Do I really need a hardtop

[daddycreswell]

I am looking over my WT build with my wife last night for 22, she asked about the hardtop and if we really needed it. I truly don't know, I've never owned a convertible so I have no idea if one is better over the other. I have my 73 Bronco and the hardtop for it is suspended from the ceiling in the garage and I really don't have the room to hang another up there. So space for it is an issue, I live in Middle Tennessee, hot from April to late October, more rain than snow in the winter and usually mild winter sometimes it can get very cold for a week or two. So is a soft top a good year round top? Pros and cons of a soft top. Thanks

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[LikeToTurnLeft]

Same here. We originally ordered the MIC top for our Badlands. Strictly for our Arizona summers. For 3 month out of the year it’s hot. But the rest of the year its absolutely gorgeous here. After sitting in a Base mannequin soft top at the dealer, coupled with the BS with the tops, we took it off the order. (She’s being built this week!) We’re thinking we’ll be fine. Next summer will be the test. If it’s sucks. Then we’ll buy a hard top. But still, do we really need it with how gorgeous our weather is here.

 

[Felix808]

My hard top will be in the same "suspended" state for the majority of it's life as a Bikini top will be ran most of the time. I personally do not like the soft top looks nor the plastic windows & have had unfavorable times with soft tops in the past. I find a hard top for me is the better choice.

That saying, I have had no problems other than occasional leaks with a soft top in the past when running in cooler weather to include snow. The choice is up to what you want.

 

[daddycreswell]

Same here. We originally ordered the MIC top for our Badlands. Strictly for our Arizona summers. For 3 month out of the year it’s hot. But the rest of the year its absolutely gorgeous here. After sitting in a Base mannequin soft top at the dealer, coupled with the BS with the tops, we took it off the order. (She’s being built this week!) We’re thinking we’ll be fine. Next summer will be the test. If it’s sucks. Then we’ll buy a hard top. But still, so we really need it with how gorgeous our weather is here.

Are you thinking the HT will be cooler during the hot time?

 

[gentlemanbronco]

I mean technically no one needs a bronco either but here we are. If you think you can manage life with a soft top do it. I don’t like soft tops personally but that’s also why I’m waiting until the planets align and my order goes thru

 

[daddycreswell]

I mean technically no one needs a bronco either but here we are. If you think you can manage life with a soft top do it. I don’t like soft tops personally but that’s also why I’m waiting until the planets align and my order goes thru

Why don't you like soft tops?

 

[AMK610]

the hard top will also be way quieter on the highway. I have a hardtop on my jeep, but with the bestop sunrider in place of the front two freedom panels. best of both worlds IMO and this is exactly how i plan to run my bronco as well

 

[gentlemanbronco]

Why don't you like soft tops?

I’m just not a fan of the loud flapping and plastic windows always seemed funny to me like pretend windows . Not saying they’re bad just a personal preference

 

[Fonz54]

I have a 2004 TJ with a soft top and half doors with soft uppers. Our weather here in Central CA is fairly mild we get a few weeks of cold weather and it can be occasionally rainy in the winter (when we are not in a drought situation). Plus the TJ has a heater that will melt glaciers! So comfort is not an issue. There are two issues I have with the soft top. First is the lack of security (I never lock the doors) so no one cuts the top trying to gain access. I just don't leave anything of value in the Jeep. There are numerous security solutions for secure storage, but they tend to take up precious room inside the vehicle. The second issue is noise. I can't hear the bloody radio when driving over 30/35 miles per hour. This is with a brand new BesTop Sail Cloth top. I too have a WildTrak on order with the Painted Modular hard top. I will more than likely not see my Bronco until the '22 MY. I was considering switching to the soft top so I might get my ride sooner, but I am going to stick with the hard top and look to possibly buying a soft top down the road.....at this point this is the road less traveled with my Bronco.

 

[Gamecock]

the hard top will also be way quieter on the highway. I have a hardtop on my jeep, but with the bestop sunrider in place of the front two freedom panels. best of both worlds IMO and this is exactly how i plan to run my bronco as well

I've never seen a test that showed the hardtop being "way quieter" than a soft top. Look at the tests of JL hard tops v. JL soft tops....about 1 decibel of difference. I haven't seen a bigger diff with Bronco either, so I would throw that out. The MIC is reportedly pretty loud...

I swtiched from HT to Soft Top after I drove the soft top a couple of times. It is just really nice to be able to throw it back and throw it up in 20 seconds (when windows are out). It will be way better for vacations where I need a top in case of rain on the way down or back...and don't have to worry about where to store the HT.

 

[Bronco cat]

the hard top will also be way quieter on the highway. I have a hardtop on my jeep, but with the bestop sunrider in place of the front two freedom panels. best of both worlds IMO and this is exactly how i plan to run my bronco as well

I’m not sure it will be Way quieter. It’s definitely more secure.

 

[LSU Jonno]

I like the look of the hardtop better, and I also didn't like the fact that, originally, getting a soft top meant no hardtop hookups. So that's why I ordered a MIC.

However, I always thought that a soft top would really be my preferred top. Once Ford offered the hard top prep kit with the soft top, I swapped over. My desire for the ease of the soft top trumped my concerns over the look. (I think the Area 51 color looks better with the grey MIC matching the other gray accents on the BL trim rather than the black soft top. I also don't like the soft top windows or that square hump in the back)

Worst case scenario is I have to buy a hard top later. What's nice about the ability to swap tops, is this becomes a $2k problem and not a $58k problem. After driving a soft top at my dealer, and at the off rodeo in Moab, my expectation is that we'll never buy a hard top.

 

[Fonz54]

I've never seen a test that showed the hardtop being "way quieter" than a soft top. Look at the tests of JL hard tops v. JL soft tops....about 1 decibel of difference. I haven't seen a bigger diff with Bronco either, so I would throw that out. The MIC is reportedly pretty loud...

I swtiched from HT to Soft Top after I drove the soft top a couple of times. It is just really nice to be able to throw it back and throw it up in 20 seconds (when windows are out). It will be way better for vacations where I need a top in case of rain on the way down or back...and don't have to worry about where to store the HT.

I drove a WildTrak with a soft top. The soft top was down and it was pretty quiet in the front seat. I could have a conversation with the sales person. However my teenage kids were in the back seat and they said it was super noisy and they could not hear what we were saying in the front.

 

[mtheawesomeone]

I always rolled with the dual tops on my Jeep. I live in MO so once November hit the hard top was much warmer and quieter and had rear defrost and a wiper for inclement weather. That and the soft tops were always louder in the winter than the summer I thought. Everything pops and creaks in the winter. Once spring hit the soft top was just much faster and convenient to go topless. On top of that my soft top lasted much longer without the winter wear and tear.

 

[Hobgoblin]

I watched this video from Bestop the other day. Gives a good review of their soft tops compared to a hard top in winter.

It is not the same top that comes standard as a soft top on the Bronco but you can get it as well.

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