Soft Top or SOT?

[kah.mun.rah]

Eh I crossed 100 miles on the Jeep in an off road park on temp tags, I still call it a car sometimes, or most often "the truck" words mean what you want them to.

"The truck" is probably more accurate than "the car" since the original military version was called a "Quad 1/4 Ton 4x4 Truck." A few unwritten rules in Jeep culture that will get you called out by the masses are:
- thou shalt not call it a car
- thou shalt not put an angry grill on the front
- thou shalt not use 22" wheels with 30" tires
- thou shalt not trust the dealership to change thy oil
- though shalt not borrow nor covet thy neighbor's 10mm when you can't find yours
- thou shall do the Jeep wave

Sponsored

 

[Ratbert]

"The truck" is probably more accurate than "the car" since the original military version was called a "Quad 1/4 Ton 4x4 Truck." A few unwritten rules in Jeep culture that will get you called out by the masses are:
- thou shalt not call it a car
- thou shalt not put an angry grill on the front
- thou shalt not use 22" wheels with 30" tires
- thou shalt not trust the dealership to change thy oil
- though shalt not borrow nor covet thy neighbor's 10mm when you can't find yours
- thou shall do the Jeep wave

Consider adding:
- thou shalt not refer to wheels as rims

 

[jacero]

Had both. SOT all the way for me, but you do you. ?‍

 

[Wbino]

This is a great post!
I have a 392 Earl with SOT and it’s a love hate thing.
it’s so convenient, but it’s also louder. When I’m by myself, I don’t care, I love to push the button and roll, but with my wife and kids riding, I feel sound conscious. Meaning it’s noisy feeling, with it not open even. I have the HotHead headliner and it helps.
I’d like to order an Anvil 24 392, but no SOT option. So do I keep mine or order Anvil with the hardtop? Or pick another color and SOT?

With regards to the question for the OP, I think I’d like the SOT over the soft top.

Decisions!

Guy w/ 392 complains about noise.

 

[Jeepeto]

The JL soft top is so good, it gets my vote without hesitation.

 

[leakgator]

Guy w/ 392 complains about noise.

I keep the exhaust off most of the time, so the noise is good.

 

[Wbino]

I've had my SOT since May 2021 and have had a tan on my face ever since.

 

[yokramer]

I've had my SOT since May 2021 and have had a tan on my face ever since.

Sounds like the SOT puts you at risk of skin cancer!

 

[Wbino]

Sounds like the SOT puts you at risk of skin cancer!

 

[Scott T in MA]

I liked the SOT idea for the convenience of pushing a button to open the shade, and not having to swap between the hardtop and soft top come winter, but the soft top on the JL/JLU is SOOO easy to flip open halfway, and not much more work to drop the top all the way, I'm loving the soft top option right now, and feel the SOT owners are missing out on the "open air experience" just a little bit. I may leave the hardtop in my basement come November, but it won't take too much effort to swap out the tops.

 

[jeepardized]

One touch, hands down is superior. I have a 2019 and ordering a new one now. Once you go One Touch, you'll never consider anything else. And you CAN add a roof rack, just make sure it has clearance.

 

[jrocker]

Daughter has SOT on her Sahara. She loves it, and brags about the one touch and done.
From my perspective (and I have driven it), it's equivalent to a sunroof. One of those big ones.

I ordered my Rubi with a soft top. I would never want anything different.

I ride a motorcycle, and drive a class A gas motorhome; noise doesn't bother me, and the Jeep is probably the quietest of my vehicles.
The top is open, or off, during the summer; so if it's hot outside, it's hot in the Jeep. Outside temp, cold, or hot, hasn't been an issue for me.
If I had had a place to store it, I probably would have ordered dual top. But now, I'm glad I didn't. After living with the soft top, I just don't see the hard top worth the effort.

 

[MugOfPaul]

I love my Sky Top in the Pacific Northwest... you can run a MetalCloak roof rack like I do which allows for full use of the top. The removeable rear quarters are pretty fun too. Mine is a 2019 and I bought it used so it needed some seal maintenance but it's been trouble free through a full year of pretty heavy weather. I can also recommend the Hot Heads Headliner for it.

(You can also fully remove the top, but it's tedious and heavy... I don't know why anyone would do it.)

 

[JeepGuy]

SOT all day long. I had a hard top on my ‘15 Rubi Hard Rock, but got the SOT on my ‘23 392 XR. The ability to open or close the whole roof at the touch of a button while rolling down the road or on a trail is a game changer IMHO.

If you’ve ever been caught in a fast-moving rainstorm with a hard top off (or a soft top down), you know what a PITA that can be.

I will never, ever not have SOT in my future Jeeps.

 

[Squirrely Dan]

SOT is easily my favorite option on my 2023 Sahara. I use it daily.

Sponsored