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Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door

ChadTx

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Looking to order 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 2 door
Im waiting to order a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2 door. Right now Im doing alot of reading on this site to try to learn as much as I can. Ill state what Ill be using the jeep for then any input or advice you have will be greatly appreciated. This will be my second jeep. My first was a 1989 Wrangler. Its the only vehicle Ive ever sold that I truly regret getting rid of. This new Jeep will be my daily driver to and from work. Round trip is about 40 miles total over country roads that are mostly paved but about 2 miles of unpaved. My wife and I will also use the jeep for weekend trips. Im thinking of doing the Mopar 2 inch lift but arent sold yet. If I did it later would it still be covered by warranty? Wondering if I would be happy with staying the stock Rubicon height and doing 35's. I also am debating between 35's and 37's. I really like the stock wheels and would like to stay with them. Its hard finding pictures of the 2 door rubicons with the different set ups and tire sizes. Im also between the 2.0 turbo and the tried and true 3.6. I was leaning towards the 3.6 but have heard from guys the 2.0 turbo is better with larger tires and for daily driving. Ive also drove manuals before this for most of my daily drivers but am stongly considering the automatic as my work truck is a manual and a pain in the a## to drive. Idk if I want to get into a manual jeep after a day of driving a manual at work. Of less note and on a purly asthetic standpoint Im debating between the billet silver, white, and maybe red. Any pictures of your 2 door rubicons and advice will be greatly appreciated!
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Headbarcode

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Even with the shorter Rubicon gearing, the consensus is that the manual transmission starts to become sluggish on 35's. With 37's, the need for a regearing is almost mandatory.

As far as engine choice, I became a huge fan of the 2.0 very early on. I did back to back test drives of similarly equipped Rubicons, nearly 50 total Jeeps, and not once did i find any pull towards the 3.6. Also, it's a completely revamped and still relatively new version of the Pentaster. Amongst other changes, that slip my mind because it's been a while, it's a higher compression motor than previously. All the mentions of it being a long standing and proven unit are simply invalid.

I highly suggest that you go do some back to back comparisons to see what motor speaks to you. More than likely you won't need as many test drives as i took. I didn't either, was just having too much fun racking up the miles and seat time.

While touring your local dealers for test drives, ask around as much as possible about that specific dealers thoughts on lifts and aftermarket parts. Some dealers are mod friendly and some look for any excuse to get out of warranty work.

Best of luck, congrats on your new Rubicon, and welcome to the JL community!
 

Stormin’ Moorman

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Lots of questions....I'll just comment on the mods. Ask the dealer up front about the lift/tires and get his answer in writing at the closing table. You should really take my advice on this one. Writing.
 

Equitasforall

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I could tell you, but then....
I have a white 2dr JLR that I use as a daily driver when CONUS on a 95 mile round trip commute. It’s also one of the vehicles I use to escape and has run trails, beaches, mountains, etc. I don’t go looking to rock crawl but have encountered several places along the way and it’s done great.

I love manual transmissions but found the 8 speed automatic to be too good to pass up. It’s quick, precise, and incredibly smooth in its shifting. When in weather or off road I can manually select my gear for the precise control I’d want in a manual, but with better gear ranges.

I also have the 3.6 and love it. With the lightweight 2door the thing flies. Plenty of power and torque with solid fuel mileage. Paired with the auto it’s done very very well in all conditions in 25,000 miles.

For options I have the steel bumper group as I’ll be mounting a winch eventually and live in a deer infested area I’m the meantime. Bounced off three so far with zero damage. LED light group (which should be standard,) cold weather group, active safety group, and the 8.4 uConnect (which is worth its weight in gold.) I was hoping for the aux switches as I had all kinds of mod thoughts before I bought but the Jeep is so capable already I haven’t needed them or missed them.

For mods I waited quite a while to see what if anything I needed. Turns out not much. I won’t be putting a lift on it but will be adding 35s when my stick KO2s wear out. Couldn’t find someone in my area to mount the 35s I want on the stock wheels so I added rugged ridge XHD in 17 x 9 gun metal grey. Good classic look, good stance, good weight, and can handle my 35s just fine. I recently added the Fox steering stabilizer and 2.0 performance series shocks. I’ve also added the MOPAR winch hoop on my fro t bumper for my future winch, looks, and additional deer protection. Overall that’s my Rubi. Not much left to do with it other than to enjoy it daily. Enjoy yours as well!

Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door F5F84FED-B628-487A-A588-2DFAF8B225A3
 

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ChadTx

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Looking to order 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 2 door
I have a white 2dr JLR that I use as a daily driver when CONUS on a 95 mile round trip commute. It’s also one of the vehicles I use to escape and has run trails, beaches, mountains, etc. I don’t go looking to rock crawl but have encountered several places along the way and it’s done great.

I love manual transmissions but found the 8 speed automatic to be too good to pass up. It’s quick, precise, and incredibly smooth in its shifting. When in weather or off road I can manually select my gear for the precise control I’d want in a manual, but with better gear ranges.

I also have the 3.6 and love it. With the lightweight 2door the thing flies. Plenty of power and torque with solid fuel mileage. Paired with the auto it’s done very very well in all conditions in 25,000 miles.

For options I have the steel bumper group as I’ll be mounting a winch eventually and live in a deer infested area I’m the meantime. Bounced off three so far with zero damage. LED light group (which should be standard,) cold weather group, active safety group, and the 8.4 uConnect (which is worth its weight in gold.) I was hoping for the aux switches as I had all kinds of mod thoughts before I bought but the Jeep is so capable already I haven’t needed them or missed them.

For mods I waited quite a while to see what if anything I needed. Turns out not much. I won’t be putting a lift on it but will be adding 35s when my stick KO2s wear out. Couldn’t find someone in my area to mount the 35s I want on the stock wheels so I added rugged ridge XHD in 17 x 9 gun metal grey. Good classic look, good stance, good weight, and can handle my 35s just fine. I recently added the Fox steering stabilizer and 2.0 performance series shocks. I’ve also added the MOPAR winch hoop on my fro t bumper for my future winch, looks, and additional deer protection. Overall that’s my Rubi. Not much left to do with it other than to enjoy it daily. Enjoy yours as well!

F5F84FED-B628-487A-A588-2DFAF8B225A3.jpeg
Thank u soooooo much for the advice!!! Your Jeep looks great! U can’t go wrong with the white in my opinion. I’m still on the fence about the 2 inch Mopar lift. After reading what u wrote I’m going to go with automatic, led light group, and for sure the metal bumpers as I to live in a hog and deer infested area. I see u have the soft top. Do u like it or think about the hardtop? I’m still on the fence about that. Thank u again for all the info!! Oh and anymore more pictures with the 35’s added will be greatly appreciated !!
 

Whisky19

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Congrats!!! Owned my 2020 Rubi for nearly 2 months and love everything about it. I test drove the Turbo and something just didn’t feel right. I’ve owned 3 Jeeps and each one had the 6cyl and I can’t recall ever having any issues( as others mentioned , test driving is key as it’s all individual). I also intend on some form of engine mods at some point but nothing drastic. For me, the height and tire size( stock) are awesome. I have always driven automatics as for options they are as follows:

Cold Weather Package
Alpine 8.4”
Auxiliary Package

After Market:

Raptor Side Steps
Maximus Classic Hoop
Baja LP6’s
Weathertec Front Splash Guards

Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 1592765251017

Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 1592765275313

All the goodies I could ever want without going nuts . I use mine as a daily driver as well. Good luck!!!!
 

Equitasforall

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I could tell you, but then....
Thank u soooooo much for the advice!!! Your Jeep looks great! U can’t go wrong with the white in my opinion. I’m still on the fence about the 2 inch Mopar lift. After reading what u wrote I’m going to go with automatic, led light group, and for sure the metal bumpers as I to live in a hog and deer infested area. I see u have the soft top. Do u like it or think about the hardtop? I’m still on the fence about that. Thank u again for all the info!! Oh and anymore more pictures with the 35’s added will be greatly appreciated !!
I have the Premium soft top only and have no regrets. It’s served me well, even in the winter. It drops within minutes, reinstalls quickly, and is not nearly as loud with the top up as other convertibles I’ve had in the past. When the top is down I use 3 Velcro straps to bundle it tightly so it doesn’t flap in the breeze and stays below my rear sight line. The alpine audio with top up or down works like a champ.

I’ll be happy to add a few more pics once the 35s go on, but that will still be a few months. My KO2s on my first Raptor went for about 45,000 miles before they needed replaced, so I have a ways to go.

Enjoy your Jeep, and let me know if you need anything else!
 

AirportDave

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Two door with the 2" Mopar lift and 35's is a great combo, IMHO- actually got closer to 3". The two door with the 2.0L is a quick little ride, even with the 35's, and the turbo means I don't lose as much HP here in Colorado, where some trails regularly get you over 10,000' msl.

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Fuzzy Dave

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I've owned an 86 CJ7 a couple of TJ's and a TJ unlimited all were manual transmissions... i skipped the jk and this is my first auto...i love it with the v6...

Id get the auto, cold weather group, and tow package just because you get the auxiliary switches included ....and I will say this Jeep is Miles and Miles Ahead of your 89.

mine is not a DD, but my trips to "town" are either 60 miles rt or 100 miles rt...its a great highway runner other than a lil noisy inside (epected as its a jeep)

jeep did hit a home run, as this is capable and a fun ride yet still refined for a jeep.

Im running 35in tires and 3/4in spacer...even though its not needed.... we just put a 2-inch Mopar lift on a co-worker's Jeep and it needs 37 to look proportionate....

my coworkers.....mine is the hellayella
Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door IMG_0217
Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 1592792335204_20200426_081724
 

BadAssBumbleBee

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Here's a few pics of my 2019 2 door Rubi. It's not one of your preferred colour choices, but it's something to think about ;)

It's pretty well optioned (Leather, cold weather group, Uconnect 8.4 with nav & Alpine premium audio, LED Lighting group, steel bumper group, safetytec group, advanced safety group, remote proximity, upgraded Rubi wheels). Apart from that it's pretty much stock except for some custom mounted Lund side steps, the Warn low front hoop and a few other appearance mods.

Over the years I've flip flopped back and forth between the auto and manual transmissions on my Wranglers ('88 auto, '95 manual, '06 Rubi auto, '09 Rubi manual, '12 Rubi auto). This time around I went with the 3.6L and 8 speed auto because I heard so many good things about that combination, particularly when paired with the 4.10's on the Rubicon. It's got plenty of power on the street, and feels much quicker than my 2 door 2012 JK Rubi with the 3.6L and 5 speed auto.

I also plan on going to 35's at some point in the future, but will probably just go with a small 1"-1.5" spacer lift because the Jeep rides great right now with no wandering or twitching on the highway, no dead spots in the steering, and not even a hint of death wobble.

The only other option I would have added if I had the choice is the HD Tow Package with the Aux switches, but I picked it up off the lot last December, and the price was too good to pass up.

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Notorious

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None of the Jeeps in the pictures are mine. I’m posting these to help inspire buyers and moreover help anyone considering a Wrangler to be able to better visualize what’s possible.

First picture set is a Rubi with 37” tire, 20” wheel with Mopar Lift.

Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 6802F078-E59F-433F-AF24-8D293ACDE118


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Next set are JLU Sport Wranglers on mopar lift and 35” tires.

Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 0DC3C61C-FBF2-4997-BE02-D2171EC904A4


Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door A89970C2-ED4D-4B78-B636-7E08F15D5105


Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door BBB34EBB-0A25-4225-8AF1-29A5256E87C2


Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 5B924C4C-2EF8-450C-9102-D6E085440A25


Jeep Wrangler JL Need Help with deciding before ordering new Rubicon 2 Door 50D666C0-AB7A-4FBC-BA0B-9AE4AACA48DC


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1idrod

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Here's mine on 37's 2.5 lift. Auto 3.6. Very happy with everything.

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