Sunrider or Soft Top?

[BAT]

I have a granite crystal with a color matched top which (in my opinion) looks awesome. Like most, the freedom tops aren’t exactly useful. Sure they are simple enough, but also just enough trouble where I tend to just leave them on all the time.

Because of this I decided I’m going to get a twill sunrider. It’s cold here so I’d take it off in the winter and put it back on when it’s nice.

Enter the soft top- found a one year old takeoff asking $1200 which is a very fair price. I honestly don’t love the look of the soft top, and the man bun is undesirable, but you can’t deny it’s still a damn good top. I could more or less just unlatch it and throw it back like the sunrider and leave the back window etc in. All this for roughly $400 more than a sunrider.

Pros: much more open air jeep feel

Very decent price to accomplish that

The kids would get open air too, not just me.

Cons: my jeep would be “uglier” half the year

I’d have a man bun

Not quite as simple as just throwing it open at a stop light and closing it at the next.

I’d need to store my hard top

My wife ordered a dual top MY22 JL, so we don’t necessarily NEED two Jeeps with a soft top in the summer.

We would need to store TWO hard tops.

PLOT TWIST-
I could also buy a Clearlidz used for $1200 (asking price) and buy a sunrider.

If you were me (young, short, balding, and handsome) what would you go with?

Just some quick points from someone who had a dual top group. I bought my JT so I could have open air and top off or mostly off. Freedom panels became a pain in the butt and everyone who rode in the truck back seat complained that they didn't get the blue sky, etc. The soft top is a flash to take down or put back up. I can pull up to a red light and if necessary hop out and have that top back up and locked down in 30 seconds or possibly even less. I could probably have it back up the same time you could close your sunrider assuming I don't have both the velcro straps on it. I can put the top open while sitting at a red light and never get out of the truck. Just flip the latches, push it up, and then when you start going just make sure you keep it at around 10 MPH and let the air gently push it back. No one gives a damn about the man bun if it's a problem that is in your head and a select group of Jeep owners who have issues. I have yet in almost 2 years to have anyone tell me anything about the bun, all they ever tell me is damn that is a cool truck wish I could throw my top back like that on my truck. Once the soft top was on it never came off and I ended up selling the hardtop. Course I don't have to deal with snow. Unless its raining or really, really cold my top is down. I also didn't have a place to store the hardtop but even if so I am not sure now if I would have kept it.

Sponsored

 

[93civej1]

I have a hard top, and find myself wanting a soft top. I havent even taken my hard top off. Only the freedom panels. I prob would all the time with a soft top.
If I ever trade to another, I believe I will look for one with a soft top.

 

[Whitarmy]

I have a granite crystal with a color matched top which (in my opinion) looks awesome. Like most, the freedom tops aren’t exactly useful. Sure they are simple enough, but also just enough trouble where I tend to just leave them on all the time.

Because of this I decided I’m going to get a twill sunrider. It’s cold here so I’d take it off in the winter and put it back on when it’s nice.

Enter the soft top- found a one year old takeoff asking $1200 which is a very fair price. I honestly don’t love the look of the soft top, and the man bun is undesirable, but you can’t deny it’s still a damn good top. I could more or less just unlatch it and throw it back like the sunrider and leave the back window etc in. All this for roughly $400 more than a sunrider.

Pros: much more open air jeep feel

Very decent price to accomplish that

The kids would get open air too, not just me.

Cons: my jeep would be “uglier” half the year

I’d have a man bun

Not quite as simple as just throwing it open at a stop light and closing it at the next.

I’d need to store my hard top

My wife ordered a dual top MY22 JL, so we don’t necessarily NEED two Jeeps with a soft top in the summer.

We would need to store TWO hard tops.

PLOT TWIST-
I could also buy a Clearlidz used for $1200 (asking price) and buy a sunrider.

If you were me (young, short, balding, and handsome) what would you go with?

I’m on my 4th Jeep. Running topless is fun. However, with my kids in the back I tend to just flip the sunrider portion of my top and not run topless so the kids don’t roast. With the gladiator I went the sunrider route. I couldn’t be happier. Come winter/triple digit summer, I pop the freedom panels with extra insulation back in. If I were back in Washington state I may run topless more. Being I’m in San Antonio now there isn’t much topless time that isn’t crazy hot or cold. I found myself running no door with the safari top on more often in my wrangler than topless. The next Jeep I’ll skip the soft top and just do a sunrider as well. The clear lids makes me worry of a green house effect in San Antonio. Just my 2 cents

 

[Jocww]

at least with the sun rider you gotta climb up to cut it. soft top just take a pen knife and get in without climbing on the roof. soon as i find one in the classifieds ill pick one up

 

[redriderjf87]

The stock soft top would be perfect if it were more of a full convertible, or at least folded down closer to what a normal convertible does. I'm on the fence between the sunrider + hardtop or going with the new canopy softtop that you can roll the top up and take the back window off and store easily (forgetting the brand, Rampage or Bestop? There is a recent thread on here somewhere)

 

[USMC-SSGT]

Thanks everyone. Really sounds like a full soft top at a good price is a great option.

I’m going to let patience take over a little and reach out to the seller after the holidays. If they’ve still got it there should even be a little movement on the price.

I agree with others that it would have been really nice if they made it better. I suppose there is an argument for all sides however. If it went all the way back it could impose on the bed and that would make an equal part of folks annoyed I suppose.

 

[Gvsukids]

More debate...
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/help-soft-top-or-sunrider.30959/

 

[Gvsukids]

I have a hard top, and find myself wanting a soft top. I havent even taken my hard top off. Only the freedom panels. I prob would all the time with a soft top.
If I ever trade to another, I believe I will look for one with a soft top.

Why wait to trade, why not just buy a soft top?

The stock soft top would be perfect if it were more of a full convertible, or at least folded down closer to what a normal convertible does

https://mytop.us/products/gladiator-jeep-top

 

[USMC-SSGT]

Why wait to trade, why not just buy a soft top?


https://mytop.us/products/gladiator-jeep-top

Fugly ?

 

[93civej1]

Why wait to trade, why not just buy a soft top?


https://mytop.us/products/gladiator-jeep-top

well I may eventually but I’m in no rush and also money doesn’t just fall in my lap for mods. ?

 

[USMC-SSGT]

well I may eventually but I’m in no rush and also money doesn’t just fall in my lap for mods. ?

Sounds like you need one of those magic mod trees for Christmas.

 

[joeym7]

Isn't it good to have "First-World-Problems" like this!

Just my opinion, as far as looks I like the body colored hard top best, but in effect, the T-tops will come off only when there is no chance of moister from above on any given day.

Not a fan of convertibles personally, the look isn't as good (still good though) and even in the summer it rains a lot around here or we have heavy humidity even without rain...

But, I did order a second top, the Surinder flip top as a compromise for summer moths. Even if very humid one can run the AC with the flip top open and feel comfortable.

Overall, I'd prefer a good old fashion electric sun roof, but the flip top is closest one can come to this.

 

[USMC-SSGT]

Isn't it good to have "First-World-Problems" like this!

Just my opinion, as far as looks I like the body colored hard top best, but in effect, the T-tops will come off only when there is no chance of moister from above on any given day.

Not a fan of convertibles personally, the look isn't as good (still good though) and even in the summer it rains a lot around here or we have heavy humidity even without rain...

But, I did order a second top, the Surinder flip top as a compromise for summer moths. Even if very humid one can run the AC with the flip top open and feel comfortable.

Overall, I'd prefer a good old fashion electric sun roof, but the flip top is closest one can come to this.

Amen. That would likely be my first choice. Regular full hard top with panoramic sunroof(s) like I had on my last car. Essentially the new JL one touch, but glass.

 

[USMC-SSGT]

With a one year old asking price of $1200, seems like a fair ask.

Any reason to offer any less?

 

[Deleted member 28696]

I have a Twill Bestop Sunrider that I recently purchased and installed. I really like it so far. If it's installed correctly you won't have any water leakage problems. It's snowed on mine with no water at all inside the cab. You do hear slightly more road noise, after install and driving it I thought one of my windows was cracked open at first but it was the only time, you don't notice it for the most part even on the highway with it closed, no flapping etc. It was handy when I installed my light bar made access much easier for a one man install. Personally I don't need the whole top open I actually prefer just to have the front driver passenger cab top open but I usually don't have people in the back where'd I may want the soft top. They do have a power retractable soft top for the JT now where the whole thing opens up and closes at a push of a button, I think it's in the $5,500 range.

Sponsored