Ready to order 1st Jeep, a Rubicon. Advice from Jeep sages?

[D60]

The turbo is fun but search YT for "mild hybrid." WAY too complex for what I wanted for 'wheeling & remote camping.

There's also rumors of the system kicking in at the wrong time when "bumping" obstacles and causing near rollovers. This may be false but I know for what I do precise, predictable throttle control is mandatory.

I also wonder what'll happen to that huge 48V li-ion battery in 5, 10 years....or if it sits uncharged for months at a time (I'm a fan of li-ion but on my Milwaukee tools I just slide another battery on and slap the other on the wall charger - can't exactly do this with your Jeep)

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[wibornz]

I say always buy more than you think you need because your needs change and you may grow into a 4dr capacity. The milage is the same and over the long haul the cost is not that much different.

Of the options that you listed, I would add the proximity keys. I have them on my other car and wish everyday that I would have ordered it on my Jeep.

I would also order the premium sound. Over the years, you will spend many hours in a vehicle. The cost for the premium sound ends up being small change at the end of the day. And you will use the stereo more than just about any option.

 

[wibornz]

One more thing is shop right and get the Jeep for 5 or 6% under invoice, it will pay for the options anyways. So just do your shopping and get it the way you want it.

 

[Columbus104]

The wife and I decided on a 2-door Rubicon, with several options. This will be my/our first Jeep, it's for a daily driving car and occasionally light off-road use. Also, we'll be going on 1,000 vacation trips, mostly by interstates. We'd like advice from someone other than a retail Jeep salesman. Ideas and comments, please?

For example: 2.0 liter turbo, a relatively new engine. We'll get an automatic transmission with or without the turbo. Is the turbo a good idea or not? We want a matching color hard-top. Is a hard-top liner helpful for noise and stability? We need a trailer hitch for a motorcycle trailer and medium-small bass boat. Class-II is the standard option. Is an upgrade to class-III advisable?

Options we're set on are below... are there other packages that are better?

Cold weather package, trailer towing package, floor mats, body color matching hard-top and liner, steel bumper group, LED light group, safety group, adaptive cruise control group, stainless door guards.

We're "wee little" people: ;-) I'm 5'6" and wife is 5'0". The Rubicons we've tested were quite a big step up! Maybe some step-up help like black pipes?

The total retail from the Jeep "Build and Price" site is $51,405.

Any worthwhile maintenance/warranty packages available?

Thanks in advance, John and Lisa

Where do you live? Overall I think both engines are great and fairly comparable. However there's one big exception to that. If you live at elevation (Colorado, Utah, etc), then definitely get the 4-cylinder. Naturally aspirated engines lose a great deal of power at elevation, but turbochargers help to correct this. I live in Ohio and am perfectly happy with my V6, but my friend in Aspen will only consider a 2.0T for that reason.

Of course may also want to factor in the number of miles you'll be driving. The better fuel economy in the turbo may also offset the higher cost if you drive a great deal.

 

[D60]

Don’t forget to join Tread Lightly. For $100 you can get an affiliate code for 1% below invoice price. Also not knowing your location there are several dealerships discounting custom orders giving you another 7% below the Tread Lightly price.

Also OP remember to look at the WHOLE picture - 8% below invoice but then add back in a $600+ dealer fee is not exactly 8% (or even that close to 8)

The small dealers around me charge a $350 fee...point being you could get fewer points off but break even with a lesser fee

As for your hitch questions...if they're both 2" square I dunno if I'd say it matters much. Since you're looking at a 2 door I wouldn't personally pull much weight with it anyway. Short wb's plus trailers scare me.

 

[TRZ]

Of the options that you listed, I would add the proximity keys. I have them on my other car and wish everyday that I would have ordered it on my Jeep.
.

Good call!! Of the items listed in the thread “Things I wish I had ordered”, this item seems to be the most popular.

 

[D60]

I kinda wish I'd gotten the leather for the rear armrest/cupholders and the provided gap hider.

I'm really glad I did NOT get BSM - don't need it, don't want it and it only causes problems with potential body armor later, plus Teraflex has a video conclusively proving it'll stop you dead if another vehicle parks too close to you. Thankfully 4lo disables it, but someone like my mom (who had this happen on her new Cherokee) would never be able to pull my Wrangler into low range, and she wouldn't understand it has to be rolling, plus that may not be possible. I hope Me Too doesn't come after me now that I suggested a woman might not be able to do something....

(hiding in the corner)

 

[viper88]

Welcome to the forum.

You don't mention which part of the country you are in. Selling prices vary greatly by region. We can make suggestions for dealers and engine choice if we know what area you are in. A forced induction turbo is better for higher elevations, mountains, hills. Turbos do not loose power at elevation.

Definitely drive both the 2.0 Turbo and 3.6 engines back to back. Drive both as many times as you feel comfortable. Make sure both are "like" Rubicon models. Ask the sales person to "NOT" tell you which engine you are driving. You will definitely notice differences. One will be more fun to drive and have more oomph. Pay attention to the Start-Stop function. Is one less noticeable and smoother?

Like you, I daily drive, do 1000+ mile road trips, plan on visiting National Parks, light off-road. I own a 2-door Rubicon with the 2.0 Turbo. I test drove both engines a lot prior to ordering. A couple of friend's have the 3.6 and we swapped a few times after taking delivery. I don't think you can go wrong with either engine choice. I really like both. The 3.6 is slightly quieter and has a more liner power delivery. More refine, I guess? The 2.0 has more torque which makes it feel more powerful and fun. The 2.0 feels more agile and seems to make power more easily. Passing on highway is surprisingly effortless. What would I choose if I were to redo it all? Personally I would probably buy another 2.0 if I had to do it all again. I just like the added torque and driving dynamics a bit more. The electronic start stop works a lot better with the 2.0 also. Would I be happy with the 3.6 if there was no other engine choice? YES, but I would definitely turn OFF the ESS for daily driving. Like I said there really is no bad choice. Everyone's preferences are different.

You will definitely want to add steps so it's easier to get in and out of. There are a few options. A cheap and easy solution the factory Mopar side steps. The step is wide and easy to use. They look good and do the job for about $250. A added advantage is they will protect your rear fenders from being blasted by rocks. One possible disadvantage is you have to remove the factory Rubicon rock rails. I think for your application, no rock climbing, you are good. You can also get Roam steps for about $450-$500. The Roam steps have the rock rail protection but the step is much smaller. Look up Roam steps.

You can search in this forum for what options people most regret not getting. Some options are easily added afterwards. Other options are impossible to add. Most will cost a lot more then what the options would have cost initially with a new order. The proximity door locks and 8.4" are exclusive to the Rubicon, Sahara, Moab and are near impossible to add afterwards. I would add the proximity door locks and 8.4" Infotainment w/ Alpine. You will appreciate and use these options every day.

A added bonus of the 8.4" Infotainment w/ Alpine AND the 2.0 Turbo engine is Automatic Noise Correction. ANC helps reduce ambient noise inside the cabin electronically. ANC is only available with the 2.0 engine not the 3.6. ANC definitely helps keep the cabin quieter.

Some people hold on to cars and others seller trade before the warranty is a issue. You have a factory warranty that covers bumper-bumper for 36 months and 36K miles. 48 months, 50K power train. 7 year, 80K for Federal Emissions that also cover the 48V hybrid battery and system. You can buy a Mopar backed extended warranty if you feel you need more. You do not have to make a decision on this when you buy. You have until 48 months to add the extended warranty if you feel you will want or need it. There are several dealers who sell the Mopar Extended Warranties for a discount. 10 year 125K bumper to bumper with $100 deductible seems to run around $3000. Personally I might consider rolling the money for the extended warranty back into a new vehicle? You will have lot of time to consider warranty. lol.

I think you will will love your Rubicon! What color are you considering?

 

[ricku]

And don't forget to learn the "Jeep Wave" .

 

[swozey]

The OEM hardtop headliner is a joke and after seeing Hotheads actual headliners far and away my worst option purchase. Google a picture of the OEM vs hotheads. One of my OEM pieces glue melted and it fell on my head. It's super thin carpeted plastic/cardboard/whatever. That's it.

 

[snowren24]

Upgrade the stereo at least to get Apple/Google car play if it isnt standard on the 2019s.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

I’m hardly a sage seeking how I have just over 100 miles on mine and have just one trip to work under my belt, but I would absolutely recommend the upgraded 8.4”/ Alpine system. I’m loving it.

We had a hard too on our JKUR and put liners in and they did help with noise and heat.

 

[JohnAndLisa]

Thanks again for the advice. There are three Jeep dealers around town. One in the city, two are rather "rural." I'll be going by each in the next few days getting drive-out price with my 2011 RAV4 as a trade, and without. The 2-door Rubicon will be a special order.

I'll certainly report back with results of the purchase.... and photos when I've taken delivery.

John and Lisa

 

[HealthRebel]

The wife and I decided on a 2-door Rubicon, with several options. This will be my/our first Jeep, it's for a daily driving car and occasionally light off-road use. Also, we'll be going on 1,000 vacation trips, mostly by interstates. We'd like advice from someone other than a retail Jeep salesman. Ideas and comments, please?

For example: 2.0 liter turbo, a relatively new engine. We'll get an automatic transmission with or without the turbo. Is the turbo a good idea or not? We want a matching color hard-top. Is a hard-top liner helpful for noise and stability? We need a trailer hitch for a motorcycle trailer and medium-small bass boat. Class-II is the standard option. Is an upgrade to class-III advisable?

Options we're set on are below... are there other packages that are better?

Cold weather package, trailer towing package, floor mats, body color matching hard-top and liner, steel bumper group, LED light group, safety group, adaptive cruise control group, stainless door guards.

We're "wee little" people: ;-) I'm 5'6" and wife is 5'0". The Rubicons we've tested were quite a big step up! Maybe some step-up help like black pipes?

The total retail from the Jeep "Build and Price" site is $51,405.

Any worthwhile maintenance/warranty packages available?

Thanks in advance, John and Lisa

I have owned two 2-door Jeeps in the past. My next one will be a 4-door. The Unlimited (4-door) will ride a lot smoother, especially at highway speeds of 70+ mph, and gives you a lot more room. This is something others have already commented on. Also, although I am not a fan of the painted hardtop (just personal preference... I like the 2 tone difference), both of my previous Wranglers had non-painted fenders. The plastic used for the fenders will require some maintenance if you want to keep them looking black. They tend to weather pretty quickly without some type of protectant on them and will look faded. For this reason, my next one will have painted fenders.

It's YOUR Jeep! Get it decked out the way you want it. Personally, I will be going for the 4-door Rubicon even though I will never push my $50K+ Rubicon to its limit. I like the rugged factory Rubicon look better than the Sahara and Sport models. Mine will NOT have any type of steps on it. Not a fan. Just pull harder to get in and enjoy the slide getting out. Lol!!! No right or wrong here. Again make the Jeep yours! Good luck!

 

[ViperJon]

If you go for the tiny turbo engine I'd strongly recommend a good extended warranty. In a few years you'll be happy you did.
!

You're a pathetic broken record. Can you ever let it go or is it a mental imbalance?

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