I'm stuck - need help getting pulled through

[Durtman]

Hi All,

Really grateful I found this place, you guys are great. So much good information and willingness to share here.
A little history - I had a CJ7 back in the day, missed having a Jeep for a long time. Last year I took the plunge and purchased a Smoky Mountain Unlimited. I ended up giving it to me daughter as a university graduation present, she loves it.

I have two issues -

I am not a huge fan of big cars and the Jeep is a good size for me and a great vehicle. I have a pretty full garage but I enjoy having a Jeep in the stable For me a Jeep is not a daily driver its just something different. I will likely never take it off road but once or twice a year, (sorry, just being honest). I was going to but a Sahara but damn the Rubicons just look so much better to my eye. I know they are heavier, noisier, a little rougher but who cares they look better, right. SO - Do I go for the Rubicon or the Sahara, is the Rubicon not the right fit at the end of the day??

Color - I am thinking of checking lots of boxes either way, (4cyl, auto, wheels, LED, Safety, remote entry, cold weather, UConnect, leather, headliner) I would order painted fenders on any color. The two colors I am stuck between are Sting Grey or Mojito. Color is a personal choice, both have their benefits but with these two colors I think the Sting grey looks best with the black top and the green likely with a painted top. What say you all?

If I get a Rubicon I will put side steps of some type sidesteps but other than that I don't see adding much to either. Sad but true.

Just a newbie and looking for some insights, thx

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[drummerchick]

I feel very similar. A Sahara would have probably been more practical for me, but once I had seen the Rubicon in person there was no going back.

My two color choices were also mojito and Sting. Once I had decided Rubicon, I didn't like all the red against the green, so I ordered gray. And then mojito got delayed again, so I'm glad I wasn't dead set on it. I'm also going to put rock sliders on so my son can step up into it, but not changing much else.

I say get what makes you smile!

 

[ThirtyOne]

Lots of people get the Rubicon for the aggressive look even if they don't need all the capability. Nothing wrong with that. Get the one you WANT. Especially if it is not your daily driver. Then the compromises don't matter as much.

As far as the colors they are both great colors. I tend to like black tops on Jeeps in general but that is a personal choice.

Ace Sliders are great on a Rubicon. You can keep the factory rock rails on and they slip right over. I think they are a very appropriate fit for a Rubicon too in terms of the looks and capability too.

 

[tcadaniel]

Get the Rubicon. Then you get the 4.10 gears. That alone makes it worth it.

 

[JBall]

Rubi all the way. I like Billet Silver myself-really pops in person and matches the interior accents the best (besides red maybe.)

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Rubicon.
Mojito.
You’re welcome.

 

[misanthrope]

Hi All,

Really grateful I found this place, you guys are great. So much good information and willingness to share here.
A little history - I had a CJ7 back in the day, missed having a Jeep for a long time. Last year I took the plunge and purchased a Smoky Mountain Unlimited. I ended up giving it to me daughter as a university graduation present, she loves it.

I have two issues -

I am not a huge fan of big cars and the Jeep is a good size for me and a great vehicle. I have a pretty full garage but I enjoy having a Jeep in the stable For me a Jeep is not a daily driver its just something different. I will likely never take it off road but once or twice a year, (sorry, just being honest). I was going to but a Sahara but damn the Rubicons just look so much better to my eye. I know they are heavier, noisier, a little rougher but who cares they look better, right. SO - Do I go for the Rubicon or the Sahara, is the Rubicon not the right fit at the end of the day??

Color - I am thinking of checking lots of boxes either way, (4cyl, auto, wheels, LED, Safety, remote entry, cold weather, UConnect, leather, headliner) I would order painted fenders on any color. The two colors I am stuck between are Sting Grey or Mojito. Color is a personal choice, both have their benefits but with these two colors I think the Sting grey looks best with the black top and the green likely with a painted top. What say you all?

If I get a Rubicon I will put side steps of some type sidesteps but other than that I don't see adding much to either. Sad but true.

Just a newbie and looking for some insights, thx

So, because I'm the smartest person ever, you should listen to me (my mom also says I'm a catch...). I find myself in a similar in-between state: I like the looks of the Rubi, but...I know I won't off-road hard enough to justify the cost, plus the Selec-Trac full-time all-wheel drive on the Sahara is very practical.
Here's what I propose:
You buy a Sahara in Sting-Gray (or Mojito!, you're call) with black fenders(follow along, I'll get to that). Get the Selec-Trac option: it still has 4Hi and 4Lo for serious problems, but also Full Time for hazardous on-road conditions. You won't get the better gear ratio or the electronic lockers, sway bar disconnect or the beefier axles, but you'll save a lot of weight on things you'll never use. And the Sahara comes with side steps. The Rubi looks boss, so you find someone local who's upgrading their tires/rims and buy 'em cheap. Try and do the same with steel bumpers and color-matched Rubi fender flares, as many will upgrade these as well, or worst case, you get them from Jeep Performance Parts after the fact at the same cost. It will be a little bit of work, but these are all bolt on parts that will take an afternoon to upgrade, and you can then sell your take-offs to recoup some cash. Win-win, plus you get to tinker a little with the rig so you feel "Jeepish".
Rubicon looks, everyday capability, save some cash (yes, I've run the numbers), best of both worlds.

 

[agordon117]

The only problem with that is the vents on the hood are what make the rubicon aggressive looking above anything else. Nobody is giving up that hood. I'd also imagine very few people are buying body color matched anything if they plan to upgrade, or a steel bumper for the same reason. If you're upgrading, why spend extra money on the throw away option?

To the OP, get a rubicon. I 100% have no business getting a rubicon, and yet I did anyway. Sure we get some heavy snow and some of the places I visit have really muddy grass parking lots, but I don't go off roading because I don't have the time. Totally would if I worked a normal 9-5 job, but running my own business I end up working about 100 hours a week. I bought the Hard Rock package on my 2016 because of the similar hood with the vents and the awesome look of the steel bumper. I find the normal JK hood so bland it's almost distracting. The JL isn't as bad, but still it won't have the same look without that awesome hood. Honestly if the JL didn't have the hood vents, I would have stuck with the JK and put in an alpine 9" nav. Personally I do like the JK vented hood a little better due to the lip on the leading edge, but the JL looks at least aggressive enough for what the vehicle is (to me).

You will not regret the rubicon ever.

 

[misanthrope]

The only problem with that is the vents on the hood are what make the rubicon aggressive looking above anything else. Nobody is giving up that hood. I'd also imagine very few people are buying body color matched anything if they plan to upgrade, or a steel bumper for the same reason. If you're upgrading, why spend extra money on the throw away option?

The "power bulge" hood is a bit silly. It's the thing I like the least about the Rubicon: all form, no function. To each his/her own, but many won't miss it.
Also, what you may be overlooking, is that most Wrangler buyers are buying dealer orders off the lot. Dealer order Rubis almost always have the matched flares and steel bumpers, and there will be many who buy a dealer specced unit who will swap them out.

Additionally, the Selec-Trac is a better system for variable, on-road driving in almost any condition. 4Hi isn't made for regular speed, inclement road driving. Just can't get that on the Rubi (for now, at least).

Like I tried to make clear to everyone, I'm the smartest person ever, so there's really no point in arguing.

 

[agordon117]

Actually, 4H can be used at highway speeds in inclement conditions. Just don't try shifting into it at 70mph and you're fine.

 

[misanthrope]

Actually, 4H can be used at highway speeds in inclement conditions. Just don't try shifting into it at 70mph and you're fine.

It "can be" used (I had a '80 K5 Blazer that I drove exclusively in 4Hi for a month because I broke the rear driveshaft) but on mixed surfaces at speed, you can destroy it without the ability to slip on turns. Not recommended, as it could result in wheel hop and damage to the transfer case. It's why all-wheel drive was invented: for full-time capability on unpredictable road surfaces. Additionally, many vehicles with part time 4WD will disable or modify anti-lock brake systems (and stability or traction control/ESP) when in that mode, so, again, not really recommended on the road at speed.

To be clear, I am in no way discounting the value of a Rubi, nor disparaging those who bought one with little intention of ever going serious off-roading, let alone crawling. I'm just trying to give the advice that I've been trying to give myself for the past few months: if the Rubicon look is all you're after, that can pretty easily be achieved by lightly modding a more practical (for everyday, on road purposes) Sahara for less money.

 

[agordon117]

Right, so don't drive it in 4wd around turns that are sharp. If you need 4wd somewhere like the Pennsylvania turn pike where there are serious turns at 70mph, you probably won't be going 70mph in those conditions or you'll topple off of a cliff.

A Sahara may fit your vision of what a rubicon looks like, but it's just not the actual rubicon look.

Also, in the case of the JLs, there are hardly any rubicons hitting dealer lots. In the last 3 months, I've seen maybe 10 rubicons hit lots within 150 miles of me. And I have no way to know if those were custom orders, as those appear on the jeep website also.

 

[Durtman]

Thanks guys.

Appears I have more time to contemplate this decision, if I want the green, OR I can pull the trigger right now it's something else. I went to the dealership and here in Canada Mojito is still not available. The GSM is a friend, his wife worked for me for years, let me look in his configurator and the Mojito was nowhere to be found.

Are the factory option steel bumpers good or are the plastics ok?

 

[The Z]

I got the Rubicon for the looks I will admit it! The Sahara would have been plenty capable for the muddy fishing and hunting trails i go on. That said I don't regret buying a Rubicon I think it drives smooth, steering is tight will turn on a dime. Not noisy absolutely do not hear the road noise they say you will with the more aggressive treads and only noise I hear is over 50 some wind noise slightly with from the corners of the windshield but its nothing. Now I do have the upgraded screen with alpine supposedly has some noise cancellation tech and I have factory headliner option. Infact driving 30 miles an hour through town windows closed it is so dead quiet its weird. First an only Wrangler I ever drove and was so nervous after ordering I was like what if I hate it. My experience I have been overwhelmingly pleasantly surprised. I didn't get steel bumpers I was regretting that but I did go with Rough Country Stubby Bumper and I love it. But I went through hell trying to choose an aftermarket front bumper I liked the looks of.

I just ordered these Aries powered running boards because the wife she loves the Jeep but she has so much trouble getting in and out of it. Check them out they look like the cats meow of running boards. https://www.carid.com/aries-automot...o-wheel-black-running-boards-mpn-3036571.html

 

[wanderer]

Having started the jeep trip in a 77 cj 7 golden eagle with a 304 and yes it was a daily driver . The new JL is so much more enjoyable on all levels. I guess I just don't see the compromises.

This was my daily driver for quite a few years. YOu will note that with out the top on the door didn't latch hence the bungie cord hanging from the door frame . Most times I drove without the doors and top. This was a return trip form the bay area going down the 1 and sleeping on the beaches back when the country was a bit more open and free.

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