Never owned a convertible, plan on a mod top, but can anyone provide some possible reasons to get the soft top as well?

[PecOBX]

I am getting just the soft top. I have had jeeps with soft and hard tops. Prefer the soft top for the ease of taking it off on nice days (and the ease to button the rig back up if rain suddenly arises). Not sure how the modular hard top will work but the single piece hard top is a two person operation to remove and put back on. And with my soft tops the winter is manageable (I am in the SE Pa area so plenty of bad weather) and road noise is not bad.

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[Holiday]

Its an extra $600 to add soft top.

I'm curious about this. I am happy with MIC, so I hadn't paid attention to the Modular pricing. Why is it a $600 to go dual with Modular, but $1,100 extra with MIC on B&P? Does that reflect the reality of the ordering system?

I go in Thursday to order and I definitely will go dual tops if it's only $600. At $1,100 it's a tougher pill to swallow. If nobody knows by the time I visit the dealer, I will ask about the pricing in the ordering system and report back.

UPDATE: I can confirm the dual top price discrepancy exists in the order system as well.

 

[CCFields]

Its an extra $600 to add soft top. any reason why I should?

doesnt look like its the "fold back" version?
I assume if I would have to take the whole thing off to have any of it off, while the hard top can come off in pieces.
the hard top can be stored in the 4dr version, so portability isnt a big benefit.

what am I potentially missing?

Thanks

EDIT: I posted this not knowing if the hard AND soft top (folded back) can be on the Bronco simultaneously. In a JKU it can be.

Original Post:
First time posting but wanted to make a comment on those considering dual tops... as a 2015 JKU Rubicon owner I bought the dual tops... and later sold the soft top at a considerable loss. If you are going to leave the soft top on and folded back with the hardtop on you lose considerable cargo capacity... it cuts the useable space in half and renders the space above the fold unpackable. If you carry cargo or overland and add a shelf (I have TerraFlex) or similar accessory it rendered the soft top useless. I’m going the Bimini top route with modular design hard top. The only other option would be uninstalling the soft top and storing... which I did on the Jeep and was a big pain in the *ss. Photos attached so you know I’m not B.S. can’t wait for the 4 doors to be at dealerships... and retiring my CHRYSLER P.O.S. to farm duty.

 

[timhood]

Its an extra $600 to add soft top. any reason why I should?

doesnt look like its the "fold back" version?
I assume if I would have to take the whole thing off to have any of it off, while the hard top can come off in pieces.
the hard top can be stored in the 4dr version, so portability isnt a big benefit.

what am I potentially missing?

Thanks

I'm not well-versed in what the different Bronco top options can or cannot do. But I've owned convertibles and motorcycles and will say that next to riding, having the top down on a convertible and having no roof obstructions makes for a nice drive. It can reduce the stress, you can enjoy the sky and the air and the wind. But--you definitely want to have an easy way to get that top up for when the sun gets too strong or it's just too hot. So, the best soft top option for the Bronco would be a top that fully retracts and is replaced easily. Next to that, the bimini allows the open-air feeling of the wind without the intensity of the sun. A friend with a Jeep got the mesh and says he wished he'd gotten the canvas top as the mesh still lets in a lot of sun (in PA even). Take that FWIW, his heritage isn't exactly sun-friendly. But if you get a lot of temps in the 90s or higher, consider that good advice.

The soft top that I've seen that just folds back but leaves a stack at the back of the roof seems like a nice option for easy-on, easy-off, but will probably have a lot of wind noise when folded back and also reduce fuel economy, plus it doesn't look the greatest in that position. So, a bit of a compromise.

For me, it seems like the full convertible top will probably be a bit spendy at near $2k, but the $360 canvas bimini seems like a good alternative for 1/2 the year, with the MIC top for the other half.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

Every one should have a convertible once in their lives!
This is just me and it also depends where you live ,2dr specific many times gone down coast top off stay late have dinner its cold now throw on soft top for ride home.
I think alot of yall are going to get flustered with this whole storing doors thing in the truck its going to be a nightmare ,damage and hassle will be ugly.

 

[Dral97]

As some people have alluded to, yes technically a soft top on a jeep or bronco is a convertible, but it's also a little different. I have owned jeeps since the mid 90s. I've also owned a Lexus SC430 and currently own a BMW 4 series. Both of these are hardtop convertibles. (And also a Geo Tracker, but we can kinda just forget about that, k?)

There's a big difference between Jeep/Bronco convertible and a typical car convertible. On my convertible cars, the roof is completely open and it gets that way in under 30 seconds. Same for closing up.

While flipping the front half of a jeep/bronco top back will give you an open air experience (at least for the front seat people), it's not the same as a typical car convertible...although can be achieved in a similar time and be closed up in a similar time. It's just not quite the same...in Jeep/Bronco you'll still have a big B pillar there, a door frame, and roll bar. It's open air but not TOTALLY open air like a convertible car.

Taking the whole top back is more of a chore. However, taking the windows off but leaving the roof provides a different experience you can't get in a convertible car.

Lastly, yes...the main purpose of a dual top, imo, is that you have the soft top on in the summer (and you live in a place that gets rain at least an ok amount). Then when you want a little more protection, you switch on the hard top during the fall/winter.

Some notes:
- I've left soft tops on year round. If you live in a cold climate, forget about using your trunk space. Bend that back soft top window just a centimeter and you'll have a crack in it. Packing tape on a plastic window looks way trashy.

- It's nice to be able to switch the hard top on in October, and still have the option to take some of it off on those unseasonable warm days.

- If you live in a very warm environment (year round), I'd say just pick one top and go with it.

- Switching out the hard and soft tops for one another takes some work. The bolts and such all have to undone on the hard top, but also all the soft top frame hardware has to either be removed or installed depending on which direction you're going.

- If you live in a place with warm summers and cold winters (like I do), it's cool to go with just the hard top, knowing that taking off the panels takes work. It's way easier with a soft top to just jump in, undo the clips on the front and fold it back. However, Bestop and maybe others make for Jeep, and I'm sure will for Bronco, a soft top front you install with the hard top back (see below). It gives you the best of both worlds (almost).

 

[Dral97]

Every one should have a convertible once in their lives!
This is just me and it also depends where you live ,2dr specific many times gone down coast top off stay late have dinner its cold now throw on soft top for ride home.
I think alot of yall are going to get flustered with this whole storing doors thing in the truck its going to be a nightmare ,damage and hassle will be ugly.

Agree. Just pick a nice day, take the roof and doors off, and leave them at home. There will be some people who drive a long distance and want to take the doors off for a bit for whatever reason. Those are the folks who will have to figure it out and do it right.

I think my state doesn't allow doors off, so there's that.

 

[Bronco4lyfe85]

Reading this I just realized the 2 door doesn’t even have the option for a soft top?!

 

[Macjr]

Get the soft top so you can drive a bronco ASAP then order a hardtop after and see what aftermarket comes up w too…

 

[Dral97]

Get the soft top so you can drive a bronco ASAP then order a hardtop after and see what aftermarket comes up w too…

I'd generally agree with that in getting one top first and a second later. For Jeeps, the cooler stuff has always happened for aftermarket soft tops. So it makes sense to get hard top up front and soft top later.

However, we're in a unique time in that, as you pointed out, you can get something with a soft top faster probably. Also, there will probably be other cool hard top options released later (like that white top we are all drooling over). It's a tough call.

I live in a place with seasons, so I got my FE with both tops, but I admit, because it's FE I feel the need to get everything on it factory up front (except wheel locks lulz). I'm fully expecting to regret getting the soft top with it now, but I know that going in, so it's all good. haha.

 

[Vigor]

The mesh will provide pretty good shading and will let some wind through and flap less at speed. The canvas will provide full shade, not partial, and moderate protection against drizzle.

I’ve had both on Jeeps. Pick based on your environmental considerations and how much sun blockage you prefer.

Awesome guy

Yeah I live in PA. No need for a bimini for me. It would collect dust in my storage
But it's in my 5 year plan to move to Colorado. There, the bimini would come to great use

 

[BD1]

I have had many jeeps with dual tops: soft and hard. For my Bronco 2dr I am getting hard top (of course) and will use this along with a Bimini canvas top:

https://topliftpros.com

 

[Macjr]

I bet RSi Smart cap will have something since the Bronco is a modular setup and they are already producing a modular top for pickups...

 

[ZackDanger]

Reading this I just realized the 2 door doesn’t even have the option for a soft top?!

Yes. Ford doesn't offer a soft top for the 2-door... that's why the hard top is standard.

Bestop is offering the 2-door soft top, but as of this post, it's only available as an "accessory"... you can not order a 2-door from the factory with anything other than a hardtop installed.

 

[Cheshire]

Its an extra $600 to add soft top. any reason why I should?

doesnt look like its the "fold back" version?
I assume if I would have to take the whole thing off to have any of it off, while the hard top can come off in pieces.
the hard top can be stored in the 4dr version, so portability isnt a big benefit.

what am I potentially missing?

Thanks

I've owned several soft tops, incl Wranglers, Defender. You don't need one. The removable hardtop panels work great.

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