Hard top vs soft top - highway noise

[harpo]

I have a hardtop with the liner - wind noise is pretty loud once you get past 65 or 70 or are in a strong cross wind.

I definitely have to turn the radio up but the wind noise doesn't bother me too much. Even so I may try to quiet it....

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[JimmyG]

My hard top is quiet, but then again I used to stand on an Aircraft Carrier next to F14's, F18's and the noisiest son of a bitch EA6B Prowler. So my hearing might not be as sensitive as most. Plus, I'm so in love with this vehicle that I'm not sure I have any complaints.

 

[stickshifthappy]

I’ve been driving a 2 door badlands, non Sasquatch for a little over 3 weeks now. My MIC does not have the headliner.

My commute has been weekly 3 hour rides from Va. to NC. The last 2 weeks. Is there noise ? Yes. Is it annoying ? No.

I listen to the radio, so that covers a lot of it. It’s not a Lexus or Benz. So I don’t expect the cabin to be that quiet.

I was a little worried when I found out I didn’t check the right box to get the free head liner on the Build your Bronco site, but right now it’s not an issue, and I don’t plan on spending $400+ for an aftermarket liner any time soon.

 

[Fmuguira]

My decision of hard vs soft top came down to which one will hold up better when driving through low hanging branches, bush, thorns, etc.

It was an easy decision which way to go

 

[Sonny]

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?

I’ve driven the same vehicle with both. Hands down the hard top, when properly seated and with seals lubricated and clean is worlds quieter than an oem soft top.

that said I’ll be putting the soft top back on during the summer.

 

[ATLbronco]

I’ve driven the same vehicle with both. Hands down the hard top, when properly seated and with seals lubricated and clean is worlds quieter than an oem soft top.

that said I’ll be putting the soft top back on during the summer.

Best of both worlds!

 

[Trilifter7]

I have both tops. We bought our Badlands as a hard top with sound deadening headliner and we bought a factory soft top from a member here. We had the soft top on all summer and recenfly switched it back to our hard top last month. The hard top with sound deadening is noticeably quieter at highway speeds as well as 60 mph country roads. I would compare the hard top noise as similar to most full size trucks I’ve owned. The soft top was louder but it was by no means annoying, just louder. I will gladly be putting the soft top back on next spring and run the soft top all summer until next fall. The hard top is nice if you don’t plan on removing the top much, but after having the soft top on all summer the hard top is annoying to remove the panels when it’s nice. After using both this year I would say The noise is far less of a factor to me as is the convenience of removing the top.

 

[John94]

Shocked no one on this forum bought a cheap decibel reader

I have a soft top, buddy has the hard top. Both 4 doors.

At highway speeds the readings are damn near identical

let me qualify this statement though

Hard tops with that many removable pieces will ALWAYS be fairly loud. Too many seams. the Two door factory hardtop with headliner is much quieter.. like significantly.

Just wait on the aftermarket. Get a 1 or 2 piece hard top. Get a head liner. should be noticeably quieter

 

[PAWBronco]

My dealership let me test drive the 21 Badlands SAS for over a month with the soft top. I now own a 22 Badlands SAS with a hard top and no sound deadener. I did not find a huge difference when driving around town.

It has been my experience that there was a night and day difference when I drove each 5 hours south to Portland on the interstate though. The hard top is noticeably quieter. It also makes a big difference having a rear defrost and rear wiper when on the highway which the soft top doesn't have. There is a large difference in rear visibility.

I have also encountered a difference when ensuring the seams on the hard top are cleaned well and lubed before putting back on (I didn't do this when I first got my Bronco until I read some of these forums).

 

[BroncoSarge]

Not enough difference for me to want a hard top. I like being able to drop and raise the top in an instant.

 

[8cam]

Mine is my daily driver and I talk with Bluetooth all the time, no issues. Since I added the Sunrider it’s a little noisier but still just fine, and conversations are pretty normal. I don’t have experience with the soft top, but really happy with my hybrid solution.

 

[HeliPilot]

I’ve had both. The soft top is great for a soft top vehicle. The hard top is quieter, but there is wind noise. But I do not think that is attributed to the hard top itself. I believe the wind noise is from the frameless windows. Just my 2 cents.

 

[AZ_Liberty]

My hard top (2door) is considerably quieter than my last soft top Mustang.

2-door Hart Top only has 3 pieces though, I wonder if the extra joins on the 4door hard top increase the wind noise.

 

[Thunderstick]

2 door Black Diamond Sasquatch 2.7 hardtop with headliner on blacktop freeway measured directly above the shift lever halfway from the console to the roof

65 DB @ 65 MPH
77 DB @ 80 MPH

2017 Lincoln MKX FWD 3.7 N/A on blacktop freeway measured halfway from the console to the roof

59 DB @ 65 MPH
70 DB @ 80 MPH

A 1 dB change in a sound equates to about a 26% difference in sound energy (remember that a 3 dB difference is a doubling of energy levels). In terms of subjective loudness, a 1 dB change yields just over a 7% change. A 3 dB change yields a 100% increase in sound energy and just over a 23% increase in loudness

Hopefully this will give a clearer idea of the Bronco's interior sound level than some of the previous posters have been able to convey. Crosswinds do significantly increase interior sound levels on the Bronco, but hands free phone conversations have not been a problem so far

 

[GroovyGeek]

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.

I disagree. I rented a BL-sas over the weekend with a soft top and the noise inside was almost unbearable relative to my JK soft top. You can't really have a conversation without slightly yelling. Makes me really rethink my intention to replace the Jeep with a Bronco. Yes it drives much better at highway speeds but "noisy AF" is a great way to describe the situation. Much more so than any Wrangler I have driven or been in.

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.

Sigh. There is such a significant difference on the JK between a hard and a soft top that I was hoping the Bronco would be the same. Sigh... this is a real setback for me. I hate how exhausting the Wrangler is to take on a long road trip, and it sounds like the Bronco would be even more so. Perhaps I am back for the damn redesigned 4Runner to come out. I don't need an offroad beast, just something that will get me through medium difficulty trails and will not give me a headache getting there.

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.

What are the best after-market hard tops from a noise perspective?

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