If the One-Touch top was free, would you want it or no? POLL

[SmokyMtnsJeepGirl]

Driven nothing but 2-door Wranglers since I was 16 years old.
Soft top was always a breeze to put up and down on those 2-doors in my younger years. 35 years later and now in a 4-door JL I knew a SOT was the way to go. Aging is no joke - lol. I absolutely love my SOT top. I just wish I could get it on a 2-door. It really has been a game-changer. If I'm just going 10 minutes down the road I just push the button, roll down all the windows and voila - open air fun! I love that I can take out the cargo windows but only drawback is that i do hate I can't remove the tailgate window.

If im not just running around town on small trips here and there I take all of the doors off so i feel naked like I did in my previous Jeeps. And I don't notice any difference in noise. Husband has hard-top with freedom panels and he loves the SOT top, too. We do use his for wheeling though.

The ease of the SOT makes it a no-brainer for me and my old knees and back! My next Jeeps will all have the SOT!

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[Richard_JL]

Free is free. I'd take it, trade to someone for his hard top + $$$.

 

[MayThe4x4BWU]

For me the answer would be no for the same reason why I didn't get a soft top: Storm chasing

I know the fiberglass top may not hold up to giant hail, but the soft top and the SOT would be like seeking shelter under an umbrella during a hurricane

I just don't think those tops would last under the conditions I put my Wrangler through sometimes when I'm out chasing storms lol

 

[SlickRicksWilly]

No, I don't particularly like anything about it. You get both downsides of the hard top and soft top plus additional complexity.

 

[Wbino]

With my trim in the year 2021 the SOT was only 2k so a yes...and it is my favorite Jeep feature.
I just had it open on Sunday here in NJ on a 50mph fall leaves coming down gust filled day.
When I was done I hit the button.

 

[desmo2]

No, because:
1) If I want the top off, I want it all the way off. I can also get a Sunrider for my hard top for a quick and easy open air experience.
2) That system looks like a few potential problems I just don't have time for in my life...leaks and/or another set of motors and electronics that can fail.

 

[Spacenut]

I'm happy with my seasonal switch from hard top to factory soft top.

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

Not for me, I’m not a fan of riding around with the sun beating down on me. I like riding around doorless with just the freedom panels in place.

 

[MauiSteve]

For me, I might be tempted but my 21 JLR 6 speed is relatively simple (in today’s car world). Such added complexity makes more exposure to whatever decides to malfunction and Murphy’s Law says that will happen at the worst possible time a long way from any hope of remedy. Just sayin’.

 

[Richard_JL]

A few issues that kept me away from it...

1. Its $4000 (though lower for 2026, apparently)
2. Highway travel is loud(er) than hard top.
3. The smooth aluminum travel rails will not hold up to the grit of dust and dirt out on the trail, will they?
4. It's expensive to replace (you cannot just buy someone's used one for $100-200 like you can a soft top)
5. It can be removed in 40 mins with 2 people, but you are left with several long body-colored parts to keep safe somewhere (can't just use a lift like a hard top). It takes 40 minutes to re-install.
6. If the rear glass was removable, maybe it would improve the use case.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

Mine is a no way because I like to go off-roading in tight spaces and I like the look and feel of the roof completely off when daily driving. If I was a Wrangler owner that never planned to take the top off, the SOT would be a good option.

 

[JeepinPete]

Had my '19 for nearly five years. The SOT is one of my favorite options on the Jeep. It is a four door convertible at the touch of a button.

Sadly, life hasn't let me get offroad nearly as much as I use to. The one time I did take it the SOT was the thing I was worried about damaging. Tight trails in the PA woods is just asking to hit the top. Plan to pick up a ragtop one of these days to swap on for offroad trips.

 

[cebrew]

I bought a used 21 Willy's earlier this year that had the SOT. I wasn't thrilled about that as I wanted the hard top. Bitched all summer about it because you couldn't (easily) remove the rear window. I'm not a fan of the look with the SOT rails and rear window always there. It's also loud and you can definitely feel the heat radiating down as others have said. Was looking to swap mine with someone with a hard top.

Then...I broke 4 bones in my back in August. That made me happy to have the SOT since removing a hard top was not gonna happen.

So, I was definitely in the "No" category after I purchased it but currently in the "Yes" category.

Next spring when the back is healed, I'll be back to "no"...

 

[bthomp]

I was at one of my jeep meet-ups today, and the topic came up about the One-Touch top on the JL's and whether us jeep owners, in General, want the top or not, so I though it would be a fantastic poll question to have here and to open up to discussion. Either buying new or used, when you are considering a Jeep JL and IF THE TOP WAS FREE, would you want it or not?

The arguments for and against are all good/valid! If you have your Jeep as just a play vehicle, the one-touch seems like it would be a no brainer! But then, you can't take the full top off! Also, you can get the flip-up sun rider and convert to the hard top when you want less noise/more insulation from the elements (cold/hot, etc.).

There is no doubt that there is a ton more noise when driving on the highway with the top also. Also, in heavy thunderstorms/Lightning storms, the top can be kind of scary. But of course, the trade-off is quick and easy sun!

So I am opening this up here, mainly for us JL owners, and especially for the new MOAB buyers where the top is ONLY a $998 option! Let's hear what you think!

Rationale of hard top: I get the desire to take the top off, makes sense. It also makes sense if people want a roof top tent. Other than these, I have heard no other compelling reasons to not have a SOT. As a 3 time SOT owner and frequent driver of both SOT and hard top jeeps I don’t believe the SOT is materially louder (when closed). Also there is no difference in the safety during a lightning storm between a cloth top and a hard plastic panel. Reality is, they’re both safe because of the other metal at the top; A/B/C pillars and roll bars and metal door frames.

anyone who isn’t going to take the top off or does not roof top camp or use top for storage - I don’t understand why you wouldnt take a SOT all day every day. Super convenient. I use mine all the time.

 

[bthomp]

I'm also salty because I don't want one and something stupid like 1/3 of the 392's I find on Autotrader come with it. This is unacceptable and based on what I'm seeing I feel like a bunch of dealers just clicked the most expensive "quick order" package, which is infuriating to me, for some reason.

Fair points (except for the Liberty comment ). I agree that the dealers 100% did that.

+1

Added noise, complexity, leaks, and it will break at some point out of warranty.

I agree it does add complexity and a point of failure. I have two Jeeps now with SOT, which I love BUT If I had one fail I would replace with a hard top so I could have a roof top tent.

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