New to Jeeps - looking at JL Wrangler Sport S

[rk911]

I would suggest: decide between a 2 door or 4 door, 4 cyl or 6 cyl, hard top or soft top, whichever suits you best. I noticed the JL has quite a few bells & whistles compared to the TJ's. I may have missed it but I've never read or heard anything about exhaust related issues.

Welcome to the forum and best of luck in your decision buddy.

Unless something has changed in the last year the Wrangler Sport will come with a standard hard top. A soft top is extra and cannot be substituted for the HT. At least that's what we were told. We bought a soft top and then sold the hard top. I don't know if that holds true with the Willys or Sahara models.

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[S2k Chris]

Unless something has changed in the last year the Wrangler Sport will come with a standard hard top. A soft top is extra and cannot be substituted for the HT. At least that's what we were told. We bought a soft top and then sold the hard top. I don't know if that holds true with the Willys or Sahara models.

No, believe soft top has always been standard, HT is an option.

 

[Ratbert]

Unless something has changed in the last year the Wrangler Sport will come with a standard hard top. A soft top is extra and cannot be substituted for the HT. At least that's what we were told. We bought a soft top and then sold the hard top. I don't know if that holds true with the Willys or Sahara models.

I'm pretty sure you were lied to. Maybe they had one on the lot that they were pushing?

 

[rock123]

Be sure to test drive a wrangler (in particular a 2 door, which handles a little worse) before you buy. It doesn’t handle too great compared to any other SUV on the market. I’ve owned multiple wranglers not because of the looks, open air capability but because of the solid axles, lockers, and 4:1 transfer case. Decide what you really need for your off road needs.

 

[rickinAZ]

Electrical issues, yes. Exhaust issues, never heard of a single one.

As for the electrical issues: The DAY that you bring it home, disconnect, but don't remove, the aux battery and remove the corresponding fuse (#42) - five minute job using just a 10mm wrench. A ten year-old could do it. The aux battery is the source of everything from CELs to sun spots.

I say "don't remove" in case you have a uber-picky dealer; you can reverse the disconnection for service visits. Plus...on gas-powered JLs the aux battery is hard to access (for complete removal).

 

[agpr2016]

2020 sport s 2.0t
Where it started:

Where it is now:

Put ~ 3k into her not counting tires.
Rubicon take off: 2.5" lift for $150
Apex quick disconnects
Bumper
Winch
Rock rails
On board air
Trail radio
Dead pedal
And a few other odds and ends.
75k miles without a hiccup.
Drive her every day to and for work.
Take her to the dirt whenever I can and she will tackle anything I've a mind to challenge her with.

It really doesn't take much to build a solid capability upgrade. Unless you plan on doing trails where lockers are a must - 6+ rated - The built in BLD will take you a lot further than you think. You can get more bang for your buck this way then springing for a Rubicon.

Four years on...I still smile every morning when I get behind the wheel. And that is priceless...

What blue is that? Beautiful rig btw...

 

[agpr2016]

I would look very closely at what a Willy’s cost over a Sport S comparably equipped if you plan to go off-road at all. For me, the difference is a couple grand equally optioned, and then you get better tires and a rear locker which is all most people will ever need. I had a Sport S, and it was great, but if it had had a rear locker I’d probably still be in it.

Let's not forget the higher gear axle ratio...I'm thinking of getting a manual...the higher gearing the in the Willys is a deal breaker

 

[Sidewalk]

The Wrangler is going to be more off road capable than anything out there, even in sport trim (with exception to expensive trucks). You don't need lockers and such. If that is something you want in the future, you can add that, you will want to regear it anyway at the same time.

Engine options were not an issue for me. It was either a manual transmission, or nothing. Luckily I wanted the V6 too which was the only option.

 

[Speed331]

What blue is that? Beautiful rig btw...

Ocean blue mettalic.
They discontinued it for the '21 model year. I slipped my order in just under the deadline in May of '20 - during the shutdown. Came off the line in the first couple of weeks after start up...

 

[The Last Cowboy]

If used is what you are set on, buy one that's completely stock. I understand your timing, but you should start looking now and buy the best one you can afford. Although sales have slowed considerably, things like a nice Jeep (especially in the spring) or nice pickups sell right away. So be ready to pull the trigger when you find the one you like.

As far as batteries, eliminate the auxiliary battery from the system if you find one with regular ESS. This is not a concern if you find one with eTorque. Replace the main battery with an H7/94R, which is the biggest battery that will fit. If you find one with a factory tow pkg, it will already have the larger battery. Battery issues are the most common complaint with JLs BTW.

With this Jeep, I took a very pragmatic approach as far as modifications go. My approach is to not fix anything until it breaks, then make it better when it does. So far, it's still stock for the most part. The tires, Firestone MT2s, at 24k miles are unbearable, so they will be gone soon. 33" ATs will replace them. The shocks aren't going to hold up much longer, so they will likely be replaced at about the same time as the tires. But everything for the most part has been good. It's never been back to the dealer. I replaced the batteries myself. In hindsight and after much reading here, the aux will be eliminated when the first sign of trouble shows again.

It's been really tough not lifting it, regearing, going with new wheels and 35s, etc, etc. But, so far, so good. It has served me well as is.

 

[YBABRAT]

Thanks everyione for more input. I found with 8spd auto and the type of off road plans, a locker will not be needed. Plus they are iffy in the used wranglers. Later on if I really enjoy greater challenges my money will be invested in a Gleason type helical locker on both axles. I will be looking around out of state as well. We'll see how my search goes. There are plenty of used JL's already customed with various off road upgrades. With bigger wheels / tires, bigger brakes will also be an addition.

 

[6.2Blazer]

My dad has a '19 he bought used several years ago. The only issue is that the heated steering wheel does not work (it's the S model with the "cold weather package" option). In regards to the exhaust, if you do some serious rock crawling with a stock JL you risk damaging the exhaust....and if you ran the same trails with just about any other vehicle you would damage something underneath of it also. Not like there is any unusual issue with the exhaust that is unique to a JL in those conditions.
I agree with several of the above posts. Start out with a lower level model like a Sport and work your way up. You can decide how much you really like off-roading, or how much you will actually do, and modify accordingly. I've been in the off-road world for a long time and been in several clubs. I've seen a lot of people think they want to get into off-roading and go out and buy a fully decked out vehicle. Then after a short period they realize they don't like off-roading that much, or simply don't need all the stuff they paid for. You don't need a Rubicon on 37's and $10,000 worth of accessories to have a lot of fun.

 

[rk911]

No, believe soft top has always been standard, HT is an option.

That wasn't the case when we bought our '23 JL last June. We intended to order one and were told the HT was std and the soft top was optional. Hard to believe the sales critter would make a mistake like that.

 

[YBABRAT]

Sport S from what I found makes HT standard while Sport had soft top standard. You would have to order what is not standard as an option. Then the order would have the two top option. Being you would get both soft and hard top while not getting any discount on a swap.

 

[jimcoffey62]

Thanks everyione for more input. I found with 8spd auto and the type of off road plans, a locker will not be needed. Plus they are iffy in the used wranglers. Later on if I really enjoy greater challenges my money will be invested in a Gleason type helical locker on both axles. I will be looking around out of state as well. We'll see how my search goes. There are plenty of used JL's already customed with various off road upgrades. With bigger wheels / tires, bigger brakes will also be an addition.

Pay attention to the axle. Prior to 2023 the sport and sport S ship with rear Dana 35 (M200) and nobody makes a helical that will fit. (I would love to be wrong on this).

I have a 2022 sport. Not the S. The basic sport with manual locks and manual windows. The only regret I have is not getting the factory LSD that was offered (because it comes with the bigger Dana 44, M220 axle.). In 2024 Jeep finally decided to put the larger dana44 rear axle in all trims except the Sahara.

The only rear traction options I can use for the Dana 35 is to buy a locker (or install a lunchbox which I don't really want to do). I'd rather have a helical.

Use the build and price tool at jeep.com to price out a new bare bones jeep. Use Ratbert's spreadsheet to see what discounts you could get. This number let's you know if it makes sense to buy used or not.

I love my soft top. Sunrider mode is amazing. 30 seconds to open/close and I have sky for both front and back seats. The jeep heater is powerful enough that even when it is below freezing outside I'm toasty warm with the top down and freeway driving. If it is not raining my top is open. The hard top "freedom" panels are much more clunky and difficult to remove/stash in the back.

click my build thread below for pics and details.

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