Updated Soft Top design improvements spotted on 2023MY Bronco

[Kjbeggs]

Speak for yourself. It's functionality I want and use almost daily.

It's really annoying to have to duck down under the back when it's not lifted. Plus it gives me extra clearance to put my dog crate in the back.

The wavy windows have never bothered me.

Same. There's no way my Dog could hop in the back without the top being lifted.

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[Brooklyn01]

Just noticed this 23 Outerbanks with an updated Soft Top.

Biggest difference is the sides of the top portion are doubled up with a seam and some insulation on the sides. Makes the top look tighter and might actually cut down some noise. Haven't driven it yet.

I wounded I don’t why I do this haha but if ford figures out how to make the soft top sturdy and wind noise down will there be a recall? Lol

 

[KirchTX]

Would someone be willing to take photos of the prior gen top from these same angles so we can see them side by side? Apologies if I missed if this is in the thread already.

 

[heynow14]

Wavy windows are not ideal but I soon forget about that when during the 8 months of summer in SoCal, I remove the windows and drop the top full-time. Soft Top crushes Hard Top - even with wavy windows.

 

[Lilhoss105]

What a waste. That looks awful. Wavy windows no bueno

 

[Southern Girl]

I too went with the fastback bestop and am VERY glad I did. I really don't understand the extreme hate for bestop v. Extreme love for OEM "features".

Aside from better/tighter looks, I can lift the rear window completely out of the way in about 3 seconds, while everyone is gushing over a short kickstand.

As to your specific questions:

#1- I have only had water fall on me once. That was when I was parked on a slight incline, and when stepping out onto my powered steps the Bronco leaned just a bit more. Other than that, no problems the other dozens of times i have driven in rain.

#2 I just finished moving to a new house using only the Bronco and a trailer (except for my lathe, mill, and couch), via multiple short trips after work over the course of a month.

While I never did this with the old top, I also never felt that I needed more room with the bestop. My loads never even approached that upper corner.... The rollbar and speakers get in the way of any one item big enough to need that space, and I never felt the urge to stack boxes THAT high.

I say go for it.

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[DREWR13]

Would someone be willing to take photos of the prior gen top from these same angles so we can see them side by side? Apologies if I missed if this is in the thread already.

 

[KirchTX]

Wow thank you sir.

 

[DefNotBuddyLee]

We had a 4 door Wrangler for 5 years and I had my Bestop on my 2Dr Bronco all last spring/summer. Number of times in those 6ish years I wished I could left the rear of the top to access the back of either - 0.

It’s functionality no one was asking for. In exchange you get wavey windows no one wants.

Like others have said, I love the feature. I know of enough Jeepers that found crawling into the cargo area with the soft top cumbersome (me included, and aftermarket came up with solutions like the EZ Window for the jeep). Anyways, there was obviously enough discussion to warrant Ford to put time into developing the feature. IAG lift assist struts for the soft top rear seem to be a must-have mod for many soft top owners, which just further goes to show people are using the feature.

Wavy windows is a different issue altogether, but I get the necessity to make the feature happen, and I for one am okay with the sacrifice but I get that not everyone is.

 

[KompressorV12]

I'm still going to buy a hard top when ford makes them available, but something tells me I may end up feeling I wasted money when it creaks, leaks, and forces me to be strategic anytime I want to remove the top due to the panels needing to go somewhere. It just looks externally much better, but damn the soft top is insanely convenient as someone (me) who wants to go topless WHENEVER possible. I will say once I added a lift and 37s the softtop miraculously (to me) looked exponentially better. Not sure why, but seems it flows with a more rugged adventure/safari look. I still want that wiper and defroster though

 

[DREWR13]

The wrinkles in the top side panels bother me way more than the wavy windows tbh. Looks like a 10yr old top even though its new.

 

[22Badskwatch]

I've had mine for 3.5 months now with the factory soft top. Are the back/side windows wavy? sure.
Do I care? Not in the least.
It's like dating a supermodel and nitpicking that she has one pinky toe that's longer than the other. YOU'RE DATING A SUPERMODEL!!

Seriously - I don't even notice the wavy windows - every time I walk out to or drive this thing, all the other amazing aspects of it fill me with joy.

I've driven it through torrential rains in the middle of the desert, crazy cross winds on the same trip, up to the snow, and in the little bit of summer/autumn month I had left when I bought it .. .I have NO regrets about converting to a soft top from a hard top. This thing looks AMAZING, and I don't care that one of her pinky toes is longer than the other.

 

[Fade5G]

Looks like the back still pops open 2 inches… try harder Ford!

 

[JCSmith]

Seems to me that all of these common issues such as “wavy windows”, and better access to the cargo area, whether soft or hard top, could’ve been negated with a glass rear window that retracts into the tailgate like my ‘95 Bronco did. I haven’t had the pleasure of attempting to access the cargo area with a trailer attached, but I’m not looking forward to it.
May not be a popular opinion, but that would be “my” ultimate fix for this. Lol

 

[privateer35]

To be fair, this is what mine looked like when I first got it. After having it for just over a year and taking the top down a handful of times, it doesn't look like new in the slightest

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