DanW
Well-Known Member
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Well, we've reached the 1 year anniversary of taking delivery of the JLUR. It doesn't seem that long, but we've had some real adventures with her. Here are some thoughts after living with her for awhile.
I'm hoping for a few hundred thousand miles and probably at least two decades with this thing. It is off to a great start, so the odds are ever increasing that she'll go the distance. Can't wait to see what adventures it takes us on in 2019! I couldn't be more thrilled with year 1.
This is a pic from just after delivery, before any lift or mods. The next is a recent pic.
- Fit and finish upon delivery were impeccible. The only flaw I found on the whole thing, after hand waxing and going over it with a fine tooth comb, was a drip of window adhesive that had gotten onto the side of the hard top under the rear quarter panel. That's it. After a year of handwashing and admittedly OCD hand waxing, I still haven't found another flaw, even underneath on/around the frame or in/under the engine compartment. I avoided fuses not seated, bad welds, etc. Mine was perfect. That's pretty darned good for a December 2017 build that was in the first month or two of production.
- Not only do I have no regrets on the manual transmission, I'm 100% thrilled with it. It is better in every way than I'd imagined, which isn't surprising, considering I spent the previous 10 years driving a JK with an NSG 370 which puts the "uck" in "truck transmission." My manual was apparently (according to my dealership's manager), the first one delivered in Indiana. It was likely in the first major production batch for the JL. It has had zero problems and survived my brother in law and wife absolutely smoking the clutch as they mistakenly tried to launch in 5th gear. (I still cringe at the thought of it). I've towed my fishing boat quite a bit with it, too.
- I feel the same way about the 3.6 as the transmission. (Not a knock on the 2.0. It is sounding like it is off to a great start and is a little powerhouse. I'd have considered it if available with a manual.) It has been great and has pepped up a bit since new, seeming a bit more free-revving and having some of the low rpm jerkyness (typical of manual transmissions). It is really smooth, quiet, and sounds GREAT going through the gears with the Magnaflow axle-back exhaust. Gas mileage has consistently been better than my JK, even with 35's (vs. 33's). I know, it is a lopsided comparison in every way with the old 3.8 in that JK.) I've done a used oil analysis after each oil change and they look great for the context they were in, from break-in to the last one at 9,xxx miles. The next oil change is still a little ways off, but we'll do another then. The engine seems to like Mobil 1 Ep and AP 0w20.
- Interior. Love it. My kids love the back seat, as it has more room and is more comfortable than the JK, plus it has power outlets. They also love the wifi. I'm 6'5" tall, and have not had an issue. I've got the seat and wheel adjusted just right. After 22 hours each way to and from Moab, and really spending an entire week behind the wheel, I had no cramps, soreness, or body fatigue from being in this Jeep. I've done the same trip in the JK and while I find it comfortable, it doesn't compare. After about 5 hours in the JK, I need to stretch to get rid of muscle fatigue in my hamstrings and lower back.Honestly, the JL is more comfortable on the long haul than any of my vehicles, including a Mercedes E 430.
- Steering. Mine was right from the start. I did have to get a new steering stabilizer. Mine developed a slight wobble when hitting bumps at 55mph. The dealership replaced it and it seems fine, for now. If it returns, i'll try the Fox 2.0 or the Teraflex. Otherwise, my steering feels fine. Best of the 3 Jeeps I've owned.
- Off-road. She is a BEAST! The Mopar lift is awesome. I love the ride on road, but off road, it is in its element. We ran it hard for 5 days straight, from the highway, to the Rimrocker (160 miles) to Moab, then another 22 hour drive home, the Fox shocks were simply outstanding. My buddy blew out a brand new Pro-Comp monotube shock in the middle of the trip. His shocks were very warm to the touch after each workout. The Fox aluminum bodies were cool to the touch. The ride and flex are perfect. Any more flex and tires would be rubbing in a couple places.
- KO2 tires. Love them. They are wearing perfectly. They've been outstanding on-road and off. They surprised me in the mud, too. They weren't nearly as disadvantaged to the KM2's I ran on the JK as I thought they'd be. They didn't chunk any worse than the KM2's after all those miles on rocks, either. The other Jeeps with me had much more aggressive mud tires and I never felt disadvantaged on any terrain. In sand, I felt they had a significant advantage over them. The C-load rating really rides nice, too, and I haven't found the sidewalls to be weak, at all. I doubt it was just luck, because we really gave them a workout and they have the scuffs and scratches on the sidewall to show they weren't babied.
- Uconnect. Love it. The user interface is outstanding and the Alpine sounds awesome, even with doors off and top down at 70mph. I don't have the off-road pages yet, but should get them Wednesday. No biggie.
- Other things that have impressed: The soft top is amazing. From the material to the zipperless windows to the way it folds, it is easily the best factory Jeep top yet. It also doesn't have any leaks. Yes, it does have the dreaded gutter pour at the front doors in rain, but who cares? It is a Jeep and it has drain holes in the floor liners, which my other Jeeps, which all did this, did not. You had to take out the floor mats and carpets to get the drains open. Love it! The auxillary buttons are great. This thing is just so easy to wire up with lights, thanks to this option. I've got two sets of auxillary lights using two buttons. Next up will be Rigid Industries floods for the rear bumper. The Molle webbing on the seatbacks is a cool feature. I've got my tool kit and a trauma kit on there. LED headlights. Wow, they are bright! I had a 14" light bar (spot) on the front bumper. They added so little to the brights that I took it off and replaced it with incandescent driving lights as a backup, in case the LED's ice over. (Hasn't happened yet.) Vastly improved rear visibility is great, with easy flip down headrests and the wiper mechanism being placed on the bottom. Even with a 35" tire on the rear, it has MUCH better visibility than my JK. The rear camera and parking assist is just gravy.
I'm hoping for a few hundred thousand miles and probably at least two decades with this thing. It is off to a great start, so the odds are ever increasing that she'll go the distance. Can't wait to see what adventures it takes us on in 2019! I couldn't be more thrilled with year 1.
This is a pic from just after delivery, before any lift or mods. The next is a recent pic.
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