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Bronco features you would like Jeep to incorporate into Wrangler during JL's mid-cycle redesign

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aldo98229

aldo98229

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Just a reminder what an LJ was, for those not familiar.



FORTY THOUSAND dollars was a boatload of money in 2006; more so for a Jeep!
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Outrun

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The longer wheelbase makes for a much more stable vehicle. The Bronco 2 door at 100.4" while only 4" longer makes it a much more stable climber. The LJ at 103.4" was very good.
The LJ was before it's time because all the die hard Jeep fans were obsessed with the short wheelbase and at the time didn't like the look of the LJ while the LJ is much better off road platform.
 

lowmpg

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Find a way to build a larger touchscreen, that is all.
 

jimim

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This is very easy for me. Stuff I want.

1. Power seats at least driver with memory. If no memory I donā€™t need power seats.

2. Body mounted mirrors.

3. Rear freedom panels along with front freedom panels still. Keep back portion while like it is now. I can honestly seeing this happen on the next model. Then it would be like folding the soft top back on the fly without taking rear pieces off which I am fine with daily. Not like Iā€™m sitting back there.
 

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ReimundKrohn

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Although I had a Bronco on order, and a VIN, I cancelled and bought a Jeep. The main reason for that being Ford seriously fumbled the roll out, and are placing the blame on everyone butā€¦. Ford. At this point, I canā€™t understand how they fumbled the roof issue so badly that they donā€™t even have a hardtop offering at the moment (Mod or MIC) that works, and wonā€™t offer soft tops to two door order holders, periodā€¦ AND the soft top they offer on the four door is a abomination.

That said, there are some things I would like to see Jeep offer to their buyers in any potential refresh.

1). Rear lockers optional on all trims.

2). Extended body 2 door, to permit some cargo area currently lacking (even another 8ā€ would go an awful long way - yes, ā€˜thatā€™s what she saidā€™.)

3). LED should be standard.

But the biggest thing I want Jeep to continue doing - PLEASE - is stocking dealers. I waited over a year for my Bronco and had 5 build dates all come and go. Never again, damn it. I was able to find the Jeep I want on a lot and buy it right away (waiting on ordered mods before taking delivery). Lean manufacturing, in the era of a Global Supply Chain crisis, is NOT conducive to online order and build. Jeep is best learning from Ford what NOT to do to keep their customers.
 

ReimundKrohn

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This is very easy for me. Stuff I want.

1. Power seats at least driver with memory. If no memory I donā€™t need power seats.

2. Body mounted mirrors.

3. Rear freedom panels along with front freedom panels still. Keep back portion while like it is now. I can honestly seeing this happen on the next model. Then it would be like folding the soft top back on the fly without taking rear pieces off which I am fine with daily. Not like Iā€™m sitting back there.
I wouldnā€™t be too quick to ask for rear freedom panelsā€¦. It sounds like this might be another part of Fordā€™s hardtop problem. As per Ross (PREMiERdrum) on B6G ā€œFord owns the engineering and the tooling on the Hardtopsā€¦.ā€ And the rattles/leaks/delamination/wear through/shedding headliner all prove the engineering was poor. I suspect it isnā€™t just a hardtop problem, but a mounting problem. The sport tube ā€œhaloā€ design isnā€™t providing sufficient mounting points for the roof, allowing flex and movement leading to issues. Thatā€™s speculation, but does jive with what we are seeingā€¦. And explains the severity of the actions taken by Ford over in Michigan.
 

MattT69

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LJ appeared to hit a sweetspot among those who wanted a 2-door but needed more practicality. It remains one of the most desirable Wranglers of all time.

The bulk of the development costs on a body-on-frame vehicle goes into the frame, powertrains and drivetrains. Adding body types onto existing frames should be relatively inexpensive. Especially if hood, fenders, doors, tailgate, etc., can be reused.

The way things are headed, the 2-door may be dead by the time JM arrives. Which would be very unfortunate. Anything Jeep can do to revive the 2-door is a good thing IMO.
The limited supply/run of the LJ increased it's desirability for sure, but did it actually out sell the Regular TJ when both of them were in production.
 
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Strommen95

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LEDs being standard is a terrible idea. $1000 would be added to literally every single Jeep built. You think Jeep is just going to blindly eat one of it's most profitable options?.. Not to mention LEDs are objectively terrible for snow and drivers living in a city.

Never understood wanting options already available to be standard. Leave Jeeps as customizable as possible.
 

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Jhawth

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Move the door hinges inside to prevent them from getting chipped to hell from rocks when wheeling, and maybe it could solve the corrosion issue so many wrangler owners end up having, and that's about it.

Keep the hardtop as 3 pieces. The bronco's hard top squeaks like no other driving down the road, and it's because it's made of 5 pieces.
 

daveprice7

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I disagree. Jeep should keep the most basic Wrangler possible, but even more so. Make it with half doors and soft uppers with zipper windows and lower the MSRP to $25,000 or even a little less. But sales are so good that it is not at all necessary. They'd only consider it if sales slumped. I know several folks who would jump at that kind of Jeep.
I did buy my stripped no-frills Jeep for $26K (new), so, in a way, I have agreed with you.. but it's kind of insulting to not include power locks and A/C and other basics that effectively every other vehicle sold in this county has standard. I'm in the process of installing power locks into this Jeep.. but, I'm taking the power locks out of my 2nd hand half-doors to put in my full doors, so I also agree with you that half doors don't need them (only because I'm not planning on using the uppers). But I think those uppers need to be more freeway-speed-friendly for half doors to be a standard option.

I grew up in the 70s & 80s, I lived through the days of no AC and manual everything being normal. I'm not sure why anyone would be nostalgic for it... but then again, people collect Beanie Babies and dinner plates with portraits of Elvis on them, so I guess everyone has their thing. Windows are really the only power equipment that no longer operates manually when the powered part fails (actuators don't usually physically stop you from adjusting mirrors or unlocking a door) so there's very little disadvantage to making it standard. The argument for "more things to break" just brings you to where you were if you didn't have it at all, so... no harm no foul if it does break?
 
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aldo98229

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Although I had a Bronco on order, and a VIN, I cancelled and bought a Jeep. The main reason for that being Ford seriously fumbled the roll out, and are placing the blame on everyone butā€¦. Ford. At this point, I canā€™t understand how they fumbled the roof issue so badly that they donā€™t even have a hardtop offering at the moment (Mod or MIC) that works, and wonā€™t offer soft tops to two door order holders, periodā€¦ AND the soft top they offer on the four door is a abomination.

That said, there are some things I would like to see Jeep offer to their buyers in any potential refresh.

1). Rear lockers optional on all trims.

2). Extended body 2 door, to permit some cargo area currently lacking (even another 8ā€ would go an awful long way - yes, ā€˜thatā€™s what she saidā€™.)

3). LED should be standard.

But the biggest thing I want Jeep to continue doing - PLEASE - is stocking dealers. I waited over a year for my Bronco and had 5 build dates all come and go. Never again, damn it. I was able to find the Jeep I want on a lot and buy it right away (waiting on ordered mods before taking delivery). Lean manufacturing, in the era of a Global Supply Chain crisis, is NOT conducive to online order and build. Jeep is best learning from Ford what NOT to do to keep their customers.
The Bronco debacle will be studied in marketing, PR, logistics and production management classrooms for years to come. My guess is Ford went into this program with an amount of arrogance that made them blind to problems that now seem obvious.

Right now Ford is talking about shifting the entire company away from stocking dealer lots to making everything to order. For Ford to be preoccupied with that at this moment, when they have been hit hardest by the parts shortage and is effectively losing market share, gives us an insight into the minds of a management team detached from reality.
 
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Headbarcode

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Incorporate:
- Wide Dana 44's front and rear on all trims
- 4.10's standard; 4.56 and 4.88 optional
- Option of rear locker or lsd on non Rubicons
- Full LED Lighting Group standard on all trims
- 8.4" screen becomes standard and 12" optional on all trims
- Plusher seating both front and rear
- Manual slide out seat extensions and 1/4 turn friction locks to support longer leg comfort
- Increase the length of travel on the seat height adjustment, to better accommodate taller owners/buyers
- Front facing trailcam with HD resolution and those cool ghost treads optional on all models.

Don't Incorporate:
- Mirrors on the a-pillars. It's a hindrance in the environment that an offroad segment vehicle is primarily designed to navigate.
- Deleted structural crossbar for the sport cage. Along with the accompanied relocation of the speakers to being an obstruction in the cargo area.
- Frameless door windows, and what appears to be a roof line that wraps further down to make up the difference anyway
- 360Ā° camera. Only works with mirrors that never leave the vehicle
- More removable roof panels. It doubles the potential leak and squeak points

All of the items in the "don't" list are better suited to run of the mill commuter vehicles. All they do on an offroad minded vehicle, is water down its capabilities and/or are targeting those who care more about the "look". Bronco clearly opted for form over function with many of its design choices.

I've typed it before, and I think it holds enough weight to be worth typing again. The Bronco was designed with commuter comfort as priority #1 and offroad capability as #2, as long as it doesn't impede on #1. Jeep has always done the exact opposite because they obviously believe in function over form. Is there room for improvements on the Wrangler? Yes, but not at the expense of watering down an icon. In a world that is throwing tradition into the wind, I for one am proud to see Jeep continue its mission. To be able to bring average Americans to far reaches that would even be difficult on foot. End babble. :like:
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