Hard Top vs Soft Top

My personal opinion on the subject:

Soft Top - Pros

• Takes all of 20 seconds to flip the top back to get some fresh air.
• Takes less than 5 minutes fold the top completely back and go into full "convertible" mode.
• Bronco looks awesome with the top folded all the way back.
• The entire soft top AND all of the doors can be stored on the Bronco while traveling. You can have the full convertible experience while driving, and then button everything up once you get to your destination.

Soft Top - Cons

• The rear side windows tend to develop wrinkles over time, which doesn't look great.
• Some people have reported water/snow intrusion during really bad storms. (Blizzards, tropical depressions, etc.)

Hard Top - Pros

• Looks better overall when the top is installed
• Compatible with the factory and many aftermarket roof racks
• Slightly quieter than the soft top overall (until you put a roof rack on it, then its basically the same)
• Better when it comes to water/snow intrusion (but there have been plenty of reports of hard top leaks).

Hard Top - Cons

• Going into full convertible mode is a 20 minute affair, and you need help to do it. You can't really do it on a whim on a good-weather day.
• It is impossible take off all of the roof panels for your trip and then reinstall them at your destination. You can only take off the front row panel and store them on the vehicle. The middle panel doesn't fit in the vehicle, so your rear seat passengers can't get that experience.
• Your roof panels cannot be stored in the vehicle along with the doors unless you are willing to give up your back seat.
• Looks incredibly stupid with the panels off but the back shell still attached.

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For me personally... I needed a roof rack for skis/bikes/cargo. That is the ONLY reason why I bought the hard top. If it wasn't for that I'd probably have a soft top.

I don't know much about the hard top but I can say we really like our soft top it's nice how easy it is to put it down and it is only louder than I think is normal in a strong cross wind

Nothing but praise on the soft top for me. It has been the best decision ever for me personally. I changed to softie on my order in May of '21 so I could get my Bronco sooner (Webasto rumors were starting around then) I have had it since Sept. Of '21. I have a garage and live in a moderate climate in the Mississippi Delta region, so I don't absolutely have to have a hard top like some of the folks in the northern climes.

I have been in the heaviest of downpours and had zero water enter into the cab. It is solid.

The top drops in 5 mins and you can unbuckle and slide out windows for a safari look.

Best of all I think the color matches the trim, bumpers and steelies better than the MIC top ever could.

I would have no hesitation in making the same decision again. The damned thing makes me smile every time I get into it. I have never looked back and my guess is, if you made the switch, you wouldn't either.

I reserved 7/20/20 for a hard top badlands Sasquatch with tow package... I held firm on my order... until early 2022, I removed tow package, hoping it would help me get a build date sooner... then... a few months later, I realized the hard top was probably still holding me hostage, so I checked in on this site and the 'other' one, asking opinions from those who originally wanted hard top but ended up with soft top, what they thought of it. EVERY single person who responded, responded saying they were SO glad they went with soft top, and had no regrets. So, I switched my order from hard top to soft top, and 3 months later, I had a build date. I took delivery of my 2.7 Badsquatch on 10/12/22, with soft top and no tow package. As an automotive photographer, the appearance of the vehicle is really important to me, but to be honest, the soft top is not an issue for me as far as appearance is concerned. My wife and I did a road trip from Sacramento to Palm Springs and back in December, and on the way home, we hit Johnson Valley and Trona Pinnacles - we enountered some strong winds and desert storms along the way - and yeah, at 80mph with a cross wind, the soft top was loud - but I'd imagine ANYTHING would have been considering the circumstances. I have NO regrets about getting a soft top, and am actually glad the circumstances forced me to have one.

RagnarKon

• It is impossible take off all of the roof panels for your trip and then reinstall them at your destination. You can only take off the front row panel and store them on the vehicle. The middle panel doesn't fit in the vehicle, so your rear seat passengers can't get that experience.

Good summary, RagnarKon. Just want to clear something up. Technically, you can store the front and second row panel in the vehicle. (I've done it.) But you have to fold the rear seats down to do it. So like you said, rear seat passengers can't get that experience... because the rear seats are not available. :)

Soft top pros
-Much easier to get pulled for build
-So easy to go open air.
-Less to wash

Soft top cons:
-The whole thing IMO is ugly
-Zero security
-Windows scratch easily
-Chance of weather intrusion in high wind conditions
-Not at all convenient for quick and frequent visits to the cargo area
-Good possibly it will start coming apart. Mine did as well as my daughters

RagnarKon

• Looks incredibly stupid with the panels off but the back shell still attached.

None taken 😂

I had the soft top, currently have a hardtop with the roof rails. The hardtop is only slightly quieter. Never had any leaking with softtop had a few very windy rainy days(strong enough on the highway to push you into another lane). The only thing I really hated about the soft top is how far the back lifts up.

I changed my order to soft top to move up the list and don't regret it at all.
I took delivery at Christmas, so I haven't had it long.

I had a hard top, its at the office warehouse since April

Never looked back and wont ever

Never cared for the look of the soft top, almost everyone I've seen has wavy rear side windows, looks poor fitting and unkempt. I've seen some non oem soft tops that look way better, tighter, better fitting.

Hard top all the way for me, ordered and wanted the roof rack and for me it just looks and feels cleaner.

The 11 month waite was well worth it.

I have a 2dr BL, HT obviously, I can't imagine the ST could be much louder. My issues with the HT is a crap build and quality, I'm starting to get the honeycomb pattern, the rear defroster has broken, one of the wires came loose. Lost the weatherstripping on the passenger side front panel above the side window. I'm not sure how that managed to come loose, one day I heard a lot of noise, got out of the Bronco and looked on the passenger side and saw a big gap where the weatherstripping use to be. Found some weather stripping I had laying around and jammed it up there for now. Have an appointment on Monday at the Ford dealer to hopefully get these repaired.

I have a 4dr WT on order, I changed my order to a ST and after reading this article I feel good about it.

Good discussion- soft vs hard. I have the soft and as others mentioned, not much security. I'm sure the ST will eventually deteriorate. I ordered the ADV HT as back-up. Best of both worlds.

adcam

Good discussion- soft vs hard. I have the soft and as others mentioned, not much security. I'm sure the ST will eventually deteriorate. I ordered the ADV HT as back-up. Best of both worlds.

I was lucky enough to get my 2 door HT in June of 22. The nice thing is that I am buying a Trektop Slant from BT and its only going to cost $1500 as to where a hardtop will cost you over 6K..

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• Slightly quieter than the soft top overall (until you put a roof rack on it, then its basically the same)

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The other thing is this whole "wind noise thing" I don't hear it (maybe cause for last 10 years I drove Jeeps) but what is the deal with this, you bought a brick on wheels, if you are driving into the wind its going to make noise. You should have bought a Lincoln Aviator.

Once you go soft, you never go hard again.

Garemlin

Soft top pros
-Much easier to get pulled for build
-So easy to go open air.
-Less to wash

Soft top cons:
-The whole thing IMO is ugly
-Zero security
-Windows scratch easily
-Chance of weather intrusion in high wind conditions
-Not at all convenient for quick and frequent visits to the cargo area
-Good possibly it will start coming apart. Mine did as well as my daughters

I have the soft top on my Badlands and these are definitely some of the concerns/issues I already have after not even 2 months of ownership. I originally ordered a hard top, but swapped out and got picked up for a build date the next week. So, that was a plus! I wanted both a hard top and soft top (which was on my original order - soft top being a DOI) but I didn't want the Trektop, so dropped my hard top. I am wishing I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I like my soft top and the ease of it, but it comes with a lot of pain at times (especially not being able to take it to a car wash to get a quick rinse and get that Missouri dirt and road grime off in the winter time). I am already on the search for a hard top!

If it will get your Bronco sooner I would go with the Soft top, One in the Hand... my friend. My original order was for a Nosquatch Badlands High package HT and at the end of 21 I switched it to the soft top (trying to get it sooner) we test drove our dealers mannequin with softy and it was nice to take the back windows out and leave the roof up and roll the windows down. Being 1/4 Irish I don't do well in the Texas sun so having the top up was nice. But in early 22 I switched to the Glades, and got lucky I have had it since early November. But I can say we were at an event with tons of Broncos and the afternoon weather was great and the folks with soft tops were the envy of all of us HT there.

Just got a hard top, considering getting a soft top for summer. Is the install bad enough that I won't want to switch out based on the season?

hamdogg

Just got a hard top, considering getting a soft top for summer. Is the install bad enough that I won't want to switch out based on the season?

I'm guessing no worse then a jeep once you do it a couple of times its a snap. But I have noticed that there are foam seals and other stick on seals that all attach to body, Im wondering 1. do you have to remove them to put on HT and 2. are these seals something you can buy separate once they wear out or maybe have to be replaced every season