Most obvious differences- JK to JL

[Hagie]

My 6 year old and I play our own version of "Punch Bug" by proclaiming "NEW ONE."

My son only knows the shape of a Jeep, so he yells it at every one he sees. Then he asks me if it was new or old.

I usually go by the front grill having tall slats, and lacking the Jeep logo. At night i can tell from the headlights/turn lights. Then the air vent behind the front wheel.

Lastly are the tail lights being shaped like a fat bolded "I"

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[Carolina88]

JK says "Jeep" on the front, JL doesn't. That's the first thing I notice with an oncoming Jeep.

 

[mwilk012]

JK says "Jeep" on the front, JL doesn't. That's the first thing I notice with an oncoming Jeep.

A whole lot of people remove that from their wranglers upon delivery. When I got my 2011 JK new from the dealership, they already had it removed because it looks terrible.

 

[SecondTJ]

A whole lot of people remove that from their wranglers upon delivery. When I got my 2011 JK new from the dealership, they already had it removed because it looks terrible.

Yep, I took mine off immediately after purchase. It looks so out of place.

 

[Carolina88]

A whole lot of people remove that from their wranglers upon delivery. When I got my 2011 JK new from the dealership, they already had it removed because it looks terrible.

Makes sense, but I see tons of JKs in my area, and I'd say at least 90 percent of them have the Jeep logo on the front .

 

[WXman]

You're on your own on that one.

I wouldn't be so sure. There are countless threads and comments on the forums about how the JL is uncomfortable for tall guys, the seats are flat and stiff, the hip room is more narrow, etc. I think it's pretty well known by now.

 

[SecondTJ]

I wouldn't be so sure. There are countless threads and comments on the forums about how the JL is uncomfortable for tall guys, the seats are flat and stiff, the hip room is more narrow, etc. I think it's pretty well known by now.

Leg room too, I hated the way the 4x4 shifter knob hits my knee

 

[Prevok]

I wouldn't be so sure. There are countless threads and comments on the forums about how the JL is uncomfortable for tall guys, the seats are flat and stiff, the hip room is more narrow, etc. I think it's pretty well known by now.

Confort-wise, I would say it's divided. I was a bit more confortable in my JK and it seemed a lot better for taller folks, but tons of people have reported their JL to be confortable.

As far as the interior goes, short of confort, most people seem to agree it looks more modern and more luxurious than (or not as cheap as) the JK.

Ultimately this is a matter of opinion and very personal, but my reading thus far leads me to these conclusions.

 

[Spartan99]

JL’s scream Fiat imo. Not a fan of how it looks with all those fake vents and flair. But looks aren’t the point it is a more capable Jeep so it is better for sure. The two things I do like though are the line/ indent that gives the doors a half door look. That indent imo corrects the lines from the hood to the rear panel. Also the JL seems to not have that stock rake that the JK had, which was super lame. JL looks better never mind.

 

[Spartan99]

The Rubi hoods though are super lame. No question.

 

[mwilk012]

I wouldn't be so sure. There are countless threads and comments on the forums about how the JL is uncomfortable for tall guys, the seats are flat and stiff, the hip room is more narrow, etc. I think it's pretty well known by now.

This is factual. The seats are measurably narrower and so is the leg room. As an average sized (6’1” 220lb) man though, I love my JL. I do think the interior styling of the JL is a work of art compared to the JK.

 

[MrJeepNut]

My JL-spotting techniques:

• When viewing from the front, the grille is the distinguishing factor.
• When viewing from the side, it's the fender flares and air vent behind the front fenders.
• When viewing from the rear, it's the taillights and the license plate location. The wheel on the spare tire, if exposed, is usually a good indicator, but I've seen a few JKs sporting swapped-on JL wheels, so that's not a reliable way to distinguish.

 

[SteelThrillsseeker]

The Rubi hoods though are super lame. No question.

Because??

 

[Boatbuilder88]

Sheet metal: flat (JK) vs character lines (JL)

 

[Spartan99]

Because??

Fake vents etc. Like fake hood scoops. Just silly looking to me. A superior Jeep, I know. We’re talking superficial things like appearance though. Rubi JL is of course an amazing model.

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