Tigra and Peugeot 206 CC, which took second and third respectively.

Positions were sorted on a ‘Reliability Index’ score given to each car. This was calculated based on a car’s frequency of failure, cost of repair, duration of repairs , average age and mileage. A low score indicated a reliable car, while a high score indicated poor reliability.

The Mazda MX-5 and Vauxhall Tigra were found to be significantly less expensive to repair in comparison to other convertibles, with a maximum repair cost of £501.40 and £663.74 respectively.

The fourth most reliable convertible tested was the 2004-2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK, followed by the 2006-2013 Volvo C70.

Electrical faults were by far the most common repair for convertibles, likely caused by complex folding roofs. Thirty-seven per cent of BMW Z4 garage visits were caused by electrical issues – more than in any other car.

The study also revealed the most unreliable convertibles. The 2004-2012 Porsche Boxster was found to have the worst Reliability Index score, while the Audi S5 Cabriolet was the most expensive to repair.