Using a Rubicon as a daily driver

[Rural Applachia]

We own both a Rubicon and a Sport S. We own a business that involves driving a lot on dirt and gravel roads. We have a 2005 Rubicon bought in 2005 used strickly for business for its tires Goodyear Wranglers A/T. For the 2018 Sport S we have the Dana 44 Rear Axle and I can't recall brand factory A/T tires. (Not a brand I would buy) We get a much smoother ride on the Sport S. We don't off road but do a lot off dirt and gravel every day. Sport is used about 50% business

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[YoBub]

I have a 2102 JKUR that I use as a daily driver. I'm at 130k miles and still going strong, mostly highway miles.

I bought the Rubicon because I liked the overall handling better that the Sport - I had a 2008 Sport with 85k miles before this.

I found that the stock tires wear very quickly and get loud around 20k miles - I went through two sets before switching to Firestone Destination ATs, which have worked out great. (Yes, I rotated them regularly)

While most of my driving is highway, I have taken my Rubi to Moab , and needed every bit of the offroad capabilities. So for me, it's a great blend.

If you can swing it price wise, I would keep the stock Rubi tires for offroading, and replace them with a high quality set of highway tires for day to day - I think it will save you money in the long run. The Firestones have worked out great for me. Easy to swap out as you need it.

Obviously if you drive your jeep for looks more than for function, just keep the stock tires and you will be fine.

If you have any doubts, no need to. You will love it.

 

[Zazoh]

Daily driver and feels smooth to me. I came from Mini Cooper Sport S with Run Flat tires. Talk about a rough jarring ride. I fear the bumps in the road no more.

 

[GGolds]

My JLUR is a daily driver and my kids LUV it. My wife & I drive into work together every day. Having said that, I do prefer my wife’s Mercedes for long road trips though...hard to beat the ventilated seats & radar-enabled cruise control

P.S. Stock tires are great on road

Radar enabled cruis is available on the 19 Wrangler as is auto breaking.

 

[Poromenos]

2018 JLUR and Its my DD. Commute about 3 hours a day with it. Highway and NYC driving. I put it in garages and parallel park it on busy city streets. No issues or regrets. I love it. Believe it or not the wrangler is great for city driving.

 

[viper88]

You definitely went to the other side from z4 to JL. It will be hard to ever go back to a small car now. I went from an e92 supercharged m3 to a f350 lariat. Then went to a jkus, which took adjustment. Then when the new corvette came out I went to see it and I ran out of the dealer feeling clusterphobic. I will never go back to a sports car.

I love Wranglers but never say never. lol. Nothing like the rush of a lighting quick, super agile sport car on a race track or winding road for me. Did you try the C7 convertible or coupe? Convertibles really help with the claustrophobic feeling.

 

[viper88]

2018 JLUR and Its my DD. Commute about 3 hours a day with it. Highway and NYC driving. I put it in garages and parallel park it on busy city streets. No issues or regrets. I love it. Believe it or not the wrangler is great for city driving.

I think the Wrangler is the perfect urban warrior!

 

[Carbonalpine]

I love Wranglers but never say never. lol. Nothing like the rush of a lighting quick, super agile sport car on a race track or winding road for me. Did you try the C7 convertible or coupe? Convertibles really help with the claustrophobic feeling.

That’s exactly what I thought, I tried the coupe at the dealer. Even though the top was transparent, I felt like I was driving a tiny rocket. The sales guy had to sit in an angle because of the curve the center console/dash has. The convertible does look a lot more comfortable but since I’m in miami I figured I’d have to drop the top the whole time and I’d suffer that humid heat.

I also don’t want to be like all the other guys my age that I see all the time. Driving convertible corvettes with 24 year old girlfriends hahaha

 

[viper88]

That’s exactly what I thought, I tried the coupe at the dealer. Even though the top was transparent, I felt like I was driving a tiny rocket. The sales guy had to sit in an angle because of the curve the center console/dash has. The convertible does look a lot more comfortable but since I’m in miami I figured I’d have to drop the top the whole time and I’d suffer that humid heat.

I also don’t want to be like all the other guys my age that I see all the time. Driving convertible corvettes with 24 year old girlfriends hahaha

The clear top is a lot better then the solid top in terms of feeling roomier. I know what you mean about the C7 feeling like a tiny rocket. The C7 has a long hood compared to some other sports cars. The longer hood makes the car feel larger then it actually is. You find yourself creeping into intersections more so you can see cross traffic. 911s are almost exactly the same length as the C7 but feels much smaller. The 911 feels smaller because you sit about 14"-16" farther up towards the front wheels. The C7 has a lot of hood. This gives the illusion that the 911 is smaller because there is less hood to look over. All sport cars low and all Wranglers are high. There are always trade offs. lol. Can't make a wrong decision. Wranglers and sport cars all have their place in the world. It's nice to have choices.

I am envious of your locale. I have visited Miami and the South Beach area several times. I love it!! The Miami area is definitely going to be on the short list for retirement when its time. Have to love the ocean, beaches, sunny days and palm trees! Definitely a lot of attractive people of all ages. lol.

 

[Carbonalpine]

The clear top is a lot better then the solid top in terms of feeling roomier. I know what you mean about the C7 feeling like a tiny rocket. The C7 has a long hood compared to some other sports cars. The longer hood makes the car feel larger then it actually is. You find yourself creeping into intersections more so you can see cross traffic. 911s are almost exactly the same length as the C7 but feels much smaller. The 911 feels smaller because you sit about 14"-16" farther up towards the front wheels. The C7 has a lot of hood. This gives the illusion that the 911 is smaller because there is less hood to look over. All sport cars low and all Wranglers are high. There are always trade offs. lol. Can't make a wrong decision. Wranglers and sport cars all have their place in the world. It's nice to have choices.

I am envious of your locale. I have visited Miami and the South Beach area several times. I love it!! The Miami area is definitely going to be on the short list for retirement when its time. Have to love the ocean, beaches, sunny days and palm trees! Definitely a lot of attractive people of all ages. lol.

I’ve decided to retire here, I gotta day it’s not as glamorous and fun as everyone thinks. Vacationing here is totally different than living here. I won’t mention how I live, but for what I paid for my house I could’ve bought a 10 bedroom mansion somewhere else. Heck, you don’t even have to go far...my pal in Lakeland retired in a 4,500 sq foot house and he paid $180k new construction. Miami real estate is out of control! Our taxes are double and sometimes triple, insurances are sky high, the general cost of living is about 3 times over most other nice retirement places.

And if you don’t know Spanish, you will likely starve. I’ve had to walk out of countless establishments because my waiter didn’t know a single word of English. I have a daughter which loves this city and schools, once she’s old enough I’m moving up north.

Side note: Yes there are plenty of money hungry Latin young women which will throw themselves at you. I actually don’t mind anymore and I tell my beautiful wife so we can have a laugh.

 

[bmac]

That’s exactly what I thought, I tried the coupe at the dealer. Even though the top was transparent, I felt like I was driving a tiny rocket. The sales guy had to sit in an angle because of the curve the center console/dash has. The convertible does look a lot more comfortable but since I’m in miami I figured I’d have to drop the top the whole time and I’d suffer that humid heat.

I also don’t want to be like all the other guys my age that I see all the time. Driving convertible corvettes with 24 year old girlfriends hahaha

The C7 is tighter than my C5's were. I sold my last C5 with the intention of buying a new Corvette. I found it a little too cramped for me. The latest Camaro was a different story. It is built on the latest Cadillac chassis, lost some weight, and gained some power. It is equipped with the Corvette drivetrain. With the 1LE package it is a very competitive sports car to some of the best cars available. If I go back to a sports car that will be the one.

For my next car I am eyeing a new Rubicon or 2017+ 1LE Camaro. Right now, the edge is going to the Wrangler. The reality is that I didn't drive my Corvettes very much as I prefer to ride my motorcycles when the weather is nice. I would likely drive the Rubicon quite a bit more.

I spend most of the winter in the cheap seats, Silver Springs, FL just outside of Ocala. It is on the edge of Ocala National Forest so a good place to play with a Jeep.

 

[viper88]

I’ve decided to retire here, I gotta day it’s not as glamorous and fun as everyone thinks. Vacationing here is totally different than living here. I won’t mention how I live, but for what I paid for my house I could’ve bought a 10 bedroom mansion somewhere else. Heck, you don’t even have to go far...my pal in Lakeland retired in a 4,500 sq foot house and he paid $180k new construction. Miami real estate is out of control! Our taxes are double and sometimes triple, insurances are sky high, the general cost of living is about 3 times over most other nice retirement places.

And if you don’t know Spanish, you will likely starve. I’ve had to walk out of countless establishments because my waiter didn’t know a single word of English. I have a daughter which loves this city and schools, once she’s old enough I’m moving up north.

Side note: Yes there are plenty of money hungry Latin young women which will throw themselves at you. I actually don’t mind anymore and I tell my beautiful wife so we can have a laugh.

I can't imagine a 4500 sq ft home for $180K? A 4500 sq ft home in Chicago would be in the millions in any decent neighborhood. Real Estate Taxes are sky high. We have the highest sales tax in the nation. And the City, County, State is still broke! I need to get out sooner than later. lol.

I would like to be on the water if I decide to make the move. I looked at condos in the Coconut Grove and Bal Harbour areas 5 years ago and again a couple of months ago. Prices did go up. I was told all new construction is getting more expensive due to tariffs on building materials. That plus all the endless influx of buyers from Latin America who are swarming to the Miami areas. They are driving prices up. I have friends who live in the Tampa area so I know where Woodland is. Property in Miami and the rest of FL seems like a different planet once you get off the water and move inland. Prices seem to drop considerably. I would consider other options outside of Miami as long as it was on the water. Maybe the Gulf side or further north? I need to take more trips and look into it. I am still a ways from even considering retiring so I am just curious for now. In the mean time I will visit other parts of FL. Hopefully in a new JL!

Thankfully Spanish is kind of easy to learn. Key basic words anyway. lol.

 

[Carbonalpine]

Housing in Chicago is getting pricy also. Real Estate Taxes are sky high. We have the highest sales tax in the nation. And the City, County, State is still broke! lol.

I would like to be on the water if I decide to make the move. I looked at condos in the Coconut Grove and Bal Harbour areas 5 years ago and again a couple of months ago. Prices did go up. I was told all new construction is getting more expensive due to tariffs on building materials. That plus all the endless influx of wealthy buyers from Latin America who are swarming to the Miami areas. I have friends who live in the Tampa area so I know where Woodland is. Property in FL seems like a different planet once you get off the water. I would consider other options outside of Miami. Maybe the Gulf side? I need to take trips and look into it. I am still a ways from even considering retiring so I am just curious for now. In the mean time I will visit other parts of FL. Hopefully in a new JL!

Thankfully Spanish is kind of easy to learn. Basic word anyway. lol.

Yeah Bal Harbour is nice but not for retirement, very boring. Coconut Grove is nice as well, but houses could cost you several millions on the water, condos are going for about $400 a foot. I'm a real estate developer and my bread and butter was actually new construction homes in pinecrest. There are parts of pinecrest which hug Matheson Hammocks which is one of our nicer Marinas (more mature avid boaters). I actually live in a small area called Schenley Park because it's walking distance to Children's Hospital, I've never moved. If I decide to move and stay within Miami, Pinecrest is where I'd go. STAY FAR AWAY from Brickell!!

 

[viper88]

Yeah Bal Harbour is nice but not for retirement, very boring. Coconut Grove is nice as well, but houses could cost you several millions on the water, condos are going for about $400 a foot. I'm a real estate developer and my bread and butter was actually new construction homes in pinecrest. There are parts of pinecrest which hug Matheson Hammocks which is one of our nicer Marinas (more mature avid boaters). I actually live in a small area called Schenley Park because it's walking distance to Children's Hospital, I've never moved. If I decide to move and stay within Miami, Pinecrest is where I'd go. STAY FAR AWAY from Brickell!!

I am going to look on a map to see where some of the areas you are talking about are. Thanks for the insight. Did you find a dealer you could work with to buy your JL from ?

 

[Carbonalpine]

I am going to look on a map to see where some of the areas you are talking about are. Thanks for the insight. Did you find a dealer you could work with to buy your JL from ?

I did not, local dealers have been playing too many games and I can't afford to get worked up over this. I've been talking to Chriswell and transport companies, but now that the snow birds are flocking down...rates have gone up. Almost totally wipes out any under invoice savings.

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