Finally Caved For Soft Top - Who Else?

[Drex]

Nope, my momma didn't raise no quitters!

If they ever actually build a mod top, I will change to that, but I don't believe a word Ford says any more. If enough swap to the 4 door softie (and a 4 door is every bit as much a real Bronco as a Bronco Sport no matter what people say), then it leaves more resources to build Bronco hardtops for the 2 door ones. Swap away!

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[ramblinwreck]

Yes this was a concern for me and one of my initial reasons for wanting to get a hard top in the beginning. Looks & it is so much easier to buy a soft top aftermarket than a hard top.

For Jeeps, this just isn't true. OEM hard tops litter craigstlist around me. OEM Soft tops are rare. I think that a lot of people buy dual top, expecting to use the hard top, but after a while realize it is just in their way.

 

[Jazer]

For Jeeps, this just isn't true. OEM hard tops litter craigstlist around me. OEM Soft tops are rare. I think that a lot of people buy dual top, expecting to use the hard top, but after a while realize it is just in their way.

With the way they have been pushing soft tops I bet that wont be an issue with the Broncos.

 

[PrepVet]

I never wanted a hard top. And so far the soft top has been great.

 

[Evergreen]

For Jeeps, this just isn't true. OEM hard tops litter craigstlist around me. OEM Soft tops are rare. I think that a lot of people buy dual top, expecting to use the hard top, but after a while realize it is just in their way.

This was kind of my thinking too. Especially with the hard top prep kit being thrown on now as well.

Meanwhile if I ever really get the itch I'll either trade the bronco years from now, or pick up a beat snake skin MIC 2.0 while the forum is arguing about whether MIC 6.0 or 6.1 is better

 

[FlyingScot]

I was leaning MIC from the get-go since I've never been much of a fan of soft tops, but then I had the luxury of driving a hardtop dealer mannequin BL and a soft top squatched OBX within a short amount of time of each other. That made it a no-question item for me, even with the longer wait.

 

[Evergreen]

I was leaning MIC from the get-go since I've never been much of a fan of soft tops, but then I had the luxury of driving a hardtop dealer mannequin BL and a soft top squatched OBX within a short amount of time of each other. That made it a no-question item for me, even with the longer wait.

I haven't test driven any yet, I've only sat in the mannequins. While being able to do a comparative testing like you did would be awesome, I'm hoping for the ignorance is bliss approach to work out in my favor. I won't have driven a hard top, so for better or worse I'll get to experience the soft top without immediately drawing comparisons to the hard top.

 

[Broncoder]

After driving a mannequin with a soft top and a 2.3, I caved on both the top and the engine. Not too worried about the softie despite living in NE Ohio. My first two Jeeps were both soft tops and lived outside without issue, and Lucy will be sleeping in a heated garage. I was more apprehensive about giving up the 2.7 until I got to drive the 2.3. There will likely be a part of me that regrets the decision to go with the 2.3, but I plan on having fun with getting it tuned and adding some mods to it. Never done any of that on previous vehicles, and will use the experience to learn with my kids. I'm sure the regret will pass once I'm driving it home from the dealership.

All that being said, I ended up getting a build week shortly after making the changes. Crossing my fingers for you!

 

[ramblinwreck]

With the way they have been pushing soft tops I bet that wont be an issue with the Broncos.

The amount of production they have done so far, with soft tops making up 10-20% of orders, will be insignificant by June, when everyone wants a soft top.

What have they produced so far, 50k Broncos? With 10%-20% being soft top? Thats literally 5k-10k Broncos with a soft top, and I suspect the majority of buyers wanted the soft top all along.

Who knows what is in demand in 2-3 years after 500k Broncos have been produced? Once Ford puts out the painted hard top, everyone that wants a hard top will probably want that over a MIC anyhow. It will be built better, quieter, and probably look a lot better. You might see MIC owners selling their MIC top to buy the painted top.

 

[Daktari]

I was dual top first because I could not decide (never had a Wrangler) and figured I'd get both and sell the one I don't like, I don't really have room to store one or the other. Then I switched to MIC only when dual was taken away, always wondering if I made the right decision, but never had a soft top on such a big car (had a Miata long ago). Pretty much top reason for me to buy this is the open roof, any off roading requires a long drive to where that's possible from wehre I live. When they offered the 'hard top prep kit' I switched immediately and got scheduled shortly after, picked it up Oct 8th.

I could not be happier, so glad I made the switch. The easy open/close is way more important to me than "wavy" windows I don't care about (it's the built in Bronco Wave (tm) ;-p), I open it up for my 5 min drive to Safeway, never would do that with the MIC top. I can go to to the coast all buttoned up on the freeway and pull over and open up the moment I'm out there, or in summer, when we get Karl the Fog creep in at the coast, I can toss it back up and be nice and warm. I'd never have all the panels with me, so I'd have to be on the freeway open and Karl could ride shotgun with me, not thanks.

And some complain about security of the plastic windows, well, most cars by a wide margin that get broken into have glass windows, so there's that. Plus if some ass cuts my plastic window to see that I leave noting in the car worth stealing I can do a temporary fix with clear packing tape and have no broken glass to clean up in the truck.

I could not be happier, the only hardtop I'd maybe buy down the road is something like the Ursa Minor with the built in roof top tent if I should get into longer overlanding trips. But that would only be on the Bronco for those trips and then back in the shed I'd first have to build to store it. My garage is my basement, hasn't seen a car inside in decades.

 

[FlyingScot]

I haven't test driven any yet, I've only sat in the mannequins. While being able to do a comparative testing like you did would be awesome, I'm hoping for the ignorance is bliss approach to work out in my favor. I won't have driven a hard top, so for better or worse I'll get to experience the soft top without immediately drawing comparisons to the hard top.

If soft tops are your thing I can't think of too much bad to say about it, except maybe the lack of tension in the side windows that many seem to be experiencing. Just for me personally, the added ambient/road noise, the compromise of having to tilt the whole thing up to access the rear and the fate of some of the other soft tops in the parking lot of our office in a marginal area of Houston made it an easy decision.

If I thought there was some possibility of the MIC top being available within say 12 months at or under the $1k mark I might have tolerated a softie for a bit, but I think neither of those criteria are realistic.

 

[MayhemMike]

I would have to add two more doors in order to opt a soft top. I will wait. ( look at me acting like I have a choice.)

 

[wsdowns]

I couldn't imagine having to take off the hard top every time I want to go out and enjoy the sun. We don't live in or near a big city, so we're not overly concerned about break-ins. For us the BRONCO = FUN.

 

[cclkramer]

So after having the same nice long wait that many of you have had, I finally caved in and changed my order to a soft top. Ford gave me time to think, and that I did.

I figured if I was going to change to a soft top I might as well take care of anything else that I was on the fence about. That lead me down a rabbit hole and now I've done a complete 180 on my build. Went from a heavily constrained Wildtrak hardtop down to a pretty plain Jane mansquatch Big Bend. Best part of the decision was while on the phone with my dealer I was told my new build combined w/ my early timestamp should get the truck to me much much sooner. I know the implications of "my dealer said", but it's still nice to hear it from them.

Anybody else make the convert to a soft top, if so was it worth it? If anyone made the change and pulled constraints, did you receive a build date quick afterwards?

Not looking for a crystal ball with my build date, just looking to see what other's experiences have been.

What took you so long ???????? I caved a long time ago! My Badland soft top comes in Jan 1st !! I also got right back in line and ordered me a Badlands 2 door!! Now I wait for the Bronco I wanted while I have this Bronco to play with! When my 2 door gets here I think I might be able to make a profit off the one I'm getting in Jan.

 

[Herbie]

The amount of production they have done so far, with soft tops making up 10-20% of orders, will be insignificant by June, when everyone wants a soft top.

What have they produced so far, 50k Broncos? With 10%-20% being soft top? Thats literally 5k-10k Broncos with a soft top, and I suspect the majority of buyers wanted the soft top all along.

Who knows what is in demand in 2-3 years after 500k Broncos have been produced? Once Ford puts out the painted hard top, everyone that wants a hard top will probably want that over a MIC anyhow. It will be built better, quieter, and probably look a lot better. You might see MIC owners selling their MIC top to buy the painted top.

More than 50% of the Broncos being produced right now are soft.

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