2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is North America's most fuel-efficient convertible

What's better than driving with the top down and the wind in your hair? Cruising in the open air while saving a ton of money at the pump.

The EPA has just released its figures for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, and the numbers don't lie. The Beetle Convertible TDI, with its 140 horsepower diesel four-cylinder, gets 11.2L/100km (21 mpg) city and 5.7L/100km (41 mpg) highway when paired with the six-speed manual transmission. That highway number makes the Beetle Convertible TDI the most fuel efficient convertible in North America!

Want more power and still want to save fuel? The turbocharged 2.0-litre gas engine puts out 200 horsepower while returning 11.2L/100km (21 mpg) city and 7.8L/100km (30 mpg) highway.

By comparision, the Smart ForTwo Cabriolet gets 6.9L/100km (34 mpg) city and 6.2L/100km (38 mpg) highway, with a combined rating of 6.5L/100km (36 mpg). That's good enough to beat out the Beetle Convertible TDI's 7.3L/100km (32 mpg) combined, but if you do more highway driving, no other droptop will rival the max fuel economy of the Beetle.

The Tesla Roadster, which would have been far and away the most fuel-efficient convertible on the market, is sold out and not in production in North America for 2013.

News Source: FuelEconomy.gov via Motor Trend

Image Credit: CarPix