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How does the JL ride and drive compared to the JK?

Traktor31

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Maybe I dont critique hard enough, but I went from a 2018 Outback to my current Wrangler, and honestly I think the JLU handles great. It doesn't really feel any worse than Outback, but granted I am not a big highway driver. Obviously its not the original question, but figured I chime in.

I can't see myself every getting driver fatigue or anything, maybe if its a long highway drive on a super windy day? But overall I have been super comfortable driving it.
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Outrun

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My 2010 JKU had way way WAY better road manners than my current 2021 JLUR. No wandering from the 2010
Tire pressure, tire choice, and wheel offset can make or break wandering issues.
 

aldo98229

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My 2010 JKU had way way WAY better road manners than my current 2021 JLUR. No wandering from the 2010
Same here. My 2015 JKU Sahara with a Mopar 2-inch lift and 34-inch tires handled much better than the my 2018 JLU Sahara with a Mopar 2-inch lift and 35-inch tires.

JL rides better than JK but handles worse; JK had a more tossable demeanor that’s totally lost on JL.

It seems that in giving JL a more isolated ride, also gave it a less connected driving feel.
 

JeepinPete

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I test drove JKU's and JLU's before I bought my JLUR. Both in manual and automatics. I also got to drive a JL sport, Sahara, and Rubicon back to back.

The JL's feel more refined in ride. I didn't think the stock JKU rode or handled bad, just not as refined.

There was a definite difference between the JL sport, sahara and rubi. The sport rode better than the sahara, which rode better than the rubicon. By that I mean the suspension felt more settled with the sport, noticeably less so in the Rubicon. No doubt the difference in unsprung weight due to the larger tires.

Obviously the difference did not keep me from buying a Rubicon. My prior daily was a '93 Toyota Land Cruiser on 37" tires. The JL feels like a sports car in comparison :LOL:

Pete
 

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SlowPoke21

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Tire pressure, tire choice, and wheel offset can make or break wandering issues.
understood. Both were stock.

I have read enough about the JL wandering issues. I understand it needs LCAs. It will happen some day.
 

Nickp01

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I genuinely don’t understand the complaints about Wrangler handling on the highway. While I’m not a speed demon, it doesn’t handle much differently than other vehicle at speed in my experience. I think a Wranglers shortcoming regarding ride quality is around town. Coming to stops often, taking a lot of turns, taking bumps or potholes, etc.
I think my biggest complaint about my JK is how it “tracks” the grooves in the highway. I have zero issues on some roads but others are a mess.
My 2010 JKU had way way WAY better road manners than my current 2021 JLUR. No wandering from the 2010
Interesting. My 2010 JK drives amazingly for what it is, I’ve even had other Jeep guys comment on how well it rides. (Probably because it’s basically stock lol.)

I’ve also heard reports that 2010 was the best year reliability wise for the JK, so maybe that year they just had everything dialed in.
 

rikity

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I think my biggest complaint about my JK is how it “tracks” the grooves in the highway. I have zero issues on some roads but others are a mess.

Interesting. My 2010 JK drives amazingly for what it is, I’ve even had other Jeep guys comment on how well it rides. (Probably because it’s basically stock lol.)

I’ve also heard reports that 2010 was the best year reliability wise for the JK, so maybe that year they just had everything dialed in.

I'm pretty involved with every iteration that comes out, sold many of them new and used and there are quirks with every year/make/model Jeep.. well every car to be honest has something that was an issue. The 3.8L motor is a boat anchor, the early 3.6L motors had a very common head issue. 2015 and later they really seemed to have it dialed in. They forgot to weld both sides of the tracking bar bracket to the frame on the first run of JL's, which was an incredible mess, then the steering box problems. But severe and game changing problems have not plagued the JL at all.

Take a peek at this link, engine problems nearly dropped off the map the last 6 years:
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/Wrangler/
 

MillsRubicon

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We had a 2008 JK 4 Door Sahara since 2010 just got rid of her a few months ago for a almost new 2019 JL 4 Door Rubicon . I put a lot of miles on that JK . I would say even after upgrading the JK to Rubicon Express Shocks it just did not handle like the JL . The JL feels more like a sports car with handling and it soaks up the bumps like no body’s business, I’m sure that’s due to the Rubicon Shocks . But we love our new Rubicon JL 3.6 (non Etorque of coarse ) . Also the 3.6 pared with the 8 speed runs like a V8 compared to the old 3.8 dog that was in my JK . Here’s what we had and why we got now

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xylodan

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I had a 2 door and 4 door JK Rubicon and now a diesel JL. The JL is stiffer in feel and the 8 speed transmission gives it quite a bit more pep. My JK's were 6 cylinder, my JL is the diesel but I've also driven the 6 cylinder gas JL and can say that one is also more peppy than the JK (but not as much as the diesel) and I'm guessing that's due to the 8 speed transmission.

It still definitely rides like a Jeep, but there's less body sway when cornering and overall feels more firm on the roads. I've driven them both off road, no real rock crawling but I can't say I've pushed the limits of either to have much intelligent information to part. I do love how the diesel's high torque/low rpm allows it to slowly plod over things without a lot of throttle input making it less lurchy, but on the other hand the rapidly recovering suspension makes for a less squishy ride than I remember in my JK.

However, I would describe the steering on the JL as a little vague if that makes sense and my JK's felt a nit more directly connected to steering input.
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