Test drove my first ever Wranglers today. Thoughts and help with concerns please

[cosine]

welcome to the forum and good to hear that your getting a jl. i have a 2 door sport base model with 3.6, 8 spd, hard top,. i went with a plain and simple setup without the bells and whistles. to keep the cost down and mod it to what i need. i came from a 07 grand cherokee to a base model jl and have no regrets on my jl. so my views are based on that.

- With that good of a heater, is the cold weather group still worth it?
i never bothered with the cold weather group because with a 2 door jl . it heats up pretty fast in 5 mins or so on a 25f+ cold day. same goes with the a/c on 100f+ summer. the defroster clears the windshield in 5 mins on a thick frost morning. put it this way. i start the jl, crank the defrost on high. then clean the side windows. at that time the windshield is halfway cleared.

- I want to eventually have leather (kids, easy clean up) Is Katzkin a good seat?
i have cloth seat (imho, leather doesnt belong in a wrangler.) however the cloth do clean up nicely. katskins are very nice and fits well. i may look into the carhart covers, but the cloth will handle the long term use.

- I want to upgrade the sport look (small lift, aggressive tires, hood, etc) Will this hinder how I liked the way the Sport felt better on pavement than the Rubicon?
i'll be modding up my sport in stages and will include larger tires and maybe a 2" space lift. the main goal for me is to keep the sport as a daily driver, road tripper but a capable off roader. the one thing to remember is that any changes to from tires to lift and aftermarket bumpers, etc. can change the the ride quality. it might not be much. i wouldnt worry to much on that. just read up and anything on this forum. it will give you and idea as to what you want,

- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
majority of folk here will say yes, its worth it. the other half went aftermarket led. i went with the halogens and upgraded the bulbs to led bulbs (both head and fogs) to me spending $1000 on oem led doesnt fit with me. that because i was keeping the cost down and avoid any other bells and whistles. i only spent $348 to convert my lights and it was well worth it. i'll agree that the halogen are crap and going to led is the best way. now you have choices in leds. you can do the bulbs or a full conversion.

- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and back up camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc
with the base model, i avoided all the options. again i did not want all the bells and whistles because a. it drives up the cost and b. more crap will lead to more chances of crap crapping out. end result trips to the service dept. and piss away money on repairs. the back up camera is useful but that about it for me. i prefer to rely on my alertness and be well viligate while driving and not relying on beeps, buzzers, vibrators, or self reacting for drivers. i dont like sudden crap doing things for me while driving.

the one thing you have to do is see what you want in a jl. are you planning on offroading. then a rubicon would fit you. if you are looking for something as a daily drive for all weather driving a sport. s, or sahara would fit. now a sport is a great starter jl for anyone as a second vehicle to daily driver and from a weekend toy and or to mod it to your personal liking. any models / trim level are very capable 4x4. keep in mind when you start modding the jl, it could / can void the warranty.

Sponsored

 

[Bran]

I got the JLUR, I’ve had at least a rear locker on everything I’ve owned for years, and used them a number of times on my farm. I bought one the dealer had already, it had cloth, 3.6 auto, soft top, and LED package. I honestly like them all, I tow, so I like the normally aspirated V6, cloth seats are fine (after having leather the last 10 years), and the LED’s are pure awesome and my first ever. Cold weather seems just preference to me, I wear shorts till Christmas most years and never keep my house above 66 summer or winter.

 

[Vinman]

While I bought a loaded Rubicon I have mad respect for the base models as well.

A little story:
A few of us went to Moab last year, 8 Jeeps total, 4 on 35’s with lockers, 2 on 37’s with lockers, 1 on 36’s with lockers and a JK on 33’s, open diffs.

That little 2 dr JK did every single obstacle on every single trail we did, he actually did a couple of climbs nobody else did.

Moral of the story is if you wheel a less equipped rig like that JK you will ultimately be a better driver. The joke in our club is that JK owner is not allowed to get 35’s and lockers because if he did, he would embarrass the rest of us with his skills.

 

[Whiskey 13]

Many outstanding comments on this tread. BritishGuy highlighted many of the options you asked about and I have to agree with his opinion. I also have a Rubicon JLUR with leather, cold weather group, LED light package and many other options.

Drive as many different setups as you can and look hard at your intended use and available funds and buy as much vehicle as you can. I do believe if you ask anyone on this forum they will all tell you that doing modifications to a jeep becomes addictive but also expensive. This being your first you can keep the expense of modifications down a little if what you are looking for is installed at the factory.

Most importantly, WELCOME and once you buy there will be no going back, you will be hooked like the rest of us.

 

[SlowPoke21]

Great thread here. Decisions decisions.

 

[dsgrey]

- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and back up camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc

Having come from a 2016 Mazda 3 which was my commuter car before I moved, I have a few opinions. The standard lights on a Sport are much better than a Mazda 3. My Sport doesn't have the safety group but my Mazda did. I do not miss the mirror blind spot monitoring but I do miss the backup camera warning. Oddly enough, the spouse has a 2016 Mazda SUV so I have to adjust to the rear camera warning when swapping vehicles.

 

[Aesikidesi]

So I test drove 3 different Wranglers today for the first time. 3 cars I have owned in the past: 98 Expedition, Mazda 3 and my current, Rav 4 Hybrid, just so you see where I am coming from

Drove a Rubicon 3.6 hard top, Diesel Soft, and a Sky 2.0. My thoughts and questions:

- Instantly liked the 2.0 better. I knew it was different without looking at the sticker
- I liked the Rubicon but was a little bit more "rough" than I was expecting
- Soft Top to me is the exact same vs Hard Top in terms of sound
- Diesel is loud as hell but responsive
- I felt the leather seats were more uncomfortable than than the cloth (and I love leather)
- Holy crap the heater works. I was sweating within 1 minute in that thing. I could imagine myself driving doors off and roof off in the winter with that
- Idk why people complain about the steering. I loved it. It felt super responsive and smooth, like I could turn around anything
- I actually enjoyed the sport model better than the Rubicon, I believe due to the tires, suspension, and the 2.0. It just felt better on the road
- Loved the 8.4 and the Alpine, hard to not go to that instead of 7.0
- The backup camera is one of the highest qualities I have seen

So my questions are

- With that good of a heater, is the cold weather group still worth it?
- I want to eventually have leather (kids, easy clean up) Is Katzkin a good seat?
- I want to upgrade the sport look (small lift, aggressive tires, hood, etc) Will this hinder how I liked the way the Sport felt better on pavement than the Rubicon?
- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and back up camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc

Sorry for long post but man I enjoyed it!

Regarding your steering if you were test driving the 2021 and 2020 later year production it has the steel steering box and not the Aluminum one so you would not feel the difference as others have since they got the cheap ass one thank you Jeep for cutting cost in the front end. hope it was worth it....LOL.

 

[Spearmin]

I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?

Yes 100 times better. If yours doesn't come with it, then consider that being your first mod. It is literally night and day (no pun intended).

 

[Spearmin]

I'm sitting her in a holding patter for a new Jeep. I want one , but I just don't like any of the colors they have for this year. Wish there was some way I could factory order a Punkin or nacho.. but nope

 

[bigfoot21075]

Here is my 2 cents (about all it's worth BTW). I have had several Jeeps over the years starting with an AMC 304 V8 Renegade CJ7 to TJ's and most recently a 2017 JK 2 door Rubicon. The JL is by far the best, most refined Jeep ever built. I did not want the complexity and self perceived issues of the E-Torque, but wanted an automatic no matter what (I am SURE you have driven 495 as well), so that left the 2.0 Turbo. I have driven several and really like it. It butt dynos it faster than the Pentastar V-6 so good choice. My 2017 JK was pretty well loaded so I had most of the options you are talking about and have ordered them on my new JLU Rubicon

- With that good of a heater, is the cold weather group still worth it?
YES! It greatly extended top down driving for my wife and I and made those early morning Skyline Drive trips a LOT more comfortable. it is also great if it is your DD. The heated seats and wheel kick butt!

- I want to eventually have leather (kids, easy clean up) Is Katzkin a good seat?
I have heard mixed reviews on Katzkin. I had the leather in my 2017 and did not like it AT FIRST. After a few months it really loosened up and got much more comfortable, so much so I ordered it again.

- I want to upgrade the sport look (small lift, aggressive tires, hood, etc) Will this hinder how I liked the way the Sport felt better on pavement than the Rubicon?
You already liked how the Sport drove better, The Rubicon is GREAT but it sounds like overkill for what you really want. A lift on any of these with the right tire selection (don't choose a LT rated tire, choose a p-metric tire for a better ride if possible) will be great. One big advantage of the Rubicon is you can just change the tires to 35" and change the entire look of the Jeep with no other costs. It is a tough decision, but get what you want if you can, not just what what you need. This is supposed to be a fun car and it is.

- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
I had the LED's on my JK and they were PHENOMENAL!!!! I ordered them again.

- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and backup camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc
I ordered the advanced safety group just to get the active cruise control, again - 495/95 it should be well worth it. The Collision avoidance braking is just a bonus as is the blind spot indicator (the Jeep mirrors are pretty good, no real blind spots if you look). Jeep Wrangler does not have lane assist that affects your steering like the RAV or the Cherokee, and the blind spot is just an indicator. The reason I did not object to these complexities like I did the e-toque is if these stop working they just don't work, where if the e-torque has a problem, it can easily leave you high and dry.

ONE last thought from the guy that has owned over 116 cars/trucks and 19 motorcycles, GET WHAT YOU WANT! Don't buy a Sport if that little voice is telling you to buy a Rubicon or a Sahara AND visa versa!

I got a killer deal from Craig at Koons BTW.

 

[emptyminded42]

- With that good of a heater, is the cold weather group still worth it?
- I want to eventually have leather (kids, easy clean up) Is Katzkin a good seat?
- I want to upgrade the sport look (small lift, aggressive tires, hood, etc) Will this hinder how I liked the way the Sport felt better on pavement than the Rubicon?
- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and back up camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc

Sorry for long post but man I enjoyed it!

I would absolutely get cold weather package - heated steering wheels and seats are great.
I have a kid, don't really think leather helps that much, just get a seat cover.
Can't say, but it's likely that ride quality will suffer adjusting away from stock setup.
The stock halogen lights are abysmal. Buy the LED package.
I like Safety Group features in my other vehicles but for me I was price-focused for the Wrangler so I didn't get any of them.

 

[Twojayhawks]

We are all different and so are our uses for a Wrangler. I chose a Altitude Sport with lots of options as it's my daily driver. Also loooove the 2.0L. It moves the vehicle with ease. First Jeep and have no intentions for off roading. I wanted something as close to comfort as I have had with non Jeeps. Love the LED's, Alpine, safety, heated seats/wheel, etc. BTW the Altitude comes with a fairly aggressive all terrain tire. Been towing "other" vehicles behind my motorhome for over 20 years & finally just had to get a Wrangler for ease of flat towing. Also close to retirement & plan to do a lot of RV travel. Lastly, they are all overpriced so I would just hold your nose & get all the options you want.

 

[oldcjguy]

So I test drove 3 different Wranglers today for the first time. 3 cars I have owned in the past: 98 Expedition, Mazda 3 and my current, Rav 4 Hybrid, just so you see where I am coming from

Drove a Rubicon 3.6 hard top, Diesel Soft, and a Sky 2.0. My thoughts and questions:

- Instantly liked the 2.0 better. I knew it was different without looking at the sticker
- I liked the Rubicon but was a little bit more "rough" than I was expecting
- Soft Top to me is the exact same vs Hard Top in terms of sound
- Diesel is loud as hell but responsive
- I felt the leather seats were more uncomfortable than than the cloth (and I love leather)
- Holy crap the heater works. I was sweating within 1 minute in that thing. I could imagine myself driving doors off and roof off in the winter with that
- Idk why people complain about the steering. I loved it. It felt super responsive and smooth, like I could turn around anything
- I actually enjoyed the sport model better than the Rubicon, I believe due to the tires, suspension, and the 2.0. It just felt better on the road
- Loved the 8.4 and the Alpine, hard to not go to that instead of 7.0
- The backup camera is one of the highest qualities I have seen

So my questions are

- With that good of a heater, is the cold weather group still worth it?
- I want to eventually have leather (kids, easy clean up) Is Katzkin a good seat?
- I want to upgrade the sport look (small lift, aggressive tires, hood, etc) Will this hinder how I liked the way the Sport felt better on pavement than the Rubicon?
- I couldn't test the lights do to being the day. LED group that much better?
- Didn't test the safety group. Is that worth it as well? I have all of the safety stuff on my Rav 4. I just like the blind spot and back up camera warning part. I hate the lane assist peep, the steering control stuff, etc

Sorry for long post but man I enjoyed it!

If you lift and put larger tires you're going to get the same kind of ride you get with the Rubi. Maybe worse depending on the lift. Some lifts will be MUCH more harsh. One advantage to having to do the lift on a Sport is you'll get to chose and you can select something soft. With a rubi you can fit a 35 and not have to lift. Just something to think about there. If you add custom steel bumpers the weight will also soften up the ride some. That's true for a rubi or a sport with an aftermarket lift. I don't find the ride rough on mine at all, but I guess it's subjective. I have factory steel bumpers and a hard top so some extra weight. Something else to think about is that the factory fill on the tires is over 40psi. mine were at 45 driving off the lot. I let some air out and drive around with them at about 34 cold. The rubi gets you 4.10 gears, I think the sport comes with 3.45? That could make a difference in drivability with taller tires.

If resale is important the rubi will hold better, but all wrangler models tend to hold their value.
LED group totally worth it. Plenty of opinions saying that.

Yes, the heat is good but the seats still get cold when it's not running Totally go for the cold weather group. Heated steering wheel is one of my favorite things! I've never had it get too hot. Sometimes it feels like it's actually hot for a moment but it seems to level out or my hands get used to it. I think my hands were just that cold and it felt really good anyway. I had it in my hellcat and I have it in my rubi. That was a deal breaker for me when I was looking.

I also have the safety groups. It doesn't do lane assist or steering control (I hate that!), but it will beep at you if someone is right next to you and you try to change lanes into them. It also adds adaptive cruise control and emergency braking, which is definitely not a necessity, but a nice add.

 

[Yolobaggins]

Thank you for all the replies and help so far everyone, I appreciate it!

 

[JJSix]

Opinions are like... But for what its worth, I went with the 3.6 for my JLUR as I just felt more comfortable with that engine as I'm on my 4th Pentastar. My rig is also my DD but the best option for me was to get the Rubi and I have to say its been fantastic on road and off and I was not put off by the additional features of the Rubi, like the 4.10 gears, Rubi lift, etc, on road as it still has very good road manners. Only part I don't love is the steering is still a bit loose at center but I haven't received the new steering box yet so I would hope that's not an issue for you in any model.

LED package for me is definitely worth it, helps a ton with a longer throw for out in the middle of nowhere driving. I also haven't been flashed once while driving (except when I didn't adjust down when towing).

At the end of the day, with the poster who said to get what you want (if you can afford the budget). That way, no regrets.

Sponsored