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Jeep Wrangler JL vs Lexus LX, Mercedes G-Class, Land Rover Discovery (Motortrend Comparison Review)

dudemind

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I believe your story, but I want to defend the rubicon, and blame Jeep/ Mopar, for constricting the rubicons locker ability, being you had to be in 4 lo to use them, then that limits the speed. Rrs probably had limited slip diff so it might be able to work better than rubies open diff. in that situation. The rubicon has to rely on brake lock differential when in 4 h and I don’t think it’s as quick to respond as clutch pack or whatever rrs uses. That’s why I wired my lockers to my aux switches and bypassed the computer, I can be locked in 2wd , 4 h or 4 lo and speed is not a factor. I guarantee if you would’ve had this capability it would have been another story. IMO.
I’m not saying that the RRS still wouldn’t have won, but at least the rubicon wouldn’t be bringing a knife to a gun fight:)
The open differential most certainly also plays into it, yes. But I'm not certain that the ability to lock-at-any-time would have truly made a difference in the ultimate outcome. Say, for example, that the terrain is constantly changing and I'm moving at a decent speed. Now I have to manage the differential manually and make sure I'm not locked up in a full-traction turn at anything but the lowest speeds (so as to avoid terrible binding). Sure, it can absolutely be done. But the computer wizardry managing detecting the slip and managing this full-time is vastly more capable than the binary nature of all-or-nothing lockers in nearly all situations.

Ultimately, my posts weren't intended to refute the Wrangler's capability. It is almost certainly more capable when things get really hairy. Rather, my point is that the vast majority of Jeep owners will absolutely never need the extra capability -- even the ones who use their Jeeps "as intended" off road. They simply want the bragging rights. Like bragging about 0-60 times, it's kind of pointless 99% of the time. So why not have the luxury vehicle that does everything it needs to and does it better while making things far more live-able for the driver and passengers?
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dudemind

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You make a very fair point. But I don’t even lock the front when running the trails so there really isn’t any turning binding, when wheeling with guys with Sahara’s and their select trac, I’m right there with them. You would be surprised where you can go in 2 wd with posi. Anyway I’m not trying to be controversial, I just think it’s apples/oranges, a better contest would’ve been a Sahara and rrs both have similar 4x4 set ups. Anyway we have something in common, both love the jeep:clap:
Totally agree the Sahara would be the better comparison to a full-time AWD vehicle. In fact, in an earlier post (months ago), I noted that the Sahara (with Selec-Trac) probably is the better Jeep for my personal driving style. But the Rubicon is just so... pretty.
 

StrikeZ

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You make a very fair point. But I don’t even lock the front when running the trails so there really isn’t any turning binding, when wheeling with guys with Sahara’s and their select trac, I’m right there with them. You would be surprised where you can go in 2 wd with posi. Anyway I’m not trying to be controversial, I just think it’s apples/oranges, a better contest would’ve been a Sahara and rrs both have similar 4x4 set ups. Anyway we have something in common, both love the jeep:clap:
Still with all this, they preferred the Rubicon for the combination of on and off road. I’d think the Grand Cherokee would be the Jeep that would be more comparison with the Lexus and Rover.
 
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Jebiruph

Jebiruph

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Still with all this, they preferred the Rubicon for the combination of on and off road. I’d think the Grand Cherokee would be the Jeep that would be more comparison with the Lexus and Rover.
This makes sense. I wonder if the idea for the comparison started from recognizing that the JL is finally a Wrangler that a normal (not Wrangler biased) person would be happy with as a daily driver, so what vehicles compete for that buyer if price doesn't matter.
 

robaw

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Totally agree the Sahara would be the better comparison to a full-time AWD vehicle. In fact, in an earlier post (months ago), I noted that the Sahara (with Selec-Trac) probably is the better Jeep for my personal driving style. But the Rubicon is just so... pretty.
Never seen a Moab, huh? :giggle:
 

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Jocko

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This makes sense. I wonder if the idea for the comparison started from recognizing that the JL is finally a Wrangler that a normal (not Wrangler biased) person would be happy with as a daily driver, so what vehicles compete for that buyer if price doesn't matter.
Driving through more affluent towns around here, I see many multi-million dollar homes with JKs parked out front. There are people at all income levels who appreciate the capability and purity of purpose. I feel like there are actually some people who might legitimately be cross shopping these vehicles, so my take on this article was that it was about making sure those people are aware of the improvements in the JL.

Just seeing these vehicles together in a comparison probably subtly influences some people’s perceptions of the brand. It definitely felt to me like a marketing piece meant to reinforce the idea that a Wrangler can be a more upmarket vehicle. But I still enjoyed it. Heh.
 

rfm8os

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I haven't read the article yet but one thing about the G Wagon. The interior is small and tight for passengers for such a large vehicle. My brother has owned a couple and my sister-in-law started driving one of them when he bought a Jaguar for his daily driver. She found it way to hard to live with on a daily basis getting her daughter in and out and if she had friends it seemed like they were always squished so they ended up trading it in for something else.
 

dudemind

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Driving through more affluent towns around here, I see many multi-million dollar homes with JKs parked out front. There are people at all income levels who appreciate the capability and purity of purpose. I feel like there are actually some people who might legitimately be cross shopping these vehicles, so my take on this article was that it was about making sure those people are aware of the improvements in the JL.

Just seeing these vehicles together in a comparison probably subtly influences some people’s perceptions of the brand. It definitely felt to me like a marketing piece meant to reinforce the idea that a Wrangler can be a more upmarket vehicle. But I still enjoyed it. Heh.
Exactly this. A lot of people mistakenly assume that others only cross-shop competing vehicles within a specific price range and fitting a very specific primary intended purpose. Of course price is always a final consideration on the upper end, but many people will cross-shop way down the lower end. And they'll cross-shop various vehicles for different reasons. People keep assuming nobody would cross-shop a Wrangler, a GX/LX, and a G-Class because they wouldn't. But plenty of people have and will continue to do so. I basically did, except I looked at the 4Runner instead of the GX because the latter circa 2010 was hideous. I cross-shopped the G550, the Range Rover full-size, the Range Rover Sport, the FJ Cruiser, the Wrangler, the 4Runner, used Broncos, and used Discovery IIs. We're talking literally a $100k+ price difference between the cheapest and the most expensive -- in hindsight, I probably didn't make the best choice, as I still lust after the FJ and we know how expensive Broncos have gotten. The whole process eventually got me considering a bunch of other non-SUVs as well, because the excitement of searching for a vehicle got me considering all kinds of possibilities. By the time my search really got moving, I just really wanted something new and fun. Truth be told, all my vehicle purchases have been made in the same manner. And now that I can afford pretty much whatever I want (well, let's be honest: I'm not quite financially able to own/maintain an actual exotic), I honestly don't really care to find a vehicle that "matches" my salary. This is far from the norm my hometown of Los Angeles, where cars are often primarily used as status symbols. But there are plenty of people, even in our nicer neighborhoods, who really don't care what is sitting in the driveway as long as they themselves are happy.
 
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S2k Chris

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Living in a place and having a career where mid-level luxury cars are very common, I LIKE that Everyman/no snob appeal aspect of the Jeep. Lots of affluent people in my area drive them, either as a companion to more expensive cars, or just because dammit they like them so why not. I didn’t want to be another boring a-hole in a 5-series or A6; I’m the guy dropping his kids off at school in a doorless tooless Jeep and I think it’s awesome.
 

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emoody007

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So why not have the luxury vehicle that does everything it needs to and does it better while making things far more live-able for the driver and passengers?
Because the Top don't come off !!! BOOM !!!! lol. However, I will say your assessment is somewhat fair for the most part. But again apples to oranges all the way to the $.
 
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Jebiruph

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So the real take away of the article comparing the new Wrangler to more expensive vehicles is "JL, not your kid's Wrangler".
 

T.Pigott

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Akbill

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I believe your story, but I want to defend the rubicon, and blame Jeep/ Mopar, for constricting the rubicons locker ability, being you had to be in 4 lo to use them, then that limits the speed. Rrs probably had limited slip diff so it might be able to work better than rubies open diff. in that situation. The rubicon has to rely on brake lock differential when in 4 h and I don’t think it’s as quick to respond as clutch pack or whatever rrs uses. That’s why I wired my lockers to my aux switches and bypassed the computer, I can be locked in 2wd , 4 h or 4 lo and speed is not a factor. I guarantee if you would’ve had this capability it would have been another story. IMO.
Did you post a how to? How did you do that?
 

ThirtyOne

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I liked the article. It is clearly a fluff piece for weekend warrior types who aspire to do a little off-roading and want to see what the more luxurious vehicles in this space can actually do stock on a moderate trail. It is what it is.
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