Future Owner Questions

[TIPOVR]

Hey all! I’m new to the forum and the Wrangler world in general, so trying to keep this concise.

I currently DD a 05 Grand Cherokee but looking to update within the next year to Wrangler Unlimited.

Needs: 4door/4WD/automatic trans (getting old) for child and dog, good for New England winters, light off-road maybe once a year for camping (but still capable of much more if needed or I get the offroad bug).

New or used? The used prices are so close to new the last few model years that I’m leaning towards new unless I find a pristine mall crawler for the right price.

Those who have purchased new, what % of wiggle room off of MSRP?

Should I purchase a Sport S or Willys and mod aftermarket or go Rubicon out the gate? I’m thinking either route I’d want at least a 2.5in-3in lift, and 33-35in tires, thoughts or suggestions?

Worth opting for the Diesel engine or sticking with the tried and true v6.

Any website suggestions to brush up on knowledge of current wranglers and the aftermarket world in regards to off-roading other than this one? Coming from a sports cars background, I’m a bit overwhelmed tbh.

Anything else to consider or look out for?

Appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[Ingrum]

I bought a base model used Sport and started adding things. In hindsight, I would have liked to have had some items that are a real pain in the ass to install after market. The two that come to mind are switches and the large uconnect screen. The large uconnect screen just doesn't have a great or cost effective substitute - especially if you have already paid for a uconnect.

The best piece of advice I could give you is not to jump in and order a bunch of stuff in the first week. Make lists. Keep looking. You might find something you like better. The more you read these threads, patterns emerge. Products and companies float to the top. I wish I would have waited on side steps. I pulled the trigger too early and there are many out there I like better. Once you have your list, look for used or sales. You will eventually get a good price.

Next, go to a lot of different sites and register. They will often send you coupon codes or have sales around major holidays.

 

[YippieKiYayMrFalcon]

There are varying opinions on this, but I would suggest you consider a Sahara with the full time 4wd (selectrac) transfer case. Being up north, you could definitely benefit from having it in the winter. I have it on mine and really like having the full time option

also, factory LEDs or you’ll regret not getting them.

I’m also a big proponent of the 3.6. I’ll admit it is becoming a bit outdated in today’s market, but I had 2 JKs with it and now my JL and have never had a problem. Paired with the 8 speed auto, it’s never left me wanting more, even at highway speeds. Then again I remember when the 3.8 came out in 2007, so almost any v6 is great compared to that POS.

 

[rubileon]

Worth opting for the Diesel engine or sticking with the tried and true v6.

3.6 V6. You'll see people going for the 2L or 3L diesel either have no option in their market or they haven't owned a modern or sometimes any Wrangler before.

Any website suggestions to brush up on knowledge of current wranglers and the aftermarket world in regards to off-roading other than this one? Coming from a sports cars background, I’m a bit overwhelmed tbh.

Anything else to consider or look out for?

Join a local 4wd club and wheel with them. Most people advice against going alone.

Last piece of advice... try to get something you can test drive. And remember that there's a recall/repair culture with Jeeps... buying a Jeep while knowing that is what makes you an instant hero in the eyes of others

 

[TIPOVR]

Great advice, thanks! I'll be scouring the threads on this board to try and catch up on some knowledge as well!

 

[Will_Jeep]

3.6 V6. You'll see people going for the 2L or 3L diesel either have no option in their market or they haven't owned a modern or sometimes any Wrangler before.

Interesting, I have the 2.0T, and I owned a 2009 JK and 2012 JKU before

 

[TIPOVR]

One last question for now, the 4x4 system between the Sahara selectrac and the Rubicon, any major differences or benefits one vs the other, say driving to work in a foot of snow? I'm used to Subaru AWD previously.

 

[KIVO]

Interesting, I have the 2.0T, and I owned a 2009 JK and 2012 JKU before

Second one here.

That said, you'll see people going for the 3.6 or 2.2 diesel either have no other option in their market, or haven't owned a modern turbo before....

 

[rubileon]

Interesting, I have the 2.0T, and I owned a 2009 JK and 2012 JKU before

Figures... 2012 Pentastars had ticking and head gasket issues. Not sure if you experienced those issues but surprising to hear you wanted to be a guinea-pig again for the 2L

Second one here.

That said, you'll see people going for the 3.6 or 2.2 diesel either have no other option in their market, or haven't owned a modern turbo before....

Have owned and used plenty of modern turbos from high end manufacturers which is why I went for the 3.6. But people can tell that the 3.6 is smoother and quieter than the 2L... so, forget other vehicles.

 

[aldo98229]

One last question for now, the 4x4 system between the Sahara selectrac and the Rubicon, any major differences or benefits one vs the other, say driving to work in a foot of snow? I'm used to Subaru AWD previously.

The beauty of Selec-Trac is you can leave it engaged, permanently if you so desire, and not have to worry about road conditions.

For snow, a good set of tires, like KO2s, Duratracs or ATX, and Selec-Trac, and your Jeep will be pretty much unstoppable.

PS - apparently, Jeep will make Selec-Trac available across the board in 2021. Sport and Sahara are likely to get it with a rear LSD; Rubicon with lockable front and rear diffs. For truly automatic winter driving, the Selec-Trac with rear LSD on Sport and Sahara will be hard to beat.

 

[jeepoch]

TIPOVR,

Mostly depends on your budget and willingness to perform various modifications. If money is no object, go with either the Rubicon or Sahara trims right out of the gate. They give you the most features and functionality especially in regards to off-road capability (Rubicon) or creature comfort (Sahara).

The Sport is certainly the most economical as it is the base model and has the least amount of either. However, this trim gives you the canvas to modify (paint) your Jeep to your own personal preferences and desires.

I had this grand idea to start with the Sport S (due to my limited budget) and grow with it over time. Add the mods specifically that I wanted but at a pace I could afford. Some of it worked out well, some did not.

For a great mod, I added the 2.5" Mopar lift with Goodyear Duratrac 35x12.5x17 All-Terrains. Mounted these to Fuel Ammo Anthracite 17x9 (-12mm offset) wheels. I love it. The feel, the ride, the looks, everything about it is hard to describe. Way cool perhaps. But you could still do this to any Jeep at any trim.

What I don't like about my approach has been the following:

1. Stay away from the POS (piece-of-shit) UConnect 3 (5" Screen) radio at all costs. Never in my life have I ever run across a worse radio in any vehicle (ever) bar none. Even more worse yet is there are zero good upgrade options. The UConnect 3 has the volume and tuning knobs on the radio and not the HVAC panel on the dash. So even if you later upgrade to the UConnect 4, which claims the dash real-estate by having these knobs on the HVAC panel, the only way to then tune or change volume are through the steering column switches. YUK. Most dealers or installers will refuse to replace the HVAC panel because the reprogramming of the engine and body controls in addition to all the rewiring would only invite even way more trouble.

2. No easy way to introduce lockers without replacing each entire axel both front and rear. The Rubicon is expensive for a reason.

3. Manually disconnecting the front sway bar linkages is a real inconvenience. The Rubi's have this functionality as a standard feature with a dash push-button.

4. The lighting options are non existent on the Sport. In order to upgrade from the halogens to LEDs require a lot of effort. No simple plug and play replacement.

On the good side, but also available on all trims is that while I do really like driving a stick, the 3.6L 8-speed auto is awesome. It is indeed worth every penny. Performs flawlessly. Except that now with the 35's I rarely see 8th gear on the highway. But that's due to the 3.45 gears on the open diff axels on the Sport. I could regear, but that's not in the budget. Any mod on any axel will be a full blown replacement with eLockers with the Rubicon 4.10 gearing (or slightly higher). No other option to consider.

Still, I do really enjoy getting in and driving my rig (Snoopy) as often as possible. It's my everyday driver and I certainly wouldn't be as happy driving anything else. That is unless some ultra-rich thirteenth great uncle that I don't know exists, bequeaths me a JL Rubicon that I can transfer my current setup to.

Regardless, either road you take have fun and you won't regret it. Just stay away from that god-awful, fribben UConnect 3. Don't ever ask me what I really think of it. I may just get banned from this forum for being so vulgar.

On a side note; I did invest in a Viatech iPOD emulator that at least integrates Sirius XM Satellite into this radio over USB. So it's just at least just one step above terrible. Just barely, but it did nonetheless required yet another mod and expense to make it tolerable.

Hope this helps.
Jay

 

[Gee-pah]

Hey all! I’m new to the forum and the Wrangler world in general, so trying to keep this concise.

I currently DD a 05 Grand Cherokee but looking to update within the next year to Wrangler Unlimited.

Needs: 4door/4WD/automatic trans (getting old) for child and dog, good for New England winters, light off-road maybe once a year for camping (but still capable of much more if needed or I get the offroad bug).

New or used? The used prices are so close to new the last few model years that I’m leaning towards new unless I find a pristine mall crawler for the right price.

Those who have purchased new, what % of wiggle room off of MSRP?

Should I purchase a Sport S or Willys and mod aftermarket or go Rubicon out the gate? I’m thinking either route I’d want at least a 2.5in-3in lift, and 33-35in tires, thoughts or suggestions?

Worth opting for the Diesel engine or sticking with the tried and true v6.

Any website suggestions to brush up on knowledge of current wranglers and the aftermarket world in regards to off-roading other than this one? Coming from a sports cars background, I’m a bit overwhelmed tbh.

Anything else to consider or look out for?

Appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

Sir, it's been a while since I read posts at the Ordering & Pricing Section of this forum but urge you to.

Many people do a factory order at Koons of Vienna, VA, which nearly everyone is happy dealing with.

The are a large volume seller, and as result, get (or at least got, when I bought in 2018) incentives from FCA for moving lots of product, incentives that they then share in part with the customer.

You don't sound like your in a rush. They offered 5% off of MSRP, and you don't end up with a lot rig that who knows how it was test driven, that's missing accessories you want, and in possession of accessories you never would have purchased, but have to pay for to get a particular VIN.

Taking Amtrak from where you are to DC, and then transferring to the DC rail system will take you to Vienna, where the dealership is walking distance.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Vie...9f648cabebff610!2m2!1d-77.2358452!2d38.917986

 

[track.n.trail]

Reasons the Rubicon is worth it if you know you want lockers, big tires, etc:

1. D44 front and rear with lockers. Lockers are expensive to add after the fact and the factory D44s are strong enough to wheel with 37s (as long as you are a little easy on the throttle. This can be fixed with RCV axle shafts and a truss). Sport axles get a little weak with 35s and will not reliably support 35s with lockers.
2. High line fenders. Fit 37s with a 2" lift
3. Sway bar disconnect is awesome. No more kneeling/laying in the dirt to disconnect
4. Rock rails included

If you don't think you'll be doing serious off-roading, all these points are moot.

Sponsored