Opinions on some options

[off*the*grid]

I've been looking to purchase a Wrangler since last year this time.
We decided on the 2018 because (IMO) it finally brought the vehicle into the 21st century technology wise.
(We tend to keep vehicles so I want the latest up to date tech)
We waited, because I wanted to drive the diesel before making a choice.
Lots of threads on that, still can't decide but leaning gas now.

I think we want the "dual top" option (my understanding that is hard & cloth) because it will be used in PA winter... the thought is to put the hard top on when the weather gets colder in the fall & put the ragtop on in the spring.
Is this a hassle in anyway (switching, storing, etc?) & for those who have both tops, would you buy both again?

In some threads about purchasing & getting 5-7% under invoice, people are buying out of their home state.
How does this work from a sales tax perspective? For example the tax in PA is 6%, in DE there is none.
If you pay invoice in Delaware & a PA dealer gives you 6% under invoice... you paid the same.
Isn't the sales tax determined by the state you title it in & don't you need to be a resident of that state?

Every time I check the JEEP site, they aren't even showing 2019 Wranglers... yet people are ordering them?

Pretty sure I want to get a 4 door Rubicon... (wife likes Sahara)...
but I figure if you're spending that much may as well go all the way!

Thanks in advance for the insight!

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[JLUR_]

Is this a hassle in anyway (switching, storing, etc?) & for those who have both tops, would you buy both again?

It's not too much of a hassle. There are hoist options for the hard top, DIY or purchase. If you have your wife help you it's not too difficult.

Isn't the sales tax determined by the state you title it in & don't you need to be a resident of that state?

Correct, sales tax is determined by the state you register the vehicle in. If you buy out of state let them know and they will leave the sales tax off the price. You'll need to go to the DMV/title agency and cut them a check when you register the vehicle.

Every time I check the JEEP site, they aren't even showing 2019 Wranglers... yet people are ordering them?

Jeep hasn't updated their website just yet. There are still a lot of '18 Jeeps on dealer lots that need sold and if more of the general public was aware that '19's were available to order then the fear is that they wouldn't want to purchase a leftover '18.

 

[Demonic]

Some states have a reciprocity agreement where you’ll pay tax during the purchase but the states handle the transfer. The rules vary between states, but it’s something the dealership you’re buying from should (hopefully) be able to tell you.

 

[Gregodav]

I am personally am not a fan of changing between soft tops and hard tops. I would pick one format and stick by your choice.
On my JLU I did not pick both, hard, or the soft top. I cheated and opted for the Power Top.
On the sales tax, Pennsylvania does have reciprocity agreements with most states. Financing is another consideration.

 

[off*the*grid]

JLUR... why would I need a hoist? Doesn't the hard top come off in pieces? Or is there yet another top option I'm missing?

Gregodav... why is financing an issue interstate? (I would probably use Jeep's financing for whatever balance or 3rd party with check)
Also, why don't you like changing between tops? Have you done it? No dealer is going to demonstrate it, and I take their verbal explanations with a lot more than a "grain of salt"!

I'm reasonably certain we want a soft top so we can completely open it up in the summer. My concern is only having that top in the winter. How fast does the soft top go up from open? My S2000 opens & closes in literally 30 seconds (it's power... don't want the sliding one on the jeep, that's more sunroof than convertible).

Another question regarding the 3.6 vs 2.0 ... on my F150 I have the twin turbos. LOTS of power. When they kick in, it's like sending fuel to the engine through a high pressure fire hose! Fuel economy goes to crap. If you do anything other than baby the throttle, they're kicking in. For anyone with the 2.0, what's your opinion after having it for a while... would you buy it again or go w/ 3.6?

 

[gofastguy]

Before you go the hardtop route, my advice would be to think about where you will store it. Our 2012 had a beautiful color matched hardtop but it ended up sitting in the yard a lot. Also, there are a certain amount of soft top frame pieces that need to be attached to switch from hard to soft so it isn't as easy as one might think to switch them. We went PST this time and life is good. Best soft top ever by far!

 

[Indio]

Living in the Chicago area, the running joke for many years with my CJ-7 was, if you want rain ... ask me to remove the hardtop. On the other hand when living in the more arid climate of Colorado, I would often have the top removed, and use just a bikini top to deal with the sun and occasional showers. So really it depends on the climate in your area.

 

[Wanderingwheelz]

I've been looking to purchase a Wrangler since last year this time.
We decided on the 2018 because (IMO) it finally brought the vehicle into the 21st century technology wise.
(We tend to keep vehicles so I want the latest up to date tech)
We waited, because I wanted to drive the diesel before making a choice.
Lots of threads on that, still can't decide but leaning gas now.

I think we want the "dual top" option (my understanding that is hard & cloth) because it will be used in PA winter... the thought is to put the hard top on when the weather gets colder in the fall & put the ragtop on in the spring.
Is this a hassle in anyway (switching, storing, etc?) & for those who have both tops, would you buy both again?

In some threads about purchasing & getting 5-7% under invoice, people are buying out of their home state.
How does this work from a sales tax perspective? For example the tax in PA is 6%, in DE there is none.
If you pay invoice in Delaware & a PA dealer gives you 6% under invoice... you paid the same.
Isn't the sales tax determined by the state you title it in & don't you need to be a resident of that state?

Every time I check the JEEP site, they aren't even showing 2019 Wranglers... yet people are ordering them?

Pretty sure I want to get a 4 door Rubicon... (wife likes Sahara)...
but I figure if you're spending that much may as well go all the way!

Thanks in advance for the insight!

For the record, as a Delaware resident, I can assure you that we cannot escape sales tax on car purchases. Even tough Delaware is, in fact, a sales tax free state, the state is going to get you for 4.25% on your vehicles.

I bought my Wrangler in Virginia (that’s where you go for the best prices on new Wranglers), but would have paid the Delaware tax if I hadn’t sold a car private-party that was actually worth more than my new Wrangler. Delaware is one of the states that credits you tax for your sold vehicle that you already paid sales tax on previously.

 

[VolCntry73]

A hoist makes removing the hard top easier. Even the two door hard top is still bulky and fairly heavy. Moving it around by hand requires two people and opens the door to dropping it, causing damage. A hoist isn't necessarily "needed"...but it is better.

As for out of state purchases...a couple of things. One is, our credit union would not allow us to use them unless we provided them with a quote. Since I wasn't sure if I would be trading my truck or not, I ended up not using them. I just used one of the dealer's financing partners since it was such a small amount. Additionally, your home state determines if your trade can be counted toward the cost of the vehicle. This is very important from a tax standpoint. In other words...some states will not allow the trade to be applied before taxes...mine did. So I saved ALOT of money that way. Lastly, your home state determines tax rate and title fees. Typically, dealers have a third party company handle their titling, but you pay for everything at the time of sale.

 

[Gregodav]

JLUR... why would I need a hoist? Doesn't the hard top come off in pieces? Or is there yet another top option I'm missing?

Gregodav... why is financing an issue interstate? (I would probably use Jeep's financing for whatever balance or 3rd party with check)
Also, why don't you like changing between tops? Have you done it? No dealer is going to demonstrate it, and I take their verbal explanations with a lot more than a "grain of salt"!

I'm reasonably certain we want a soft top so we can completely open it up in the summer. My concern is only having that top in the winter. How fast does the soft top go up from open? My S2000 opens & closes in literally 30 seconds (it's power... don't want the sliding one on the jeep, that's more sunroof than convertible).

I had a soft Top and hard top. Switching between the two involves the labor or adding and removing the two tops various hardware. The soft top has some extra pieces you will have to remove to place the hardtop back on. Just a pain that I did not like.

The soft top takes about three minutes to raise and lower by yourself. Some shorter people have a more of workout raising and lowering the soft top.

There is another top option, the Sky One-Touch Power Top. It is not for everyone, but it really works for me. I work in a bad neighhborhood and we constanly have blowing dust, occasional prarie fires and frequent showers. I always drive with the top down and my wife will never ride that way. I love the ability to raise and lower the top with the push of a button. The downside is you can never completely remove the top. It is an extremely convienent option but the list price is about $4k

View from the back seat is a relatively open view.

As for the financing you just need work out how your finance company would handle the the sales tax if you pay the tax in your home state and it is not part of the contract.

 

[Jeep your tips up]

2.0 - - very much again I think - but I've not driven a newer 3.6 except for the Jl test drive (before 2.0 available on the lot) - and could not punch it. However, I am getting great gas milage on it - and it has more than enough acceleration when I need to blow past a slow a55 on the highway.

JLUR... why would I need a hoist? Doesn't the hard top come off in pieces? Or is there yet another top option I'm missing?

Gregodav... why is financing an issue interstate? (I would probably use Jeep's financing for whatever balance or 3rd party with check)
Also, why don't you like changing between tops? Have you done it? No dealer is going to demonstrate it, and I take their verbal explanations with a lot more than a "grain of salt"!

I'm reasonably certain we want a soft top so we can completely open it up in the summer. My concern is only having that top in the winter. How fast does the soft top go up from open? My S2000 opens & closes in literally 30 seconds (it's power... don't want the sliding one on the jeep, that's more sunroof than convertible).

Another question regarding the 3.6 vs 2.0 ... on my F150 I have the twin turbos. LOTS of power. When they kick in, it's like sending fuel to the engine through a high pressure fire hose! Fuel economy goes to crap. If you do anything other than baby the throttle, they're kicking in. For anyone with the 2.0, what's your opinion after having it for a while... would you buy it again or go w/ 3.6?

 

[MAPC]

I went from wanting a premium soft top to hard top to dual tops to....wait for it...Power Sky Roof.

My logic, FWIW:
1. wanted to have the rear defroster and wiper
2. was concerned about not being able to scrape the windows on the soft top (I live in CT)
3. thought that I would not easily have a place to store the hard top as we are in the middle of building a new house and living in a temporary place
4. I didn't want to rely on a friend to help me with the swap every time
5. dealer would charge $700 per year to change the tops spring and summer (total cost per year)
6. when I divided that cost into lease payments, it was more than if I upped to Sahara with Power top

So there you have it. It was my logic, but not to say it is the best logic....but I am very happy with the decision and can't wait for FCA to build it!

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