Ya'll will probably hate me, but here goes...

[Wanted33]

OP - not sure your timeline or where you’ve looked in Charlotte. LKN Jeep sucks but I had a good experience at Hendrick. I would be happy to help you out in the “what’s what” category but am currently out of town. Post up in the regional forums, lots of Charlotte folks in there that would help out a rookie.

Matt, I had the exact opposite experience. Hendrick-bad, Lake Norman-good. The only thing I can figure is it must be in the sales staff we dealt with. Oh well, that's the way it goes in car sales.

OP, if you are used to owning truck I suggest, from experience, you go with a Gladiator. Like you I've owned truck for years, but I decided I want a Jeep also. I looked at the Gladiator, but I went with Sahara. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the Sahara and completely happy with the vehicle. But, but in two weeks I was wondering about what I would do if I needed a truck. That beat on me until I couldn't stand it, so I bought a used Toyota pickup. However, that's just my experience, and your's may be different. I just wanted to pass that along to you for some food for thought. Good luck on your decision.

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[cosine]

if you are going to tow something that requires a class 4 hitch then you're limited to a gladiator and the v6. if you want to get a wrangler as a 2nd vehicle, then you can choose your liking as for a 2 dr, 4dr and what trim level you want. your $40k budget can get you in a 2dr or 4 dr sport s depending on the options. sahara and rubicon will be higher in price.

just something to consider, if you want a jeep as a daily drive and have to have a class 4 hitch. get a gladiator sport.
if its a 2nd ride, get a wrangler sport with less options. you can pick them up at a lower price and with some money leftover you can buy some aftermarket stuff.

 

[Wabujitsu]

With my JLU Sport, I can easily haul eight 50 pound bags of feed and four bales of hay - probably more. Anything more than that, I take my wife’s van or I hook my trailer up to my Wrangler.

 

[melendez69]

Those were some ominous-looking clouds when that was taken. Nice background, though.

 

[Jabakkarabbit]

Lots to ponder here. I am sooooo glad I popped in here because the knowledge passed on in this thread is, well, slightly overwhelming.

One more thought, though.

If I get the Gladiator Sport S and stick with my pattern of trading in often, would I just be better off spending more now? What I'm trying to ask is trade-in value. I'm afraid that in 2 years, a Rubicon or Sahara will be more in demand, and not a strpped out Sport S. Or does that defeat the entire experience? If I do some upgrades, maybe it will be smarter to just keep for the long haul. And do after market add ons matter to the dealer come trade-in time?

 

[Badweissenbier]

A rubicon will most always bring a premium.
I don’t think aftermarket add ons do. Generally most vehicles are worth what the original vehicle books for at trade in. If you put a lot of aftermarket add ons I think your way better trying to private sale it.

 

[melman8r]

The 4 cylinder is direct injection, stay away!

 

[blnewt]

Just be wise to the fact that some dealers still have 2018 JKs on their lot, so when they say they have a 2018 Jeep for well below what you're seeing newer 2019s or even 2020s look closer. Don't want to start your new Jeep experience w/ a 2007 design

G luck w/ your quest, let us know how this goes, FWIW love our 2 dr JL Sport S w/ V6 Auto.

As much as I love Rubicons, having a blank slate and making it your own is fun too!

 

[cosine]

Lots to ponder here. I am sooooo glad I popped in here because the knowledge passed on in this thread is, well, slightly overwhelming.

One more thought, though.

If I get the Gladiator Sport S and stick with my pattern of trading in often, would I just be better off spending more now? What I'm trying to ask is trade-in value. I'm afraid that in 2 years, a Rubicon or Sahara will be more in demand, and not a strpped out Sport S. Or does that defeat the entire experience? If I do some upgrades, maybe it will be smarter to just keep for the long haul. And do after market add ons matter to the dealer come trade-in time?

one thing you have to check is the tow specs with all 3 trim level of the gladiator. i think that the rubicon model has less tow rating as to the sport or overland models.

just to clarify, the sport is the base model starting in a stripped form. the sport s model has options like power windows, locks, etc.

i dont know about the trade ins since i'm a long term owner, plus trade ins can be a rip off. with that said i think the trade in on the wranglers in general are in high demands due to the high resales and dealership can sale them at a ridicules high price. gladiators is hard to tell since they just came out. if i had to guess, it could be a slow resale since dealers arent selling them as well as the wranglers.

as to modding the jeep and trading it in, again dealers are going to look at the value of the jeep, then might offer a little more for the aftermarkets. i can tell you this. the dealers will mark up a modded jeep higher then a stock jeep to make themselves a profit. which you would not see as much in the trade in. in that case you are better off selling it privately to get the best value.

keeping it for the long haul never hurts because your money goes further. and you can modded it to the way you like it and enjoy it for a long time. lets say you keep it for 5 to 10 years, the value in selling it privately is still good. just look on craiglist and see what a 10+ year old wrangler are going for in any conditions.

 

[¤|||||||¤]

The 4 cylinder is pushed for fuel economy. btw it has more power than the 6.
Auto trans are ordered because that’s what most people want these days.
Wranglers will only come with a class 2 receiver,3500 max tow but only on certain models.
gladiators have different tow ratings depending on trim as well.

Did this guy just say the 4 has more power than a 6?!

 

[Badweissenbier]

Torque is what you need to get going. Horsepower wins the race.
More torque will tow better, take off better and pull bigger tires better.
If you want to race a Jeep you might need more engine than either option. Lol
Yes the 6 has 20 more hp but the 4 has a lot more torque. So I will say I wasn’t completely right or wrong with that statement. It really depends on what’s important to you as to which you get.

 

[JSFoster75]

I've been getting a mid-sized pickup every year now since 2012. I've had the Canyon, a couple of Tacoma's and Frontiers, and even snubbed my nose at the girly Honda truck. But now I have the Jeep bug.

I've been snooping around your forum for 2 days now and just signed up because I am more confused now than ever.

I've never owned a Jeep, nor rode in one, and only recently test drove the Gladiator. And I have some questions. My local dealers carry more 4 cylinder Wranglers than 6. Why? I'd have never thought that a 4 cylinder would climb even the smallest hill. I guess they're popular...

My price point is about $40k, and I'm waffling between the Sport S of the Wrangler and the Gladiator. There's a dealer in Charlotte with 18's still on the lot. They want 30k for a retail 35k. It's a Wrangler Unlimited 4x4. Is this worth it, or has it already lost 2 years of value?

I'm used to the roominess of a mid-sized truck, so transitioning to a Jeep is kind of hard, but I just feel compelled to get a Jeep, so I will. I keep reading terms like Unlimited, JK, JL, well, you get it. I just want a good starter Jeep to drive around the farm. It has to tackle hills, terraces, thickets, mud, creeks. I'm guessing any Jeep will do that. Correct?

And as far as the add-ons, I need a spray in bed liner and a class 4 hitch. Would I be better off getting those after-market? And I've noticed that getting a manual is pretty difficult.

The Charlotte area dealerships all want to add on $1,800 in so-called ripoff dealership fees, so I'm going to deal with Galeana Jeep in Columbia SC, whose fee is sub-300.

I'm all over the place as you can see, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

BTW, the salesman in Columbia is Jersey Jeff. If any of you know of him, put in a good word for me. He'll be calling me back tomorrow.

We just bought two with the four cylinders, I can tell you they have more than enough power. They will flat out haul butt...

 

[Rwitzke]

Once you decide what you want call Tri-City Jeep. Best deal in NC and people come from as Far as Florida to buy here. No BS fees.. Best experience I have had with a dealer.

 

[Terminex]

I hate cats! so good thing i bought a JLU. In fact, now that i know this little factoid, i may have to go purchase another JLU or two

+1 what he said.

now if you told me God kills a puppy every time someone buys a 4 door, I would return mine, and get a 2 door......

 

[GGolds]

I've been getting a mid-sized pickup every year now since 2012. I've had the Canyon, a couple of Tacoma's and Frontiers, and even snubbed my nose at the girly Honda truck. But now I have the Jeep bug.

I've been snooping around your forum for 2 days now and just signed up because I am more confused now than ever.

I've never owned a Jeep, nor rode in one, and only recently test drove the Gladiator. And I have some questions. My local dealers carry more 4 cylinder Wranglers than 6. Why? I'd have never thought that a 4 cylinder would climb even the smallest hill. I guess they're popular...

My price point is about $40k, and I'm waffling between the Sport S of the Wrangler and the Gladiator. There's a dealer in Charlotte with 18's still on the lot. They want 30k for a retail 35k. It's a Wrangler Unlimited 4x4. Is this worth it, or has it already lost 2 years of value?

I'm used to the roominess of a mid-sized truck, so transitioning to a Jeep is kind of hard, but I just feel compelled to get a Jeep, so I will. I keep reading terms like Unlimited, JK, JL, well, you get it. I just want a good starter Jeep to drive around the farm. It has to tackle hills, terraces, thickets, mud, creeks. I'm guessing any Jeep will do that. Correct?

And as far as the add-ons, I need a spray in bed liner and a class 4 hitch. Would I be better off getting those after-market? And I've noticed that getting a manual is pretty difficult.

The Charlotte area dealerships all want to add on $1,800 in so-called ripoff dealership fees, so I'm going to deal with Galeana Jeep in Columbia SC, whose fee is sub-300.

I'm all over the place as you can see, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

BTW, the salesman in Columbia is Jersey Jeff. If any of you know of him, put in a good word for me. He'll be calling me back tomorrow.

You will never go wrong buying a Gladiator. Resale value on them is, will be the best of anything on the road much like all the Wranglers I've had. My 19 Wrangler Sahara JLU sticker was 55K and I won't lose a dime on it compared to just about everything else on the road. The Gladiator rides a LOT smoother as well using the Dodge Ram rear pickup suspension. Very smooth. I always lease most of the 40 Plus vehicles I've owned and never ever have any issues trading them in especially the Jeeps. These days no real difference anymore with Lease or finance. I don't care what anyone says, it's basically the same accept you don't throw away tons of money you have in your bank to some dealer as a down payment. You're nuts to do that. The 4cyl is a great strong motor. It's not the 70's anymore. Its a high performance Alpha Romeo sports car engine made to work in a Wrangler. I WONT and didn't buy it because it's still too risky for a Wrangler as far as reliability on that motor. I got the 6 auto. Perfect combo. I ordered every single option accept the color match top- I like the black top with the Mojito color. Oh, by the way I had a first year 05 Honda Ridgeline when it first came out and sold it after 157K miles of perfect reliability even towing a trailer regularly. No girly truck- better then the Fords, Chevy's, Toyota's, had them all. Enjoy.

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