Best Wrangler for Long Road Trips

[aldo98229]

I think all seasons tires is what was originally meant, but I'm not sure. I would definitely want all seasons. I'm a bit of a novice with the terminology, but general road/highway tires -- that's the idea. Thanks.

There are 3 broad categories of tires:

1. All-Season - mostly for on-road use. They are comfortable, quiet and last a long time. They provide sure braking and handling; handle dry and wet pavement well
2. All-Terrain - for a mixture of on-road and off-road use. They are relatively quiet, ride a little harsher than all seasons, but handle foul weather much better, including snow, slush and often times, ice. Most ATs last 50,000 miles
3. Mud-Terrain - They are aggressive, knobby tires, excellent for off-road use. They look cool, but are heavy, noisy, have limited on-road dynamics, and normally don’t last as long as the others

IMO, all-terrains are the best all-around tire on a Jeep.

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[blnewt]

blnewt - This is great info - thanks again! Yes, my CJ is in good condition, though the engine does smoke a little. It has a small engine - 151 (Iron Duke?), and it's a 4 speed manual, but with very little rust. Here's a photo. I'm going to miss it, but it's time to move on.

Nice CJ! Our 80 CJ7 had the same Pontiac Iron Duke motor, not a great motor to be sure, but one good thing that is a plus, that pontiac bell housing makes it easy to do a GM motor swap.

You should be able to get some decent coin for that CJ, I would definitely check what others are selling for and don't take some lowballer. Vintage CJs are getting hard to find in reasonable shape, and yours certainly qualifies.

 

[MaggieGirl]

I love my JLU, but the reality is that it is one of the worst 4-door vehicles in the market if the mission is frequent 1,000 mile each way road trips.

It is noisier than pretty much any vehicle in the market. It will use more fuel than pretty much any other vehicle in the market on the highway. it will be blown side to side with cross winds more than pretty much any other vehicle short or Sprnter/Transit van. It will require more constant steering adjustment than pretty much all other 4-door vehicles. If soft top will keep your belongings the most vulnerable (from a security point of view). It has mediocre crash ratings. No side curtain airbags.

Having said that, if you want one and given the budget you indicated, a 2016 or 2017 JKU (4-door automatic) would be your best bet. By those years they were available with LED headlights (otherwise you can't really drive at night), had better creature comforts, radios, heated seats, etc, and were really quite reliable.

Good luck.

gato, what year is your JLU? I'm just learning the lingo for the newer jeeps; all my experience is with older Willys (we have a 1961) and CJs (we have 2). I'm assuming JL is the model and U is for Unlimited. Thanks. This is good info.

Oh, one more question. So, pre-2016 Wranglers can't really be driven at night? Is that what you're saying?

 

[blnewt]

There are 3 broad categories of tires:

1. All-Season - mostly for on-road use. They are comfortable, quiet and last a long time. They provide sure braking and handling; handle dry and wet pavement well
2. All-Terrain - for a mixture of on-road and off-road use. They are relatively quiet, ride a little harsher than all seasons, but handle foul weather much better, including snow, slush and often times, ice. Most ATs last 50,000 miles
3. Mud-Terrain - They are aggressive, knobby tires, excellent for off-road use. They look cool, but are heavy, noisy, have limited on-road dynamics, and normally don’t last as long as the others

IMO, all-terrains are the best all-around tire on a Jeep.

There are a few Mud Terrains that check more boxes than others, the Cooper STT Pros do well in the wet, last a long time and although heavier than some ATs aren't boat anchors, and yes, they do look badass!

Also some of the newer ATs are pretty aggressive like the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss, so choosing an AT isn't always the compromise choice that it used to be

 

[MaggieGirl]

A couple of people mentioned it, get a 2013 or newer, and get what you can afford. The 4 door is a lot heavier then your CJ. The 3.6L engine is way better than the 2012 and earlier 3.8. If you can afford a 2018 or newer JL then the 8 speed auto with the 3.6 is much better than the JK.

If you are going the manual transmission route, then they say the JL one is better. It has a taller first gear than the JK manual.

Suffolklou - thanks. Good info. I'm taking notes on all this stuff & hope to buy within the next month.

 

[aldo98229]

There are a few Mud Terrains that check more boxes than others, the Cooper STT Pros do well in the wet, last a long time and although heavier than some ATs aren't boat anchors, and yes, they do look badass!

Also some of the newer ATs are pretty aggressive like the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss, so choosing an AT isn't always the compromise choice that it used to be

Agreed. Tire technology has advanced a LOT in the past 10 years alone.

IMO, KO2 was a game changer. The advent of KO2 made all-terrains perfectly acceptable. That’s why every other tire manufacturer now offers an AT that competes directly with KO2.

 

[blnewt]

gato, what year is your JLU? I'm just learning the lingo for the newer jeeps; all my experience is with older Willys (we have a 1961) and CJs (we have 2). I'm assuming JL is the model and U is for Unlimited. Thanks. This is good info.

Oh, one more question. So, pre-2016 Wranglers can't really be driven at night? Is that what you're saying?

There's JL (2dr)
JLU (4dr)
JLUS (4dr Sahara)
JLR (2dr Rubicon)
JLUR (4dr Rubicon)

and then the D at the end for Diesels
and eX for the electric hybrid setups

and the 392 for the bigballaholla setups!

 

[MaggieGirl]

Nice CJ! Our 80 CJ7 had the same Pontiac Iron Duke motor, not a great motor to be sure, but one good thing that is a plus, that pontiac bell housing makes it easy to do a GM motor swap.

You should be able to get some decent coin for that CJ, I would definitely check what others are selling for and don't take some lowballer. Vintage CJs are getting hard to find in reasonable shape, and yours certainly qualifies.

This is good advice. Thanks, blnewt.

 

[MaggieGirl]

There's JL (2dr)
JLU (4dr)
JLUS (4dr Sahara)
JLR (2dr Rubicon)
JLUR (4dr Rubicon)

and then the D at the end for Diesels
and eX for the electric hybrid setups

and the 392 for the bigballaholla setups!

Very helpful - thanks, blnewt!

 

[miweber929]

A nice, used Sport S or Sahara JLU would be perfect for what you are looking for. Sheesh, this forum loves to make things complicated!!!

If you can find one with AT tires, great, if not there are tons of cheap takeoffs available. I’ve been using all season tires on my trucks for years, they are fine for light “trails” like gravel and forest roads. They only get sketchy in mud or real off-road trails.

 

[OllieChristopher]

Hi again Maggie, You can still drive at night with the older Jeeps. It's just the lighting is not as good as the modern LED.

Comfort level is the big elephant in the room. Some guys and gals have no issue at all hopping into anything and enjoying long miles of pavement in between trails and going cross country. Others are going to be annoyed with any noise, rattle, the inherent steering concentration needs with front live axle vehicles, etc.

Brad hit the nail on the head. Try out a 2 door and 4 door. Jump on the freeway for a good few miles at speed. Then get off the freeway and do some tight parking lot maneuvers. Get the one that has the compromise you are willing to live with.

I will tell you this: After owning 2wd trucks for over 25 years I'm ready for a change. I have no illusions of the shortcomings and advantages that come with a Wrangler. My wife likes the small cars and short wheelbase vehicles so it's a no brainer that we would get a 2 door if we decide on a Jeep.

 

[MaggieGirl]

Hi again Maggie, You can still drive at night with the older Jeeps. It's just the lighting is not as good as the modern LED.

Comfort level is the big elephant in the room. Some guys and gals have no issue at all hopping into anything and enjoying long miles of pavement in between trails and going cross country. Others are going to be annoyed with any noise, rattle, the inherent steering concentration needs with front live axle vehicles, etc.

Brad hit the nail on the head. Try out a 2 door and 4 door. Jump on the freeway for a good few miles at speed. Then get off the freeway and do some tight parking lot maneuvers. Get the one that has the compromise you are willing to live with.

I will tell you this: After owning 2wd trucks for over 25 years I'm ready for a change. I have no illusions of the shortcomings and advantages that come with a Wrangler. My wife likes the small cars and short wheelbase vehicles so it's a no brainer that we would get a 2 door if we decide on a Jeep.

OllieChristopher, excellent advice - thanks!

 

[LFMS]

Hi Maggie, I just came back from a 2000 mile trip on a 2018 JL Sport (crank windows and door locks). It’s a two door with the 2.0T Etorque, auto, and a soft top. We had the AC on all the time, speeds of 80/85 and averaged 27.7mpg. It was a very comfortable ride, and yes it’s a wrangler and yes there are crosswinds sometimes, but that happens with any smaller car too. The soft top handled well, it is incredibly sturdy, but I’m sure the hardtop would be quieter, and probably gain you a couple mpg more. Last year I did a mountain trip to Vermont in the fall and average 30mpg (ac was off).

Coming from a 1980 CJ5 you’ll find the wrangler a “drive” in the park, and you’ll probably handle it better than most of us combined too.

I never had a JK, and hear the JL was a big improvement. I’m sure whichever you choose will be great, and both engine options (3.6 and 2.0) have proved to be very reliable - I wanted peppy and mpg so I went with the 2.0, but that really depends on your personal preferences and budget. Good luck!

PS: I bought mine used last year, it’s my daily driver and wouldn’t trade it for any bathtub on wheels made for the highway

 

[Jebiruph]

I bought a new Wrangler JLU with no options in 2018 and in 2019 I drove it 6000 miles in 15 days and it drove great. A lot changed with the new model in 2018 and I don't have any experience with the previous JK model to compare it to.

I don't know where in Iowa you are located, but reach out to @spenchey from Motor Inn in Spirit Lake. With an affiliate discount (research tread lightly), he's been discounting new wranglers 5% below invoice.

 

[dalema]

Just to elaborate a bit on pricing, with the used market being pretty unfriendly right now (some are selling older Jeep’s over their original MSRP) - here’s what a guy recently posted about what he paid for a new JL rubicon That he ordered.

”6% under invoice of $56639 was $53242 on my deal, which was 11.55% under the MSRP of $60195.”

Of course you can scale down to a Sport S or Willys perhaps, but same rough economics apply - he paid around 11.5% below MSRP.

Direct link: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/recommended-dealers-list.1227/post-1615048

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