Old timer advice

[BobW]

Get a Rubicon model, don't waste money upgrading the axles on a Sport model... the Rubicon model has stronger, wider and better geared axles, better geared transfer case, lockers, Electronic Sway Bar Disconnect... if you buy a Sport and then start mudding /off-roading, then you will quickly start wanting bigger tires, lockers, sway bar disconnect, lower geared transfer case, etc...

You will already have all the mechanical advantages on a Rubicon model, but trying to upgrade a Sport model or even a Willis model to Rubicon levels will cost you a lot of $$$, time, frustration, and even then it will never be a Rubicon.. LOL. ... just my two rusted cents..

Agreed. I add only that I hunted (for quite a while) for a Rubicon that was otherwise basic (stripped?), not loaded with options like most. I'm fine with manual seats.

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[variableknife]

For those that have had their jeeps for a while and have been a part of the forum community for a long time, what advice would you give to those looking to order their first Jeep within the next year or two?

What's something you would have done differently in your Jeep journey?

Obviously how we order our wranglers from the factory and how we MOD it depends on our end goals which are individual and differ from others, but still, what's the most important thing you have learned that would benefit new comers?

Now this is actually a fantastic question, and I'll offer my perspective. I have a 2022 Sport S ecodiesel 4 door, customized to my specifications as far as the options are concerned. Everyone knows that the prices are becoming downright astronomical for these, and so many of my suggestions are geared toward minimizing prices.

1. Do not get the Nav option for the larger infotainment screen. Get the base screen instead, and tether your smart phone to the vehicle, and use whatever map app you prefer. This will save you $2500 or so from the sticker price, and if you use Sirius XM like I do, you don't have to pay hundreds per year for the subscription; you can get by paying $8/month for just the cellphone app and it will appear anyway on the infotainment screen.

2. There is an option for the extra grab bar door handles. Pass on that. The built-ins are more than adequete.

3. Say no to the door sill protectors, and any bells and whistles you can avoid.

4. Stick to standard/stock wheels and tires until it's time to replace the tires and then get the ones you really want. Mine came stock with Michelin street tires, which performed very well. When it was time to get new ones, I went with Falken Wildpeak AT3.

5. Resist the urge to lift and purchase massive tires. I like the look, and it can be fun if a new Wrangler could be purchased for $26,000. But, alas, it cannot. The stock Jeep will be more than enough for 98% of operations you will ever experience.

6. Do spend the extra to get the hard top, and get the sound-dampening headliner. It's not going to make the interior entirely sound proof, but it certainly does help.

7. Most of my aftermarket customizations are of the window decal and interior LED lighting variety. I am also going to get the spare tire brake light. I did get the rock crawlers rather than the steps as an option, but probably wouldn't have needed to unless I planned on a large percentage of my time off roading. I do like to go off roading, but even with that, 90% of my miles are still road miles.

Now this list isn't exhaustive, and is useless to anyone who has a bottomless budget and deep pockets. However, if you want the Jeep experience to stay somewhere under $ 65,000, then some of these steps will help. I am lucky to have had the ecodiesel for the short time that it was available, and glad I was talked into it, because I was initially leaning toward 4xe. With today's options, perhaps that is the best avenue, but I am getting 29 mpg in town and 32-34 on the highway. I put on 100 miles per day, and couldn't be happier with my choices for this.

I sincerely hopes that some of these suggestions are helpful to someone out there.

 

[Old Jeeper]

Find yourself a really nice low mileage, one owner TJ, and never look back! ?

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[AcesandEights]

A low mileage TJ in good condition is too expensive.

 

[Old Jeeper]

For those that have had their jeeps for a while and have been a part of the forum community for a long time, what advice would you give to those looking to order their first Jeep within the next year or two?

What's something you would have done differently in your Jeep journey?

Obviously how we order our wranglers from the factory and how we MOD it depends on our end goals which are individual and differ from others, but still, what's the most important thing you have learned that would benefit new comers?

My first ordered Jeep was in '84 and since then I have owned about 17 Jeeps, all ordered except for 2.

1). Get top of the line. don't buy down at the bottom and get what you want. This will take a bit of research on your part, you can do it here. Jeep has several top-of-the-line models to pick from. So investigate each of the models and what they bring to the table. Take the Rubicon, it was born a rock crawler and still is and that is where it shines. Ask other on here about their model, Willys for instance etc.

2) Ask yourself what do. you want to do, Sand, Mud, Overland, Logging and dirt trails, Rocks.

3). 3 door, 2 door? I am a 2 door guy, always have been, but up to you to make the call.

4). Want to do your own work, good with tools, build it your way, then look at the Sport, and from there the jeep is your oyster, do it your way.

5) Used Jeep could be a way to go if want to learn. Save some money. Today Jeeps are COMPLEX and full of electronics. Want simple and reliable, then go with a TJ 97-2006, simplicity, reliability and rock solid!

 

[Jeeporama]

Also, buy some ducks. You'll make most other Jeep owners smile and piss off the rest. Both are gratifying.

I've received a few and have given a few. Always makes me smile. I ducked this festive one I parked beside around Christmas time. Ducking is just good vibes.

 

[Jeeporama]

Although several of my vehicle purchases involved research and logical thinking, the ones I have the fondest memories of are the ones I just wanted. My approach with the Jeep was...I like it, life is too short to drive a boring vehicle. I've had my Rubicon for 5 years now, no regrets. If you can afford it, don't over think.

 

[RandyMc]

I bought my Rubicon 4xe in a pique because I had a GMC Canyon ATX4 ordered for months and the dealership wouldn't communicate with me. I then set out to buy a Gladiator and outwitted myself.

I really enjoy my Wrangler, I just like looking at it and driving it and talking about it and thinking about it and learning about it... but I miss my pickup more than I thought. I can do things with the Wrangler I couldn't do with any of my old pickups, but I have spent a fortune trying to figure out cargo management. I put an adjustable shelf with metal molle panels in it. I put a roof rack on it, it looks great, but it's no fun trying to place cargo on it and get it off. I already had a hitch rack and monkey with it and crates. I bought a small trailer from Lowe's. All of this works, but everything is a trade-off, including access to the cargo hatch itself when the hitch rack is used.

I was also talked into a lease for the $7500 tax credit and I'm still trying to figure out how to pay it off and if I got the deal I thought I got. I thought I was immune to this. Not that I CAN'T pay it off, I wanted to pay cash for it new. The leasing bank won't take electronic payments for the buyout (they do for the installments) and I can't understand how to mail a check and it get there in the stated time and not continually owe a few dollars because I miss it by a day or two and then owe $4.76 in interest or something.

I want to do things with the Wrangler but I also don't want to break it two because it's an expensive ride and also my daily ride. I'm doing Jeep Academy in April and a three day Jamboree in May and very much looking forward to those, but I basically have a overland Jeep right now that I drive on field roads checking farms and occasionally try doing something new.

I really like the hybrid, the torque and HP I get from it is outstanding, but the **** batteries take up WAY too much room under the seat and totally ****** the cargo space because the seats don't lay down flat. Again, everything is a trade-off. Additionally, when am I going to have real battery problems? I don't know but I can't let myself not think of that Sword of Damocles hanging over me.

I will probably use my 4xe as my daily, take it on trips, and buy a used two door and trick it out like I want to and not worry about what I do to it off-road.

If I could just sum this up, I didn't know how really obsessive compulsive I was, after six decades on this earth, until I got my 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. Good Luck.

 

[jaardappel]

For those that have had their jeeps for a while and have been a part of the forum community for a long time, what advice would you give to those looking to order their first Jeep within the next year or two?

What's something you would have done differently in your Jeep journey?

Obviously how we order our wranglers from the factory and how we MOD it depends on our end goals which are individual and differ from others, but still, what's the most important thing you have learned that would benefit new comers?

Honestly, I bought mine right from dealer stock, and about 7 months before the massive uptick on car sales price increases (purchased Dec '20 for $46k). It is a Rubi and loaded. I've modded it like anyone else, I think around $10k total, and if I had advice for newcomers, here's what I'd say:

1) Go to a Jeep show, look at what you want your Jeep to look like. You'll probably regret putting parts on through internet-only searches as some look great, some look like crap IRL.
2) Shop around. Order it if that's your bag, but I found mine for $46k and it's a loaded 2-Door Rubi. You can buy it cheaper by shopping around, and nowadays you can lock it in online or through a phonecall vs. going to the dealership.
3) Don't take it offroad unless it's capable. Yes....I said it. I bought a Rubi, so on the outset...Great! But my buddy did the same thing (JLU) and since he has it stock, damaged the muffler and dinged up quite a bit of it since it wasn't lifted on a 2-3 difficulty trail 1 month after buying it. Since I lifted mine, I then took it offroad and had ZERO issues....something he admits is a good decision.
4) If you desperately want it, you'll probably settle for a purchase that you could have shopped around a bit more for, or researched prior to buying. Test drive it! Go to the dealership and get into a 6cyl, 4cyl and see what you want. I didn't test drive a 392 or 4xe, I'm sure I'd have bought one of those and broke my bank account forever. But you get it. Figure out what you WANT by seeing it in person first.
5) Even if you have kids, the 2-door is totally capable for that. If you want a 2-door, get it. You'll make it work. Gobi makes awesome racks for those, so you can put stuff up top if carrying luggage is an issue. It's a Jeep....and it's personal
6) Last one---find a good service shop. Only take it to Jeep for the free oil change/lube. F the tire-rotation, they'll never rotate it correctly or consistently at the dealership's service department. Trust me on this. And, I've seen them pencil-whipping the actual "safety inspection 900-point checks" or whatever, multiple times at the service department. Instead, there's a lot of verifying no mods I did killed the warranty (they haven't), and looking for a Tazer (unmarried and removed beforehand) instead of truly servicing the Jeep. At my local non-Mopar shop--they do phenomenal work and treat it like it's their baby...so don't buy it and depend on Mopar. Just because it has the Mopar service name on the shop--doesn't mean they give a crap about your Jeep or won't fake doing what's needed to be done....like lying about rotating the 5th tire in for an extra $25 bucks as I marked the tires, then arguing with me about it. Yep....

Good luck!

 

[RecessRampage]

I'm a new jeep buyer so I don't have much to offer but I can say what I'm glad I did which was 1) ask questions on this forum but more importantly, 2) go rent a jeep or at the very least test drive a lot of variations of them.

I thought I wanted a 392 based on what everyone was saying. After visiting no less than 5 dealerships, I found a place that had one that I can test drive and what I discovered was that while I thought it was cool, it was too much for me. So then I drove a rubi 4xe, Sahara 4xe, 2014 sahara stock (obv used but no notable mod), 2023 rubicon stock.

I know test drive is not the same as you're not on the trail or anything but considering that I will be using this for both adventuring and weekend errands (I commute by train), it was still good to know what it felt like to drive on the road.

Ultimately, I decided on a rubi x, not because I thought I needed that level of offroading capability but it felt like a good balance between what I can afford, how it felt on the road, what it can do (again, on me whether I fully utilize its capabilities), and not unimportantly, how much I loved the way it looked.

 

[Heimkehr]

The leasing bank won't take electronic payments for the buyout (they do for the installments) and I can't understand how to mail a check and it get there in the stated time and not continually owe a few dollars because I miss it by a day or two and then owe $4.76 in interest or something.

Ask the lienholder for the loan's per diem, also known as the daily interest rate. With that figure and the separate loan buyout balance in hand, estimate the mailing and processing time, and allow (i.e., add) an additional 5 calendar days. For the sake of illustration, let's say 10 days all in. Multiply the per diem by 10, add that figure to the buyout figure, write a check for the total number, and put it in the mail.

The idea here is to overpay the lease buyout (via the aforementioned per diem calculation) by a modest amount. This serves to ensure that it is well and truly settled when the final payment is received, by virtue of setting up a modest refund that will be due to you.

As for the buyout figure itself, ask the lienholder to identify how long their quote remains valid; i.e., before the per diems start getting tacked on. Having this date should serve to add a bit of accuracy to your per diem overpayment calculations.

Good luck. It's simpler than it sounds.

 

[JLeco2022]

I wish i had more tools

 

[ACAPECE]

For those that have had their jeeps for a while and have been a part of the forum community for a long time, what advice would you give to those looking to order their first Jeep within the next year or two?

What's something you would have done differently in your Jeep journey?

Obviously how we order our wranglers from the factory and how we MOD it depends on our end goals which are individual and differ from others, but still, what's the most important thing you have learned that would benefit new comers?

IMHO the best advice to new comers is make an effort to test your Jeeps capabilities. After 20+ yrs of owning Jeeps I never forced myself to do what I now consider “Jeep” things. Living in the city is not a good enough excuse not to hit the trails, it’s not easy but not impossible. After reading a variety of treads here it appears I’ve missed out on some opportunities to have some fun, make new friends and most important make memories.
Don’t get wrong I’ve enjoyed each of my Jeeps, that’s why I’m on my 4th ?. I just could have squeezed a little more out of them.

 

[agpr2016]

As I said above I have a 2022 JL sport, stock. No lift, no lockers. I switched out the michelin street tires for a set of Nitto Terra grappler AT tires. They are 1 inch wider and have a more aggressive tread. I live in flatlandia. Galveston, TX. Closest hill is a 5 hour drive. Not much chance to test capabilities on rocks or rutted out roads. 4wd here is either beach sand or mud.

the NItto AT tires gave me an immediate improvement in mud traction. With the street Michelin tires it only took about 2 inches of mud and I had all 4 tires spinning. The good news it that I had a little shovel and I spotted some boards and branchest that made improvised maxtrax traction boards and I was able to back up and get unstuck.

Test drive in the same muddy field with the new tires - no problem. Most of the time I didn't even need to go into 4hi.

Last week I found a bit of dirt to practice on. Has an old blacktop parking lot with an 11 inch shelf to climb back up on the pavement.

when I took it at a 45 deg angle I could crawl up in 2wd with a bit of wheel spin.
Hitting it straight on it really needed 4wd. So I popped it in 4hi and with a big of pedal is climbed right up.

I circled around and tried it again with select speed engaged (also called off road cruise control by some folks). WOW. It was really smooth. The computer did a better job than I did managing the throttle and brake to climb the ledge and not have any bounce going up or going down. I didn't hear any wheel spin so BLD is doing a good job.

Conclusion - the jeep may not need a lift, LSD, or lockers if you keep to reasonable trails. Good tires are probably the most important first modification from stock.

I need to take it to an offroad park and test further.

I'm moving to a city in a couple months from my mountain. A stock sport really is very capable from the factory. Will have to really think about what I will get. It will probably be fine for me! Although like you said the gearing is fine with automatic with manual might be lacking...I'm still considering Willys!

 

[Shibadog]

Go wheel a rented jeep or ride shotgun in a nearly stock one offroad. You'll probably realize the sport is more than you need and save a boatload.

This. If you’re new to Jeep, rent one and Live with it for a week the way YOU will use it. They are NOT a vehicle everyone enjoys. They have mediocre build quality, ride/drive much worse than almost any other vehicle out there, and suck gasoline. Folks love them or hate them. Also, a stock base Sport with decent tires is far more capable than most drivers. Don’t get caught in the “got to have a Rubicon to go off road” trap. It’s just not true. If you are actually doing Extreme off road, great, but for most it’s serious overkill. A Rubicon will only get an unskilled driver further from help before he gets stuck. My lil “S” with decent rubber and limited slip has “rescued“ two Rubicon’s whose drivers were looking for a clue as they had none, while my McCormick tractor has rescued yet another?

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