2-door vs. 4-door -- All the Things Discussion

[The Last Cowboy]

@Varilux, StationWrangler. That’s a good one! I will be using that phrase now.

Most 4 doors around here are driven by soccer moms. Hotter and cooler than ordinary soccers moms though.

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[Wabujitsu]

Our four doors are farm trucks and hurricane bug out vehicles. With three cats, four dogs, and an African Grey parrot, that’s a ton of kennels. We need the space. Also, I can get hundreds of pounds of feed and multiple bales of hay in the back of a four door. When off-roading, I like the longer wheelbase while traversing obstacles. Having driven dozens of different types of military and civilian vehicles, for me the four door is completely capable for all of my needs.

 

[Wabujitsu]

Also, even the military goes with longer wheelbase vehicles, with four doors. Even the two door HMMWVs are the same length as the four doors.

 

[blnewt]

Looks just perfect to me!

 

[dalema]

I have a JLUR - only because I have 2 kids. Would maybe have even considered it with a split rear seat for the dog, but it was just a no go for me.

For only 2 people, with the occasional 3rd - I would have definitely gone with the 2-door.

So cant help you on the camping front - but I would load up the crosstrek and drive down to Normandin or Stevens Creek, and just tell them, you need 30 minutes with rig alone - and see what you can fit!

its an expensive decision - why not? I took a cooler and a dog bowl down to see what I could squeeze behind the back seats of a JLR. The answer is not much, but different with the seats out if that is how you would run.

On the parking issue - is that really an issue in SJ? It’s not exactly a NY or SF metropolis here - haha. Not sure that would be a deal breaker for me.

You’re going to be happy either way.

 

[entropy]

If they could have given us 4 more inches! that cooler almost fits.

 

[daveprice7]

If they could have given us 4 more inches! that cooler almost fits.

If this product gets updated for JL, you'd be golden. https://www.quadratec.com/p/poison-spyder/trail-gate-07-17-jeep-wrangler-jk

 

[Fatboy97]

You can’t go wrong with either, but to me the 2 door is perfect. Plenty of room for 2 to go camping. Removed back seat was the 1st thing I did. Purchased a storage rack for the 4 door and modified it to fit. Mounted front to fish bone off-road storage boxes and the rear to the seat mount bolts. I also removed the rear seatbelts as I will never use the back seat.

 

[GerJL]

This is a real interesting thread to me. I owned two JKURs and am ready for a JL, but don't know if I should go for a JLR, JLUR or sport and build it. I really don't have much experience or riding time with a 2 door but think it would work well for my use. Then just when I have myself convinced a 2 door will be okay, I start to think the 4 door wasn't that bad. May be I need one of both.

 

[Kluk Ztopolovky]

Hey Everyone - first, I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been discussed multiple times in some form or another, but searching through the threads I couldn't seem to find a detailed discussion on "this vs. that", just questions like "anyone have 2-door regret?"

So I'm soliciting advice, hoping to get people who have owned both and to have a serious conversation about pros and cons (mostly just pros) of owning both. I'm new here; planning on pulling the trigger on a used (new for me) JL, probably in the next 5 days, and trying to decide between 2-door and 4-door.

My heart leans 2-door but my mind raises its finger in the air to make a point and says, "eh hem, 4-door practicality, sir".

Some points and questions I've been considering:

• I love the look of the 2-door. Pretty subjective I know, but the more I stare at 4-doors the more I like them. Could I put 33's or 35's on it, even out the proportions, and learn to love it?
• Space, the elephant in the room (or final frontier). Mostly just my wife and I, we do a lot of car camping and some hike-in camping. I currently have a Subaru Crosstrek which on paper says there is more cargo space the 2-door JL. For car camping I wouldn't say there's barely enough room for our stuff but the car is pretty packed, and we've gotten pretty efficient with our kit.
  • Anybody with experience downsizing to a 2-door?
  • Could I do a roof rack to make up for lost space? Like this one?
  • There are times when I'd like to be able to bring a third person along (father or brother), again with the roof rack is that enough (I'm guessing no)?
  • 2-door + trailer setup just for when you have more than 2 people?
• Also, wife and I do a lot road tripping - Bay Area to Oregon, Southern California, Arizona, etc. Is the 4-door really more comfortable/stable on-road, or is that a myth?
• Size. Couple of points/questions here too and somewhat concerned about "capability".
  • I live in a urban environment in the Bay Area and the parkability/maneuverability of the 2-door is appealing.
  • I've heard/read that the turning radius of the JL has been improved for 4-door. My Crosstrek is actually longer than a JL and about a foot shorter than a JLU. Obviously the rear-cam is a huge boon to parking. Anybody experience maneuverability issues on-road or off with JLU?
  • I know the angles/dimensions on paper but anyone experience real-world trail limitations on JLU? Obviously I'll be less limited than I am now in a Crosstrek, I'm a JLU could take me 98% of the places I want to go.
• Comfort of 2-door vs. 4-door for passengers? Again, I may occasionally want to bring a third person along. I've sat in both, and although I'm a shorter guy, aside from having to crawl into the backseat, I thought the back seat of the 2-door was actually pretty comfortable (surprisingly).
• OK final point (and perhaps most important), wife likes added "practicality" of 4-door and that is her preference and I'm trying to compromise (hence going used). Is the extra space of the JLU worth the extra cost?

If you're still with me here I really appreciate it. I'm excited to get the Jeep and get out there either way! Also, by the way, Jeep will be my daily. Selling the Subi, sad to see it go (has a really great layer of mud on it right now) but can only afford one.

CHEERS!

If you plan many road trips carrying bunch of different gear then I would suggest get the 4 door but if you are like me and just zoom around where you live get the 2 door. The 2 door rides really well and I have noticed many women keep staring at me all the time. They know I am a single guy. Or am I slightly delusional : ) The only one thing I would change is the manual tranny for the automatic and I would upgrade the package from Sport to the next level where you get better radio and elect/ windows. The radio in the Sport is really a bad joke .

 

[Varilux]

This is a real interesting thread to me. I owned two JKURs and am ready for a JL, but don't know if I should go for a JLR, JLUR or sport and build it. I really don't have much experience or riding time with a 2 door but think it would work well for my use. Then just when I have myself convinced a 2 door will be okay, I start to think the 4 door wasn't that bad. May be I need one of both.

I vote for one of each! I like to drive "unusual" vehicles, and a JLR (which comprises about 3% of total Jeep JLs on the market) definitely qualifies. Even in a metropolis like Dallas I've only seen 3 other JLRs on the road (lots of JKs and TJs, but not many JLs). There's nothing like driving a vehicle with a short wheelbase- both on road and off!

 

[blnewt]

I vote for one of each! I like to drive "unusual" vehicles, and at JLR (which comprises about 3% of total Jeep JLs on the market) definitely qualifies. Even in a metropolis like Dallas I've only seen 3 other JLRs on the road (lots of JKs and TJs, but not many JLs). There's nothing like driving a vehicle with a short wheelbase- both on road and off!

Yeah, those JLRs w/ 35s or 37s just look RIGHT! And not bad at all bone stock!

 

[The Last Cowboy]

If I needed 4 doors, I’d go ahead and get the Gladiator. If I didn’t already have a truck I would have given it a hard look.

 

[entropy]

kayak fishing and beach day trip. 3 people in the jeep. brought all my fishing gear, beach chairs, beach shade, cooler with lunch and drinks.

off roading and camping (overlanding?) for 2 with 6 person tent, cooler, 2 burner stove, table, chairs, queen REI mattress, etc...

Gotta get creative.

 

[foxess]

1st time jeep owner here, but i vote for 2 door. I have always wanted a jeep and wasn't getting one until i could get a 2 door (no kids in car seats, one child has his own car, etc) because to me that is a real jeep (no offense to 4 dr people). Yes it has less space but if you are rarely going to have more than you and your wife in it, indulge yourself. I don't think you'll be sorry.

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