Hard top vs soft top - highway noise

[ATLbronco]

Now that Broncos have been in fairly wide circulation for a long time, I'm curious whether there is any consensus on whether hard or soft top is superior from a highway noise reduction standpoint. Particularly interested in qualified opinions from anyone who owns or has owned both. Thoughts?

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[OK_Hunter]

I have a soft top Sasquatch and my friend owns a hard top Sasquatch. I've ridden in both enough to provide this comparison. Neither are quiet. LOL! The hard top does a better job of filtering out 18 wheelers or the extra noise that you hear when you go under an overpass. I fashioned an egg crate foam pad to fit as a sandwich between my soft top and the Bimini, and I actually feel like it does a better job of filtering out the wind noise while cruising down the highway than the hard top. There is no escaping the plastic side and rear windows in the soft top though. Summary: hard top is probably the winner, but it's not by much

 

[omg_bbq]

Had my soft top and the above comment nailed my experience with the soft top. It's loud at highway speeds and on top of that you really notice crosswind noises, 18 wheelers, loud motorcycles. This is my 2 cents after 12k miles.

Side note if anyone looking to sell their MIC sees this disregard everything I said, the soft top is perfect and it'll make your family love you more, sell me your hard top.

 

[Ksjrb03]

I own a hardtop and have ridden enough highway miles in the soft-top to proclaim them both loud AF. Its a different loud though. Soft top is more road/tire/traffic noise and a little wind noise. The hard top (mine at least) is all wind noise, dont notice excessive traffic and road noises, but damn that wind noise. Others claim their hard top is as quiet as a luxury sedan, but I don't believe it.

 

[Compta38]

Anything over 70mph and hardtop Sasquatch is loud. I have to use my outside voice to talk to wife. I test drove a WT with soft top and remember hearing more wind but it didn't seem much worse.

 

[dangelo27]

I haven’t driven with a softop but considering selling my hardtop either for aftermarket or a softop. Trying to reduce wind noise on the highway as best as possible.

 

[Jr87mustang]

I own a hardtop and have ridden enough highway miles in the soft-top to proclaim them both loud AF. Its a different loud though. Soft top is more road/tire/traffic noise and a little wind noise. The hard top (mine at least) is all wind noise, dont notice excessive traffic and road noises, but damn that wind noise. Others claim their hard top is as quiet as a luxury sedan, but I don't believe it.

I have read complete opposites on the hard top as well. I have to say I think mine is pretty quite. It isn't my wife's Expedition quite but its not loud and conversations in it are fine. I have read a few times where people are saying they can't even talk........I have a hard time believing that.

 

[BTomorama]

Waiting for my MyTop to get delivered. Has added sound insulation and an inner liner. Should be much quieter.

 

[CentralFLBronco]

Truthfully, I’d say they are equal as long as your radio is turned up to at least 15! I mean let’s face it, we are discussing wind noise for a vehicle that the roof and doors come off…

 

[swooshdave]

Those of you with the hardtops, are you with or without the sound deadener on the roof?

 

[AMTRV]

My hardtop has the factory insulation…….quiet enough for a roof that I can remove in 10 minutes.
While the MIC top has a few quirks, I still love it. Could it be better; of course it could but I still love it.
It‘s a Bronco, not a fixed roof suv.

 

[BigGarnet]

There is not enough difference to me to make that the deciding factor. Buy the one you like better from a functional standpoint. The noise of the soft top doesn’t bother me; conversations at highway speed are no problem, so I would never give up the convenience to gain a 1db reduction (the reported difference on a test I saw).

 

[Garemlin]

I have never driven or even been in a hard top Bronco. But I will say this. My soft top Bronco is no more noisy than my hard top Gladiator was. In fact I'd say it is a tad bit quieter than the Gladiator. I don't consider either over noisy anyway.

 

[gjptennis]

Had a soft top OBX and now have my Wildtrak MIC - road noise (tires, trucks, etc) much louder in the soft top. MIC w/sound deadening (haha) is quieter there but wind noise is still pretty loud. and since I put in a light bar, I now also have a wonderful whistle to go with all the wind noise.

 

[Ksjrb03]

I have read complete opposites on the hard top as well. I have to say I think mine is pretty quite. It isn't my wife's Expedition quite but its not loud and conversations in it are fine. I have read a few times where people are saying they can't even talk........I have a hard time believing that.

Believe it. Bluetooth phone conversations are out at highway speeds. Like someone above worded perfectly, have to use my outside voice to talk to passengers. I still don’t understand how it can be so bad but it is. The fact it is a removable roof is meaningless when it is way louder than the competition.

Those of you with the hardtops, are you with or without the sound deadener on the roof?

Mine has it. It is a thin piece of carpet. It may help with the road noise, but does nothing for the wind noise which is the main issue.

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