[SD987]

...my husband and I are forever wondering why anyone would pay the extra money for a convertible and never use it?

That's why they came out with the Cayman, so now you can pay extra for a fixed roof.

I feel bad for the people for whom the "novelty" of a convertible has worn off, and they end up never putting the top down.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. Driving a cvt can be a brutal assault on the senses, especially without a wind-deflector. What looks fun for someone else may not be what these people bargained for.

In the "most likely to drive with the top down" category, I'm going to go with Chrysler Sebring owners (although I think that availability in rental-car fleets contributes to this). In the "least likely category" I'm going to say Merc CLK convertible owners.