Pros / cons of a soft top versus hard top?

[joecub]

I ran my JKU in FL for the last 7 years with the Premium hard top. These are not the tops of yester-year. It was very durable and I had no issues with leaks. I am hoping that Bronco's top is at least comparable to the JKU's Premium top. It is a true rag top and is thicker than the standard top. I've had both and the Premium top was much nicer. In the JKU I had not issues with the back passengers being too hot or cold.

PRO:
Easier to go full top down
Faster to put up if caught in bad weather
Can fold front back with nothing to store
Can take sides AND back window out

CON:
Not as quiet as the hard top
Windows prone to scratching

I will be sticking with the soft top. We like the flexibility it provides and I believe the ease of use lends us to put the top down more. I hardly ever see Jeepers around here with the hard top freedom panels off.

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[Hkak45]

Not sure about you but for some reason my eyes bother me when driving a Jeep Soft top that has sat out in the sun for over a year. Every one I’ve been in has kind of been hazy to a degree. The plus side though is soft top is super easy to fold back so you can run top less if you think it may rain later since just have to zip it back up when it rains

 

[joecub]

I also own a soft top Jeep wrangler in florida. I do not want a hard top because it reminds more of a SUV then. Soft tops are a lirrle louder but do not regret not having a hard top

 

[targas]

I've only had soft tops, for this type of vehicle, I have 0 interest in getting a hard top.

I do hate my soft windows as they do scratch easily and are VERY hard to see out of. Since the Bronco won't have soft windows, this won't be an issue.

I hope it's easy to flip back and take off.

 

[Lonestar777]

Since the Bronco won't have soft windows, this won't be an issue

Do you have a reference for this info? This is the first thing I’ve seen that says it won’t have soft windows, but I haven’t been focused on all the soft top threads so I might have missed it.

 

[targas]

Do you have a reference for this info? This is the first thing I’ve seen that says it won’t have soft windows, but I haven’t been focused on all the soft top threads so I might have missed it.

I'm just going off the pictures, I really have no clue, I could be wrong here but the windows look to be glass on the doors (no soft doors) and soft windows in the rear sides and back. Only guessing.

 

[Lonestar777]

I'm just going off the pictures, I really have no clue, I could be wrong here but the windows look to be glass on the doors (no soft doors) and soft windows in the rear sides and back. Only guessing.

Gotcha, if you were meaning the front windows I agree those will be glass.

 

[targas]

Gotcha, if you were meaning the front windows I agree those will be glass.

Yeah I was talking about the front. I have the soft doors on my JK and the soft windows on it get so scratched I can barely see out, it makes it hard to daily drive. I'm excited to have glass windows on the front for sure, with what appears to be a lower door height (love the height of my soft door, much better visibility when the windows are out)

 

[Headsong]

I wouldn't mind switching to hardtop for winter here in Chicago IF it's an easy switch. I've watched vids on doing that on Jeeps.....and my gosh you'll need a weekend and an engineering degree. Not for me. So if Ford figured this out, too, like they have the doors, I'll get it.

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

I wouldn't mind switching to hardtop for winter here in Chicago IF it's an easy switch. I've watched vids on doing that on Jeeps.....and my gosh you'll need a weekend and an engineering degree. Not for me. So if Ford figured this out, too, like they have the doors, I'll get it.

It takes about an hour to install a soft top on a Jeep. Less to remove it.

 

[Headsong]

It takes about an hour to install a soft top on a Jeep. Less to remove it.

My point exactly....that's a bit long, don't ya think? And first time probably double that....

 

[spyderman01]

Hard top and soft top both need the gate opened and swung out of the way – pretty much a given with a rear tire mounted there. Once the gate is open, the hard top glass just swings up. Soft top rear window is a pain to open, at least on the Wrangler – unclipping, unzipping, pulling, rolling up, securing with a strap. Maybe Ford will make it easier on the Bronco.

Usually the soft tops are slashed for theft, and leaving the doors unlocked doesn't always help. Either way, you consign yourself to never leaving valuables inside that don't fit in a mounted lock box.

The JK soft top had zippers, the JL did not. On that one, it was simple to just open the gate and grab the bottom bar of the back window and as I tossed it up, it unhooked at the sides. It was quite simple. In fact, it was so easy to remove the panels on the side, it would be faster to just open them rather then slash them to get in!

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

My point exactly....that's a bit long, don't ya think?

No not really lol

 

[Dillhole]

Been running a soft top on my 2012 JK since day 1. Zero issues at all even through the brutal CNY snowy winters. I was never a fan of dropping the top entirely, but rather taking out all the windows and leaving the rest up like a bikini top and running doorless. Switching to a Trektop made this a better experience.

If I had to list any complaints it would be not being able to scrap ice off them in the winter and it's a little loud on the highway if trying to hold a conversation. But outside of that, zero. Even in sub zero temps the heater in a JK is plenty strong to keep me toasty.

Since I'll be going with a 2dr Bronco and the hard top is standard it will be my first time experiencing that.

 

[NVCowboy]

Okay. I still want a hard top. Hats off to the moderator for the ease that my post was re-directed to this thread. This site’s almost as modular as the new top.

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