'06 100-series to '20 JLUR

[texascrane]

Hi All,

I'm considering selling my '06 LX470 and buying a new JLUR. I've got about 153k miles on the LX. It seems like a stock Rubicon is about as or more capable that my built LX470 (slee front/rear + lift + 33s, winch, comms, etc). I don't do any serious wheeling, but I like being able to run mild to moderate trails and do some camping - think Black Gap at Big Bend, trails in Big Bend Ranch state park, or Schnebly Hill and other moderate trails around Sedona.

I'm thinking about selling the cruiser along with my daily driver and just consolidating down to one vehicle as both a daily driver and trail vehicle. My offroad mileage is pretty limited these days with 2 kids - maybe 1 or two trips per year out to Big Bend. I'll probably spend more time hauling mountain bikes around to local trails. I do need to be able to fit a rear facing car seat and a booster in the back.

I'm curious if anybody else has made the switch and if there's anything I should know about the new Wranglers.

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[TrailTorque]

@texascrane

Welcome! So, everyone here is pretty biased as you could imagine lol

Objectively and as non-biased sounding as I can be I will say this:

The JL/JLR/JLU/JLUR are some great vehicles to accomplish what you mention. They are very mannered on the road and have extreme capabilities in stock forms.

It really sounds like you don’t need a Rubicon, but if you’re not much into full on builds or just don’t have the time I’d say just get the Rubicon Unlimited with the hardtop.

You'll find they are very nice on the road (aside from a few it’s a Jeep thing deals) and very capable as mentioned above. The JL is a great improvement to previous generations.

You should go test drive some Unlimited’s in different trim levels to get a feel for what you really need/want.

Anyways hope this helps a little.

 

[The Acme Company]

I would suggest that you rent a wrangler and drive it for a week and see how you like it.

Hertz has some in their fleet and Avis has added JT Gladiators to theirs.

The Jeep will not be as refined as the Lexus/Land Cruiser. I switched from BMW’s to Wrangler’s 9 years ago. It was easy for me because I had Jeep products in my twenties and thirties. Others like the look and image of the Jeep but aren’t prepared for the reality of its road noise and handling mannerisms. We on the forum are all biased toward our Jeep vehicles, but you really need to try before you buy.

just my opinion.

 

[00Sebby]

Hi All,

I'm considering selling my '06 LX470 and buying a new JLUR. I've got about 153k miles on the LX. It seems like a stock Rubicon is about as or more capable that my built LX470 (slee front/rear + lift + 33s, winch, comms, etc). I don't do any serious wheeling, but I like being able to run mild to moderate trails and do some camping - think Black Gap at Big Bend, trails in Big Bend Ranch state park, or Schnebly Hill and other moderate trails around Sedona.

I'm thinking about selling the cruiser along with my daily driver and just consolidating down to one vehicle as both a daily driver and trail vehicle. My offroad mileage is pretty limited these days with 2 kids - maybe 1 or two trips per year out to Big Bend. I'll probably spend more time hauling mountain bikes around to local trails. I do need to be able to fit a rear facing car seat and a booster in the back.

I'm curious if anybody else has made the switch and if there's anything I should know about the new Wranglers.

I bought a '20 JLUR a couple of months ago. Based on what I have read on this forum, mine is perfect. It has no steering issues or any of the other maladies that you will see here. So far, it is a great vehicle. It is my 2nd Rubicon unlimited as I also had a '12 JKUR. It is also my 8th Jeep. I have been a Jeep fan for a long time.

Though not a LX/Land Cruiser, I also still have my 2010 4Runner Trail with 155,000 miles on it which I planned on selling when I bought the Rubicon. Like you, I only do moderate off-roading as I am not going to purposefully bash any of my vehicles against trees and rocks. I primarily like being able to get off road enough for trout fishing and other places where there are few people. I have also driven it coast to coast, all the way from Massachusetts to Key West, and many places in between.

If I compare the two objectively, for my purposes, the 4Runner is a much better vehicle. It is great on the highway and extremely capable in the rough stuff, snow, mud, etc. Again, I am not rock-crawling. I never even think about the reliability or performance because it is so dependable and stable. It also looks great and is more comfortable, has more room, better cargo, better gas mileage, etc. etc.

The Jeep is great to look at, runs great, drives great, and has all the bells and whistles of a loaded new vehicle. I really like it. I know it is significantly more capable in conditions I will probably never subject it too. I wanted another Jeep really badly and I got exactly what I wanted. But after 3000 miles, I still worry about it in terms of dependability and the fact it's so damn expensive for what it is.

Today, I cleaned up the 4Runner so I could take pictures and get ready to sell it. I drove it about 60 miles to get groceries and run a couple of errands. It drives so nice, even at speeds up to 90mph. It is only worth about 1/4 of the Rubicon but it is only slightly less of a vehicle, mainly because of age and some of that off-road capability. I came home thinking why did I buy the Jeep with such a good vehicle. Now I'm thinking of putting the Wrangler up for sale.

I highly recommend renting one and spending a significant time behind the wheel. Try to live with it for a week or two and see how it compares to the LX. You may fall in love with it and never look back. Or trying it out may save you lots of money. If I had a Land Cruiser I would never have considered another Wrangler. And now I'm kind of feeling the same way with the lesser 4Runner. The Jeep has done nothing wrong but the 4Runner is really good.

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