POLL: Should I Buy A Soft Top ?

[Green_Gladiator]

March 2021 - Ordered the Mojave with a painted hard top and never considered a soft top TBH ... Always loved the look of a hard top and figured the freedom panels would suffice for the the open air feel ... Over the 1st months of ownership I began wanting a Sun-Rider for convenience till I saw the price ... I daily drive my JT ... That said in the Florida heat with rain everyday on my drive home from May-September I didn't feel I was missing out on much ...

FFWD to today >> as Fall/Winter approach, FL weather will be prime for a Sun-rider or factory Soft Top to be taken advantage of from October-April ... I have an opportunity to purchase a BNIB premium soft top w/ tinted window for $900! (Sun-rider Price)... Ive never owned a soft top Jeep before or recall riding in one long enough to base an opinion on what it is like day to day driving with one. Ease of use, quality, noise levels and so on .... Any input would be greatly appreciated ... FWIW-My wife is on board with this expense so 1/2 the battle has already been won ...

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[RickF]

If you don't want it, please send me the info and I'll buy it. That's a great deal.

 

[M3r1c4]

I use my sunrider every day I can. On my JK top I had to fold it back correctly, using some time/effort, or the folds would not lay right and sag. The sunrider is just throw back and have fun.

 

[hjdca]

March 2021 - Ordered the Mojave with a painted hard top and never considered a soft top TBH ... Always loved the look of a hard top and figured the freedom panels would suffice for the the open air feel ... Over the 1st months of ownership I began wanting a Sun-Rider for convenience till I saw the price ... I daily drive my JT ... That said in the Florida heat with rain everyday on my drive home from May-September I didn't feel I was missing out on much ...

FFWD to today >> as Fall/Winter approach, FL weather will be prime for a Sun-rider or factory Soft Top to be taken advantage of from October-April ... I have an opportunity to purchase a BNIB premium soft top w/ tinted window for $900! (Sun-rider Price)... Ive never owned a soft top Jeep before or recall riding in one long enough to base an opinion on what it is like day to day driving with one. Ease of use, quality, noise levels and so on .... Any input would be greatly appreciated ... FWIW-My wife is on board with this expense so 1/2 the battle has already been won ...

yes, buy it. You will love it. Our hard top has been in storage for over two years now. Here in California, we only run the soft top. It is a great fitting piece of high quality. $900 is great deal for it.

 

[Green_Gladiator]

If you don't want it, please send me the info and I'll buy it. That's a great deal.

You got it bro ... will do! ?

I use my sunrider every day I can. On my JK top I had to fold it back correctly, using some time/effort, or the folds would not lay right and sag. The sunrider is just throw back and have fun.

Appreciate the input! Definitely still up for consideration.. If not for the cost I would have had one the JT already ..

yes, buy it. You will love it. Our hard top has been in storage for over two years now. Here in California, we only run the soft top. It is a great fitting piece of high quality. $900 is great deal for it.

After seeing the install video of the soft top, If purchased my hardtop may end up like yours ... In storage for some time as well lol ..

 

[sass JT]

I have a non painted hardtop and got a sunrider. Absolutely love it… but I went and got a used soft top. And I love it too. Both have their merits and both have cons

sunrider: pro: easy to flip, easy to get sun, easy to close. Always there ready for you. Rain sounds amazing when closed.

cons: takes time to full install or remove, if you want to take your hardtop off. Also if you take your doors off, more than likely you won’t take the top off (looks weird) also if you only leave the sunrider on after taking top off you have to fill in the inch gap so you can use the c clamp to make the rear stay.

soft top: pro: all one piece top, easy to pull the 3 pieces when open air and you can flip back the top so all people can get sun. Easy to close up. All black above your head vs the white of the hardtop. If locked keys in vehicle,easy to get in. Easy to take fully off … 4 bolts holds it down.

Con: the look of the softop is debatable, easy for criminals to get in. The manbun look when folded back. Definitely louder at hwy speeds. Longer to put on when changing back and forth to the hard top.

here’s how I use my two items…. Sunrider with hard top for work trips/ highway driving and winter time. When home and weather is gonna be nice the rest of the year… I do the soft top. I love being out in the mountains with the softop on with no rear window and doors off.

honestly it’s your decision but $900 is an amazing price. for The soft top.
Good luck

 

[tamu12th]

I could not find my JT with a soft top, it came with a black hard top. I wanted the soft top because it is the family convertible, all seats get a view, and its easy to open and close. We can cruise at highway speeds and the top does not flop around (open or closed). I found the freedom tops annoying to remove/store/rinse/repeat. If you have a full truck bed there is not much room to store the panels. The kids don't get the open experience with the freedom top.

I was patient and found the same deal, brand new in box premium soft top with tinted window for $900. I bought it right away, installed it, and gave it about a month with my hard top in storage. I then sold my hard top for about $2,000, coming ahead in the deal. (then bought a bed cover and bed rack, so behind again).

There is more noise with the soft top, mostly loud trucks and motorcycles not so much road noise for me. The Alpine system is plenty to drown out any unwanted noise. We can have a family conversation with the top on easily, but can not have a conversation with the top or doors off.

I find the temperature not a problem, from freezing to 100's, I am able to remain comfortable. I really do not understand when people change their top out seasonally. I think these tops are all-year capable. No leaks for us.

We have had some wild critters walk on the roof at campgrounds, but no punctures.

Security wise, it would be easier to break into a soft top but it is not my daily driver and I don't care. For what it is worth, I would love a hybrid top with a hard shell back and glass window, with soft convertible top. I feel like the easy exposure is the plastic window not so much the fabric top.

In safari mode, I don't like the look of the top overhanging the back, without the window or side pieces in. I usually just leave the window in or leave the side pieces in. Manbun look doesn't bother me a bit.

Soft top for us, no regrets.

Either buy it or pass on the lead, that is a great deal and will make someone happy.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Part of me would like a soft top, but it wouldn’t really work for me long-term (I wouldn’t want to have to switch back and forth very often). If you can see running the soft top for months at a time and don’t have security concerns…go for it.

 

[BAT]

I couldn't find JT in Soft Top anywhere close when purchasing mine so I got hard top and started the search for the Soft Top while giving the hard top freedom panels a chance. I didn't like them. I found a New in box soft top at that time for $1200 and installed it and loved it. My hard top sat in the garage taking up space while I thought maybe I would keep both. But the realization came to me that I would likely never put the hard top back on again. I don't live in the freezing tundra and no future plans to so the ability to just put the top up or down in a flash was for me. I run mostly in with my two front doors off and the soft top either folded back if not to hot or with it closed. When it gets a little cooler I will probably move to all doors off and safari mode. Its not for everyone but it is for me and its why I got the JT to be able to run doorless and topless

 

[Advntrbound]

I love my soft top. Yes it will be louder than the hard top but I can flip 2 levers and push it back at a stop light. I'm now topless. Take a few minutes to remove 4 bolts and the whole top will come off.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

No

 

[NachoRuby]

I just bought a safari top. And I like it, but it's not 100% waterproof. If I could find an OE soft top for that price, I'd go for it.

 

[redriderjf87]

If I wasn't worried about snow piling on it, I'd likely leave my soft top on year round. Wind and heat is a nonissue for me, the premium unit at least is very good quality.

 

[jonsheritahe04]

Great price - I’m in the North East and run the hardtop from October through March. But can’t wait to switch out in the spring. Super easy to change out with two people and the soft top is opened or closed in less than a minute. And if you don’t like it you can always sell it through the site, they go pretty quick

 

[GoVR46]

I have a non painted hardtop and got a sunrider. Absolutely love it… but I went and got a used soft top. And I love it too. Both have their merits and both have cons

sunrider: pro: easy to flip, easy to get sun, easy to close. Always there ready for you. Rain sounds amazing when closed.

cons: takes time to full install or remove, if you want to take your hardtop off. Also if you take your doors off, more than likely you won’t take the top off (looks weird) also if you only leave the sunrider on after taking top off you have to fill in the inch gap so you can use the c clamp to make the rear stay.

soft top: pro: all one piece top, easy to pull the 3 pieces when open air and you can flip back the top so all people can get sun. Easy to close up. All black above your head vs the white of the hardtop. If locked keys in vehicle,easy to get in. Easy to take fully off … 4 bolts holds it down.

Con: the look of the softop is debatable, easy for criminals to get in. The manbun look when folded back. Definitely louder at hwy speeds. Longer to put on when changing back and forth to the hard top.

here’s how I use my two items…. Sunrider with hard top for work trips/ highway driving and winter time. When home and weather is gonna be nice the rest of the year… I do the soft top. I love being out in the mountains with the softop on with no rear window and doors off.

honestly it’s your decision but $900 is an amazing price. for The soft top.
Good luck

Seems like great mines think a like.
I also started with a hardtop then added a sunrider, felt bad my kids couldn't also enjoy the open top so I picked up a soft top.
Now it's soft top full time till I take my truck up to my place in the mountains, then it's hard top with sunrider.
We also share the same liking in wheels, tires, and winch shackle. ?

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