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A few questions on Jeeps before I place an order

The_Paper_Cut

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Going to be special ordering a 2021 Rubicon here this week and had a few questions before I do so.

1: 2 vs 4 doors. I currently own a 2020 2 door Sport and I love it and can get over obstacles a lot easier than the guys I go with who have 4 doors. But I plan on having this thing for a very long time. I’m 19 and this is sort of a life advice question. I realize that if I ever need to carry more than 1 other person + cargo, it’s pretty much impossible in the 2 door. I’ll be using this new Jeep as a daily driver 99% of the time with off-roading once a month and maybe a weekend offroad trip to big places in the SW USA once a year or so. So I don’t need a rock crawler or anything, but I also don’t want to have to put on skid plates or anything.

2: 2.0 vs 3.6. I know this is a debate on this forum, but I need to ask. My current Jeep has the 3.6 and it’s great, but I hear the 2.0 is a lot better, both with going up hills and with immediate power. Though when watching videos it seems the 2.0 really isn’t much better than the 3.6. I’ve noticed the 3.6 kind of sucks when you want immediate power/speed for passing someone on the road. I test drove the 2.0 the other day and it seemed to have a nice push when you want it, but it could’ve just been placebo affect due to me expecting it to have that. But I never got to test it on hills. Also it seemed like it had a constant high pitch whine to it. Is the 2.0 noisier than the 3.6? Which would you prefer for 35’s? Since the 2.0 is a 4 cylinder I’d imagine it doesn’t do as well with larger tires as the 3.6 does, but then again the 2.0 has more torque. As far as use, I’ll be driving mostly on road with the occasional day long off-road trip once a month.

3: Mopar gate reinforcement. If I plan on getting 35’s is this something I should add onto the Jeep? Or just wait, or do I not even need it for 35’s?

4: 8.4 Uconnect with alpine audio, is it worth it? I currently have the 7" and it is nice, though I will say it would be nice if it was a little larger. Plus the 7" looks small and kind of "cheap". But I use Google maps for directions most of the time and I think I’d do the same with the 8.4 since it’s easier/faster to input directions on my phone than the system. But having the larger screen just seems more appealing to me. Is the audio upgrade worth it? I like listening to music in the Jeep but I don’t need a ton of bass or anything like that. I was considering upgrading to kicker speakers before I ended up deciding to just get a new Jeep entirely.

5: Headliner. Is it worth getting? I assume it reduces noise and what not but $500 seems like a lot for something simple like that. I currently have a soft top and am split between doing a soft top again or just going hard top. I like the look of hard tops and the quietness of them. But being able to take windows off whenever you want is nice considering I live in SoCal. But especially on the 4 door I think the hard top looks better than the soft.

6: Anything you wish you’d gotten or regretted that you’d care to share?

I already have an idea of what all I'm going to be ordering on this Jeep, I'm just looking for some feedback or personal experiences/opinions from people to give me an idea.
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Overland Utah

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My advice is below, I myself am 25 and have a 4 door. I also sell them daily so I am faced with these questions often. Each depends on what the customer is looking to do.

Going to be special ordering a 2021 Rubicon here this week and had a few questions before I do so.

1: 2 vs 4 doors. I currently own a 2020 2 door Sport and I love it and can get over obstacles a lot easier than the guys I go with who have 4 doors. But I plan on having this thing for a very long time. I’m 19 and this is sort of a life advice question. I realize that if I ever need to carry more than 1 other person + cargo, it’s pretty much impossible in the 2 door. I’ll be using this new Jeep as a daily driver 99% of the time with off-roading once a month and maybe a weekend offroad trip to big places in the SW USA once a year or so. So I don’t need a rock crawler or anything, but I also don’t want to have to put on skid plates or anything.

2 doors are not as common and tend to sit longer when selling due to their smaller market. As you pointed out they are not as practical due to their size. With you being younger I think a 4 door would make more sense due to its flexibility moving forward.

2: 2.0 vs 3.6. I know this is a debate on this forum, but I need to ask. My current Jeep has the 3.6 and it’s great, but I hear the 2.0 is a lot better, both with going up hills and with immediate power. Though when watching videos it seems the 2.0 really isn’t much better than the 3.6. I’ve noticed the 3.6 kind of sucks when you want immediate power/speed for passing someone on the road. I test drove the 2.0 the other day and it seemed to have a nice push when you want it, but it could’ve just been placebo affect due to me expecting it to have that. But I never got to test it on hills. Also it seemed like it had a constant high pitch whine to it. Is the 2.0 noisier than the 3.6? Which would you prefer for 35’s? Since the 2.0 is a 4 cylinder I’d imagine it doesn’t do as well with larger tires as the 3.6 does, but then again the 2.0 has more torque. As far as use, I’ll be driving mostly on road with the occasional day long off-road trip once a month.

I have only had the 2.0l out of preference, but I also like how turbo vehicles drive. For me, having the low end torque is what I like most for speeding up on the freeway without needing to downshift for a higher rpm. The 3.6 definitely has more “pep” from a stop, but I have never had a problem “bumping” obstacles in the 2.0 when needed.

3: Mopar gate reinforcement. If I plan on getting 35’s is this something I should add onto the Jeep? Or just wait, or do I not even need it for 35’s?

I feel that the Mopar reinforcement is not the best spare tire option. It doesn’t reinforce the hinges or adjust the tire mount. I went with the Teraflex carrier (which is lower priced as well) and have had great success with my 37’s. It sucks the tire closer and has several adjustments. For a full spare tailgate reinforcement I would recommend Evo or Rustys as it replaces the hubges


4: 8.4 Uconnect with alpine audio, is it worth it? I currently have the 7" and it is nice, though I will say it would be nice if it was a little larger. Plus the 7" looks small and kind of "cheap". But I use Google maps for directions most of the time and I think I’d do the same with the 8.4 since it’s easier/faster to input directions on my phone than the system. But having the larger screen just seems more appealing to me. Is the audio upgrade worth it? I like listening to music in the Jeep but I don’t need a ton of bass or anything like that. I was considering upgrading to kicker speakers before I ended up deciding to just get a new Jeep entirely.

The alpine stereo and 8.4” package is highly recommended if you like quality music. There is a night and day difference in quality between the 6 speaker and 9 speaker alpine system IMO. I wouldn’t buy a Jeep without it


5: Headliner. Is it worth getting? I assume it reduces noise and what not but $500 seems like a lot for something simple like that. I currently have a soft top and am split between doing a soft top again or just going hard top. I like the look of hard tops and the quietness of them. But being able to take windows off whenever you want is nice considering I live in SoCal. But especially on the 4 door I think the hard top looks better than the soft.

My last Jeep didn’t have one, and I now have one. If you can afford it, I would add it but it’s not too important. I noticed that it helps insulate the hard top in the summer if you live somewhere hot (when the sun is beating on it). It also helps keep cab noise down when having a conversation with someone, but I haven’t noticed much of a difference with road noise.

6: Anything you wish you’d gotten or regretted that you’d care to share?


I already have an idea of what all I'm going to be ordering on this Jeep, I'm just looking for some feedback or personal experiences/opinions from people to give me an idea.
 
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jonahgetz

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1: 2 vs 4 doors.
4 door. More interior room for camping.

2: 2.0 vs 3.6.
3.6. More future proof/known reliability. Turbo puts more stress on motors.


3: Mopar gate reinforcement.
I don’t have one because I run 33s. Probably leave that question to someone with 35+ tires.

4: 8.4 Uconnect with alpine audio
I have the stock stereo and I think it sounds great. The bigger screen might be nice, but I never think “I wish my screen was bigger.”.

5: Headliner.
No, just no. I think this is one of the more pointless add ons. Besides, theres plenty of aftermarket headliner options if you end up really regretting not getting the expensive Mopar one.
6: Anything you wish you’d gotten or regretted that you’d care to share?
I don’t regret anything from my build, but the things I debated and really happy I went with are: 4 door, Hardtop, billet silver, and manual transmission.

Whatever you get, it’ll be great. Besides, all those Mopar parts can be orders later if you really end up regretting not getting something. I think your most important decisions are mechanical things like the motor, and paint etc.
 

BDinTX

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I’ll toss my vote in with everything @Overland Utah said. The only thing I’d add is the aux switches and tow package.

Im not sure if the smaller screen has the integrated nav system. If not that’s another reason to go with the larger screen. We typically use a phone based app too but having the factory one as a backup is handy.
 

Warped

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Going to be special ordering a 2021 Rubicon here this week and had a few questions before I do so.

1: 2 vs 4 doors. I currently own a 2020 2 door Sport and I love it and can get over obstacles a lot easier than the guys I go with who have 4 doors. But I plan on having this thing for a very long time. I’m 19 and this is sort of a life advice question. I realize that if I ever need to carry more than 1 other person + cargo, it’s pretty much impossible in the 2 door. I’ll be using this new Jeep as a daily driver 99% of the time with off-roading once a month and maybe a weekend offroad trip to big places in the SW USA once a year or so. So I don’t need a rock crawler or anything, but I also don’t want to have to put on skid plates or anything.

2: 2.0 vs 3.6. I know this is a debate on this forum, but I need to ask. My current Jeep has the 3.6 and it’s great, but I hear the 2.0 is a lot better, both with going up hills and with immediate power. Though when watching videos it seems the 2.0 really isn’t much better than the 3.6. I’ve noticed the 3.6 kind of sucks when you want immediate power/speed for passing someone on the road. I test drove the 2.0 the other day and it seemed to have a nice push when you want it, but it could’ve just been placebo affect due to me expecting it to have that. But I never got to test it on hills. Also it seemed like it had a constant high pitch whine to it. Is the 2.0 noisier than the 3.6? Which would you prefer for 35’s? Since the 2.0 is a 4 cylinder I’d imagine it doesn’t do as well with larger tires as the 3.6 does, but then again the 2.0 has more torque. As far as use, I’ll be driving mostly on road with the occasional day long off-road trip once a month.

3: Mopar gate reinforcement. If I plan on getting 35’s is this something I should add onto the Jeep? Or just wait, or do I not even need it for 35’s?

4: 8.4 Uconnect with alpine audio, is it worth it? I currently have the 7" and it is nice, though I will say it would be nice if it was a little larger. Plus the 7" looks small and kind of "cheap". But I use Google maps for directions most of the time and I think I’d do the same with the 8.4 since it’s easier/faster to input directions on my phone than the system. But having the larger screen just seems more appealing to me. Is the audio upgrade worth it? I like listening to music in the Jeep but I don’t need a ton of bass or anything like that. I was considering upgrading to kicker speakers before I ended up deciding to just get a new Jeep entirely.

5: Headliner. Is it worth getting? I assume it reduces noise and what not but $500 seems like a lot for something simple like that. I currently have a soft top and am split between doing a soft top again or just going hard top. I like the look of hard tops and the quietness of them. But being able to take windows off whenever you want is nice considering I live in SoCal. But especially on the 4 door I think the hard top looks better than the soft.

6: Anything you wish you’d gotten or regretted that you’d care to share?

I already have an idea of what all I'm going to be ordering on this Jeep, I'm just looking for some feedback or personal experiences/opinions from people to give me an idea.
1. You're young enough that you could get by with a 2 door, but, I believe resale and possible trips with others would make the 4 door a viable option that you wouldn't regret. I like the space that the 4-door provides for easy packing for trips without the need for a roof rack or spare tire rack.

2. Glad I chose the 2.0T. Fuel economy matters with a 100+ mile round trip commute. Power is fine for my needs. No issue with the Rubicon running 35s with no lift. Adding the lift, and sticking with 35s had a more negative impact on fuel economy. Still, glad I have the 2.0T.

3. I've been told it is not needed with 35s, but I plan on upgrading to Terra Flex or other over Mopar tailgate reinforcement. I do have a Terra Flex Tire hanger that is stronger than factory and lowered the spare for better visibility.

4. I like the Alpine and the 8.4" UConnect. But if roof and doors are off, your money may be better spent on aftermarket options.

5. Mine came with the headliners and I like them. Are they worth $500? Hard to say. If you don't get it, they or aftermarket can be installed later.

6. I regret not getting the trailer tow package, door proximity locks.
 

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Crawldad

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tow / electric upgrade definitely
8.4 premium definitely. aftermarket head unit - pita install, expensive - think $2k as a "downpayment" with lots of other $$$ for misc addons to upgrade, and you often lose many jeep-only features (like offroad pages, uconnect app features like remote start / remote assistance, anything non generic). the nav on the new one is included in the price and it's really really nice. much better than google map or apple map nav.

2dr - only downfall is towing capacity imo. most who own them pull the back seat out and storage is not the real issue. 4dr - 3500 towing JT gladiator - 7k towing cap

skip hardtop and leather seats, that can save you 6k on your price.

2.0T works great. 3.6 also works great. it's a tossup. 2.0T runs smoother on premium gas, but still works ok on 87/89.
 

calbake

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4 door. More interior room for camping.


3.6. More future proof/known reliability. Turbo puts more stress on motors.



I don’t have one because I run 33s. Probably leave that question to someone with 35+ tires.


I have the stock stereo and I think it sounds great. The bigger screen might be nice, but I never think “I wish my screen was bigger.”.


No, just no. I think this is one of the more pointless add ons. Besides, theres plenty of aftermarket headliner options if you end up really regretting not getting the expensive Mopar one.
I have to agree with the above points all around. The engine choice was easy for me since I also am planning on keeping this for a long time. Went with the 3.6 and auto transmission because of the known reliability. The 2.0T could gain the same reputation over the next 10 years, but there’s no way to know that now and the turbo will likely need replaced somewhere down the road. It’s not something I wanted to mess with.

I’ll add that I have a soft top and have no regrets while living in the Midwest. If I lived in SoCal there’s no way I’d be putting a hardtop on my Jeep. Lot of extra work to get the open air feeling when the soft top only takes a few minutes to get all the way down.
 
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The_Paper_Cut

The_Paper_Cut

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1. You're young enough that you could get by with a 2 door, but, I believe resale and possible trips with others would make the 4 door a viable option that you wouldn't regret. I like the space that the 4-door provides for easy packing for trips without the need for a roof rack or spare tire rack.

2. Glad I chose the 2.0T. Fuel economy matters with a 100+ mile round trip commute. Power is fine for my needs. No issue with the Rubicon running 35s with no lift. Adding the lift, and sticking with 35s had a more negative impact on fuel economy. Still, glad I have the 2.0T.

3. I've been told it is not needed with 35s, but I plan on upgrading to Terra Flex or other over Mopar tailgate reinforcement. I do have a Terra Flex Tire hanger that is stronger than factory and lowered the spare for better visibility.

4. I like the Alpine and the 8.4" UConnect. But if roof and doors are off, your money may be better spent on aftermarket options.

5. Mine came with the headliners and I like them. Are they worth $500? Hard to say. If you don't get it, they or aftermarket can be installed later.

6. I regret not getting the trailer tow package, door proximity locks.
Thanks for the response, all of its super helpful. Do you regret the trailer package because of the aux switches or what? I have an sPOD that I’m going to take from my current Jeep and install in my new one, plus I have a hitch that I can use for bike racks and such (not for towing, but I don’t plan on needing to tow a trailer).
 

Warped

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Thanks for the response, all of its super helpful. Do you regret the trailer package because of the aux switches or what? I have an sPOD that I’m going to take from my current Jeep and install in my new one, plus I have a hitch that I can use for bike racks and such (not for towing, but I don’t plan on needing to tow a trailer).
I've thought about a SPOD since my Jeep was purchased from the lot and didn't have the tow package. That was the big part of it as I have an F-150 with the max tow package for trailers. But, it is nice to have a receiver hitch for bike racks, light towing, or other items. The four switches is just a nice, integrated look rather than installing the SPOD as one more thing on the dash.
 

dgoodhue

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Going to be special ordering a 2021 Rubicon here this week and had a few questions before I do so.

1: 2 vs 4 doors. I currently own a 2020 2 door Sport and I love it and can get over obstacles a lot easier than the guys I go with who have 4 doors. But I plan on having this thing for a very long time. I’m 19 and this is sort of a life advice question. I realize that if I ever need to carry more than 1 other person + cargo, it’s pretty much impossible in the 2 door. I’ll be using this new Jeep as a daily driver 99% of the time with off-roading once a month and maybe a weekend offroad trip to big places in the SW USA once a year or so. So I don’t need a rock crawler or anything, but I also don’t want to have to put on skid plates or anything.
Life advice, you are 19. I would keep your 2020 Sport. Most people don't have a new vehicle at 18 or 19. Unless you already set for life (ie family money/trusts) start saving for retirement and saving up a down payment for a house before trading your 20 Wrangler for a 2021 Rubicon, I don't care if you made $50k of Bitcoin or Telsa, the same applies. Vehicle are depreciating assets, put your money towards some that will appreciate.

You're probably going to ignore my advice above. Buy the 2 Door, don't go buying vehicles for theoretical situations in the future. Your 19, you don't need to plan on future partners, kids at your age.

2: 2.0 vs 3.6.

Test drive them

4: 8.4 Uconnect with alpine audio, is it worth it? Is the audio upgrade worth it?

My 80th came standard with the 8.4 radio. If the model had 7" screen, I would have bought Alpine upgrade. I am in my late 40's, so all the tech stuff isn't important to me.

5: Headliner.

Aftermarket or buy the Mopar one for cheaper if you want it.
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