Being a bit of a 'Top-Down' freak I don't see the real appeal of hard tops, why do you guys bother? If it's to have better visibility heated glass rear windows are available for just over 200. And I can't see the benefit in doing it for a quiet journey since the MX-5 (Roadster) can never pretend to be comfortable so why try?

Putting the top up on mine is so rare I feel claustrophobic and can hear ever single rattle which is bloody annoying. Still the absence of wind noise makes it feel like a Rolls Royce.

I'm not taking the wee or anything but I just wondered if people would mind explaining why they have or want hardtops. (11/99)
This brings an interesting point up. I've got a red hard top, but I really need a new hood, preferably with a glass HRW. My finances at the moment preclude me from buying a new hood, but if I sold the hard top.... Let's have some thoughts on the pros & cons of hard tops then. I know they look good (mine's fitted as I write), but do they offer any huge advantage over say, a mohair hood with a GHRW? (11/99)
My bro (who wants a hardtop) lives in Glasgow and parks near town so the hardtop will hopefully help keep his 5 out of the hands of the less desirable elements. (11/99)
Yes that protects the hood but not the car. All a would-be twocker has to do is smash the quarter light and they are in. Or even easier (probably!), just stick a screw driver in the lock. (11/99)

Shall we do a pros and cons section?
Ok I'll start with Hardtops:
PROS:
MX-5's look at their best with a hard top on.
Quieter
Protects hood from the worst of the weather
Superior 3/4 visibility
Nicer ambience inside with interior light and possible headlining???

CONS:
Not as flexible as Britain's changeable weather
Expensive
Difficult to store
Requires two normal human beings to remove (I'm aware we do have some big strong brutes out there though!) You bought a convertible so why are you driving a coupe?

Mohair with HGRW
PROS:
The same flexibility as a bog standard softtop
Rear screen will not deteriorate
Rear screen is now covered under the 'Glass Excess' of your insurance policy. £50 and doesn't affect your no-claims?
No need to store or remove after fitting

CONS:
Noisy compared to hardtop
Not as pretty
A bit 'unfinished' looking on the inside

How did I do? Bearing in mind I have no experience of either please feel free to tell me I am a twonk and way off the mark. (11/99)
I can't really think of anything extra to add to your list, and to be truthful, I'm not even sure I could say it was a good idea to buy it, especially as I paid full Mazda dealer price, but I can say that from my study window, my little beauty looks fabulous! (11/99)
The rear 3/4 visibility is much better with a hardtop than the hood. I rarely bother trying to look over my shoulder when I've got the soft top up - all I can see is vinyl.
Order of preference:
1. hood down
2. hard-on (oo-er)
3. soft-up
All my friends say that my 5 looks better with the hard-top on than the vinyl roof. (11/99)

PROs for Hardtops =================
Imagine a sunny, calm day in January - not a cloud in the sky, and you're all wrapped up warm and dry. The roads are clear and safe, no ice, no snow. But, it's too cold to drop and fold the top. Bummer. What do you do ? If you had the hardtop on, just slip it off, drive off into the hills for a couple of hours, come back to the house, put the top back on. Presto ! Smiles all the way. That's why I have a hard-top. And believe me, we do get a fabulous week of sunshine every cold January, and I just itch to get the lid off. With the hardtop, it's a cert. They come off easily when you fancy some top down motoring
Security
Stiffen the chasis for more road holding
Offer better acident protection

PROs for Softops ================
Rain stops. Unzip window. Flip down roof. Get going again... Elapsed time: 10 seconds.

CONs for Hardtops =================
Rain stops. Sun comes out. Sh!te. Simmer under the fibreglass.

CONs for Softtops =================
Can't fold it when it's too cold. (11/99)
I don't believe it gets that cold in this country to really cause a soft top any problems; if it is a bit frosty, run up the heater for a few miles before lowering to thaw it out (after all, the soft top is hardly known for its insulative properties). The air temperature might be low, but you always notice that the roof is wet; probably its actual temperature is above 4 Celcius.. Now in central continental climes like in Germany or North America, it can get seriously cold (ever driven a Bronco with a frozen slush box?), and I suppose problems can occur. But not here. (11/99)
IMHO a hardtop removes any trace of practicallity the car may have. When I go away for a few days the rear shelf is crammed with a large holdall and other smaller bags, which just could not be there with the soft top folded down - it would wreck the plastic window. Sometimes it seems that there's more room for stuff on the shelf than in the boot. I've also carried items which wouldn't fit in the average saloon, by zipping out the window much timber and piping has been transported home laying from the passenger footwell and sticking out through the back. (11/99)

Bought my MX5 in July and enjoyed most days with the top down but started to get a bit chilly at the end of September soooo - I went to Portobello Road Market and bought myself a sheepskin flying jacket with a big collar. So now I can - and do - drive at every possibly opportunity with the hood down and I'm snug and warm. Who needs a hard top?

By the way, when I bought my car there was another one on the forecourt with a hard top and they would have sold it to me for £800 but since I was already paying more for a five-year-old car than I would have done for a brand new Honda and I would have had to have it re-sprayed, I declined - and I'm glad that I did.

However, in answer to an earlier mail, yes, you could well be able to get a hard top from a second hand car dealer. It doesn't hurt to ask. (11/99)
I love driving my 5 with the top down. Can't think of a better way to travel. But..... my journey consists of a 32 mile hike to the Heathrow area. Possibly on the M25. At times (all right once or twice this year) I have touched 85mph for more than two minutes. Uncomfortable with the top down in winter. In the summer I use the lanes, it's great. But in the winter lanes plus top down = sludge in car. So this year, my third year with a 5, I treated myself to a hardtop. It's like having two cars. Looks great and the rear vision is almost as good as having the top down. At the end of the day, there is no rule to say you must drive with your top down, each to their own. I like having my cake and eating it and I can get the top off in around 5 minutes or less. So what's the big deal? (11/99)