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50 ways the JL outperforms the JK

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Aftermarket support for the JK, for now, is second to no other vehicle I know of. For the JL (and particularly the 2 door) its pathetic so far.
I was actually pretty taken aback at the lack of availability of JL aftermarket parts. It takes some time to develop products I understand, but I was spoiled by the JK aftermarket for sure.
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Aftermarket support for the JK, for now, is second to no other vehicle I know of. For the JL (and particularly the 2 door) its pathetic so far.
Absolutely true....just as it was in 07 when the JK came out......the TJ was king. Dealers were having a hard time giving JKs away.

Eventually, the JL will have the same level of support the JK enjoys today. As my kindergarden teacher told me years ago, "Patience means I can wait."

Funny thing....that was one lesson in life I never learned!
 

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I think what Jeep did, keeping this vehicle from the aftermarket before release, is inexcusable. When Ford is developing a new Mustang or Raptor, they get prototypes out to the aftermarket manufacturers as early as possible, so that there is a fully supported aftermarket as soon as the vehicle is released. Jeep wanted those dollars so did the exact opposite, and even went so far as to boast at SEMA that when the JL was released that THEY would have a full line of accessories available for it on launch date. ROFL. Slimey tactic, and clearly inaccurate...how are those Tube Doors coming along, Mopar? Just BARELY got the 2 door version of your lift kit out THIS MONTH.
 

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Interesting to read the critical replies to a pretty good list of improvements. All of these things are an improvement over the JK. Not necessarily one everyone will like, want, or feel is worth the cost, but an improvement nonetheless. Like mandatory on/off lights in bathrooms. They save energy whether you want them or not. They cost more. You may prefer an old $2 switch to a $30 light / timer / sensor. But the new switch is an improvement still.

Here's my take on the 50...
  1. Lighter materials - great!
  2. Engine choices - I only need 1 engine and I like the 3.6 but more efficient options makes sense.
  3. 8-speed - huge improvement.
  4. Mileage bump - much needed, Jeeps are a mileage dog and needed to get current.
  5. Crawl ratio - I won't get too much use out of this, but see it being a big deal to those who will.
  6. Top options - who doesn't want top options?
  7. Hydraulic electronic steering - I don't thoroughly understand the differences - but it handles better than a JK.
  8. Length - I do like the back seat space.
  9. Stronger axles - Who wouldn't want this?
  10. Width - This isn't really a pro- to me, but I like how it handles and if that comes from the width then cool.
  11. Radius - Love the turning radius.
  12. Cargo - with a 2D if it's any bigger than before that's good.
  13. Folding seat - The folding seat does tuck up nicely to the front seats.
  14. Roll bar covers - I like the painted look and the JK covers look cheezy.
  15. Wiper bracket - This is a no-brainer.
  16. Brake light adjustable - Not much use to me since I like the KO2s but surely useful to some.
  17. Stronger tailgate - No-brainer. My kids will hang/lean/climb on it so this is good.
  18. Grab handles - Awesome little add.
  19. Heated steering wheel - Nice to have.
  20. ESS - I even like this. It does save gas and that's the point.
  21. Display - The display is outstanding.
  22. Infotainment - Insanely awesome with modern features.
  23. Apple CarPlay. - Useful if you're an Apple fan. Should be there even if you're not.
  24. Interior - The styling on the interior is very well done and looks and feels well built.
  25. Aux switches - Love love love.
  26. Door detents - Small add for a big payoff.
  27. Doors lighter - Already took them off for the awesome weekend. If they were heavier that would be a drawback.
  28. Doors have larger cargo nets - Tiny feature but I guess good.
  29. Doors have built-in handles - They were pretty easy to carry.
  30. Side air bags - Absolute must.
  31. Molle straps - Another tiny feature but nice add. I like them.
  32. Rear air vents - This is massive! Rode in a JK and was wondering where the rear air vents were. There aren't any! This is such a major drawback to the JK it's amazing it stayed like that so long.
  33. Higher fenders - Definitely a good option.
  34. BFG KO2 - Love the bigger stock tires.
  35. Brake rotors - Huge add. It stops well.
  36. Hood latches - Should have been changed long ago. No-brainer.
  37. LED headlights - Modern world feature, should have been there 10 years ago.
  38. turn signals are LED - Ditto.
  39. Built-in mesh to keep more bugs out of the radiator - Didn't notice. Cool.
  40. Hood vents - Yeah yeah, rip away. I like them. Side vents definitely functional.
  41. back-up camera - Another modern feature that should have been here 10 years ago.
  42. pull-style handles - Way better than the thumb-buttons.
  43. proximity access - Optional feature, but I didn't "opt".
  44. External bolts - I like the bolts on the bumper for a winch guard and for lights by the mirrors.
  45. rock rails doesn’t interfere with larger tires - Didn't know. Won't put larger tires. But ok.
  46. relocated some troublesome things - Haven't studied it but if these are moved then great.
  47. transfer case protection - Good.
  48. Axle breather tubes have been raised - Again not a car-guy but if so then good.
  49. help with fuel economy - Anything to improve fuel economy.
  50. Rear shocks - Love the ride. So fun!
  51. Dana 44 front axle option for the Sahara package - And both on the Rubicon.
  52. 4-high auto - Love this, tho not an option on 2D.
  53. Winch-ready - Means with adding a winch and bracket it will work. No need for a new bumper. The bracket should not be standard since it would raise the price $200.
  54. Freedom tops - Love, compared to the old twirlies.
  55. Folding windshield - Easier to put down? I guess. Little used, but still a feature.
The JK is so primitive in comparison whether you agree with these points or not. It's got the amenities of a car from the 90's. The JL feels like a Jeep of today. In this list Some are really important to me, others only somewhat, and some I really don't care about or find them irrelevant. If your views are different from mine, well that's why Jeep included them all because we use our "utility" vehicles for different things like it should be!

 

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I think the ways that the JK is better than the JL are all objective. More shoulder/hip room. More occupant volume overall. More cushioned/comfortable seats. More leg room for the driver. Lower price. Better steering. Far more aftermarket support.

After owning both, I see pluses and minuses on both models. Like I've said before, if I was buying again today and there were brand new 2018 JKUs and JLUs side by side on the lot, it would be a tough decision for me.
 

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Absolutely true....just as it was in 07 when the JK came out......the TJ was king. Dealers were having a hard time giving JKs away.

Eventually, the JL will have the same level of support the JK enjoys today. As my kindergarden teacher told me years ago, "Patience means I can wait."

Funny thing....that was one lesson in life I never learned!
Me either!
 
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I think what Jeep did, keeping this vehicle from the aftermarket before release, is inexcusable. When Ford is developing a new Mustang or Raptor, they get prototypes out to the aftermarket manufacturers as early as possible, so that there is a fully supported aftermarket as soon as the vehicle is released. Jeep wanted those dollars so did the exact opposite, and even went so far as to boast at SEMA that when the JL was released that THEY would have a full line of accessories available for it on launch date. ROFL. Slimey tactic, and clearly inaccurate...how are those Tube Doors coming along, Mopar? Just BARELY got the 2 door version of your lift kit out THIS MONTH.
They just wanted a jump on their piece of the aftermarket pie, and their R&D is further along than some, but it is unfortunate for sure because now a lot of the options for the JL aren’t as high quality and MOPAR hasn’t quite delivered timely. This is their prerogative given their position, but unfortunate nonetheless.
 

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It places that piece of the aftermarket pie above customer satisfaction and buyer experience...which I find quite distasteful given the fact that they can't actually deliver on the things the aftermarket community could easily have delivered on.

They need to stop eyeing and drooling over the aftermarket dollars, and start focusing on quality control. Once they are able to do THEIR OWN job correctly, they can start considering doing other companies jobs.
 
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Interesting to read the critical replies to a pretty good list of improvements. All of these things are an improvement over the JK. Not necessarily one everyone will like, want, or feel is worth the cost, but an improvement nonetheless. Like mandatory on/off lights in bathrooms. They save energy whether you want them or not. They cost more. You may prefer an old $2 switch to a $30 light / timer / sensor. But the new switch is an improvement still.

Here's my take on the 50...

  1. Lighter materials - great!
  2. Engine choices - I only need 1 engine and I like the 3.6 but more efficient options makes sense.
  3. 8-speed - huge improvement.
  4. Mileage bump - much needed, Jeeps are a mileage dog and needed to get current.
  5. Crawl ratio - I won't get too much use out of this, but see it being a big deal to those who will.
  6. Top options - who doesn't want top options?
  7. Hydraulic electronic steering - I don't thoroughly understand the differences - but it handles better than a JK.
  8. Length - I do like the back seat space.
  9. Stronger axles - Who wouldn't want this?
  10. Width - This isn't really a pro- to me, but I like how it handles and if that comes from the width then cool.
  11. Radius - Love the turning radius.
  12. Cargo - with a 2D if it's any bigger than before that's good.
  13. Folding seat - The folding seat does tuck up nicely to the front seats.
  14. Roll bar covers - I like the painted look and the JK covers look cheezy.
  15. Wiper bracket - This is a no-brainer.
  16. Brake light adjustable - Not much use to me since I like the KO2s but surely useful to some.
  17. Stronger tailgate - No-brainer. My kids will hang/lean/climb on it so this is good.
  18. Grab handles - Awesome little add.
  19. Heated steering wheel - Nice to have.
  20. ESS - I even like this. It does save gas and that's the point.
  21. Display - The display is outstanding.
  22. Infotainment - Insanely awesome with modern features.
  23. Apple CarPlay. - Useful if you're an Apple fan. Should be there even if you're not.
  24. Interior - The styling on the interior is very well done and looks and feels well built.
  25. Aux switches - Love love love.
  26. Door detents - Small add for a big payoff.
  27. Doors lighter - Already took them off for the awesome weekend. If they were heavier that would be a drawback.
  28. Doors have larger cargo nets - Tiny feature but I guess good.
  29. Doors have built-in handles - They were pretty easy to carry.
  30. Side air bags - Absolute must.
  31. Molle straps - Another tiny feature but nice add. I like them.
  32. Rear air vents - This is massive! Rode in a JK and was wondering where the rear air vents were. There aren't any! This is such a major drawback to the JK it's amazing it stayed like that so long.
  33. Higher fenders - Definitely a good option.
  34. BFG KO2 - Love the bigger stock tires.
  35. Brake rotors - Huge add. It stops well.
  36. Hood latches - Should have been changed long ago. No-brainer.
  37. LED headlights - Modern world feature, should have been there 10 years ago.
  38. turn signals are LED - Ditto.
  39. Built-in mesh to keep more bugs out of the radiator - Didn't notice. Cool.
  40. Hood vents - Yeah yeah, rip away. I like them. Side vents definitely functional.
  41. back-up camera - Another modern feature that should have been here 10 years ago.
  42. pull-style handles - Way better than the thumb-buttons.
  43. proximity access - Optional feature, but I didn't "opt".
  44. External bolts - I like the bolts on the bumper for a winch guard and for lights by the mirrors.
  45. rock rails doesn’t interfere with larger tires - Didn't know. Won't put larger tires. But ok.
  46. relocated some troublesome things - Haven't studied it but if these are moved then great.
  47. transfer case protection - Good.
  48. Axle breather tubes have been raised - Again not a car-guy but if so then good.
  49. help with fuel economy - Anything to improve fuel economy.
  50. Rear shocks - Love the ride. So fun!
  51. Dana 44 front axle option for the Sahara package - And both on the Rubicon.
  52. 4-high auto - Love this, tho not an option on 2D.
  53. Winch-ready - Means with adding a winch and bracket it will work. No need for a new bumper. The bracket should not be standard since it would raise the price $200.
  54. Freedom tops - Love, compared to the old twirlies.
  55. Folding windshield - Easier to put down? I guess. Little used, but still a feature.
The JK is so primitive in comparison whether you agree with these points or not. It's got the amenities of a car from the 90's. The JL feels like a Jeep of today. In this list Some are really important to me, others only somewhat, and some I really don't care about or find them irrelevant. If your views are different from mine, well that's why Jeep included them all because we use our "utility" vehicles for different things like it should be!


Good points here and all in all you have done well illustrating how you will use the Jeep and what is important to you. Some many thing others are more/less important or even dealbreakers, but that’s okay. For someone that wants less tech and it’s associated potential complications, or for someone that has a differing purpose for their Jeep, many of the video points could be an argument against getting a JL. To each their own right?

Thank you for the thorough analysis!
 
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I think the ways that the JK is better than the JL are all objective. More shoulder/hip room. More occupant volume overall. More cushioned/comfortable seats. More leg room for the driver. Lower price. Better steering. Far more aftermarket support.

After owning both, I see pluses and minuses on both models. Like I've said before, if I was buying again today and there were brand new 2018 JKUs and JLUs side by side on the lot, it would be a tough decision for me.
Agreed, there are a lot of objective reasons on both sides and some has to do with intended use and unproven factors with the JL. If the door handles of the JL start falling off or the transmissions start breaking from extra torque off road, then we also may have different opinions here. Going through this exercise has made me think with everything on the table including price, it is pretty close but neither Jeep is a bad choice.

If I like beach vacations and I can go to Hawaii or the Bahamas, one might edge the other on price and things to do, but unless a hurricane comes through or volcano erupts, I would be in pretty good shape and lucky to have options in front of me.
 

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It places that piece of the aftermarket pie above customer satisfaction and buyer experience...which I find quite distasteful given the fact that they can't actually deliver on the things the aftermarket community could easily have delivered on.

They need to stop eyeing and drooling over the aftermarket dollars, and start focusing on quality control. Once they are able to do THEIR OWN job correctly, they can start considering doing other companies jobs.
Just because they do it doesn’t make it right, that’s for sure. Money motivates and who knows what is going on there. I am sure there is a ton of bureaucracy and constant change at Jeep, and the aftermarket group may be completely separate or an afterthought vs. production or other departments. Maybe they have problems with marketing or legal being on the same page. Just spitballing but I know with my experience working in large orgs this kind of nonsense happens constantly and the consumer can inadvertently get overlooked.
 
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Interesting video came out today that has some stock JL’s on the Rubicon trail. Jeep Jamboree staff had some positive things to say on the JL.

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