One year with my Rubicon 4xe

[S2k Chris]

I had it delivered one year ago today from Louisiana by truck. The original MSRP was $59,935 which included the gray color, hardtop, trailer/aux switch package, cold weather (remote start, heated wheel/seats), forward “trail cam”, proximity keys, and rubber floor mats. The lease deal I got, including the Tread Lightly discount, was 9% off sticker, taxes and registration up front, the $7500 tax credit as a cap cost reduction, and $420/mo for a 12k mile 36 month lease. I think this is a fantastic deal, especially given where the market was in 2021. Currently, a Rubicon like mine would cost about $5400 more for MSRP, which is $5k more for the base price, $100 more destination, and net $210 more for the options I chose, most of which went up $100-200, however proximity is now standard where I paid $695 for it, so that makes the net options cost increase lower. I have no idea what lease deals are like currently; the $5400 is worth about $150 more per month, plus whatever other increases the dealers are asking for these days. The residual value of mine is a hair under $38k, and I fully expect to buy it out unless something drastic happens with the market, my finances/needs, or the Jeep has a serious issue in the next two years. Currently it sits right at about 8900 miles.


Mods have been fairly inconsequential. Off the top of my head, I’ve done:

-OEM soft top I kept from my prior Jeep for summer time
-KC LED lights on the front bumper (Mopar bumper mounts)
-Oracle lighting rear LED lights (replace red triangle reflectors in rear bumper)
-Brawley LED strip light under hard top rear window activated by cargo area switch
-Midland MTX275 GMRS radio hidden in passenger footwell with disconectable mike on dash mount, ghost antenna hood mounted
-MORE Dead pedal
-Tailgate fold down table
-stubby antenna
-a variety of small storage trays and such

I don’t really plan to do any more mods. I think I optioned the Jeep just about perfectly; if I could change anything I’d add the metal bumper group to make adding a winch some day easier, but I tried to keep the costs down, and honestly I have no real need for a winch, I just want one. I also rarely use the trail cam, but it is convenient to have, and relatively cheap ($600?) and a PITA to add later. I also don’t need the Rubicon stuff at all, however it looks great, I hate the 20” wheels and leather that comes on the Sahara/High Altitude (only other trims for 4xe) and I like it because it’s awesome.

Issues have been pretty minimal. All 4xes have FORM (Fuel Oil Refresh Mode) that prevents them from going into EV only mode at cold temperatures until the vehicle has warmed up, which in Chicagoland is a bit of a pain, but it’s functioning correctly. I had a rocking seat that the dealer fixed by tightening a bolt, and the driver’s window is very slow to roll up; a part has been ordered but not come in yet. Also, when in the dealer for my first service, they noticed a leaking steering stabilizer, that is ordered as well but was ordered in May and not available until late August. Otherwise, touch wood, it’s been perfect, which is not always the case with other 4xes. I’m hoping I got a good one since I haven’t had any real problems yet (knock wood).

Likes, basically everything. It’s a decent step up from my 2018 Sport, which I was worried I’d be sick of it because it’s not that different, but I’m not at all. Because of the extra weight of the battery and/or the softer tires and Rubicon suspension, it rides better and is more planted than the Sport was. The bigger screen (8.4” versus Sport 7”) is a nice upgrade, plus I have some extra functionality but rarely use it (factory Nav, connected apps, etc.). I use CarPlay almost exclusively and it works flawlessly through the dash USB-C jack. The Jeep has a ton of power, and the all-electric mode is fantastic for around town. For most of my ownership I worked from home full time, meaning I almost never used gas unless making the 350 mile trip up to our family cabin. Now I work in an office 35 miles away 2 days a week with no charging on site, so I do end up using gas for those two days but it isn’t a big deal. I have been charging solely on the provided 110 charger. I’d like to do a 240v in my garage, but with a detached garage it’s a bit more involved and I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I don’t really need it because the Jeep is always fully charged in the morning, but if I run errands early and then want to run out again later I end up using gas.

Dislikes, not much. It’s noisy on the highway, but it’s a Jeep. It doesn’t steer great, but it’s a Jeep. Fuel economy isn’t great, but it’s a Jeep. It might burst into flames at any second, but it’s a Jeep.

I’m crap at tracking things like gas mileage (why doesn’t Jeep have a “Reset when fueling” setting on the trip computer??) and electric range so I have no idea what they are. The little in-dash display hovers at around 29.5-30MPG, which if true is fantastic. Most of my trips are short (<5 miles) and then I put it back in the garage and plug it in again so who knows.

If you do long highway drives, or want to drive on curvy roads fast, or carry 7 people, it’s the wrong vehicle. Otherwise, it’s the right vehicle for every situation. I carry the family in it, I haul mulch in it, I put the top down and haul large things with it, I tow a rented utility trailer, I take the doors and top off and cruise around in it, I go to the country club in it and no one bats an eye. No one hates you in a Jeep. No one thinks you’re showing off or trying to be a turd. It’s a fantastic around town vehicle, easy to hop in and out, decent storage, kids love it. And with the full time 4WD transfer case, it’s great in bad weather. Sadly, I don’t get to use it a lot offroad; I live in the suburbs, I haven’t made it to the offroad park lately, and the offroading I do on our hunting land is so far beneath the Jeep’s capability it barely needs 4WD. Every once in a while it gets rainy/snowy/sloppy when I’m out there and I lock the diff, but that’s it. In short, this thing is way more capable than I could ever need, fits my usage
perfectly 98% of the time, and I love it. I highly recommend one to anyone even slightly interested in a Jeep and/or PHEV.

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[RagTopDeluxe]

Working from home now, the electric mode would be sufficient for me for running errands. My husband has a Tesla MY and the torque and acceleration is fantastic. I'd love that in a Jeep.

 

[Pig-Pen]

i keep going back and forth on getting one. the issues i keep reading about scare me off.

then there's also the lease vs buy conundrum....

 

[mllcb42]

All 4xes have FORM (Fuel Oil Refresh Mode) that prevents them from going into EV only mode at cold temperatures until the vehicle has warmed up, which in Chicagoland is a bit of a pain, but it’s functioning correctly

To be pedantic and in the name of accuracy, FORM does not prevent EV mode in the cold. One may get an "Electric Mode Unavailable" when cold and the battery needs conditioned, but that is a different thing than FORM.

FORM itself is more prevalent in cold weather due to fuel build up in the oil being more likely to happen and harder to clear in the cold, but there are two different things going on here.

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