Does the Wrangler Sport come with steelies?

[zw470]

Highly unscientific here, but looking at wheel options on Quadratec's site, the steel wheels appear to be lighter than the alloy Rubicon wheels (30 pound shipping weight vs. 31)
*note the steel wheel isn't the exact Mopar wheel you get with the Sport, just one I found on Quadratec that seems very similar.

Steel Wheel
Rubicon Alloy Wheel


Stamped steel is incredibly strong and can require much less material to be structurally sound than Aluminum... though obviously there are design limitations to making them look as cool as some alloy wheels...

Those are JK wheels. JL Rubicon wheels are less than 22 lbs.

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[The Last Cowboy]

I really like the steel wheels with 285s on them. So much so that I may find a cheap take off set and do that on my Willys.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

The base sport come with steel. Sport S come with alloy. They don’t look bad, but the big issue I have with them is they like to hold mud in the seam between the inside of the spokes and the rim. After getting into deep mud you have to pressure wash them from the back to clean them out. Major vibrations caused by unseen trapped mud throwing the balance off. Same with ice in the winter. As snow melts on the hot brakes, the water settles in the bottom of the channel between the spokes and rim and refreezes.

Overall not a bad steel wheel, but the way they’re assembled allows debris to get trapped, causing vibrations, and it got annoying to have to clean them out all the time. They lasted about less than a year on my JK before I swapped them out. My JT still has them, but that isn’t my trail toy so it’s not as big of a factor. Surface rust starts to show up after a couple years at the edge of the stamping on the spokes. Sooner if you drag them through mud and sand.


I’ve left them on my JT since I like the military-like look they have. Black steelies on a flat grey soft top. But then, I use my JT as a light duty truck that sees two tracks at most. My JL does all the fun stuff. My JT is a HARD base sport, zero options. My JL is a mid trim sport S. IMO the sport is a great starting point for a build if you’re going to do a lot of work on it, less money for things you’re going to pull off anyway with less electronics. The Sport S is a great way to get a fair amount of features without diving into the $40k’s.

 

[Heimkehr]

The Sport S is a great way to get a fair amount of features without diving into the $40k’s.

For the moment, yes. A zero-option JLU Sport S, in white, is currently $38,960.00. Buy now, if interested; $40K is just around the next bend.

And I may start referring to my own Sport as a "Hard Base" . It sounds just modern and silly enough that folks may believe it to be an actual factory trim designation.

 

[Hennessey17]

For the moment, yes. A zero-option JLU Sport S, in white, is currently $38,960.00. Buy now, if interested; $40K is just around the next bend.

And I may start referring to my own Sport as a "Hard Base" . It sounds just modern and silly enough that folks may believe it to be an actual factory trim designation.

I went with the Sport in August over the Sport S because it was the only way to keep it under $40k with the options I "needed"... automatic, 4 door, hardtop, tinted windows... sticker was $38,500 when delivered in December. It would have been around $42k at the time with a Sport S. I probably could have done it, but there was a mental block going over $40k.

 

[Heimkehr]

I went with the Sport in August over the Sport S because it was the only way to keep it under $40k with the options I "needed"... automatic, 4 door, hardtop, tinted windows... sticker was $38,500 when delivered in December. It would have been around $42k at the time with a Sport S.

I probably could have done it, but there was a mental block going over $40k.

A 2023 JLU Sport that is configured identically to my 2021 JLU brings with it a $3K price increase. The 2022 build was $2.2K higher(!), meaning the 2023's price bump was "just" $800.00.

A family member will soon be ordering a 2023 JLU Sport. I helped her configure the vehicle. Her required options are modest, and mostly identical to yours: Auto, four doors, hardtop, tinted glass, and 1-2 other things (e.g., anti-spin diff). Her price shot up to $42K before we could blink.

It seems apparent that nothing will ever cost less than what it does at this moment in time...and that such moments are the very definition of ephemeral.

Buy now or forever hold your wallet.

 

[whitechocolate]

A 2023 JLU Sport that is configured identically to my 2021 JLU brings with it a $3K price increase. The 2022 build was $2.2K higher(!), meaning the 2023's price bump was "just" $800.00.

A family member will soon be ordering a 2023 JLU Sport. I helped her configure the vehicle. Her required options are modest, and mostly identical to yours: Auto, four doors, hardtop, tinted glass, and 1-2 other things (e.g., anti-spin diff). Her price shot up to $42K before we could blink.

It seems apparent that nothing will ever cost less than what it does at this moment in time...and that such moments are the very definition of ephemeral.

Buy now or forever hold your wallet.

I found this too, the base model of mine was 28kish in 2021 now the base is 34ish

 

[Shibadog]

For the moment, yes. A zero-option JLU Sport S, in white, is currently $38,960.00. Buy now, if interested; $40K is just around the next bend.

And I may start referring to my own Sport as a "Hard Base" . It sounds just modern and silly enough that folks may believe it to be an actual factory trim designation.

And what Jeep “should” be doing is offering a Rubicon package for the Base that includes JUST the gears, lockers and tires (Not fancy wheels, cute red dashboards, spiffy seats and power everything and big Rubicon lettering on the hood). THAT would be a Jeep for those folks who are serious about leaving pavement and doing the tough trails. Leave the fancy power stuff and trim to the Sahara’s and make the Rubicon option available across the line. Spec it like you spec an engine or other optional equipment.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Just for some more information, you could get optional aluminum wheels on a Sport model at least in '19.

 

[Heimkehr]

And what Jeep “should” be doing is offering a Rubicon package for the Base that includes JUST the gears, lockers and tires (Not fancy wheels, cute red dashboards, spiffy seats and power everything and big Rubicon lettering on the hood). THAT would be a Jeep for those folks who are serious about leaving pavement and doing the tough trails.

I've said it before that I'd like to see the Wrangler marketed in one of two ways:

A. Sell the vehicle as the Wrangler, period. The buyer could configure his vehicle with as many or as few options, or "groups", as he likes (including powertrains.) He wouldn't be required, as he is now, to purchase selected trims simply to gain access to certain options that other trims don't allow.

-or-

B. Market the vehicle under two trims: Wrangler, and Wrangler Rubicon. That's all. The former would essentially be the same as Option A, less the now-separate Rubicon trim, which would of course provide all of the uparmored trimmings that I highlight in your quoted post...but none of the parenthetical fluff, which you and I agree isn't needed for serious off-road work.

Extra credit: Reintroduce some elemental things that used to be part and parcel of Jeep ownership. E.g., vinyl seating surfaces, and the choice of half doors & soft uppers, or full doors, at no additional charge.

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Presently, there's three effective trims: Sport, Sahara and Rubicon, with endless variations on these themes (as the plethora of choices on the configurator webpage makes plain). That's a bit much to sort through, and arguably confusing for visitor considering Jeep ownership for the first time.

If you're not going to cool your heels on near-constant and measurable price increases, Stellantis, simplify it all as I suggest above.

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