Cost for hard top vs soft top…

[BroncoBoy22]

Love this thread! I’m in the same boat as you guys. Currently leaning towards the hideous soft top since it’s cheaper.

But I’d like to know if new interior colors will be available on Badlands for ‘22. If so I don’t mind waiting until then

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[Daktari]

I expect a MIC top to cost somewhere between $3000-4000 once available, including shipping. After market will probably also offer something, but I'd expect the same price range.

I'm fine with the soft top as long as I get the wiring, so much easier to open and close and no panels to deal with, true convertible. There's no snow here in winter, so I'll probably be fine all year with the softie.

Ideally I'd want the hard top shell in the back and a soft top for the front two rows, like a really big sunrider, and I hope aftermarket provides that.

Oh, and I'll be happy to buy your MIC top locally for a good price if it's in good shape, once you want to upgrade to MOD or get a softie instead.

 

[Broncodave]

Ideally I'd want the hard top shell in the back and a soft top for the front two rows, like a really be sunrider,

It's already in the parts catalog! That's totally the way I'm going!

 

[Daktari]

It's already in the parts catalog! That's totally the way I'm going!

last time I looked they had a sun rider, but it was only for the front row, did that change? I emailed Bestop a while ago if they plan to build one that opens up for both rows and back then they had "no plans" to do so.
If it doesn't open the entire roof like removing the two front and the one rear panel would, I'm not interested.
I'm sure aftermarket will provide this option eventually though.

 

[Broncodave]

last time I looked they had a sun rider, but it was only for the front row, did that change? I emailed Bestop a while ago if they plan to build one that opens up for both rows and back then they had "no plans" to do so.
If it doesn't open the entire roof like removing the two front and the one rear panel would, I'm not interested.
I'm sure aftermarket will provide this option eventually though.

Oh yeah, sorry, just the front row. I love it!

 

[Daktari]

Oh yeah, sorry, just the front row. I love it!

we had it on a rental Wrangler in Moab and it's great! So easy to use, but I want the full open roof for the Bronco, Wrangler doesn't open that far back. I'm sure you'll love it though! If aftermarket never shows up with a full one and if I get a HT eventually I might just add it as well.

 

[lakesinai]

Ok, so I’m dismayed (to say the least) as I was a 99’r to get the Dual Top with MOD top option. So that pushed me out to MY23 with the latest love letter from FoMoCo. I can’t do that. So do I go with the MIC or Soft top? So let’s do the numbers to help make the decision. This may have been covered in the giant recent FoMoCo letter thread but I didn’t have the patience to read the 600+ posts.

I see the number $695 being bandied about for the hard top and you get 200,000 reward points (a $1000 value)(which no one seems to know how to get (said rep at the dealership)) - so it should be a wash with shipping, right? However, isn’t the $695 the difference in price from the base soft top to the MIC? So the cost of the MIC hard top is not $695 - it’s a lot more, right?

So I looked up the price of a hard top for a 4 door Jeep Wrangler and it’s around $2500 and a soft top is around $2000 (I didn’t shop around, I think it said Mopar parts). So the difference is in the right neighborhood. I’m thinking that seems like a comparable price for hard tops and soft tops for the Bronco. Keep in mind if you’re buying the soft top for a hard topped vehicle, you’re buying all of the mechanism along with the fabric top so you can’t just look for a “replacement soft top”.

Does the ~$2000 to $2500 seem right to add one or the other top?

Its cheaper to get the Soft Top first, although right now this Summer, we're waiting a bit longer! I've ordered the MIC top, July 19 production, will buy a soft top later, after I've had a chance to SEE and touch the many soft-top options, ranging from $1500 to $2500. A post-production hard top will be pricey (shipping costs), with questionable near-term availability and connections problematic (although beginning September production, there will be a HT "kit" installed, to help connect a future Hard Top). Customers who get an early soft top model this Summer will have functional issues with any future Hard Top. Finally, I'll use my Ford rewards points to help with SoftTop costs.

 

[lakesinai]

last time I looked they had a sun rider, but it was only for the front row, did that change? I emailed Bestop a while ago if they plan to build one that opens up for both rows and back then they had "no plans" to do so.
If it doesn't open the entire roof like removing the two front and the one rear panel would, I'm not interested.
I'm sure aftermarket will provide this option eventually though.

I agree, Daktari, I too want a folding or sliding 4dr soft top that allows me to leave the rear HT shell in place, but replaces the three panels over the first and second row. Part of the design problem may be that the leading edge of the rear HT shell is crescent or scoop shaped, but as you say, the aftermarket usually, eventually provides . . . For a price. Additionally, such an install may not be easily removable.

 

[GoTigersGoBronco]

If you walk into your dealer and buy it from the parts counter, I'd expect it to be about $3,000 to pick up.
If you order online and have shipped to your house, I'd expect it to be about $2900.

Shipping on a Ranger truck bed is around $700 to my house so I don't think shipping will be crazily expensive.

The variant in this is which outside vendors decide to make tops/fast backs etc. Jeep aftermarket tops can be bought for $2500-$3000 so I would not expect Ford to be $1000 more than what the aftermarket creates.

 

[ZackDanger]

I’m pretty sure the soft top won’t ship in a cardboard box if you start with the hard top - you won’t have any of the foldable frame so you’ll need to buy the “cloth top” and also the frame/mechanism It sits on.

If I remember the description of the dual top, it will come with the hard top installed and the soft top (with mechanism) will be shipped “inside” the vehicle (ie a giant U shape wrapped in twill cloth).

When you order dual tops on the Jeep, it ships with the hardtop installed the the soft top packed in a box in the back of the jeep:

 

[Bronceaux]

I'm not sure I'm following any of that, but anyway, getting no top is not an option, so it's all based on the soft top, or getting the "upgraded" MIC top, or the upgraded modular hard top. If you don't want to wait until 2023 (I sure don't), then it's the soft top or pay $695 to get the MIC top.

The money at this point is moot, and I'm not even counting on any FordPass points or whatever they are. It's more about the waiting, not the money.

Wait. What was you actual question?

Are the black tops in the future going to be MIC, or painted?

 

[ZackDanger]

Are the black tops in the future going to be MIC, or painted?

The "MIC" top stands for "molded in color" meaning it's the same color plastic all the way through... that's the current carbonized gray.

The "Modular" top is a different external shell material that is painted... black, white, and matching body color.

Here is the Black Mod top:

Here is a whole thread on it: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...g-painted-black-mod-top-on-2021-bronco.16508/

And here is a more in depth breakdown of the top differences:

 

[Bronceaux]

Thank you! That is what I assumed. That settles it. I will hold out for MIC, and have it painted a satin black. If black could have been a molded in color, I would have had to give it more thought. But if black is painted either way.....

 

[GotGOAT]

Thank you! That is what I assumed. That settles it. I will hold out for MIC, and have it painted a satin black. If black could have been a molded in color, I would have had to give it more thought. But if black is painted either way.....

You might want to search for threads discussing painting a MIC top. It isn’t going to be inexpensive and it might not work out vey well. If you have to have a black top MY23 MOD top is the option.
I’m giving in and getting the MIC top in 22, my truck won’t make it to 23.

 

[MorgansRun]

You may not have asked for this answer, but here's my $0.02. Get the soft top and drive it for a year or so so that you can enjoy the Bronco. If you don't like it you can always trade it in on whatever options Ford has at the time for MY23 or later. It probably won't be too much of a financial hit, but I'm not predicting anything because nobody knows.

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