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Premium Soft Top vs Regular: Worth the $ Difference?

WRGLR-JL

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The Jeep website mentions 3 soft tops in tan: Standard, Premium, then another Premium that is $200 than the black premium. What is the difference?
Could be 2 door vs 4 door styling.
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JandS

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Joltes

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So you’re saying that @JHTS , the only poster to this thread who has no confirmation bias (because he owns both tops), is a sucker? Alrighty, then...
I believe his reply was to JandS’s question of the 200$ more premium top.
 

WRGLR-JL

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If you option out a 4 door Sahara (and some other models) all 3 options are there.
I took a look and it does show 3 options. The first shows a price of $0 and when selected it upgrades you to the dual top group. The black premium upgrade is 595 and the Tan premium upgrade is 795. So it looks like their are 3 choices but only 2 premium soft tops.
 

aldo98229

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So you’re saying that @JHTS , the only poster to this thread who has no confirmation bias (because he owns both tops), is a sucker? Alrighty, then...
I was responding at the post right before mine.
 

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JandS

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I took a look and it does show 3 options. The first shows a price of $0 and when selected it upgrades you to the dual top group. The black premium upgrade is 595 and the Tan premium upgrade is 795. So it looks like their are 3 choices but only 2 premium soft tops.
Yeah, the "standard" Sahara top is also listed as a "premium" top though.
 

WRGLR-JL

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Yeah, the "standard" Sahara top is also listed as a "premium" top though.
I don't see standard as an option for a Sahara, only premium soft top. The premium black is 595 and the premium tan is 795. You're paying an extra 200 just for the tan color.
 

srt20

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I have the standard. Bought it after we bought the Jeep. I haven't noticed any shrinking or stretching in mine. I live in WI. Have used it in anywhere from 45* to 100*. We use it during spring summer and fall months. In winter Jeep is stored once they start putting salt on roads. We are happy with it. Its not a smooth vinyl, Im not sure how to describe it, but it sure seems closer to thick canvas than vinyl to me.
 

El Zilcho

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I have all 3 available soft tops in my possession right now. Standart, black premium and tan premium. I would say premium is definitely worth the price premium :) Its quieter, looks way better and it you want tan, premium is the only option. Also standard is light grey on the inside, not a minus for me but it looks like most people prefer black. (Shameless plug incoming) I have standard and black premium for sale
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/fs-in-san-diego-jlu-soft-top.79541/#post-1844506
 

Heimkehr

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What exactly is the difference?
The dirty secret of the "premium" fabric top, at least on those Wranglers parked outside in a true four-season state, is that it's likely that the top portion will eventually sag over the cargo area. It's noticeable from a distance, too. Pressing one's hand on both top materials -- sailcloth and fabric -- makes plain the thinner sailcloth is actually a bit more taut. That was the obvious takeaway when I was making a pre-purchase decision regarding which top to add to my JLU special order.

The rich black fabric of the Premium soft top looks better, but for how long?

My local Honda dealer had a 2018 JLU Sahara with a saggy fabric soft top on its lot recently. I actually stopped to take a photo. If my POS Android hadn't farted the jpeg away, I'd have posted it here as proof. No worries, though. With the 5G rollout on schedule to make the Android non-functional later this summer, I'll be forced to buy a better phone anyway.
 

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El Zilcho

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The dirty secret of the "premium" fabric top, at least on those Wranglers parked outside in a true four-season state, is that it's likely that the top portion will eventually sag over the cargo area. It's noticeable from a distance, too. Pressing one's hand on both top materials -- sailcloth and fabric -- makes plain the thinner sailcloth is actually a bit more taut. That was the obvious takeaway when I was making a pre-purchase decision regarding which top to add to my JLU special order.

The rich black fabric of the Premium soft top looks better, but for how long?

My local Honda dealer had a 2018 JLU Sahara with a saggy fabric soft top on its lot recently. I actually stopped to take a photo. If my POS Android hadn't farted the jpeg away, I'd have posted it here as proof. No worries, though. With the 5G rollout on schedule to make the Android non-functional later this summer, I'll be forced to buy a better phone anyway.
I pass a JLU with sailcloth on my way to work almost every day and soft top looks very saggy. I assume if you park outside and dont maintain your soft top it will look bad no matter if its premium or sailcloth. From my experience sailcloth starts to look like crap way faster than fabric.
 

OldGuyNewJeep

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The rich black fabric of the Premium soft top looks better, but for how long?
Plenty long. Mine is 4yrs old, now, and looks the same as it did new.

I have a 2dr and it doesn’t sag, that I can see. Then again, I’m not one of those super anal types who complain that the Wrangler isn’t level, that one side is lower on a full tank of gas, or that the aluminum doors look wavy. Way more important things in life to wring my hands over than those!

Search this forum for ripped/torn threads. They are all standard tops.

I don’t think the standard top is bad, but premium is worth the extra $$.
 
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Archeonomy

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I started this thread before I bought one, but ended up with the 'regular' soft top. The deciding factor for me was that the premium top is a giant pollen magnet during Massachusetts' prolific pollen season.
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