Jrbrannan
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Joe
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2018
- Threads
- 39
- Messages
- 583
- Reaction score
- 703
- Location
- Bloomington, Il
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 JLUR Ocean Blue 2008 Highlander Hybrid (previously several CJ-7, YJ, TJ, JK)
- Vehicle Showcase
- 1
- Thread starter
- #1
My local dealer had a new JLU Sahara with leather and a hardtop, so I decided to go check it out and take it out for a quick test drive. My goals were #1 I wanted to see how well I would fit (I am 6'7" 225 lbs) #2 I wanted to see the difference between the JKU and JLU, and finally #3 I wanted to see what the wifey thought of it, at the end of the day happy wife= happy life.
#1 I must say I was a bit disappointed here. I do not truly fit in any car, and the JLU was no exception, my head hit the "sportsbar" above the front seat. I cranked the seat down as low as it would go but it sill did not help. I have this problem in many cars so the Jeep is not alone here. I am thinking it might be okay for 2 reasons, #1 it looks like the seat bracket it raised maybe about 1" off the floor, and I think I could create a new bracket that would lower the seat. #2 the sportsbar is covered with plastic, so if I was rear ended and my head did hit it I would be hitting plastic not metal. If you are tall I would strongly recommend test driving and test fitting before you order one.
#2 I must say I was highly impressed with the JLU. It was really nice, the motor was peppy, the transmission was smooth, the start stop did not jerk on and off. The fit and finished seemed to be good as well. To give some context my first car was a 1983 CJ7 when I was 15, I have owned SEVERAL CJ's, YJ;s TJ;s and one JKU over my life, as well as recently driven my brothers 2017 JK. The JLU is better in almost every way. It it hard to describe but I felt it had a more "TJ" feel on the inside with the seats, they seemed a bit narrower than the JK, but in a good way. The 8.4" screen was great, the rear leg room was better and the small details just all seem to be much better than the outgoing JK. We got it up to 70+ and once we crossed 65 there was a bit of wind noise, nothing crazy but higher than the Highlander that we mostly drive for road trips. The look of the JLU Sahara was nice but not too difference than the older JKU next to it, most non-Jeep people will have a hard time telling the difference. I think the Rubicon will show a larger difference IMO.
#3 This was my biggest worry going into the test drive. My wife is an awesome woman who puts up with all my faults and craziness but she has not been a fan of Jeep's overall. This was somewhat my fault. When we first started dating I owned a 2004 TJ Rubicojn with 37" tires and a front bu,per that came up to my chin (Yes remember I am 6'7" lol) it was a ton of fun off road but not really a good daily driver, and seeing as she is 5' tall I needed to basically pick her up and put her in. Then when we drove my brother's JK we took it out with no top and no doors and got stuck in a summer shower. It did not bug me, that is part of the Jeep life, but she was not prepared for it and was not amused. Anyways... I let herr drive first and she was quite impressed at how good the sight lines were, being she is tiny as she is she often times has problems with blind spots. She raved about how easy it was to drive. She even mentioned several times that if I did not fit we could still buy one and she would just drive it everyday. SMH, I think I have created a new Jeep fan.
A couple quick notes- the heated steering wheel was really warm, not uncomfortable to the touch but was a nice bonus, the seats I felt could have been a bit hotter but not bad. The heater was a Jeep heater- it was really strong. The front glove box is comically small, it reminds me of a first gen Bronco or something, you are not going to fit anything in there. The leather seemed to be really decent quality, in fact the better half wants leather now. Finally the LED's are a really nice touch, they seem to be really bright (it was sunny out but still turned them on to get an idea, and got out to check them out)
Again overall we both came out very impressed, I am a bit concerned about the head room but not enough to deter me from ordering one. I feel that with the strong resale value and the high fun factor the JL's and the JLU's are going to be tough to beat.
If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer them if I can.
#1 I must say I was a bit disappointed here. I do not truly fit in any car, and the JLU was no exception, my head hit the "sportsbar" above the front seat. I cranked the seat down as low as it would go but it sill did not help. I have this problem in many cars so the Jeep is not alone here. I am thinking it might be okay for 2 reasons, #1 it looks like the seat bracket it raised maybe about 1" off the floor, and I think I could create a new bracket that would lower the seat. #2 the sportsbar is covered with plastic, so if I was rear ended and my head did hit it I would be hitting plastic not metal. If you are tall I would strongly recommend test driving and test fitting before you order one.
#2 I must say I was highly impressed with the JLU. It was really nice, the motor was peppy, the transmission was smooth, the start stop did not jerk on and off. The fit and finished seemed to be good as well. To give some context my first car was a 1983 CJ7 when I was 15, I have owned SEVERAL CJ's, YJ;s TJ;s and one JKU over my life, as well as recently driven my brothers 2017 JK. The JLU is better in almost every way. It it hard to describe but I felt it had a more "TJ" feel on the inside with the seats, they seemed a bit narrower than the JK, but in a good way. The 8.4" screen was great, the rear leg room was better and the small details just all seem to be much better than the outgoing JK. We got it up to 70+ and once we crossed 65 there was a bit of wind noise, nothing crazy but higher than the Highlander that we mostly drive for road trips. The look of the JLU Sahara was nice but not too difference than the older JKU next to it, most non-Jeep people will have a hard time telling the difference. I think the Rubicon will show a larger difference IMO.
#3 This was my biggest worry going into the test drive. My wife is an awesome woman who puts up with all my faults and craziness but she has not been a fan of Jeep's overall. This was somewhat my fault. When we first started dating I owned a 2004 TJ Rubicojn with 37" tires and a front bu,per that came up to my chin (Yes remember I am 6'7" lol) it was a ton of fun off road but not really a good daily driver, and seeing as she is 5' tall I needed to basically pick her up and put her in. Then when we drove my brother's JK we took it out with no top and no doors and got stuck in a summer shower. It did not bug me, that is part of the Jeep life, but she was not prepared for it and was not amused. Anyways... I let herr drive first and she was quite impressed at how good the sight lines were, being she is tiny as she is she often times has problems with blind spots. She raved about how easy it was to drive. She even mentioned several times that if I did not fit we could still buy one and she would just drive it everyday. SMH, I think I have created a new Jeep fan.
A couple quick notes- the heated steering wheel was really warm, not uncomfortable to the touch but was a nice bonus, the seats I felt could have been a bit hotter but not bad. The heater was a Jeep heater- it was really strong. The front glove box is comically small, it reminds me of a first gen Bronco or something, you are not going to fit anything in there. The leather seemed to be really decent quality, in fact the better half wants leather now. Finally the LED's are a really nice touch, they seem to be really bright (it was sunny out but still turned them on to get an idea, and got out to check them out)
Again overall we both came out very impressed, I am a bit concerned about the head room but not enough to deter me from ordering one. I feel that with the strong resale value and the high fun factor the JL's and the JLU's are going to be tough to beat.
If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer them if I can.
Sponsored
. For me, at 6'1", everything feels great. My wife though, a short (even for a female) 5'1", has trouble reaching the pedals even with the seat all the way forward, so there will definitely be fitting issues for people that are outside nominal ranges. Hell, I remember when I couldn't fit in the back of an unlimited jeep -- the new JLs add two more inches of legroom back there, so it's comfy even for me now.
