To Soft Top, or Not to Soft Top?

[ElJeffe]

For most Bronco owners, myself included, a hard top is a necessity. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains for at least half of the year. The number of days that we can enjoy an open-air driving experiences are fewer than we'd like. Despite that, a nice summer day in the PacNW is spectacular, and top-down driving is something that I love. Naturally, I ordered my Bronco with the dual top option: painted hard top for our wet winters, and retractable soft-top for the sunny summer months.

One of the many reasons that I had a Bronco on order was that I was very unhappy with the SUV I was driving: a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. It was the first and last Land Rover that I will ever own. I love the look of vintage Defenders, but I had quality problems with this Discovery throughout my ownership. The high pressure fuel pump failed. The turbo failed. The in-dash software was a disaster. And with its street tires, it was prone to getting stuck in the rare snow that we get here. In 2019, it got stuck at the bottom of my driveway:

I hate getting stuck. Hate it with a passion. This was my fault given the tires on it, but when I add in the quality problems I had been having, ordering a Bronco in 2020 was a pretty easy choice... and about half the cost!

Fast-foward in time, it became clear that hard tops were a critical supply constraint. @Ford Motor Company was pretty open about that, sending emails recommending that people switch from a hard top to a soft top for earlier delivery. For me, it became a pretty simple equation that factored in:

• The quality problems with the Land Rover, despite being only 3 years old and under 30,000 miles, had me concerned. I didn't trust it and wanted a new vehicle with a more proven powertrain as early as possible. The 2.7L platform from F150s seemed about as proven as it gets.
• While version 2.0 hard tops were being sent out as replacements, issues were being reported with those as well, from honeycombing to bad edges. It became clear to me that Ford's hard top problems would persist into 2022. It began to seem preferable to take delivery of a soft top now, and purchase a hard top after a season or two, once the kinks are worked out.
• Ford offered 220,000 FordPass points to customers like me, who switched to a soft top for 2021 delivery. I've got over 250,000 points on delivery day, which is about half the cost of that new hard top! This made the decision a no-brainer for me.

I worked with my dealer to update my order, and the rest of the story should have been history, hoping for the best with the "legendary Land Rover quality" until my Bronco arrived. But on October 22, disaster struck: I was driving home at about 55 mph, and the Discovery just stopped running... it jolted and hopped around as I came to a stop on the side of the road. A few flickering error messages appears before the instrument cluster went completely black.

Roadside assistance dragged me (wheels were locked) onto a flatbed and dropped me at the local Jag/LR dealership. I would learn the following week that the diesel V6 had seized for some unknown reason. The engine was wrecked, which had in turn damaged the transmission. A new one was needed, and supply chain problems from the UK meant an extended repair period. Months, not weeks. A new engine was located and approved, but two months later, my Discovery was still in the shop.

Light at the end of the tunnel appeared when I got a build and blend date from Ford for December. I had intended to trade the Discovery in on the Bronco, but Ford delivered before Land Rover could! The day that my Bronco arrived at my Ford dealership, this was the state of my Discovery:

So I bought my Bronco outright. I wasn't about to wait on that purchase while Land Rover got it's act together. Plus, there was snow in the forecast for the Seattle area, and I wanted a snow-capable vehicle in my garage by the time it arrived. The little Jaguar loaner wasn't ideal for that. The Bronco purchase went flawlessly. At the same time, the Land Rover dealer was ready to admit that my Discovery was still weeks - at minimum - away as more parts were backordered from overseas. Fortunately, I was able to strike a deal with the inventory-starved LR dealer to buy the Discovery from me while it is still being repaired. I am pleased to be rid of it!

Getting back to the tops: The snow did hit Seattle. We got about 8" at my house, and the roads are now compact snow and ice as the temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s for a few days. Here I am with a Bronco soft top, and I couldn't be happier. It's not as ideal as a hard top for winter highway driving, but it's truly not bad. Here are my reactions:

• PROTECTION: So far, it has been flawless at keeping the interior dry. I don't hear any whistles or anything, and I've had it up to about 75 on the highway. If it's raining hard (I've had it out in full-on downpours), when you open the front doors there will be some drops that fall on the door sill. This is just from how the soft top lays in the frame. Very minor inconvenience and as I said, zero water in the cabin, even at speed in a downpour. A+ for protection for the soft top.
  
  
• NOISE: Let there be no doubt that there is more wind and road noise with the soft top. It's like having one of the rear windows open on a regular vehicle. I don't find it terrible. The stereo needs to be turned up a couple of notches once you accelerate to freeway speeds. With the upgraded B&O sound, it does great. I have conducted phone calls via the car's bluetooth and they are passable. Not great, but passable. Conversation between people in the cabin is not a problem at all. Noise is where I will be glad to have a hard top eventually, but am glad I didn't let it stop me from taking earlier delivery. C for an average noise experience.
  
  
• TEMPERATURE: Ford did something right with the HVAC in the new Broncos. The cabin heats up very quickly, and stays quite warm. I tend to have the fan on lower settings (1, 2, or 3) and everyone in the family has commented about how comfortable the cabin temperature is; we have been out in 20ºF. Back seat passengers would like a bit more air flow directed to them. But anyone worried that a soft top will be cold probably doesn't need to worry at all. B+ for thermals, with rear seat air flow keeping it from an A.
  
  
• APPEARANCE: Plenty of criticism is justiviably leveled at Ford for droopy soft tops. The rear quarter panels do have some bulges. But overall, I think a soft top has a distinctly classic look of adventure, and I love how it shows up even in inclement weather like we have here now. It looks better to me than earlier photos. Every time I see it, it makes me dream of summer. It earns a solid B from me for looks, which is impressive given overall sentiment toward it in the forums.

Looking back at my decision, of course I'd rather have taken delivery with a dual-top option. Jeep has this figured out, and its disappointing that Ford can't do the same. Given what we know of the problems with both 1st and 2nd generations of hard tops, I am glad I took delivery early with a soft top. Even without the Land Rover crisis, I'm glad I have my Bronco in time for the snow here, soft top and all. Having a covered garage at home helps a lot, too, as the top won't sit out in the elements for too long at a time.

Speaking of snow, the Badlands is an absolute beast in the snow. Deep snow, compact snow and ice, and even just a sheet of ice haven't kept her in the garage. The GOAT modes are helpful, and those Sasquatch tires seem to eat the snow for breakfast. Best of all, I can photograph the Bronco at the top of my driveway, unlike the Land Rover stuck at the bottom of the driveway.

If you're thinking about earlier delivery with a soft top, I hope my experience helps in form yours. Many people want and need a hard top and may be best off waiting for their original hard to build. But going a season or two with a soft top is proving to be a fine approach for me. cc: @Wanted33.

Jeff

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[jedmisten]

For most Bronco owners, myself included, a hard top is a necessity. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains for at least half of the year. The number of days that we can enjoy an open-air driving experiences are fewer than we'd like. Despite that, a nice summer day in the PacNW is spectacular, and top-down driving is something that I love. Naturally, I ordered my Bronco with the dual top option: painted hard top for our wet winters, and retractable soft-top for the sunny summer months.

One of the many reasons that I had a Bronco on order was that I was very unhappy with the SUV I was driving: a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. It was the first and last Land Rover that I will ever own. I love the look of vintage Defenders, but I had quality problems with this Discovery throughout my ownership. The high pressure fuel pump failed. The turbo failed. The in-dash software was a disaster. And with its street tires, it was prone to getting stuck in the rare snow that we get here. In 2019, it got stuck at the bottom of my driveway:

I hate getting stuck. Hate it with a passion. This was my fault given the tires on it, but when I add in the quality problems I had been having, ordering a Bronco in 2020 was a pretty easy choice... and about half the cost!

Fast-foward in time, it became clear that hard tops were a critical supply constraint. @Ford Motor Company was pretty open about that, sending emails recommending that people switch from a hard top to a soft top for earlier delivery. For me, it became a pretty simple equation that factored in:

• The quality problems with the Land Rover, despite being only 3 years old and under 30,000 miles, had me concerned. I didn't trust it and wanted a new vehicle with a more proven powertrain as early as possible. The 2.7L platform from F150s seemed about as proven as it gets.
• While version 2.0 hard tops were being sent out as replacements, issues were being reported with those as well, from honeycombing to bad edges. It became clear to me that Ford's hard top problems would persist into 2022. It began to seem preferable to take delivery of a soft top now, and purchase a hard top after a season or two, once the kinks are worked out.
• Ford offered 220,000 FordPass points to customers like me, who switched to a soft top for 2021 delivery. I've got over 250,000 points on delivery day, which is about half the cost of that new hard top! This made the decision a no-brainer for me.

I worked with my dealer to update my order, and the rest of the story should have been history, hoping for the best with the "legendary Land Rover quality" until my Bronco arrived. But on October 22, disaster struck: I was driving home at about 55 mph, and the Discovery just stopped running... it jolted and hopped around as I came to a stop on the side of the road. A few flickering error messages appears before the instrument cluster went completely black.

Roadside assistance dragged me (wheels were locked) onto a flatbed and dropped me at the local Jag/LR dealership. I would learn the following week that the diesel V6 had seized for some unknown reason. The engine was wrecked, which had in turn damaged the transmission. A new one was needed, and supply chain problems from the UK meant an extended repair period. Months, not weeks. A new engine was located and approved, but two months later, my Discovery was still in the shop.

Light at the end of the tunnel appeared when I got a build and blend date from Ford for December. I had intended to trade the Discovery in on the Bronco, but Ford delivered before Land Rover could! The day that my Bronco arrived at my Ford dealership, this was the state of my Discovery:

So I bought my Bronco outright. I wasn't about to wait on that purchase while Land Rover got it's act together. Plus, there was snow in the forecast for the Seattle area, and I wanted a snow-capable vehicle in my garage by the time it arrived. The little Jaguar loaner wasn't ideal for that. The Bronco purchase went flawlessly. At the same time, the Land Rover dealer was ready to admit that my Discovery was still weeks - at minimum - away as more parts were backordered from overseas. Fortunately, I was able to strike a deal with the inventory-starved LR dealer to buy the Discovery from me while it is still being repaired. I am pleased to be rid of it!

Getting back to the tops: The snow did hit Seattle. We got about 8" at my house, and the roads are now compact snow and ice as the temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s for a few days. Here I am with a Bronco soft top, and I couldn't be happier. It's not as ideal as a hard top for winter highway driving, but it's truly not bad. Here are my reactions:

• PROTECTION: So far, it has been flawless at keeping the interior dry. I don't hear any whistles or anything, and I've had it up to about 75 on the highway. If it's raining hard (I've had it out in full-on downpours), when you open the front doors there will be some drops that fall on the door sill. This is just from how the soft top lays in the frame. Very minor inconvenience and as I said, zero water in the cabin, even at speed in a downpour. A+ for protection for the soft top.
  
  
• NOISE: Let there be no doubt that there is more wind and road noise with the soft top. It's like having one of the rear windows open on a regular vehicle. I don't find it terrible. The stereo needs to be turned up a couple of notches once you accelerate to freeway speeds. With the upgraded B&O sound, it does great. I have conducted phone calls via the car's bluetooth and they are passable. Not great, but passable. Conversation between people in the cabin is not a problem at all. Noise is where I will be glad to have a hard top eventually, but am glad I didn't let it stop me from taking earlier delivery. C for an average noise experience.
  
  
• TEMPERATURE: Ford did something right with the HVAC in the new Broncos. The cabin heats up very quickly, and stays quite warm. I tend to have the fan on lower settings (1, 2, or 3) and everyone in the family has commented about how comfortable the cabin temperature is; we have been out in 20ºF. Back seat passengers would like a bit more air flow directed to them. But anyone worried that a soft top will be cold probably doesn't need to worry at all. B+ for thermals, with rear seat air flow keeping it from an A.
  
  
• APPEARANCE: Plenty of criticism is justiviably leveled at Ford for droopy soft tops. The rear quarter panels do have some bulges. But overall, I think a soft top has a distinctly classic look of adventure, and I love how it shows up even in inclement weather like we have here now. It looks better to me than earlier photos. Every time I see it, it makes me dream of summer. It earns a solid B from me for looks, which is impressive given overall sentiment toward it in the forums.

Looking back at my decision, of course I'd rather have taken deliver with a dual-top option. Jeep has this figured out, and its disappointing that Ford can't do the same. Given what we know of the problems with both 1st and 2nd generations of hard tops, I am glad I took delivery early with a soft top. Even without the Land Rover crisis, I'm glad I have my Bronco in time for the snow here, soft top and all. Having a covered garage at home helps a lot, too, as the top won't sit out in the elements for too long at a time.

Speaking of snow, the Badlands is an absolute beast in the snow. Deep snow, compact snow and ice, and even just a sheet of ice haven't kept her in the garage. The GOAT modes are helpful, and those Sasquatch tires seem to eat the snow for breakfast. Best of all, I can photograph the Bronco at the top of my driveway, unlock the Land Rover stuck at the bottom of the driveway.

If you're thinking about earlier delivery with a soft top, I hope my experience helps in form yours. Many people want and need a hard top and may be best off waiting for their original hard to build. But going a season or two with a soft top is proving to be a fine approach for me. cc: @Wanted33.

Jeff

We are super happy with our soft top!

 

[Mishra42]

As someone who is about to take delivery in Pittsburgh, which gets more overcast days than Seattle, this makes me happy to hear. I'm super nervous about the soft top.

 

[Dgold7500]

Soft top is great. Don’t think I would want to mess with the MIC now - too many hassles.

 

[Oneand0]

I concur! I wish I had a garage, but figured this winter snow will be a great test for my Badlands soft top. If you look at the roof of my shed, that’s how much snow has dumped in the last few days. Been staying on top of removing snow as much as I can from the Bronco. Little over a foot on it this morning when I first woke up. It’s holding up fine.

 

[Daktari]

I'm not gonna read all that, but I can tell you that I love my soft top and would not ever entertain trading it for a hard top. I had dual tops on order originally, but I could not be happier with the softie. I'd NEVER open the hard top as often as I open the softie, and knowing myself I'd drive rarely if ever open if I had to deal with panels and bags and all that. My ideal roof would be hard top in back and soft top over both rows in front, so it opens like the softie in stage one and has a nice lift up glass in back, but the tilt up function of the soft top is actually really good and works very well. I just got back form a trip to SoCal, 1776.1 miles with no issues. Noise gets loud over 75 or so MpH, but the hard top is no Rolls either. And we tossed the top back many times after reaching various destinations via freeways. A couple sec and done. Not something I'd do with the panels for an hour.
Many people also run softies year round where it snows and freezes, just know how to deal with it and it's fine. I can't see myself ever buying a hard top after some 3 months of owning this thing. Maybe an Ursa Minor with built in RTT, but only if I ever get into serious overlanding, where the question of where/how to sleep each night is more important than an open roof. It would not stay on top once I return from my adventure though, softie would come right back.

And don't start with the wrinkly windows nonsense, that's just hilarious to me, if I look at any vintage Bronco with a soft top - or Wrangler for that matter. Adds to the classic style and the Bronco Wave is built in ;-)

YMMV, but I could not be happier.

Oh, quite some hard rain and wind on the drive back from SoCal today, no leaks, no issues with the roof and the Bronco stayed planted on the road like a brick, much more stable in high wind than my Tacoma, despite being lifted higher. I was quite surprised. Average speed of 80, so the good sound system came into play to drown out the wind noise

 

[Daktari]

I concur! I wish I had a garage, but figured this winter snow will be a great test for my Badlands soft top. If you look at the roof of my shed, that’s how much snow has dumped in the last few days. Been staying on top of removing snow as much as I can from the Bronco. Little over a foot on it this morning when I first woke up. It’s holding up fine.

oh, great to see you got lots of snow up there! I'm sure the top will hold up just fine if treated correctly.

 

[BroncoMax21]

Thanks for the writeup! I've been reluctant to convert my early reservation to a soft top (for reasons) but as we're getting to 530 days and counting, posts like this help guide me to an informed decision! Appreciate the pictures too!

 

[ElJeffe]

I'm not gonna read all that,

Stopped reading your lengthy reply right there.

 

[balucipher]

Soft top has been glorious for South Florida weather this month. The top in sunrider mode is quiet and opens all the way back so it feels super open. Rest of the country - you guys are in for a great time this spring/summer

 

[stormshadow3800]

We're almost Bronco brothers, aside from the top. I waited for the MIC, but was tempted so many times to speed up delivery. Glad to see the soft top holding up, for many people. Living in Wisconsin, I just couldn't do it. I've never owned a convertible anything, hard or soft, so I was concerned. More than anything, I hated the look of the back windows. Also, the seasons here, it just made more sense.

I do plan on getting the Bestop slanted back for the summer and swap out. I can't believe they didn't offer this from the beginning, when Jeep has being doing it forever. Had they offered that option, I would have been in.

 

[PrepVet]

Living in north central Wisconsin I never even considered a hard top. I couldn’t be happier with my soft top.

 

[stormshadow3800]

Living in north central Wisconsin I never even considered a hard top. I couldn’t be happier with my soft top.

You get more snow than I do in Wausau. I'll have to take your word\experience on this!

 

[Wanted33]

For most Bronco owners, myself included, a hard top is a necessity. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains for at least half of the year. The number of days that we can enjoy an open-air driving experiences are fewer than we'd like. Despite that, a nice summer day in the PacNW is spectacular, and top-down driving is something that I love. Naturally, I ordered my Bronco with the dual top option: painted hard top for our wet winters, and retractable soft-top for the sunny summer months.

One of the many reasons that I had a Bronco on order was that I was very unhappy with the SUV I was driving: a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. It was the first and last Land Rover that I will ever own. I love the look of vintage Defenders, but I had quality problems with this Discovery throughout my ownership. The high pressure fuel pump failed. The turbo failed. The in-dash software was a disaster. And with its street tires, it was prone to getting stuck in the rare snow that we get here. In 2019, it got stuck at the bottom of my driveway:

I hate getting stuck. Hate it with a passion. This was my fault given the tires on it, but when I add in the quality problems I had been having, ordering a Bronco in 2020 was a pretty easy choice... and about half the cost!

Fast-foward in time, it became clear that hard tops were a critical supply constraint. @Ford Motor Company was pretty open about that, sending emails recommending that people switch from a hard top to a soft top for earlier delivery. For me, it became a pretty simple equation that factored in:

• The quality problems with the Land Rover, despite being only 3 years old and under 30,000 miles, had me concerned. I didn't trust it and wanted a new vehicle with a more proven powertrain as early as possible. The 2.7L platform from F150s seemed about as proven as it gets.
• While version 2.0 hard tops were being sent out as replacements, issues were being reported with those as well, from honeycombing to bad edges. It became clear to me that Ford's hard top problems would persist into 2022. It began to seem preferable to take delivery of a soft top now, and purchase a hard top after a season or two, once the kinks are worked out.
• Ford offered 220,000 FordPass points to customers like me, who switched to a soft top for 2021 delivery. I've got over 250,000 points on delivery day, which is about half the cost of that new hard top! This made the decision a no-brainer for me.

I worked with my dealer to update my order, and the rest of the story should have been history, hoping for the best with the "legendary Land Rover quality" until my Bronco arrived. But on October 22, disaster struck: I was driving home at about 55 mph, and the Discovery just stopped running... it jolted and hopped around as I came to a stop on the side of the road. A few flickering error messages appears before the instrument cluster went completely black.

Roadside assistance dragged me (wheels were locked) onto a flatbed and dropped me at the local Jag/LR dealership. I would learn the following week that the diesel V6 had seized for some unknown reason. The engine was wrecked, which had in turn damaged the transmission. A new one was needed, and supply chain problems from the UK meant an extended repair period. Months, not weeks. A new engine was located and approved, but two months later, my Discovery was still in the shop.

Light at the end of the tunnel appeared when I got a build and blend date from Ford for December. I had intended to trade the Discovery in on the Bronco, but Ford delivered before Land Rover could! The day that my Bronco arrived at my Ford dealership, this was the state of my Discovery:

So I bought my Bronco outright. I wasn't about to wait on that purchase while Land Rover got it's act together. Plus, there was snow in the forecast for the Seattle area, and I wanted a snow-capable vehicle in my garage by the time it arrived. The little Jaguar loaner wasn't ideal for that. The Bronco purchase went flawlessly. At the same time, the Land Rover dealer was ready to admit that my Discovery was still weeks - at minimum - away as more parts were backordered from overseas. Fortunately, I was able to strike a deal with the inventory-starved LR dealer to buy the Discovery from me while it is still being repaired. I am pleased to be rid of it!

Getting back to the tops: The snow did hit Seattle. We got about 8" at my house, and the roads are now compact snow and ice as the temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s for a few days. Here I am with a Bronco soft top, and I couldn't be happier. It's not as ideal as a hard top for winter highway driving, but it's truly not bad. Here are my reactions:

• PROTECTION: So far, it has been flawless at keeping the interior dry. I don't hear any whistles or anything, and I've had it up to about 75 on the highway. If it's raining hard (I've had it out in full-on downpours), when you open the front doors there will be some drops that fall on the door sill. This is just from how the soft top lays in the frame. Very minor inconvenience and as I said, zero water in the cabin, even at speed in a downpour. A+ for protection for the soft top.
  
  
• NOISE: Let there be no doubt that there is more wind and road noise with the soft top. It's like having one of the rear windows open on a regular vehicle. I don't find it terrible. The stereo needs to be turned up a couple of notches once you accelerate to freeway speeds. With the upgraded B&O sound, it does great. I have conducted phone calls via the car's bluetooth and they are passable. Not great, but passable. Conversation between people in the cabin is not a problem at all. Noise is where I will be glad to have a hard top eventually, but am glad I didn't let it stop me from taking earlier delivery. C for an average noise experience.
  
  
• TEMPERATURE: Ford did something right with the HVAC in the new Broncos. The cabin heats up very quickly, and stays quite warm. I tend to have the fan on lower settings (1, 2, or 3) and everyone in the family has commented about how comfortable the cabin temperature is; we have been out in 20ºF. Back seat passengers would like a bit more air flow directed to them. But anyone worried that a soft top will be cold probably doesn't need to worry at all. B+ for thermals, with rear seat air flow keeping it from an A.
  
  
• APPEARANCE: Plenty of criticism is justiviably leveled at Ford for droopy soft tops. The rear quarter panels do have some bulges. But overall, I think a soft top has a distinctly classic look of adventure, and I love how it shows up even in inclement weather like we have here now. It looks better to me than earlier photos. Every time I see it, it makes me dream of summer. It earns a solid B from me for looks, which is impressive given overall sentiment toward it in the forums.

Looking back at my decision, of course I'd rather have taken deliver with a dual-top option. Jeep has this figured out, and its disappointing that Ford can't do the same. Given what we know of the problems with both 1st and 2nd generations of hard tops, I am glad I took delivery early with a soft top. Even without the Land Rover crisis, I'm glad I have my Bronco in time for the snow here, soft top and all. Having a covered garage at home helps a lot, too, as the top won't sit out in the elements for too long at a time.

Speaking of snow, the Badlands is an absolute beast in the snow. Deep snow, compact snow and ice, and even just a sheet of ice haven't kept her in the garage. The GOAT modes are helpful, and those Sasquatch tires seem to eat the snow for breakfast. Best of all, I can photograph the Bronco at the top of my driveway, unlock the Land Rover stuck at the bottom of the driveway.

If you're thinking about earlier delivery with a soft top, I hope my experience helps in form yours. Many people want and need a hard top and may be best off waiting for their original hard to build. But going a season or two with a soft top is proving to be a fine approach for me. cc: @Wanted33.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, this is what I was hoping to hear. BTW, beautiful home. We don't get much snow where I live in the south. I know it can be a struggle to deal with sometimes, but the beauty of a snow covered evening is unsurpassed.

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