Hardtop vs Soft Top

[bschack]

I've noticed here and in the marketplace a strong general preference for hard tops over soft tops. Trying to figure out why - from my point of view, I'd rather have a soft top that I can take completely off, but yet still have all of the components to put it back on right in the back of the truck. Taking off the hard top seems like a major commitment and if you get caught in the rain, you're stuck. I don't have my Bronco yet so wondering for thos who want thard top - what am I missing? Is it a noise factor? Is it just plain looks? What else?

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[Headsong]

I first wanted dual top figuring winter here in Chicago. When the hard tops went to crap and held up production, I opted for the soft only. Sooooooooo happy! Lots of softtops winter here, lol, and the convenience of dropping it as you want? I see hard tops now and wonder, what is wrong with you?

 

[SS Bronco]

I personally like the soft top. Very convenient to put up and down depending on weather. When we got heavy snow I just made sure to knock it off every day. Never heard of any damage from snow but I didn’t like having more than a foot or two on it

 

[62chad]

Hard top is more secure. Soft top in any large city is a dare.

 

[AZ_Liberty]

My last soft top Mustang had a LOT of wind noise. Like painfully loud at 80 mph. That's the main reason I ordered a hard top.

Also, the soft top on the Bronco doesn't go down all the way. It's a supper weird design that even when folded back, sticks up like a giant wind brake.

Another issue is that, unlike the Mustang convertible which has glass, the bronco has soft, easily scratched vinyl windows.

Now, if you live in an area with a lot of rain, soft top is better. You don't have to worry about leaks between the panels. Some folks are also apparently nervous about soft tops in the snow, but I've never had an issue with a soft top in the snow. Although now that I think about it, the lack of a rear defrost could bother some folks.

 

[Big Diamond]

I never considered a hardtop for the bronco and I will be the first to admit that I do not like the wavy rear windows on the soft top. The amount of times I would ride with the top open would be so much less if I had the hard top. I live in the south, love riding with the top down and we get lots of pop up storms. When that happens, I just put the top up and keep moving.

 

[SumDumGuy]

I went for the hard top, we get a lot of snow and it gets to -40 here. plus the shear number of car shoppers around here(see dozens of reports a day were they are getting into cars via cutting tops, smashing windows or opening the doors)

 

[DefNotBuddyLee]

There are a number of benefits already stated for the hardtop, but I knew I wanted a soft top from day 1 due to the flexibility to put up/down at a moments notice. In my area, pop up storms are more common that blizzards, so this makes sense for me. They require care and no matter how careful I am with taking the rear windows off, I know it is just a matter of time before they are scuffed up sometimes to the point of being hard to see out of (same issue with the Wrangler, so nothing new for me).
But, I don't need a pulley system in my garage and I can go topless all by myself like a big boy.

 

[Oday]

I wanted The hard top in the beginning but opted for a soft top to get it faster living in a very snowy state it was really no big deal it is noisier and the windows do scratch very very easily but it is pretty fun to just take it up and down and it I really liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

 

[rtazz17]

I've noticed here and in the marketplace a strong general preference for hard tops over soft tops. Trying to figure out why - from my point of view, I'd rather have a soft top that I can take completely off, but yet still have all of the components to put it back on right in the back of the truck. Taking off the hard top seems like a major commitment and if you get caught in the rain, you're stuck. I don't have my Bronco yet so wondering for thos who want thard top - what am I missing? Is it a noise factor? Is it just plain looks? What else?

I dont think theres a strong preference either way. Either one needs to be what YOU want. There is no wrong top. I have soft top. I can take it down wherever I am and not have to store panels. If im caught in rain the top goes up in 20 seconds. Conversely it goes down in 20 seconds. If I had hard top I would never be taking those panels off every day like I do with my soft top. Noise is non issue unless you need it silent inside. Depends how you want to use it. Panels cant be done on your own unless you want to risk scratching or breaking something,and it can not be done in less then a minute.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

Looks for me. Will buy a hard top at some point. The convenience of the softie is nice I’ll admit. But it takes extra effort to clean

 

[rtazz17]

Hard top is more secure. Soft top in any large city is a dare.

This is not true. Maybe in your mind but crime is opportunistic…. Open window,open door etc. Crooks normally are not going to slice your top apart. They can get in just as easily using a glass punch and not making any noise.

 

[GToddC5]

It may be worth noting that the Ford soft top looks like something from covered wagon days, so that's a huge reason some steer away from soft top. However, the Bestop Trektop looks so much better. Me being 2 door, I didn't have a choice but get hardtop, but I installed a Bestop a few months after delivery and don't think I'll use the Hardtop at all. If I had reasons to get a moar door, I'd order with hardtop and then get a Bestop Trektop softie. You're paying for a top regardless, may as well get the best looking and then go aftermarket. Ford softies get your Bronco potentially faster, so go with what matters the most to you.

 

[Bucker]

Soft but Trek Top. Sold factory soft top.

 

[62chad]

This is not true. Maybe in your mind but crime is opportunistic…. Open window,open door etc. Crooks normally are not going to slice your top apart. They can get in just as easily using a glass punch and not making any noise.

I live in a small town. Never even have my top up. Drove to inner city Fresno to stay at a hotel for the night. Homeless guy sliced my top within the first 5 minutes. Watched it happen from the 10th floor of the hotel. Didn't even check if the doors were open.

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