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Are hard tops just better?

C

Craig234

Lifer
That's my impression - that convertible hard tops are better than soft tops.

Better looking, lower maintenance, longer lasting, quieter ride - everything but cost.

Is that right, or is there something I don't know?

I'm talking of course about retractable, not removable.
 
True hard tops are more rigid and lighter. Even "hardtop convertibles" are built like a normal convertible in that they do not incorporate any sort of structure in the roof.

If you are just asking about convertibles, I believe the hard tops take up much more of the trunk.

If I were buying a convertible Id be looking for a hard top myself. In this day, a soft top vs hard top is like a convertible top with a plastic slit for a rear window instead of full size glass.
 
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They can be pretty complicated though which adds cost plus they almost never look as good as the coupe version of the same car.
 
Hardtop convertibles cost more, weigh more, have less trunk space, and take longer to put the top up or down. They are good choice for old ladies and people who park on the street. Soft tops are preferable for most other applications.
 
I am surprised with all the material science progress we've had that soft tops are not made much different than 20 years ago. You'd think with all the fancy kevlars and goretexes they would have a no-compromise soft top by now.
 
senseamp said:
I am surprised with all the material science progress we've had that soft tops are not made much different than 20 years ago. You'd think with all the fancy kevlars and goretexes they would have a no-compromise soft top by now.
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Actually, soft tops are indeed made much differently than they were 20 years ago. It used to be fairly common to have to replace a convertible top every few years if it sat outside. Convertible tops used to be pretty much single-layer fabric, now they're multi-layer and insulated. They last longer, seal almost infinitely better, are vastly quieter at speed, and keep the interior far warmer in winter than ever before.

As for the OP, while retractable hard tops are more secure and slightly quieter, they are heavier, much more complex, and take up a lot more luggage room when stowed and give the car no extra rigidity when raised. They also have less flexibility in design styles, things like the flying buttress convertible tops on newer Ferrari and Lamborghini models aren't really possible with retractable hard tops.

ZV
 
Too bad targas and t-tops don't exist anymore. They were simple, had rollover protection, and almost all the benefits of convertibles.
 
Throckmorton said:
Too bad targas and t-tops don't exist anymore. They were simple, had rollover protection, and almost all the benefits of convertibles.
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They are still around. Got a car last year with one. Loved having it and could manage putting it back on in under 30 seconds.
 
Ferraris are the only cars with soft tops that look just as good regardless if the top is up or down. Nobody else can get it right. All other convertibles only look killer with the top down and worse than a coupe with the top up.
 
Mine with a the top down looks really slick, with the top up it's alright. I suppose if it was cleaner it'd look better...but I like the look of T-top Camaros.

Mustangs look way better in coupe.
 
exdeath said:
Ferraris are the only cars with soft tops that look just as good regardless if the top is up or down. Nobody else can get it right. All other convertibles only look killer with the top down and worse than a coupe with the top up.
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I liked the look of my Sky with the top up > top down.
 
We prefer the soft top -

Trunk space is important and the hard-tops eat up the space. All modern soft-tops have glass windows. the S2000 & Boxster & A5 & E350 & Miata & Saab 9-3 all use glass which include rear defrosters.


Owned 3 soft top convertibles.
 
Fmr12B said:
We prefer the soft top -

Trunk space is important and the hard-tops eat up the space. All modern soft-tops have glass windows. the S2000 & Boxster & A5 & E350 & Miata & Saab 9-3 all use glass which include rear defrosters.


Owned 3 soft top convertibles.
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The Miata hard folding top doesn't take up any additional trunk space IIRC
 
Throckmorton said:
The Miata hard folding top doesn't take up any additional trunk space IIRC
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The NC miata's folding hard top is fairly ingenious and a lot of owners like it. It does look a bit more 'Suzuki X90' than the removable hard top though. D:
 
JCH13 said:
Possibly true of many PRHTs. The removable hard top on my Miata is lighter than a rag top though, especially when I take it off :thumbsup:
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That's quite possibly true, but the top stays on the car, folded, when you use a removable hardtop, so you just add weight in that case. I had an NB with the 'mushrooms', but didn't ever get the hardtop for it.
 
DivideBYZero said:
That's quite possibly true, but the top stays on the car, folded, when you use a removable hardtop, so you just add weight in that case. I had an NB with the 'mushrooms', but didn't ever get the hardtop for it.
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You're making the false assumption that the soft top is still in my car 😀
 
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