I have a 2019 with a hard top that goes all the way down. No wings on the sides. The best of both worlds, but I want to upgrade and am having a tough time deciding.
As a previous owner I love the soft top… but in my short 5 year ownership I had multiple problems with the soft top… someone cut it open once… got it replaced… the place that replaced it used a cheap one and a few moths later water started leaking into it… it was so bad had to be replaced all over again I went to a custom place and had a more expensive fabric one put on… less then 3moths later there was a cut in it ( never found out from what… so just be advised hard top might be just fine ( it’s small electrical motors probably won’t cost u what a new roof dose 900-1450😅
I own the hard top. It is nice in the winter and driving at high speeds. The only drawback is that to close it, you have to be under 6 miles an hour. This means you have to pull over if it starts to rain. The car is awesome! 38mpg is wonderful!
I have a 22 RF and I love it. The only issue I have is the design that causes water droplets to remain in the area behind the rear window/rear third light area after a rain or with morning dew. It's the design of the hard top that keeps those water droplets or moisture in that area even when you are driving. The wind does not circulate to blow those droplets away. That being said when you put the top-down and the rear window goes into the body then that body design causes the water droplets that may be right behind the rear window to be pelted into the interior when you're driving. I would assume that with the soft top the water droplets or whatever tends to blow away and dries that area quicker in the wind. I guess you may have to have an RF to really understand what I'm talking about after my convoluted story LOL.
This is very true I have a 19 RF and know exactly what you mean. Had to deal with water and ice being a frustration many times unfortunately. Ice chunks being thrown back at me through the rear window while driving was wicked 😂
The ability to quickly put the roof up and down made the soft top a no-brainer for me. Just the other day it started to drizzle while I was driving and I got it secured at a stop sign in ~2 seconds. I agree that the RF looks great, but nothing beats the soft top convenience for me, plus the visibility in the soft top when down is better too.
I test the hardtop and it’s really too noisy when it’s open while driving over 80 km/h. Too many turbulence inside and I finally bought the softtop that I still enjoy after 5 years.
It’s the biggest catch 22 because they are both equal in their benefits. I love my RF because it’s great when the roof is up for touring, and it is more valuable. plus it looks badass when it converts, but it’s slow, weighs a lot, is expensive to fix I’m sure, is also more obstructive and makes the trunk less spacious. But on the same note hard material will hold up better than a soft top, so you may end up needing to fix the soft top long before you fix the RF. So tough haha. But the price and weight is really the biggest factor here.
I feel like it's super important to mention that you can't put a roll bar on the RF. That means no three-point harness. That means no track days. They do make a roll bar for the RF but it means the top can't come down anymore because it breaks the motor...... I just feel like if track days are important to you then you really need to know that. 👍
No question hard top is the better looking of the two. Unless the top’s down. However, living here in Mexico you run the risk of having your car vandalized with a soft top. That’s the main reason I wouldn’t consider it. Hard top all the way for me!
It comes down to preference and the logic your looking for. If you live in a nice neighborhood, the weather is pleasant throughout the year, you want less wind noise with the top down and you don’t mind the noise with the top up get the soft top. Of you want an all round car that you don’t have to worry about the weather as much, you don’t want people to rip your roof off, you either want the automatic or the manual, you want less noise and less maintenance for dealing with soft top drainage. This is when the you get the RF.
I drive a 2016 soft top Grand Touring. When I test drove the RF I did not like the blindspots and I felt like I was driving a T-Top from the 80's. I love the soft top and the complete feel of open air driving. I do however love the way the RF looks with the top up.
Bought the RF... Had an issue yesterday when i was on the highway and it started raining. Had to pull over just to put the roof on! Lovely unpredictable British weather
Got the soft top. Lighter, easier to operate, significantly cheaper and I prefer the way it looks with the roof down but having said that there’s nothing wrong with the RF
After a few years your looking at $700-800 replacement plus labor. That and they "have" to be maintained. They get ratty looking quickly all soft tops are consumable items.
@@richr161 2006 MX-5 with 75,000mi and still has original vinyl soft top. Parked outside, daily driven year-round. Not ratty, no leaks. Starting to wonder if these people who say "don't get the soft top" have ever owned an MX-5 with a soft top...
@@xGSFxGoat Doesn't say much. Are you taking care of the soft top or letting it rock. Where do you live. Winter, salt, and humidity destroy soft tops if they're not cared for. Park it in shade or let the sun cook the car. UV rays will cook anything.
Soft top is better if you plan on driving mostly with the top down. No obstructed visibility, pure convertible feeling (not a targa). But if I lived in an area where it’s freezing or rainy many months out of the year … I’d go hard top.
In Scotland I'd have the roof down more with the soft top. So easy to quickly flip down at lights, but also be able to get it up quick when the heavens open on a previously sunny day. Hard top looks amazing though. Would not kick it out of bed for farting
I like to keep cars a very long time and worry the soft top will require replacement at some point. I know the hard top will require maintenance, though... I would be happy with either.
The hard top is also $3200 to $3500 more besides having blind spot issues & wind noise with the top down. 120 pounds heavier so its a weight penalty too. Since 2016 my Club ST has been absolutely great !
Should you get the hard top or the soft top? Yes. Both. I have a 2005 NB soft top and a matching hard top. When I can afford another Miata, I want the RF.
*I don't care how well, made the soft top is (and MAZDA is detailed oriented) after time the seal sottens and wind and whistle ( and worse!) come through. I have owned 5 convertibles of varying makes and years, the Folding hard top is the way to go.*
I have owned two hard (Opel Tigra Twintop, Opel Astra Twintop) and three soft top (Golf VI, Opel Cascada & Mercedes C220D) convertibles. The hard tops always had issues with noise when closed - metal colliding with metal). All soft tops were great, and I saw no reason to not decide for a soft top Miata (or MX-5, as it's called in Germany) recently.
Of course the RF! The openning and closing of the roof process is awesome. It's this process that I wrote a check for a soul red crystal metallic GT on the 7th of May.
Just bought an RF. It has Shelby Daytona vibes with its style, increased safety when parked and when driving, better for highway treks as I travel in mine for work frequently, usually top up. Downsides: slow operation, blind spots.
I don't understand how people think the soft top is just some black cotton towel that can't hold any heat in or keep any moisture out. It takes like 3 minutes at -30C for both the engine and interior to warm up in a soft top.
I test drove both. I love the look of the RF (hard top). But when the hard top is down, you don't feel as free as with the soft top. The pillars of the RF are much too big and they restrain the 360 vision. Actually RF feels like a T top. In the end, I ordered a 2024 with soft top and it has nothing to do with the price or the extra weight. I really don't understand why Mazda could not have the NC hard top on the ND. The NC hard top is so much better that I have hesitated a long time between buying a used NC with hard top or a brand new ND with soft top.
Assuming I could get the RF on insurance classified as a targa top, I pick the RF for the cheaper insurance. The full convertible would likely cost more. I’m basing this off of the Del Sol I used to have years ago, it was very cheap to insure, compared to convertible options.
Soft top BECAUSE I doubt the heavier retractable hard top adds much if any rigidity, but it adds weight at the worst spot, the roof… (shifts CG higher)
That's not completely true, the actual roof panel that sits on top does add about 15kg, but the bulk of the weight of the RF comes in the entire folding mechanism and the big clamshell that opens and closes, that weight is about 20kg, it also isn't at the top of the car, and actually because of where the weight of the roof components are, the RF has true 50/50 weight distribution, the soft top is actually 52/48
Soft top all the way for me. Less weight and lower center of gravity, no motors to break and less folding bits to bend and misalign, it takes up none of the precious trunk space, it’s cheaper to buy(initially at least), it can be closed quick enough for a stop sign never mind a traffic light, and it’ll work if the battery is dead or heaven forbid there’s an electrical gremlin. Not to mention it’s arguably the easiest manual soft top on the market and is said to do a fine job sealing out the elements. Now if they’d only finish one in British racing green with a dark brown top and interior that’d be my combo, although Mazda does have one of the best red metallic paint options I’ve seen on any new car lately.
Probably depends on your usage of the car.. My RF is my daily driver so hard top is a bit quieter plus I like the look a bit more. (compared my previous soft top ND)
Guys before you start fighting HARD TOP you really gonna be glad when you just take it to a professional when it breaks instead of taking care of this GOD DAMN soft top every month
I don't think people have owned a soft top car before. You have to maintain soft tops pretty frequently or they get ratty in about 2 years. Eventually they all have to be replaced and cost $700-800 plus labor. Some other issues like they like to leak.
@@richr161what maintenance are you referring to? I have a 96 Miata and haven’t replaced the soft top since 2008 and it only cost me $300. I park it outside and don’t do anything to “maintain” the soft top. It still looks fantastic too.
@@arglc Literally looks brand new after I wash the car, little dirty right now. The plastic rear window is a little yellow now but the new ones have glass and I believe it was even an option back in the day.
Own a soft top ... easy to maintain ... I dont daily my Miata ... hard top is more expensive, heavier and doesnt offer that true open air driving experience when down ... all negatives with the soft top can be negated by the fact most Miatas like my own arent daily driven.
It’s such a shame the hard top is only really just a targa top, the soft top feels so much open and fun! Though I’ll say if you do a lot of highway, hardtop is probably more comfortable
I daily drive a soft top year-round in the rain and snow and -35C cold. There's no reason to add the weight of a power-operated hard top to what is supposed to be a lightweight car.
I have an RF, but I'd have been happy with either and didn't have much of a preference either way. I was looking at low km used MX5 NDs, and my RF came up at the right price and with only 15000km (9000 miles) on the clock. It still smelled like a new car inside. So I bought that one, but it could just as easily have been a soft top.
Soft top all the way. Yes, it doesn’t look as attractive when it’s closed. However the car is a convertible. That’s its job. It’s designed to be open-aired. The RF with the top open doesn’t seem to be open enough to justify all the mechanical stuff going on in order to open up. And besides the soft top is quieter at higher speeds I’ve heard.
How is the wind buffeting in the RF with the top open? When they first came out I recall hearing some complaints about it. I have owned two early generation Miatas. Yeah, the roof material eventually did need to get replaced, but that was after 20 years. I just love the look of the RF but if this was a third car that is garages and used on nice days, I say save money and get the soft top. If I parked outside and/or drive it to work every day, the RF could offer some security advantage (though bad guys can just break a window, too).
I have an RF and I have no issues with wind noise on the freeway. I've had a few convertibles (NB, NC, Boxster, Saab 9-3) and I don't feel like the RF is significantly noisier than them.
I just bought a Soul Red two litre RF. it’s fantastic. I’m 69 years young and it’s my first sports car!
@PalmTree8772 please explain what “it” is.
@@adriancoppin977jeez lmao
Aren’t they all 2 liter?
@@adriancoppin977obviously he means the car 🙄
I hope you have many more years of smiles in your Miata
So tough. When the top is down, soft top for sure. When it’s up, hard top for sure.
I have a 2019 with a hard top that goes all the way down. No wings on the sides. The best of both worlds, but I want to upgrade and am having a tough time deciding.
@@levonparian6863 Yeah, that doesn't exist. Who you fooling?
@@Kraize92the vw eos, bmw 3 series, bmw 4 series all have this
100% nailed it! I went with the RF and I don’t regret my decision at all though.
@@josh_1518yeah but none of those cars are a Miata
Soft top easier on the money when mechanical failures inevitably happens. Freedom at its best.
As a previous owner I love the soft top… but in my short 5 year ownership I had multiple problems with the soft top… someone cut it open once… got it replaced… the place that replaced it used a cheap one and a few moths later water started leaking into it… it was so bad had to be replaced all over again I went to a custom place and had a more expensive fabric one put on… less then 3moths later there was a cut in it ( never found out from what… so just be advised hard top might be just fine ( it’s small electrical motors probably won’t cost u what a new roof dose 900-1450😅
@@krissz22 this is why I’m holding out for a hardtop, no garage = it will get destroyed.
Soft top will cost more over 20 years in terms of roof maintenance. Get the one you like. If ya commute a lot, hard top probably be best.
@@krissz22 People are so shitty
I own the hard top. It is nice in the winter and driving at high speeds. The only drawback is that to close it, you have to be under 6 miles an hour. This means you have to pull over if it starts to rain. The car is awesome! 38mpg is wonderful!
Soft top. Lighter and a true open top.
hard top. It saved me from losing my head.
For reals? Did you roll it? Was the top up or down? Thanks
I have a 22 RF and I love it. The only issue I have is the design that causes water droplets to remain in the area behind the rear window/rear third light area after a rain or with morning dew. It's the design of the hard top that keeps those water droplets or moisture in that area even when you are driving. The wind does not circulate to blow those droplets away. That being said when you put the top-down and the rear window goes into the body then that body design causes the water droplets that may be right behind the rear window to be pelted into the interior when you're driving. I would assume that with the soft top the water droplets or whatever tends to blow away and dries that area quicker in the wind. I guess you may have to have an RF to really understand what I'm talking about after my convoluted story LOL.
This is very true I have a 19 RF and know exactly what you mean. Had to deal with water and ice being a frustration many times unfortunately. Ice chunks being thrown back at me through the rear window while driving was wicked 😂
The ability to quickly put the roof up and down made the soft top a no-brainer for me. Just the other day it started to drizzle while I was driving and I got it secured at a stop sign in ~2 seconds. I agree that the RF looks great, but nothing beats the soft top convenience for me, plus the visibility in the soft top when down is better too.
I prefer the softop for simplicity & beauty. I believe the softop suits the Miata's styling better, especially with the 2-tone color.
Same. I got the soft top for the looks. I didnt even buy the MX-5 because I wanted a convertible, but I get it now.
You're gonna have a bad day with the soft top if ur neighbourhood is full of cats.
I have had a soft top Miata and now I have an RF. There's pros and cons to both. Either way, it's a Miata.
Love my soft top Miata, saves weight, and saves money, it’s the authentic Miata experience
I test the hardtop and it’s really too noisy when it’s open while driving over 80 km/h. Too many turbulence inside and I finally bought the softtop that I still enjoy after 5 years.
Yeah this is the real reason that should be focused on ThrottleHouse RUclips identified this and thought it was super helpful advice too :)
It’s the biggest catch 22 because they are both equal in their benefits. I love my RF because it’s great when the roof is up for touring, and it is more valuable. plus it looks badass when it converts, but it’s slow, weighs a lot, is expensive to fix I’m sure, is also more obstructive and makes the trunk less spacious. But on the same note hard material will hold up better than a soft top, so you may end up needing to fix the soft top long before you fix the RF. So tough haha. But the price and weight is really the biggest factor here.
team hard top
I feel like it's super important to mention that you can't put a roll bar on the RF. That means no three-point harness. That means no track days. They do make a roll bar for the RF but it means the top can't come down anymore because it breaks the motor...... I just feel like if track days are important to you then you really need to know that. 👍
No question hard top is the better looking of the two. Unless the top’s down.
However, living here in Mexico you run the risk of having your car vandalized with a soft top. That’s the main reason I wouldn’t consider it.
Hard top all the way for me!
It comes down to preference and the logic your looking for. If you live in a nice neighborhood, the weather is pleasant throughout the year, you want less wind noise with the top down and you don’t mind the noise with the top up get the soft top. Of you want an all round car that you don’t have to worry about the weather as much, you don’t want people to rip your roof off, you either want the automatic or the manual, you want less noise and less maintenance for dealing with soft top drainage. This is when the you get the RF.
I love the hard top. Closest thing to a T top I can find
I drive a 2016 soft top Grand Touring. When I test drove the RF I did not like the blindspots and I felt like I was driving a T-Top from the 80's. I love the soft top and the complete feel of open air driving. I do however love the way the RF looks with the top up.
Soft to drive, hard to daily
Though either would be good in each situation
Bought the RF... Had an issue yesterday when i was on the highway and it started raining. Had to pull over just to put the roof on! Lovely unpredictable British weather
Got the soft top. Lighter, easier to operate, significantly cheaper and I prefer the way it looks with the roof down but having said that there’s nothing wrong with the RF
After a few years your looking at $700-800 replacement plus labor.
That and they "have" to be maintained. They get ratty looking quickly
all soft tops are consumable items.
Super cheap. Thanks for the info. I’ll go soft top now 👍
@@richr161Depends on quality really, and Miata tops are known to last long.
@@richr161 2006 MX-5 with 75,000mi and still has original vinyl soft top. Parked outside, daily driven year-round. Not ratty, no leaks. Starting to wonder if these people who say "don't get the soft top" have ever owned an MX-5 with a soft top...
@@xGSFxGoat Doesn't say much. Are you taking care of the soft top or letting it rock.
Where do you live. Winter, salt, and humidity destroy soft tops if they're not cared for.
Park it in shade or let the sun cook the car. UV rays will cook anything.
Soft top is better if you plan on driving mostly with the top down. No obstructed visibility, pure convertible feeling (not a targa). But if I lived in an area where it’s freezing or rainy many months out of the year … I’d go hard top.
In Scotland I'd have the roof down more with the soft top. So easy to quickly flip down at lights, but also be able to get it up quick when the heavens open on a previously sunny day.
Hard top looks amazing though. Would not kick it out of bed for farting
I like to keep cars a very long time and worry the soft top will require replacement at some point. I know the hard top will require maintenance, though... I would be happy with either.
I like how the RF looks with the top up. I don’t like how it looks with the top down. I got the soft top.
How have u been finding soft top care? Like what do u treat it with?
Omg I agree I have the RF 😂
during colder months hard top.
best option was the older one, with the seasonal hard top, that had to be removed with tools and stowed for the summer.
I had the first generation Miata(‘92) which had an optional removable hardtop. I never even considered getting it. Soft top all the way!
The hard top is also $3200 to $3500 more besides having blind spot issues & wind noise with the top
down. 120 pounds heavier so its a weight penalty too.
Since 2016 my Club ST has been absolutely great !
I think you meant the hard top is more ??
@@davidhoppe1757 Your right TY !
Soft top
Should you get the hard top or the soft top?
Yes. Both. I have a 2005 NB soft top and a matching hard top. When I can afford another Miata, I want the RF.
*I don't care how well, made the soft top is (and MAZDA is detailed oriented) after time the seal sottens and wind and whistle ( and worse!) come through. I have owned 5 convertibles of varying makes and years, the Folding hard top is the way to go.*
I have owned two hard (Opel Tigra Twintop, Opel Astra Twintop) and three soft top (Golf VI, Opel Cascada & Mercedes C220D) convertibles. The hard tops always had issues with noise when closed - metal colliding with metal). All soft tops were great, and I saw no reason to not decide for a soft top Miata (or MX-5, as it's called in Germany) recently.
Of course the RF! The openning and closing of the roof process is awesome. It's this process that I wrote a check for a soul red crystal metallic GT on the 7th of May.
RF look is 🙌
Just bought an RF. It has Shelby Daytona vibes with its style, increased safety when parked and when driving, better for highway treks as I travel in mine for work frequently, usually top up.
Downsides: slow operation, blind spots.
Definitely the soft top!! Looks far better
Soft top.
Reason? NO BLIND SPOT over your shoulders. 😊
Soft top all the way.
Hard top. It’s cold 7 months of the year where I live…
I don't understand how people think the soft top is just some black cotton towel that can't hold any heat in or keep any moisture out. It takes like 3 minutes at -30C for both the engine and interior to warm up in a soft top.
Soft top 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Soft top for sure!
I test drove both.
I love the look of the RF (hard top).
But when the hard top is down, you don't feel as free as with the soft top.
The pillars of the RF are much too big and they restrain the 360 vision. Actually RF feels like a T top.
In the end, I ordered a 2024 with soft top and it has nothing to do with the price or the extra weight.
I really don't understand why Mazda could not have the NC hard top on the ND. The NC hard top is so much better that I have hesitated a long time between buying a used NC with hard top or a brand new ND with soft top.
Replaced the soft top on my NC. Never again. Im getting an RF for my next Miata.
Pls explain why you’ll never own a softtop again ?
@liljfunk21 because you will inevitably need to replace it and that shit is a huge hassle. Much rather have the RF, plus they look better.
Soft top is the best way to go!
If you don't own a garage and a second car, go with RF. Otherwise soft top is the better choice, as it doesn't come with any compromises.
Hard top for me 100%
Hard top but manual transmission 😊
Assuming I could get the RF on insurance classified as a targa top, I pick the RF for the cheaper insurance. The full convertible would likely cost more. I’m basing this off of the Del Sol I used to have years ago, it was very cheap to insure, compared to convertible options.
For racing the soft top… if you plan to keep the top down lifestyle because once you buy a roll bar for the RF there’s no going baby 😭
RF hands down
Soft top is the original miata design. RF is a fastback, design is very different.
Soft top. I don’t want a half of a convertible. I want the top down. I’m also in California so our weather is amazing.
Soft! Is suitable even for snow and winters!
Soft top BECAUSE I doubt the heavier retractable hard top adds much if any rigidity, but it adds weight at the worst spot, the roof… (shifts CG higher)
That's not completely true, the actual roof panel that sits on top does add about 15kg, but the bulk of the weight of the RF comes in the entire folding mechanism and the big clamshell that opens and closes, that weight is about 20kg, it also isn't at the top of the car, and actually because of where the weight of the roof components are, the RF has true 50/50 weight distribution, the soft top is actually 52/48
Hard top all the way
I love soft top
I guess the hard top has more wind noise which is surprising... I'd take the soft top
Well that’s only when it’s down. When it’s up it should have less than the soft top.
Old school here. Softtop for the win!
Soft top for sure
Soft top all the way for me. Less weight and lower center of gravity, no motors to break and less folding bits to bend and misalign, it takes up none of the precious trunk space, it’s cheaper to buy(initially at least), it can be closed quick enough for a stop sign never mind a traffic light, and it’ll work if the battery is dead or heaven forbid there’s an electrical gremlin. Not to mention it’s arguably the easiest manual soft top on the market and is said to do a fine job sealing out the elements. Now if they’d only finish one in British racing green with a dark brown top and interior that’d be my combo, although Mazda does have one of the best red metallic paint options I’ve seen on any new car lately.
Probably depends on your usage of the car.. My RF is my daily driver so hard top is a bit quieter plus I like the look a bit more. (compared my previous soft top ND)
RF all the way,,,,
I’ve had both and it’s just about a win for the RF.
Got the RF.
Guys before you start fighting HARD TOP you really gonna be glad when you just take it to a professional when it breaks instead of taking care of this GOD DAMN soft top every month
I don't think people have owned a soft top car before.
You have to maintain soft tops pretty frequently or they get ratty in about 2 years.
Eventually they all have to be replaced and cost $700-800 plus labor.
Some other issues like they like to leak.
@@richr161what maintenance are you referring to? I have a 96 Miata and haven’t replaced the soft top since 2008 and it only cost me $300. I park it outside and don’t do anything to “maintain” the soft top. It still looks fantastic too.
@@yamkaw346No way it is still looking fantastic if you have been parking it outside for 15 years.
@@arglc Literally looks brand new after I wash the car, little dirty right now. The plastic rear window is a little yellow now but the new ones have glass and I believe it was even an option back in the day.
Own a soft top ... easy to maintain ... I dont daily my Miata ... hard top is more expensive, heavier and doesnt offer that true open air driving experience when down ... all negatives with the soft top can be negated by the fact most Miatas like my own arent daily driven.
Hard top forever
Soft. The extra wind noise with the hard top is brutal. Like actually not worth driving with it down at highway speeds.
I like the hard top! It looks better to me.
Here in Mexico, RF comes only with automatic transmission, so RF is not a good option :(
It’s such a shame the hard top is only really just a targa top, the soft top feels so much open and fun! Though I’ll say if you do a lot of highway, hardtop is probably more comfortable
Hard top for me
Hard top. I live in an area with heavy rain season.
The hard top has no advantage when it comes to rain. Just like the soft top, the seals on the hard top will dry and leak with time.
I daily drive a soft top year-round in the rain and snow and -35C cold. There's no reason to add the weight of a power-operated hard top to what is supposed to be a lightweight car.
As beautiful as it looks, you wouldn't want a soft top if you live here in Calgary...
Hard top cuz ya know if you get into a crash it's a better chance of survival
Get both～
I LOVE T TOP !
I want the RF.
I have an RF, but I'd have been happy with either and didn't have much of a preference either way. I was looking at low km used MX5 NDs, and my RF came up at the right price and with only 15000km (9000 miles) on the clock. It still smelled like a new car inside. So I bought that one, but it could just as easily have been a soft top.
ND softop. NC hardtop
I want the soft top one so bad but with how shitty the weather is in my country I can't imagine it fairing too well long term 😭😭.
For where I live… Hardtop. If I lived in a coastal or more Fairweather area, soft top all the way.
Soft top all day
RF ❤🎉
I'm about to trade in my 2016 soft top for a 2024 hard top. Can't wait.
Mission accomplished. I now have a 2024 with a hard top. I love it.
@@smstnitcwhy did you make the change?
Soft top all the way. Yes, it doesn’t look as attractive when it’s closed. However the car is a convertible. That’s its job. It’s designed to be open-aired. The RF with the top open doesn’t seem to be open enough to justify all the mechanical stuff going on in order to open up. And besides the soft top is quieter at higher speeds I’ve heard.
Soft top 👍🏼 The hardtop has too much wind buffeting with the top down.
Hard top
How is the wind buffeting in the RF with the top open? When they first came out I recall hearing some complaints about it.
I have owned two early generation Miatas. Yeah, the roof material eventually did need to get replaced, but that was after 20 years. I just love the look of the RF but if this was a third car that is garages and used on nice days, I say save money and get the soft top. If I parked outside and/or drive it to work every day, the RF could offer some security advantage (though bad guys can just break a window, too).
I have an RF and I have no issues with wind noise on the freeway. I've had a few convertibles (NB, NC, Boxster, Saab 9-3) and I don't feel like the RF is significantly noisier than them.
I mean being manually operated is ok, but I don't like the fabric. I prefer hard tops because of substantiality
What about the insulation on the long trips, which one is better?
Hard top has better sound proof and in a hot summer day, AC better on hard top.
HARD
What color is that hardtop
Sure soft top
The soft top
They should do a new automatic roof version that hide completely all the hard roof and looks amazing like soft roof version.
Is the soft one protect you from the rain ?
Team RF ❤