Should I Order | Bronco Hard Top or Soft Top

The Bronco order bank will be opening soon, and one disappointment for some is the low percentage of builds that can be completed with a hard top: 36% for 4-doors. Similarly, just 10% of builds produced will be 2-doors, with the standard hard top. Could a soft top work for people ordering for the first time?

Many drivers wonder: in a hard top vs. soft top battle, who comes out on top?

Leaving aesthetics and durability/quietness out of it, as looks are personal and both tops have been nearly equally proven (or disproven –– owners of both have had concerns), here are some points of consideration.

The Molded-In-Color (MIC) Hard Top

Benefits:

• Supports a greater number of roof rack options – If you’re planning on maximizing space for trips with cases or a tent up top, or carrying outdoor gear, a roof rack helps. Right now, there are plenty of options for hard top racks, making finding the best one for you easier. Soft top racks exist, but your choices are slimmer.
• May be harder to break into – As those from the Jeep world know, soft tops make stealing easier. A hard top’s windows have to be smashed instead of cut.

The Black Cloth Soft Top

Benefits:

• Ease of “top off” status – You can get a full sky view faster with the soft top, even though hard top panels come off fairly fast. It’s just a couple latches between you and the sun, and you can get the full effect of a roof off with a single person, no hoist or help needed.
• Ease of storage – And with the soft top flipped back, you're done. You don’t have to store wide panels in a full Bronco or find room for the cap in your garage. Likewise, if bad weather sets in, your top is right there with you. With the hard top, your panels or the cap may be at home, and then you’ll have to park the vehicle and tarp it.

Ford Bronco Hard Top vs Soft Top

If you decide you want a hard top, then you'll be glad to know Broncos will be produced with them. Talk to your dealer about the possibility of your order being built before you place it. Some dealers will have better allocation options. Understand that choosing a hard top may mean you are waiting longer for your order: There are people still waiting for a Bronco they had on order from when production began in June 2021 due to constraints like this.

If you’re unsure, know that Ford has said factory hard tops will be available through dealers in the coming years, and several aftermarket tops are in the works now. Ford has developed a hard top prep kit for Broncos with the soft top, which includes connections and controls for the rear windshield wiper and rear defroster. You might consider ordering a soft top with the hard top prep kit and swapping to a hard top later. However, Ford’s top will cost more than when ordered from the factory, and the aftermarket tops are expensive. Plus, it still may be a while before you take delivery of one.

Another good bet is to find a Bronco you like on dealer lots with the top you want. There are reportedly 6,000+ Broncos on lots right now, so call around. You might find a perfect Bronco for you without even having to wait.

Have questions or want to know what others think? Head over to the forums and check out this recent thread on the two options.