From Volkswagens to a Wrangler?

[Leitwolf25]

Hey all,

This is my first post into the wranglers forums, so be easy on the new guy.

I tripped over from vwvortex forums and landed here, after a few years of wanting a Wrangler, I'm curious to seek some opinions from people who are hardcore wrangler enthusiasts, new Jeep comers, and people like me who are considering leaving the VW/Audi 'the dark side' realm and get myself into a wrangler.

If you're asking why I want to leave VW, well:
1. After they've all I have been driving, I feel a product maturity in them & they now all feel the same.
2. I want to jump into something new, different from all I've been driving.

I'll start off by why I have considered a wrangler: and let me first say this, I have test driven a 2018 JLU Sport S. It had a soft top, 4cyl turbo, auto, and I didn't mind the transmission, the cabin noise wasn't as bad as i feel a lot of people were warning me about & I didn't think as a stock jeep the ride was rough, again, coming from lowered VW's, it rode much nicer, but I didn't want the test drive to end. it felt just right.
so....

1. No, im not going to be doing anything too crazy with mods or off-roading. I will be taking the jeep into the woods; hunting, fishing, road trips, camping, up to the mountains to snowboard, etc, places where my Jetta currenty limits me from going now.
2. I want something new feeling, very american, macho, tough, and can get me anywhere I need it to. (that sounds cliche, but lets be honest, we all can agree on this...right?
3. I want to be able to take the roof and doors off and enjoy a different feel of "fun" from a vehicle, other than turbo's and tunes.
4. Financially, they hold value, great value.
5. I don't mind the MPG & after reading some forums, averaging 18-22mpg isn't too far off from what I get now.
6. NY Winters are brutal, i'd take advantage of the amenities the JL has (cold weather package).
7. I don't want any other jeep product other than a wrangler, no GC, no Compass, nada..
8. I dont want FWD.


Those are just some simplified reasons why I think the vehicle is a good fir for me. For the opinions and advice from the experts, what are other things I need to consider? Just because the car "feels right" doesn't mean it is right. What are your questions for yourself before investing in a new car? I'm not talking about "can I afford this" this isn't meant to be a financial form, just opinions.

My ideal is JLU Sport S auto with some packages OR Sahara.

What should I know that a test drive can't really teach me?

Are they "that good" in the snow, tires/4x4? Is an older JK better for me? I know these are questions that branch off to more questions, but any and all advice helps.

Let me know! & I'll be sure to clarify if I wasn't too clear on anything

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[Sorbs]

Three things:

1. Do your homework on the forum on where to buy/order your new rig in your region. It’ll save you thousands of $ if you do.
2. Get the hardtop and then get the Best Top SunRider for JL.
3. Enjoy your new Jeep.

 

[GreyFox]

To piggyback on @Sorbs , dealers like to over inflate the tires, and this can change your test drive feel. Just a heads up if when you test drive.

If they made a 2 door Sahara I'd be all over it but I ordered a Sport S (don't need a Rubicon) and I love all the refinements Jeep has done. Good luck with whatever you decide! Welcome to the family

 

[Sean L]

Far be it to disagree with Sorbs on this but... Get the Dual Top Group... I regret just getting only the hard top and a full soft top afterwards is a good chunk of cash. The sunrider can be a good interim but I'm going to wait until the aftermarket has more options before I get anything.

A JLU Sport S Turbo would be perfect for what you plan on doing OP, but I would recommend getting the limited slip differential if you go with a Sport/S or Sahara.

 

[Majestic]

I'll completely disagree with Sorbs' #2 point as he's 100% wrong on the hardtop. Get the soft top if you want to really unleash the Jeep's potential and drive it like a boss. It's a known fact that 99.9% of Wrangler owners with a hardtop just leave it on forever like a bunch of lame schmucks. You're essentially just driving a rough-around-the-edges Grand Cherokee at that point.
But yeah, the versatility of the Jeep makes it awesome. It feels like a different vehicle from season to season as you configure your top, doors, and window combos to suit your fancy. Every other vehicle feels like it did they day you bought it, but just gets older. The Jeep always feels like something completely different depending on your mood.

 

[ODDs]

Our new Sahara is a replacement for my 2017 GTI Sport. The GTI is so perfect, its boring. Everything is innocuous. No emotion at all, other than the plaid seats. I wish the Wrangler could be had with those plaid seats. Everything else about the Jeep though is overflowing with special-ness. It's easy to see why these have such an emotional bond.

My two cents is buck up for the power Sky top if you can. It's amazing.

 

[maksiu]

I think its the best bang for your buck fun ride you can own because of its versatility but if you have long commutes it can get tiresome quickly. My wranglers have been strictly 3rd or 4th cars primarily as toys. I fully admit to being a poser so the convertible aspect and extra seating really is the benefit for me as well as the closest feeling a car can get to a motorcycle. If I had to drive it for day to day and it was my only car it would be tough.

 

[Slowpoke]

Stop teasing yourself. Be bold. Make the move to Jeep. Be happy.

 

[robaw]

It's a known fact that 99.9% of Wrangler owners with a hardtop just leave it on forever like a bunch of lame schmucks.

Haha, so true. Where I live there are very few soft tops around, and it's rare I see a topless Jeep even on really nice summer days

 

[dsgrey]

Years of driving pickups I switched to cars due to a daily 120 mile commute about 15 years ago. But I also owned a Miata I bought distressed, repaired and drove it on nice days until selling it 3 years ago. Fast forward and I've moved close to work, kids are gone and I now work from home 3 days a week. I missed my convertible and have grown too old to crawl up out of a low car such as a Miata plus I think Ford screwed up the Mustang design and engine design. So I bought a Wrangler JLU 3 weeks ago. I chose the soft top after realizing the pain to remove the hard top on my own though others may differ in opinion. 700+ miles so far with over half being without a top. This last tank is getting 22mpg on the v6 but it didn't matter if I was getting 18mpg. Take the plunge!!

 

[TJ2018]

It's a known fact that 99.9% of Wrangler owners with a hardtop just leave it on forever like a bunch of lame schmucks.

Hi. My name is Eric. And I'm a schmuck. The odds of my hard top coming off are slim. The Sunrider with the hardtop is just too darn convenient.

My $0.02 is if you plan to do light off-roading and want improved capability on snowy roads, I'd recommend the Sahara. Granted any Wrangler will do fine in snow, but the ease of the set-and-forget full time 4WD can be really nice when roads change from snowy to clear to snowy (think mountains after a decent snow).

Can't really go wrong with either the Sport S or the Sahara. Just be sure to get what you want and love what you get!

And I do drive it every day and I love my commute... every... single... day... (regardless of traffic!).

Good luck!

 

[robaw]

Hi. My name is Eric. And I'm a schmuck. The odds of my hard top coming off are slim. The Sunrider with the hardtop is just too darn convenient.

My $0.02 is if you plan to do light off-roading and want improved capability on snowy roads, I'd recommend the Sahara. Granted any Wrangler will do fine in snow, but the ease of the set-and-forget full time 4WD can be really nice when roads change from snowy to clear to snowy (think mountains after a decent snow).

Can't really go wrong with either the Sport S or the Sahara. Just be sure to get what you want and love what you get!

And I do drive it every day and I love my commute... every... single... day... (regardless of traffic!).

Good luck!

I wouldn't put you in the category of "schmuck" from what I was thinking. Sunrider IS nice! People around here run full hard top and don't even take the freedom panels off or ever take it off pavement.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Hey all,

This is my first post into the wranglers forums, so be easy on the new guy.

I tripped over from vwvortex forums and landed here, after a few years of wanting a Wrangler, I'm curious to seek some opinions from people who are hardcore wrangler enthusiasts, new Jeep comers, and people like me who are considering leaving the VW/Audi 'the dark side' realm and get myself into a wrangler.

If you're asking why I want to leave VW, well:
1. After they've all I have been driving, I feel a product maturity in them & they now all feel the same.
2. I want to jump into something new, different from all I've been driving.

I'll start off by why I have considered a wrangler: and let me first say this, I have test driven a 2018 JLU Sport S. It had a soft top, 4cyl turbo, auto, and I didn't mind the transmission, the cabin noise wasn't as bad as i feel a lot of people were warning me about & I didn't think as a stock jeep the ride was rough, again, coming from lowered VW's, it rode much nicer, but I didn't want the test drive to end. it felt just right.
so....

1. No, im not going to be doing anything too crazy with mods or off-roading. I will be taking the jeep into the woods; hunting, fishing, road trips, camping, up to the mountains to snowboard, etc, places where my Jetta currenty limits me from going now.
2. I want something new feeling, very american, macho, tough, and can get me anywhere I need it to. (that sounds cliche, but lets be honest, we all can agree on this...right?
3. I want to be able to take the roof and doors off and enjoy a different feel of "fun" from a vehicle, other than turbo's and tunes.
4. Financially, they hold value, great value.
5. I don't mind the MPG & after reading some forums, averaging 18-22mpg isn't too far off from what I get now.
6. NY Winters are brutal, i'd take advantage of the amenities the JL has (cold weather package).
7. I don't want any other jeep product other than a wrangler, no GC, no Compass, nada..
8. I dont want FWD.


Those are just some simplified reasons why I think the vehicle is a good fir for me. For the opinions and advice from the experts, what are other things I need to consider? Just because the car "feels right" doesn't mean it is right. What are your questions for yourself before investing in a new car? I'm not talking about "can I afford this" this isn't meant to be a financial form, just opinions.

My ideal is JLU Sport S auto with some packages OR Sahara.

What should I know that a test drive can't really teach me?

Are they "that good" in the snow, tires/4x4? Is an older JK better for me? I know these are questions that branch off to more questions, but any and all advice helps.

Let me know! & I'll be sure to clarify if I wasn't too clear on anything

Don’t overthink this. If a 4x4 that can run with no top and no doors appeals to you then get one. Like you said, resale is great so if you realize it’s not what you were after then just sell/trade it.

I’ve had VWs. Fun cars, until the expensive repair bills start coming in at 80,000 miles. Wranglers are nothing like them, but even more fun, in my opinion.

I do a long daily commute (stop and go traffic) in my 2dr, 6sp Rubicon. Love it. Don’t miss doing it in a VW.

Oh, premium soft top for the win.

 

[DenaliDan]

I have had my 2016 Audi S5 for 2.5 years and love it. Went on a business trip and got a brand-spanking new 2019 Sahara for a rental and, by the time I got to the hotel, was sure I was going to trade my S5 for a Wrangler. I drove that rental as much as I could. Even got up early and took a two-hour drive on the freeway before returning to the airport just so I could get a feel for a longer stint. I had always wanted a Jeep but they just never fit all my wants/needs until the JL came along. One month later and my order is in. My fiance, my friends, family, co-workers, are surprised I'd do such a thing. My fiance wants me to have both but those two vehicles and her year-old Mazda CX-5 just isn't very practical for just the two of us. Besides, we'd have no funds for fun. Oh, and I also sold my adventure motorcycle too. Anyway, I just look at it as trading one type of fun for another. Life is too short to spend too much time in one vehicle.

 

[DenaliDan]

Oh, and try not to get wrapped up in they Rubicon hype. Buy the model with the options that fit YOUR preferences and intended use. BTW, this will take some investment in time on these forums. I'd say most of your time on the forum will be spent deciding what model to get and how to get the best deal.

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