Soft top vs hard top and why wouldn’t we all prefer to have just a soft top with metal doors?

[redfish]

Soft-top for me , especially in coastal South Carolina, can open it , close it all on the same drive , perfect for me. My 6'5" 305lb 20 year old LT son rocks a man bun in the weight room and says it ok for me to have a man bun too.

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[Phishs]

I have 2 kiddos that wouldn’t like only the front occupants getting the open top so soft top was a no brainer for me. I’ve had both on Wranglers and just prefer the flexibility a soft top gives me. If I was going to get a hard top, I probably would’ve just kept my Tacoma.

 

[Ogre_FL]

How do the soft tops hold up to raccoons, mice, chipmunks and squirrels?
I've got a car out here I'm parting and the floor rotted enough there was about a 1/2" gap about 12" long along the floor's sill - the coons pulled hard and pulled the floor steel down and got in and ripped things up.

Never an issue on my 1996 Geo Tracker soft top that I owned for 22 years. I did replace the top one time after around 16-17 years. It was pretty weathered by that time.

 

[NachoRuby]

Never an issue on my 1996 Geo Tracker soft top that I owned for 22 years. I did replace the top one time after around 16-17 years. It was pretty weathered by that time.

Too bad they don't still sell these here. They were a perfectly fine inexpensive lightweight off-roader. They still sell a version of Suzuki Jimnys that these really are, but the new ones don't meet US crash standards, so we don't get them any more.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Never an issue on my 1996 Geo Tracker soft top that I owned for 22 years. I did replace the top one time after around 16-17 years. It was pretty weathered by that time.

16+ years? WOW, that's great! Even paint can fade by that time.

 

[Pedal Metal]

So, thanks for the opinions EVERYONE! Clearly, it’s a personnal decision and a question of use, space, logistics, seasonal extremes and the risk of bears / raccoons / etc. As well, we are all a bit of a product of our background.

Again, as for my background, I started my first driver experience with a CJ5, a fastback soft top for winter / bikini top for summer. I should add that I had a pull out stereo / cassette player, two locked storage compartments, no air conditioning and no carpet. Life was just simple then.

In fairness, to my statement about storing valuables in a locked car, sure I’ve done it. However, I’ve seen way too many window glass shards in the gym, store or whatever parking lot to ever really feel safe with my guard down. So, my point was that anyone with a news channel knows that the appearance of valuables increases a vehicle‘s chances of break ins. Side note, years ago I had a bicycle mechanic friend with a modest income who lived in a neighborhood known for break ins of cars on street parking who intentionally left his doors unlocked so thieves would not break his windows just to check over the nothing that he kept inside his car over night. As for the Gladiators, they do have a locking rear seat, console and other options, but in fairness to your whatever it is, it’s always safest to lock that stuff down before you get to your destination to keep probing eyes that are casing and on the lookout for an easy mark to test their crowbar against. With that said, do as you like and shame on thiefs and all that jazz.

As for my thoughts on picking my package, as much as it is about picking what’s right for me, I am a fairly pragmatic guy who always has an exit plan in the back of my head. So, even though I’ll probably keep my pick for years to come, I can’t help but think about resale value and what’s mostly preferred by the masses. If I had to guess, I’d say that there was an 80% favorability for hard tops and 20% for soft tops and I’m trying to weigh in those in favor of both tops, and I’ll add plus or minus 5% to reconcile my gut to whatever the real number is. Still, if those numbers are even remotely accurate, they really don’t seem to reflect the vast majority of hard top Gladiators that I think I see in my area. So, i think I just wanted to test the waters here to see what the community answered back with.

I’m not completely decided just yet and it’s partly to do with the fact that I haven’t been in a soft top JT to experience it for myself, because I just haven’t come across one. So, part of me wonders if dealers are preying on the fears of soft tops and the greater margin of ordering with hard tops. Maybe not every dealer, but make no mistake that dealers do option out vehicles for a greater margin.

Lastly, I’m happy to go off on this hair tangent. I never realized that there was a whole man bun thing here and have you heard other Jeepers compare the pickup box to a mullet? Wow! Hater much? Myself, I keep my hairstyle pretty trim and I’ve got some silver that’s well established, but I‘m cool with it and I’m not looking to add a touch up routine to my day. Still, I gotta say that nobody catches more grief for their hair then a fella! For instance…too short, he’s a jar head looking fool; too long, he’s a hippie; too thin, he’s bald; too much effort to fix it, did You see that rug, did he color that with a sharpie, comb over much? Yet, let a woman get hair extensions, color, wig, thinning, or whatever else you got and everyone is silent about the clown show and supportive of her strength and how sassy her style is. So hilarious.

Thanks again!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Around here, it's not the PRESENCE of valuables that can be seen - it's the ease of getting in and looking hoping to find something. And around here, tops get cut just because people carry knives and it's a hobby for some folks. I used to work with a gal who had a little Suzuki and her top and back window got damaged twice in a single year - just because. She never left anything in it. Doesn't matter for drug creeps looking for change. Crime of opportunity- so simple to punch out plastic or cut something with a knife - and it's QUIET! Breaking glass gets attention.

Dealers here seem to promote soft tops - mine asked if I was interested in a hard top - didn't try to upsell. In fact, he was trying to get me into a lower cost version and we kept telling him to ADD things. Maybe he didn't know I wasn't a monthly payment person trying to stay under a certain monthly number. (I don't dress up normally, especially car shopping so maybe he thought I was living just off my still income?)

 

[Junker21]

I was also surprised - there are some heavy bars and some metal in soft top. But the full hardtop kit weighs 85lb whereas the soft top kit weighs 124lb.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/soft-top-gladiator-jt-sailcoth-twill/Sailcloth

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/hardtop-kit-gladiator-jt/textured-black

Wow . A whole 38 lbs .

 

[Ogre_FL]

Too bad they don't still sell these here. They were a perfectly fine inexpensive lightweight off-roader. They still sell a version of Suzuki Jimnys that these really are, but the new ones don't meet US crash standards, so we don't get them any more.

My wife & I have owned 3 Trackers and a grey market SJ410 ( Samurai/Jimny ) over the years.
If they still sold them or similar (with soft tops) I never would have bought the JL.

Trackers/Sidekicks are not Jimnys.
They had IFS vs the jeep like solid axes of the Jimny/Samurai, also a bit bigger.
And yea they were great, reliable and inexpensive light duty offroaders.

 

[IamPro2A]

I’m not completely decided just yet and it’s partly to do with the fact that I haven’t been in a soft top JT to experience it for myself, because I just haven’t come across one. So, part of me wonders if dealers are preying on the fears of soft tops and the greater margin of ordering with hard tops. Maybe not every dealer, but make no mistake that dealers do option out vehicles for a greater margin.

I don't know it's a matter of margin. Not sure about all the trim levels, but I know on the Sport/Sport S trim, there was a $1,600 "Popular Equipment" package.
For that price you get the hard top, the auto climate control, upgrade the 5" radio to the 7", remote start, the bigger configurable center instrument cluster, garage door opener, and the regular tow package (not max tow) with the receiver hitch and heavier duty cooling system and alternator.

Almost a no brainer at that price.

 

[HoustonGobi]

I was also surprised - there are some heavy bars and some metal in soft top. But the full hardtop kit weighs 85lb whereas the soft top kit weighs 124lb.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/soft-top-gladiator-jt-sailcoth-twill/Sailcloth

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/hardtop-kit-gladiator-jt/textured-black

The Gladiator Mopar soft top kit does not weigh 124 lbs. I bought one that was still in the box and it was definitely not that heavy. Here are a couple pics I found of it still in the box on a for sale ad here. Not my pics, but you can clearly see the weight label on the side. That said we love our soft top.

 

[Capricorn]

The Gladiator Mopar soft top kit does not weigh 124 lbs. I bought one that was still in the box and it was definitely not that heavy. Here are a couple pics I found of it still in the box on a for sale ad here. Not my pics, but you can clearly see the weight label on the side. That said we love our soft top.

I was going by this from Quadratec.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/soft-top-gladiator-jt-sailcoth-twill/Sailcloth

 

[sharpsicle]

I was going by this from Quadratec.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/soft-top-gladiator-jt-sailcoth-twill/Sailcloth

I agree that the weight of the soft top is not 124lbs. The "shipping weight" must be taking something else into account in addition to the product weight itself.

 

[No Quarter]

I agree that the weight of the soft top is not 124lbs. The "shipping weight" must be taking something else into account in addition to the product weight itself.

Probably "Dim" weight, which is the dimensional "weight" based on the size of the box it ships in. It does not correlate with the actual weight. No way the actual weight is 124lbs.

 

[BAT]

Sorry but having had both tops on this truck and driving it in a very heavy wind (except a cross wind LOL) vs the hardtop there is not that much difference in the noise level. I will give that edge to the hardtop for a slight reduction. I am sure though if you put in sound dampening and liners, etc you will likely see more of a difference. Then again Hotheads makes a liner for the soft top now but you can't take the soft top down and keep the liner on. As for cooling and heating makes no difference which top.
It heats up fast and keeps it warm or hot and it also cools the truck fast and keeps it cool.

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