I own a Sport S with soft top considering a new one with hard top

[Metalhead]

I was going back and forth on this for a long time. I wanted a hard top at first but could not find one with the other options I wanted. Then I figured I could save up some cash and get a hard top later. I just love the soft top. Open the latches and fling it back. No wrestling with panels and where to store them. I know you can get the sunrider for the hard top but its not as open as the soft top is. Several people on here said the soft top is no problem in winter weather which was also a concern for me. So for me the soft top is the better option. My sister has a wrangler with hard top and she hardly ever takes the panels off because of how much of a pain it is.

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[818Gladiator]

I recently traded someone my softtop for a color matched hardtop. I was checking Facebook marketplace for about 3 months and found someone who wanted to swap plus cash on my part. I lived with the softtop for 3 years and really only switched because of the looks aspect. It is annoying storing the freedom panels when you want to take them off vs just flipping the soft top back. But it feels about the same experience from a driving aspect as I don’t sit in the back of the truck… my kids didn’t like the softtop open because the sun was in their face and the wind on long drives and they prefer the hardtop top setup

 

[Gvsukids]

But it feels about the same experience from a driving aspect

Soft top is taller.

 

[818Gladiator]

Soft top is taller.

I mean it feels about the same with the soft top down, vs the freedom panels open from the drivers seat. I believe the people that notice the difference more are the rear seat passengers

and I had the hotheadz headliner for the softtop so I lost a lot of headroom running it, I don’t recall how tall the softtop was vs the hardtop but i have more headroom now with the hardtop because of my previous headliner setup.

 

[double J]

I have the Softtop, hardtop, and Sunrider for hardtop. June through August I run the softtop.. put the window in a storage bag in the bed. Sometimes I remove the four bolts that hold the top on the door surrounds, and put the top in the bed too. Fall and spring I have the hardtop with Sunrider for hardtop installed. It’s nice to be able to flip it back at stoplights without getting out of my seat. My wife’s favorite jeep add on is this and onboard air compressor (for the beach trips). In the winter I just use the hardtop. Putting Sunrider for hardtop back on just takes ten minutes. When I’m using the softtop, I also have a spiderwebshade installed. I burn easily and it keeps you cooler, at the beach.

 

[mtudb24]

I’ve found lots of answers on this site but haven’t found this one. How different is it to drive with freedom panels removed vs soft top open. Windows being open in both cases. I’m considering a joose gladiator and it looks great with matching hard top.

any insight would be appreciated

I had a the dual top in my 2010 JKUR I bought in May of 2010. I took the hard top off once I got it home from the dealer and never put it back on and ended up selling it. It was the standard vinyl soft top, but with Michigan weather, it changes in a heartbeat. There would be 2 or 3 days in November where it was in the 60's or a week in early April it would be 60's and 70's and the next week would be back in the 50's, I would have hated to take the hard top off or the freedom panels off to enjoy those few days of nice weather

Fast forward to my JT. I bought it with the premium soft top which is night and day better then the standard vinyl soft top in terms of keeping cold air out and much quieter then the vinyl top. 2 weeks ago the weather was in the 50's and 60's and this past week was in the 70's and 80's. Easy peasy to enjoy the nice weather with the soft top vs trying to take off a hard top or even just freedom panels. I even enjoy just taking out the rear window and leaving the soft top on in low 60 degree weather. Just gives enough nice air in the cabin.

 

[snide]

Had a '13 JKU with the hardtop and freedom panels. IMHO, the panels were easy to take off and put on, but they were a PITA. When I decided to get a Gladiator, a '20 Sport S, I went with the soft top and was very happy with that choice.

Where I live, we have this thing called "winter". During this so-called "winter", it gets cold out. The heater in the JKU was garbage on cold days. Heat escaped through the non-insulated roof panels.

With the soft top, the Gladiator is plenty warm, even on the coldest days.

BTW, when the lease was up on my Sport S, I bought a '23 Mojave, also with the soft top. I can't imagine getting another Wrangler or Gladiator with a hardtop.

 

[Gvsukids]

Soft top rear window is easier to see out of, but lacks defrost.

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