Hardtop vs Soft Top

[JRICH7272]

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.

Is this satire? Slicing through a soft top is so much easier then breaking glass?

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[Blaine23]

Is this satire? Slicing through a soft top is so much easier then breaking glass?

Logistically, imagine cutting through a soft top. Then you do what? Climb from the rear cargo up to the front seat to look for a phone or other grab-able items of value? Or cut through the roof, climb over the doors and shimmy down into the passenger seat?

If I was a crook, I'd pick up a rock, smash a window and open a door in about 3 seconds.

I've lived and parked in metro areas for 13 years. No one ever cut through the soft top of my Bronco, or the Jeep I drove for 12 years before that. The trick? Don't leave anything in it. And if you absolutely must leave something in it, make sure it's way out of sight. I've literally parked next to cars that had their windows smashed and no one bothered my Jeep. Because I never left anything of value in it.

 

[Blaine23]

Back to the original question, I wanted dual tops. Run hard top in the winter month, switch to the soft top in the Spring. It's what I did with the Jeep for years. Usually invited a buddy over to help me remove and store the hard top.

But when it came to only getting one or the other, choosing the soft top was easy. It performs fine all year round and when I want the wind in what's left of my hair, I can have it down in seconds, back up in minutes.

I'll pick up a hard top eventually, when they're easier to buy. But for me, the main reason to drive this vehicle over any other SUV is the ability to remove the top when I want to and enjoy the weather.

 

[PrepVet]

I only ever want a soft top. The hassle of a hard top just has zero appeal to me. Very happy with my factory soft top.

 

[heynow14]

I originally wanted a hardtop. Went for soft top on my BL to speed things up. It worked. Best accident ever. I have ZERO interest in hardtop any longer. I live in SoCal so I removed the vinyl windows in April and they will not go back in until prob mid-October. Top open or closed in 8 seconds. Love it. Aside from the 7MT, it's the best part of the Bronco.

Regarding Best Top Fastback - I like the look for sure. BUT - it can't fold down fully at the rear. So no thanks. Being able to have 100% full open air is what a soft top is all about.

To close - if I had a hard top, I'd rarely have taken it all apart to go convert. What a shame that would have been. Go softie and don't look back!

Regarding safety - I feel (I hate saying that...) that with the vinyl windows removed, bad guys might look at my Bronco and think "well...the back is fully open so what could possibly be of value in there? Knock on wood but zero issues yet but I also subscribe to the "don't leave anything attractive inside" rule.

Also - with factory soft top be sure to get IAG Soft Top Assist. It will change your life.

 

[Brockdog12]

Hard top here, neighbor got their Bronco about a month ago with a soft top to speed up delivery, they are replacing it with a hard top.

 

[Zootsgeorge]

I want to have both hard top for fall winter and soft top for warmer weather I like the way the best top fits but also like how the factory top fold all the way back torn between what version of Soft top to get

 

[brianbrn]

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?

Getting caught in the rain is part of the fun. I’ve got a cockpit cover I can put over it if I’m parked at work and it might rain. I don’t mind getting a little wet sometimes. On the highway I hardly feel the rain when I’m driving with the hard top off. It’s made to get wet. I towel dry off the interior and continue with my day.
I love my hard top for the same reason I loved my hard top on my old Jeep. Security. Less maintenance long term.
Soft tops wear out. The weather will take its toll in just a couple years. It’s prone to damage when Off Roading. I plan on driving it till the wheels fall off so my investment will last longer with the hard top.

 

[Tstarks]

I stuck with the hard top, even though it likely caused my order to take longer to get.
1. Hard top Looks great!
2. Factory soft tops look terrible, not tight fitting, wavy windows, etc
I do at some point want a soft top for summer. Will go with best top or one of the other better fitting aftermarket tops. After market soft tops are and will be waaaay cheeper than getting an aftermarket or ford accessory hard top, if they ever become available.
3. pacific northwest winter weather, that lasts for seven to eight months out of the year.
4. Security.

I digress and won't go on.

 

[mattymik]

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?

Boy do I agree!

If anyone is regretting their decision to get a hard top — particularly one that you professionally painted white — I would gladly help you out of your bind by giving you my soft top … in exchange for your hard top + some cash.

 

[Seano1685]

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?

The OEM soft top is terrible! Looks like and the build quality is a dumpster fire. Get the hard top and buy bestop trek top separately

 

[Bronco cat]

The OEM soft top is terrible! Looks like and the build quality is a dumpster fire. Get the hard top and buy bestop trek top separately

I’ve had no issues with my softop. It goes all the way down unlike a bestop and for all the people talking about the saggy windows, you obviously don’t have a lot going on in your life. It’s because of the tilt up design and to be honest I have seen quite Few Jeep’s with wavy windows.

 

[Mattyfly42]

love the flexibility of the soft top. All the way up or half way or all the way down. got a Bimini top and have been with the rear windows out all summer. great air flow and still keeps it cool if its triple digits. Also 5 seconds and im topless. hard top looks better. but feel like I wouldn't take the panels out enough to open the top. love my soft top plus got delivered faster. if I ever wanted a Gard top I figured I could buy aftermarket when available.

 

[gkellys]

I went through the same decision process with my one day to be previous Jeep Wrangler if my Bronco ever shows. I purchased the jeep hardtop, then purchased a soft top, then put the hardtop back on… with a Bestop Sunrider. Never put the soft top back on. Panels never went back on. When the Sunrider is flipped back it was open enough for me. And I can open or close it in 10 seconds or less. Same view as the softtop down unless you are in the back seat. And there is no one in my back 99%.
I ordered the BD hardtop and will immediately install the sunrider.

 

[fergthulhu]

I had zero interest in a soft top, in fact, I would have been thrilled with a fixed roof (go ahead and throw the chairs). I changed my order to a soft top because a) the hard top was hardly a paragon of quality/finish and b) fewer constraints on my build. I figured I would get a painted ADV top once they started making them.

Surprise, surprise: the factory soft top is one of my favorite features on the Bronco. The weather can change so quickly in the mountains and I love that I can fold back the roof partially and then put it back up in a few seconds for the random rain/hail/graupel. Obviously, others live in different climates and have different use cases, but I guess my point is: if none of that other stuff applies, you might give the softy a chance—I'm glad I did.

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