So why do I need a hard top?

[Lorenzo]

A hardtop is nice when the weather turns, and dealing with rain and snow. Removing snow from a soft top takes extra care, and you have to be warry of damaging the top.

A hardtop is quieter than a soft top, less drafty, and will keep the cabin warmer. On a longer trip the lower noise level is nice. Also when the hardtop is removed, it's the ultimate in toplessness, because you don't have the soft top frame and material cluttering things.

But as mentioned, if you drive somewhere with the hardtop removed, better hope the weather holds up. That's really the key attribute of the soft top - you always have it with you to deal with weather issues.

If I lived in a warm dry climate, I'd probably remove the hard top for most of the year, and rely on a bikini top for the occasional rain.

The hard top fits in a bag in the back - just like the doors.
I guess not the big back part - but the first and second row panels do
I still dont get the need for a soft top

Sponsored

 

[indio22]

The hard top fits in a bag in the back - just like the doors.
I guess not the big back part - but the first and second row panels do
I still dont get the need for a soft top

I don't consider removing some top panels as going topless. Topless for me is completely open. And that requires either removing the hard top, or lowering the soft top.

I've owned a CJ-5 with soft top, and CJ-7 with hardtop. Each top has pluses/minuses as I mentioned in an earlier post. The nice thing about the soft top, is I could drive for the weekend up into the mountains, exploring and camping with the top down. And then when it rained or the weather turned, could pop the top back up.

fyi, I also lived in Chicagoland with same Jeeps, and winter with the soft top was doable. But not as ideal as the hardtop.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

The hard top fits in a bag in the back - just like the doors.
I guess not the big back part - but the first and second row panels do
I still dont get the need for a soft top

First row yes, that second row piece isn't split, I guess it would fit in the back but not easily.

 

[Desert_6G]

So why do I need a MIC top?

Safety. A soft top is more likely to get vandanlized.
Less noice from the soft top flapping around
Better sound deadening
Better insulator
Looks better
I'm more likely to remove the top panels on the MIC than fold back the soft top
I'm getting a roof rack for my kayak. Not supported on the soft top?

 

[RiverRat001]

Will the Bronco be garage-kept? Do you have a second vehicle? If yes, go with the soft top.

if not, there will be at least a few times over the winter you’ll regret it. Kinda like having a snowblower or a snowplow on call, you don’t think you need it until you walk out your front door to snowmageddon. If you’re not scared of damage to the plastic windows or damage to the top in general, I say full send on the soft top.

 

[Rubisquatch]

I’d get a soft top too but I just can’t come to like the factory soft top. It looks goofy and doesn’t fold down a lot and the top part sticks way up when you just have the top open. I’m getting the MIC cause it looks better (and I have a garage to hang it when not on the Bronco) but I will buy a better aftermarket softop when those come out.

 

[Used2jeep]

Thanks everyone. Quieter (how much?) and easier to care for in winter....but have to change it out 2x per year.....and no, I don't need a roof rack....

Back to cupholders.

Taking the soft top of yourself probably isn't bad. The hard top by yourself? Get a roof host.

 

[Daktari]

tops were the only thing I struggled with. I want the easy open AND close of the soft top, but since that comes w/o plumbing and wiring for the rear wiper I went with dual top on my order. Just in case.
Maybe somebody will make a sun rider that folds back over both rows of seats, that would be ideal for me, but who knows. I don't like the idea of storing one or the other, my garage has a low ceiling and has not been used as a garage in years, bikes in there and a printing press. But I went with both now, try them out and see what I like. If I find I don't change them out, I'll just sell one or the other. If I get mine this summer I'll put the soft top on the first weekend I have it, see how I like that. Since the rear can pop up to load cargo, I might just be happy with that and stick with it all year.

From a security point of view on don't see either as safer, just as easy to pop a window as it is to cut one, some knives even come with a window popper prong on the handle. Just don't leave anything worth stealing in there.

It will be interesting to see how they differ in noise cancellation. Only convertible I ever drove was our Miata and some little rental (I think it was a Ford, not sure) some 30 years ago.

But just in case I don't like the soft top, I wanted to be sure to have the plumbing and wiring and switch on the dash board for the rear wiper.

 

[Murph56789]

I ordered just the soft top. I’ve done winter with a soft top on a bronco and didn’t mind it. Only reason I even considered a hard top at all was security on long road trips. But I’ve figured that out I think. They are offering cargo enclosures for the rear, one of which is fixed. Presumably with that in place and the tailgate locked the area is enclosed because the rear seats will be against it as well. Thinking I can keep valuables locked into that area even with no top or doors at all.

 

[Erock]

I just don’t care for the soft tops, personally. Every soft top vehicle I’ve been in sounded terrible at anything over 40mph. Plastic windows flopping and terrible road noise. Maybe they were just bad tops though and my opinion has been skewed.

 

[Tonka Bronka]

You don’t, I don’t, no one doesn’t.

 

[jimmy234]

I only have a soft top for my jeep and frankly I'm never going back to a vehicle with a hard top lol

 

[BuiltTough]

wife already has dual top JK, so I go thru the process of hoisting the hard top twice a yr. Don't have much room left for storage if I get dual top so MIC top for me. I'm hoping the Bronco is alot easier to take off/on with the smaller rear cab. Will be more likely to leave off for a weekend etc in the summer that way.. maybe down the road get some form of a soft top

 

[BroncoBilly17]

The hard top due to having the wiring already for back windshield wiper.

Is this a legit thing? I've worked for 2 different auto manufactures, and I can't figure out why they would have 2 different wire looms, 1 for a soft top order, and 1 for a hard top. I don't understand why they would source 2 different parts, as well as limiting the ability of a customer down the road to add a hard top.

 

[L8apex]

Is this a legit thing? I've worked for 2 different auto manufactures, and I can't figure out why they would have 2 different wire looms, 1 for a soft top order, and 1 for a hard top. I don't understand why they would source 2 different parts, as well as limiting the ability of a customer down the road to add a hard top.

I agree it's pretty stupid - I'm sure someone went and said we can save $X by not having the wires, connectors for electrical, and the plumbing / connectors for the rear wiper....and then no-one looked any further.

No-one analyzed the hard-space needed for 2 different PNs, the projected amount of re-work needed , the binnage, the donnage, the extra drivers needed for JIT.

I can't imagine the added complexity offsets the piece price cost.

Sponsored