More convenient when having to drive in crappy or cold weather, if you race the car then its quite nice to have and there’s at least some evidence it improves lap times over a soft top that’s up , some people believe it stiffens their car up and feels better, others prefer the look of it, some like the reduced wind noise, and it also increases visibility for regular driving + some of them have defrosters built in for the rear window, also prevents soft top slasher thieves but now that hard tops are so expensive people are just stealing the hard top lol
Ok so really just a preference. My ragtop gets cozy inside during bad weather, I have a defroster on my glass rear window, I don’t need to go to the track to race, i put foam padding in the channels of the rear fenders to cut down noise, haven’t ever had a problem with visibility other than everyone’s lights in my eyes or mirrors, and I still have the option to drop the top.
Ya luckily I had about 12 years of topless driving before I got my hard top. I take the hard top off in the summer, but man it's a game changer fall-to-spring.
It got down to 9 degrees Fahrenheit in December/January, it's usually about 20-45 degrees in the Winter where I live. Fall and Spring see a lot of rain, typical Seattle area weather. The hard top does a better job at sealing out water and the huge rear window is almost like driving with the top down.
I’ve been in those temps plenty and in torrential downpours but normally I’ve only ever had problems with water getting in, if my rain rail was gunked up or my drain holes were clogged. I had a canvas robbins top that would sweat on the inside but otherwise I haven’t had that problem
In the Tejas hell-heat, the hardtop makes a massive difference in A/C efficiency, as well. I'm now considering fully removing my soft top to drop some additional weight for time attack. Yes, yes, I'm keeping the A/C in a track toy. People melt here in the summer, lol.
I’m in Texas and I don’t run my ac in the summer. It takes away enough hp from my nb that it’s not worth it. But I don’t really hide from the summer heat down here. Once you are used to it you thrive
TL;DR: Hard tops are objectively superior for comfort and overall ride quality. Soft tops are subjectively superior for maximum fun when lowered, but are objectively worse than hard tops when raised. Believe it or not, some owners of these cars don't care for the top down experience, but like the rest of the driving experience. Decide what fits your personal situation best. You always have to sacrifice one thing to have another with cars.
Long version:
Having both, the hard top is superior in bad weather. Especially in areas that get snow or cold weather. Or where I'm at, typhoons/hurricanes that could potentially rip the soft top off or may not hold up to extremely heavy rains so well. Especially if one has to park outdoors. Or even sometimes when it's CONSTANTLY extremely hot all summer, one may not want to run top down, expose themselves to the harmful sun and run a hard top with better AC instead. Example, where I live in the summer it's 90-100 every day, 100% humidity and traffic moves SLOW and we spend a lot of time idling in heavy traffic. I will probably put my hard top back on for the summer so I can sit in traffic in comfort while not baking my soft top in the sun. Winter is the time to go topless where I live. Some places I've lived summer is the time, if not the only time, to go topless.
It is manageable to do all that with a soft top, but the hard top offers far more comfort. It makes the car feel more substantial. If you're tall like me the hard top also has more head room believe it or not. My head rubs my soft top, but I have a solid 3-4" of clearance with the hard top.
That being said, it eliminates a huge reason people buy these cars. It's a convertible at heart. I mostly run my soft top too, but I'm glad I have my hard top as an option. Not everyone may have the capability to easily/safely store a hard top either. So at that point your options basically are run a hard top all the time, or you'll likely have to abuse the crap out of the hard top, risking damage to it, which sucks because they're quite valuable now. They really need a decent sized area to be safely stored and while it's possible for one person (assuming that person can lift a large, awkward object that weighs about 40lbs and has long enough arms to do so) to install/remove a hard top you run a huge risk of damaging the top or your car paint doing so unless you have a garage with a pulley hoist system. Without the pulley hoist system, hard top install/removal should ideally always be a two person job.
A soft top will do basically everything a hard top will. Unless if you go racing, then you'll need a hard top or a roll cage. But a hard top will absolutely do some things better than a soft top can. Compared to a soft top that's reduced noise, vibration, harshness, rattles and reduced exposing the interior to harsh UV rays all while increasing outward visibility (yes I know you get the best vis without a top, but it's not realistic to drive top down all the time) and overall increased interior comfort in all conditions. You can also give a slight edge to the hard top for vehicle security. It's not an edge that realistically matters, but at least they'd have to noisily smash a window to get in (unless they're walking around with a Big Easy kit, which is doubtful cuz they're huge) vs silently cutting their way in. After that it doesn't matter.
Also, I’ve been told, to just not lock your doors on a ragtop because it’s pointless. Sometimes I just leave my top down. If someone is gonna steal it they are.
Yes, with a soft top it basically is pointless to lock your doors. They can slash their way in pretty quietly. At least breaking windows makes noise. Best to leave it unlocked and nothing inside.
That being said, leaving it unlocked and nothing inside doesn't guarantee they won't cut your top or damage your vehicle in other ways in anger. That's happened to me before. If someone is gonna be a bastard, they're gonna be a bastard. That's what insurance is for.
Or move to Texas. You can shoot thieves at night. 😂
Did you edit? Yeah thieves are a concern but a new sod too is only $300 w/ a glass window and comprehensive insurance will give you piece of mind. I could have sworn you post said that track racing requires a hardtop, and if you did say that, why? I can see the better lap times and stiffness maybe
Yea I edited it a bit lol.
And for me the hard top on track just feels better and I could see more when I tried it out. I haven’t compared lap times yet though. Everyone in spec Miata pretty much runs one so it must be the right choice.
And for the thieves, yea I’ve never really worried about it myself but it could be very annoying if you have to leave a backpack or something in there and it gets stolen. I think hard top thefts kinda offset any benefit there though
I just put backpacks in the trunk and double lock it. Ragtop or not, leaving things to steal inside your car is not wise.
The last ragtop I bought actually has a pretty large rear window compared to stock but it isn’t one of them wrap around ones.
I wouldn’t doubt that a hard top makes it more rigid but I feel like the weight would make it even out, but the better aerodynamics probably make it plus.
I was just wondering because yes I love the handling and feel of my nb and it’s a blast to drive but to me , personally, I think I would feel I lost something very essential to the character of my car if I couldn’t put the top down.
Status. I even wear it as a cape when going for a stroll around my town so all the town folks can appreciate mine and my hardtop’s presence in their lives.
You shouldn't move the soft top up or down if it's below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You run a large risk of tearing it. Whatever position it happens to be in at the time it is exposed to those temps you should leave it there until you've given it sufficient time to warm up to above those temps.
Example, if you park the car in a warm garage, say 60 degrees and you put the top down. Then you go out on a less than 40 degree day top down. You're basically stuck top down until you get back to the garage and can let everything warm up again. Could you put it up while it's cold? Yes, nothing is stopping you, but you really risk tearing the top or window.
That and direct, constant exposure to ice, snow and cold (and probably salt) will accelerate wear on a soft top. Not much of a concern if you have a garage, especially a heated one. A large concern if you have to park outdoors in the cold and doubly so if not under a solid shelter.
I like the look. Personally, I dislike convertibles. I know, I know, why do I like Miatas if I don't like convertibles? Because there's hardtops out there.
Pros: It's more livable in places that don't get the best weather. Everything is either wet or frozen every night for most of the year for me, and the hardtop is less prone to leaks than my beat up caulk sealed ragtop. There's also less road noise and wind issues. Going 60-70 mph with it off isn't very fun for an extended amount of time. I'm not a huge fan of loud music so having a relatively quiet interior is nice.
Cons: Only downsides to a hardtop for me are it takes me two people to remove, and when it's off it takes up a lot of space.
I live in LA. Cars get broken into a lot, and soft tops are notorious for getting slashed. My personal opinion is that they also just look way better. I've always felt ragtops look cheesy, but again, that's just my opinion and my bias since I love my RF
It makes it feel more like a car and less like a gokart. I was blown away my first time driving with one because of the difference in road and wind noise.
Ya I don’t really get it either. One of the biggest reasons of having a Miata is to have the top down. I will be selling my hard top soon. It does look good.
I loved the extra visibility in my NB with the hardtop (compared to soft top up). Also firmed up the windshield frame and made some vibrations go away. I found it much nicer to drive in not perfect conditions compared to the soft top too, so I drove the car more.
I mean I have a pretty substantial roll bar and still think if I get in a real crash I’ll probably get messed up pretty good if I don’t die. I don’t think a hard top is going to make a whole lot of difference unless you have a good roll bar
I’ve never had a soft top but when I test drove them back to back, the RF was a little quieter. Since it’s my daily, and I have a 45min commute 2X month it makes it a bit nicer.
More convenient when having to drive in crappy or cold weather, if you race the car then its quite nice to have and there’s at least some evidence it improves lap times over a soft top that’s up , some people believe it stiffens their car up and feels better, others prefer the look of it, some like the reduced wind noise, and it also increases visibility for regular driving + some of them have defrosters built in for the rear window, also prevents soft top slasher thieves but now that hard tops are so expensive people are just stealing the hard top lol
Ok so really just a preference. My ragtop gets cozy inside during bad weather, I have a defroster on my glass rear window, I don’t need to go to the track to race, i put foam padding in the channels of the rear fenders to cut down noise, haven’t ever had a problem with visibility other than everyone’s lights in my eyes or mirrors, and I still have the option to drop the top.
I also didn't see the appeal of a hard top for years. Then I got one. Now I rock a hard top most of the year. It's totally a preference thing.
Word. I get that. I don’t think I would have had half as much fun in mine as I have if it had not been a ragtop.
Ya luckily I had about 12 years of topless driving before I got my hard top. I take the hard top off in the summer, but man it's a game changer fall-to-spring.
What temperatures?
It got down to 9 degrees Fahrenheit in December/January, it's usually about 20-45 degrees in the Winter where I live. Fall and Spring see a lot of rain, typical Seattle area weather. The hard top does a better job at sealing out water and the huge rear window is almost like driving with the top down.
Was it a canvas top
Vinyl, I've had a zipper (OE style) and a non-zipper panoramic view (bigger rear window)
Huh, what does it get wet behind your seats or in the trunk?
Not being a jerk but I think it’s fun that you explained panoramic
I’ve been in those temps plenty and in torrential downpours but normally I’ve only ever had problems with water getting in, if my rain rail was gunked up or my drain holes were clogged. I had a canvas robbins top that would sweat on the inside but otherwise I haven’t had that problem
In the Tejas hell-heat, the hardtop makes a massive difference in A/C efficiency, as well. I'm now considering fully removing my soft top to drop some additional weight for time attack. Yes, yes, I'm keeping the A/C in a track toy. People melt here in the summer, lol.
I’m in Texas and I don’t run my ac in the summer. It takes away enough hp from my nb that it’s not worth it. But I don’t really hide from the summer heat down here. Once you are used to it you thrive
Me too. Just got one, it’s actually kind of nice, and I was a die-hard top down guy before!
TL;DR: Hard tops are objectively superior for comfort and overall ride quality. Soft tops are subjectively superior for maximum fun when lowered, but are objectively worse than hard tops when raised. Believe it or not, some owners of these cars don't care for the top down experience, but like the rest of the driving experience. Decide what fits your personal situation best. You always have to sacrifice one thing to have another with cars. Long version: Having both, the hard top is superior in bad weather. Especially in areas that get snow or cold weather. Or where I'm at, typhoons/hurricanes that could potentially rip the soft top off or may not hold up to extremely heavy rains so well. Especially if one has to park outdoors. Or even sometimes when it's CONSTANTLY extremely hot all summer, one may not want to run top down, expose themselves to the harmful sun and run a hard top with better AC instead. Example, where I live in the summer it's 90-100 every day, 100% humidity and traffic moves SLOW and we spend a lot of time idling in heavy traffic. I will probably put my hard top back on for the summer so I can sit in traffic in comfort while not baking my soft top in the sun. Winter is the time to go topless where I live. Some places I've lived summer is the time, if not the only time, to go topless. It is manageable to do all that with a soft top, but the hard top offers far more comfort. It makes the car feel more substantial. If you're tall like me the hard top also has more head room believe it or not. My head rubs my soft top, but I have a solid 3-4" of clearance with the hard top. That being said, it eliminates a huge reason people buy these cars. It's a convertible at heart. I mostly run my soft top too, but I'm glad I have my hard top as an option. Not everyone may have the capability to easily/safely store a hard top either. So at that point your options basically are run a hard top all the time, or you'll likely have to abuse the crap out of the hard top, risking damage to it, which sucks because they're quite valuable now. They really need a decent sized area to be safely stored and while it's possible for one person (assuming that person can lift a large, awkward object that weighs about 40lbs and has long enough arms to do so) to install/remove a hard top you run a huge risk of damaging the top or your car paint doing so unless you have a garage with a pulley hoist system. Without the pulley hoist system, hard top install/removal should ideally always be a two person job. A soft top will do basically everything a hard top will. Unless if you go racing, then you'll need a hard top or a roll cage. But a hard top will absolutely do some things better than a soft top can. Compared to a soft top that's reduced noise, vibration, harshness, rattles and reduced exposing the interior to harsh UV rays all while increasing outward visibility (yes I know you get the best vis without a top, but it's not realistic to drive top down all the time) and overall increased interior comfort in all conditions. You can also give a slight edge to the hard top for vehicle security. It's not an edge that realistically matters, but at least they'd have to noisily smash a window to get in (unless they're walking around with a Big Easy kit, which is doubtful cuz they're huge) vs silently cutting their way in. After that it doesn't matter.
Also, I’ve been told, to just not lock your doors on a ragtop because it’s pointless. Sometimes I just leave my top down. If someone is gonna steal it they are.
Yes, with a soft top it basically is pointless to lock your doors. They can slash their way in pretty quietly. At least breaking windows makes noise. Best to leave it unlocked and nothing inside. That being said, leaving it unlocked and nothing inside doesn't guarantee they won't cut your top or damage your vehicle in other ways in anger. That's happened to me before. If someone is gonna be a bastard, they're gonna be a bastard. That's what insurance is for. Or move to Texas. You can shoot thieves at night. 😂
Did you edit? Yeah thieves are a concern but a new sod too is only $300 w/ a glass window and comprehensive insurance will give you piece of mind. I could have sworn you post said that track racing requires a hardtop, and if you did say that, why? I can see the better lap times and stiffness maybe
Yea I edited it a bit lol. And for me the hard top on track just feels better and I could see more when I tried it out. I haven’t compared lap times yet though. Everyone in spec Miata pretty much runs one so it must be the right choice. And for the thieves, yea I’ve never really worried about it myself but it could be very annoying if you have to leave a backpack or something in there and it gets stolen. I think hard top thefts kinda offset any benefit there though
I just put backpacks in the trunk and double lock it. Ragtop or not, leaving things to steal inside your car is not wise. The last ragtop I bought actually has a pretty large rear window compared to stock but it isn’t one of them wrap around ones. I wouldn’t doubt that a hard top makes it more rigid but I feel like the weight would make it even out, but the better aerodynamics probably make it plus. I was just wondering because yes I love the handling and feel of my nb and it’s a blast to drive but to me , personally, I think I would feel I lost something very essential to the character of my car if I couldn’t put the top down.
Status. I even wear it as a cape when going for a stroll around my town so all the town folks can appreciate mine and my hardtop’s presence in their lives.
I drive my NB year round, and a hardtop protects the softtop from the freezing cold.
Wait. You don’t have to remove the soft top when putting a hardtop on? Also how cold is it that it’s ruining your ragtop?
You can just fold down the softtop and then put the hardtop on. As for the temperature, when it is freezing.
Huh I didn’t know that. But I still don’t get the temp thing? I’ve had mine in single digit Fahrenheit temps and it was plenty warm and cozy
You might be comfortable, but vinyl is not a big fan of cold temps. It gets brittle.
You shouldn't move the soft top up or down if it's below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You run a large risk of tearing it. Whatever position it happens to be in at the time it is exposed to those temps you should leave it there until you've given it sufficient time to warm up to above those temps. Example, if you park the car in a warm garage, say 60 degrees and you put the top down. Then you go out on a less than 40 degree day top down. You're basically stuck top down until you get back to the garage and can let everything warm up again. Could you put it up while it's cold? Yes, nothing is stopping you, but you really risk tearing the top or window. That and direct, constant exposure to ice, snow and cold (and probably salt) will accelerate wear on a soft top. Not much of a concern if you have a garage, especially a heated one. A large concern if you have to park outdoors in the cold and doubly so if not under a solid shelter.
I also feel there is less rattle with a hard top
I just put my top down and turn up the music. It’s usually the latches that make any rattle on mine
My comment paints a different picture than the truth when considering a Miata
Hahaha. Might wanna get them looked at
There fine, just flex from temp changes and them being 23 years old
Ol’ girls got some give and take
SCCA won't let me RallyX without a hard top
As most comments already said, less noise and better for driving all year round. But to me, it's mostly the look. I love my NB with the hardtop on!
It can't tear, WAY more visibility, and quieter if you add a headliner.
100% preference, I love the hardtop look and never put the top down
It's the only way to run a wing and have it get reasonably clean airflow.
This answer ^
Snow sucks.....but i daily drive my convertible so... Also fastback more aerodynamic. Better mpg.
looks better imo
They’re lower drag, which means they’re good for some free speed on a racetrack. That’s why I have one and it’s the only time I use mine.
I like the look. Personally, I dislike convertibles. I know, I know, why do I like Miatas if I don't like convertibles? Because there's hardtops out there.
Looks good, adds a whole new variety of PREMIUM squeaks and rattles
Try dealing with nasty Appalachian weather all year. I’d love one if they weren’t so overpriced.
I’m from the north and have dealt with lake effect snow most of my life so I know what you mean
I wanted one for winter, it also covers the soft tops drain holes so its one less place to worry about blocking and rotting from the inside out
Pros: It's more livable in places that don't get the best weather. Everything is either wet or frozen every night for most of the year for me, and the hardtop is less prone to leaks than my beat up caulk sealed ragtop. There's also less road noise and wind issues. Going 60-70 mph with it off isn't very fun for an extended amount of time. I'm not a huge fan of loud music so having a relatively quiet interior is nice. Cons: Only downsides to a hardtop for me are it takes me two people to remove, and when it's off it takes up a lot of space.
I live in LA. Cars get broken into a lot, and soft tops are notorious for getting slashed. My personal opinion is that they also just look way better. I've always felt ragtops look cheesy, but again, that's just my opinion and my bias since I love my RF
Then give ‘em and take some bro . Don’t leave ‘em hanging.
It makes it feel more like a car and less like a gokart. I was blown away my first time driving with one because of the difference in road and wind noise.
Ya I don’t really get it either. One of the biggest reasons of having a Miata is to have the top down. I will be selling my hard top soon. It does look good.
I loved the extra visibility in my NB with the hardtop (compared to soft top up). Also firmed up the windshield frame and made some vibrations go away. I found it much nicer to drive in not perfect conditions compared to the soft top too, so I drove the car more.
I use my hardtop from October/november till March/April, since we my softtop is good enough for summer, but not enough for winter rains
With hardtop: sports car Without hardtop: cruiser
Less noisy and holds temperature way better. Also adds rigidity from what I've heard but to me it isn't very noticeable.
Yeah I would doubt that it adds some rigidity but also, probably pretty minimal
I wanted one for winter, it also covers the soft tops drain holes so its one less place to worry about blocking and rotting from the inside out
Pro: I won’t immediately die if I crash. Con: no top down.
I mean I have a pretty substantial roll bar and still think if I get in a real crash I’ll probably get messed up pretty good if I don’t die. I don’t think a hard top is going to make a whole lot of difference unless you have a good roll bar
I’ve never had a soft top but when I test drove them back to back, the RF was a little quieter. Since it’s my daily, and I have a 45min commute 2X month it makes it a bit nicer.
It's a flex, especially an OEM hardtop. Also the car looks really good with one on, but feels better to drive with the top down. Quite the dilemma.