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2021 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Vs. Rubicon

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I love them all from skinny street tired Sport to Sahara. They are just cool nothing like them not even the Range Rover... err I mean Ford Bronco.

If I can some flat black wheel and flat black grill it would be perfect.
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Devil6Dog

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If you are comfortable with the extra cost, Rubicon hands down.
If you can afford it and do not choose the Rubi, you will regret it every time you see one.
I love mine! Always wanted a Rubi, and happy I have one.

This is exactly why I bought a Rubicon. If you are thinking about it before and you go with Sahara, every time you see a Rubi you will regret your decision. I've had my Rubicon 2 weeks and so glad I didn't go for a cheaper solution
 
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Cappy

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This is exactly why I bought a Rubicon. If you are thinking about it before and you go with Sahara, every time you see a Rubi you will regret your decision. I've had my Rubicon 2 weeks and so glad I didn't go for a cheaper solution
What does a Rubicon offer other than branding and a more aggressive look for someone that won't be doing rock crawling or any targeted off roading? I will be going off road only when hunting and may encounter a dicey two track or back road on occasion.

Would a 10 year old Rubicon decline less in value % wise than other non-rubicon models ?
 

JWAustinVTX

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The price difference in your orig post was $3,500.

i quoted the stock 33” rubi tires on town fair tire and installed come to $1,100. I imagine with wheels you’re not far off $2,000 out the door, and that's for 4 wheels. Add tire/wheel for the spare and you're over $2K. Add grill inserts and you’re in the low/mid $2,000 in cost, so for a little more than $1,000 you’re getting all of the Rubicon mechanical upgrades.
This is just my own reasoning in your current situation because I simply could not live with the stock Sahara wheel/grill look. If you like the look then that $2k in tires and wheels doesn’t apply to you therefore the Sahara would make sense.
plus the Rubicon hood
 

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What does a Rubicon offer other than branding and a more aggressive look for someone that won't be doing rock crawling or any targeted off roading? I will be going off road only when hunting and may encounter a dicey two track or back road on occasion.

Would a 10 year old Rubicon decline less in value % wise than other non-rubicon models ?
The Rubi is going to hold it's value over the other models because of the beefier and extra equipment they come with.
Most people are going to tell you to go for the Rubi for the extra $3500. Based on your posts you seem to be pushing for someone to tell you to go for the Sahara / Willys. I have yet to meet a single person who said "I wish I hadn't bought the Rubi." but I've met plenty including myself who have said "I wish I would have bought the Rubi."

You are pretty clear that as of right now you see no need for the off roading capabilities of the Rubi, I too was in that boat, and then the future came and said to me "Hey dumbass, you should have bought a Rubi."
 

Whiskey 13

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I have owned a few Sahara Jeeps in the past both 2 door and 4 door. with a few mods they were able to take me anywhere I wanted or needed to go. The also were very reliable and had great resale value. This time around I got a Rubicon and there will be no going back. Do I really need everything that it came with "NOPE" but I sure like having them. Did not give a damn about difference in price, waste more money on that difference every year on beer.
 
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I have owned a few Sahara Jeeps in the past both 2 door and 4 door. with a few mods they were able to take me anywhere I wanted or needed to go. The also were very reliable and had great resale value. This time around I got a Rubicon and there will be no going back. Do I really need everything that it came with "NOPE" but I sure like having them. Did not give a damn about difference in price, waste more money on that difference every year on beer.
You stopped drinking beer?
 
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How are Rubicons for everyday driving on pavement in snow? Rubicons don't offer selec-trac and LSD that many of the other models offer so is regular snow driving more of a challenge? I see Rubicons offer rock trac full time 4 wheel drive so maybe commuting in the snow is no longer an issue. I am not sure how much LSD helps with snow.
 

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Gunfighter

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Spending that kind of $$ get the High Altitude. Dana 44's (3:73) front and back, which the Sahara doesn't have puts you in a position of creating your own "Rubicon". You can always get lockers, tires, higher gear ratio's and other stuff if required in the future. I asked the dealer what Jeep they sell the most and the response was "Sport or Sport S" simply because if you are truly going to into heavy off-roading life you end up changing out Rubicon stuff anyway with better axles, ratios, lifts, lockers, fenders, bumpers yadda yadda. - Will add this perspective, if 95% on road you want the more streetable tires - and if you do more off-roading, putting off road tires on a Sahara looks much better than putting street tires on a Rubicon.
 

aldo98229

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How are Rubicons for everyday driving on pavement in snow? Rubicons don't offer selec-trac and LSD that many of the other models offer so is regular snow driving more of a challenge? I see Rubicons offer rock trac full time 4 wheel drive so maybe commuting in the snow is no longer an issue. I am not sure how much LSD helps with snow.
Rubicon is very livable as daily driver.

LSD works a lot better in snow than lockers in my experience. Lockers can be used only in very specific circumstances and for short periods of time. LSD works all the time, rain or shine, on road and off, in 2WD, 4H or 4L, and it is totally seamless. IMO, LSD is the key component that makes Selec-Trac work so well in snow.

Beyond that, ATs work better in snow across a wider set of circumstances than MTs. A Rubicon with KO2s will handle more predictably in snow than one with the optional MTs. MTs do work better in very deep snow, though, where forward traction becomes more important than handling or braking.
 
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Ruby Clatterbox

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For $3500 difference take the Rubi and thank me later. We started off with a Sahara which we have pretty much built into a Rubi and then we bought a second Jeep... a Rubi.
I could go on and on of the why the Rubi is better starting platform but I'm sure others have already beat me to it. Just go for the Rubi. BTW... we too started with "well we will just go down some dirt roads and stuff" and now we live 10 miles from Sand Hollow and some of the best rock crawling We4st of the Mississippi and love every minute of it.
Rubicon is very livable as daily driver.

LSD works a lot better in snow than lockers in my experience. Lockers can be used only in very specific circumstances and for short periods of time. LSD works all the time, rain or shine, on road and off, in 2WD, 4H or 4L, and it is totally seamless. IMO, LSD is the key component that makes Selec-Trac work so well in snow.

Beyond that, ATs work better in snow across a wider set of circumstances than MTs. A Rubicon with KO2s will handle more predictably in snow than one with the optional MTs. MTs do work better in very deep snow, though, where forward traction becomes more important than handling or braking.
If I lived in a snow area, I'd have gone for selec trac with LSD. Seems like a good combo for any situation 90% of Jeep owners will encounter on or off road.
 

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How are Rubicons for everyday driving on pavement in snow? Rubicons don't offer selec-trac and LSD that many of the other models offer so is regular snow driving more of a challenge? I see Rubicons offer rock trac full time 4 wheel drive so maybe commuting in the snow is no longer an issue. I am not sure how much LSD helps with snow.
Just went through a couple of decent size snow storms, and I do emergency plowing so I'm out in the height of it before the roads are cleared. My Rubi handled it great! Was actually in 2hi most of the time, but as needed, it's simple enough to shift to 4hi and back. All just depends on how engaged you want to be. I also extended my t-case lever, which makes it much nicer for shifting on the fly. Thw knob is now in a more ergonomic position.
Jeep Wrangler JL 2021 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Vs.  Rubicon 20201223_143757
Jeep Wrangler JL 2021 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Vs.  Rubicon 20201031_081711
 
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A buddy who has worked at Jeep and worked Jeep design for many years was telling me that the stock Rubicons would often outperform souped up Rubicons on various off road tests and competitions. Something to do with the stock Rubicon being highly tuned to handle off road and once people start doing all the mods it can throw off this fine tuning actually degrading off road performance.

Not sure how true, I am sure many off roaders in this forum have seen or have not seen this.
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