Re: It's just not the same ...
Clarification: During the summer, I leave the top down with the Xfire parked in the garage. If it's going to be more than a few days between drives, I throw a car cover over it to keep the dust off. For the winter, it's stored with the top up and the windows open about 2". I also add Sta-Bil, park it on cardboard, and try to run it every 2-4 weeks.
When I first saw the soft top mechanism at work, I said to myself that I had to minimize using it to minimize problems. I plan to keep this car for a long long time. I also purchased the ESP which I probably should have foregone in retrospect. The car is still within warranty and the only problem has been a loose window bracket in the driver's door.