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2 door vs. 4 door sales

LarryB

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I bought my 2018 2 door used only a few months ago. I had spent months looking for a new one with desired specs but they never seemed to be available. When I spoke to a few salespeople at different dealerships, they all pretty much said that they sell “at least 10” 4 door for every 2 door and that owners only wanted to stock fully loaded 2 door Rubicons.

I am in Calgary. A search for local Wranglers shows 11 x 2-door and 199 x 4-door model in dealer inventories.

Questions:
1) How does this compare to other areas?
2) Did any other non-Rubicon 2 door owners also struggle to find their Jeep?
3) Stellantis is not bound to any tradition beyond paying shareholders, but it is extremely hard to imagine 2 door versions being on the chopping block, due to the outcry. So, if the percentage of 2 door sales does decline further, what happens in the future?
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The Last Cowboy

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I could see 2 doors and 4 doors sharing the same wheelbase, which would be okay with me. Doubt that’ll happen though.

2 doors are far more common here in Texas. I see them everyday. Most dealers stock them. They seem to sell quick. I bought my Willys from dealer stock, but I searched dealers online within 200 miles (340 km) to find it.
 
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LarryB

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I could see 2 doors and 4 doors sharing the same wheelbase, which would be okay with me. Doubt that’ll happen though.

2 doors are far more common here in Texas. I see them everyday. Most dealers stock them. They seem to sell quick. I bought my Willys from dealer stock, but I searched dealers online within 200 miles (340 km) to find it.
i would love to see a comeback of the 2 door with a longer wheelbase. Saw a TJ unlimited the other day, and I think that design would allow many that wanted a 2 door but had to choose 4 door due to more cargo area.
 

aldo98229

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Your dealer salesperson is correct for a change.

Sales of 2-door vehicles in general represent 10% of their 4-door brethren.

Sales of 2-door JKs were about 25% of total Wrangler sales, but that percentage kept falling with each passing year.

Sales of 2-door JLs have been between 15% and 12% of total Wrangler sales.

Part of the problem is that FCA was fixated with maximizing per-unit margins; it made more money selling 4-door than 2-door Wranglers. Killing the 2-door Sahara hasn’t helped.

The guy running Stellantis wants to boost FCA’s operating profit from 5.5% to 7.5% by end of this year. But he is no dummy; he is perhaps the most capable CEO running a traditional automaker today. So I doubt he plans to kill 2-door Wrangler any time soon.

If I were running Jeep and the boss came to me asking to increase my operating profit, I would:
  1. Simplify the number of trims down to 3 or 4 —e.g., Sport, Willys, Sahara and Rubicon
  2. Make 2-door Wrangler available across the entire lineup —including Sahara
  3. Bundle options into more compelling packages that increase value to the customer
  4. Eliminate having so many different bumpers, fenders, grilles, head units, armrests, etc., and increase part sharing*. This will reduce production and stocking costs, and improve consistency of quality
_______________
* For instance, right now there are 5 different sets of fenders: Sport/Willys get one kind, Sahara gets another kind, Rubicon has two kinds, and High Altitude gets its own type of fenders. Yet 90% of buyers can’t even tell these differences. The same goes for the grilles, bumpers, armrests, etc.
 

west tex

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I just took delivery of my 2 dr JL 80th on Monday. The salesman told me that at his dealership the 4 dr outsells the 2 dr almost 3 to 1.
 

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LarryB

LarryB

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Your dealer salesperson is correct for a change.

Sales of 2-door vehicles in general represent 10% of their 4-door brethren.

Sales of 2-door JKs were about 25% of total Wrangler sales, but that percentage kept falling with each passing year.

Sales of 2-door JLs have been between 15% and 12% of total Wrangler sales.

Part of the problem is that FCA was fixated with maximizing per-unit margins; it made more money selling 4-door than 2-door Wranglers. Killing the 2-door Sahara hasn’t helped.

The guy running Stellantis wants to boost FCA’s operating profit from 5.5% to 7.5% by end of this year. But he is no dummy; he is perhaps the most capable CEO running a traditional automaker today. So I doubt he plans to kill 2-door Wrangler any time soon.

If I were running Jeep and the boss came to me asking to increase my operating profit, I would:
  1. Simplify the number of trims down to 3 or 4 —e.g., Sport, Willys, Sahara and Rubicon
  2. Make 2-door Wrangler available across the entire lineup —including Sahara
  3. Bundle options into more compelling packages that increase value to the customer
  4. Eliminate having so many different bumpers, fenders, grilles, head units, armrests, etc., and increase part sharing*. This will reduce production and stocking costs, and improve parts quality
_______________
* For instance, right now there 5 different sets of fenders: Sport/Willys get one kind, Sahara gets another kind, Rubicon has two kinds, and High Altitude gets its own type of fenders. Yet 90% of buyers can’t even tell these differences. The same goes for the grilles, bumpers, armrests, etc.
The gap between Sport S and Rubicon is not only too big from a financial standpoint, as you point out, it misses those who want a luxury 2 door option. Packages like Willys and Islander don’t quite cut it.

The outcry would be massive for the loss of the 2 door, and not just from the Jeep faithful. But ... they are a business, so I guess anything is possible.
 
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LarryB

LarryB

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I just took delivery of my 2 dr JL 80th on Monday. The salesman told me that at his dealership the 4 dr outsells the 2 dr almost 3 to 1.
That is not so bad, if that ratio holds true for most of the world. That would indicate that Jeep sells north of 50K 2-doors a year. 4runners are around 120K, in perspective.
 

aldo98229

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The gap between Sport S and Rubicon is not only too big from a financial standpoint, as you point out, it misses those who want a luxury 2 door option. Packages like Willys and Islander don’t quite cut it.

The outcry would be massive for the loss of the 2 door, and not just from the Jeep faithful. But ... they are a business, so I guess anything is possible.
Yup. Islander, and 80th Anniversary can still be handled as temporary special editions, as they were before. Instead of making them semi-permanent trims. Sport S can be a value package, also, instead of another trim.
 

Jeep4Win

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Sometimes I wonder if 2 door sales are also connected to color sales.... What is on the lot versus what some people want...
 

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LarryB

LarryB

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Sometimes I wonder if 2 door sales are also connected to color sales.... What is on the lot versus what some people want...
Color is definitely a factor. I see a lot more yellows and oranges in 2 doors. Perhaps wanting a silver one made my search harder.
 
 



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