Purchasing a New JK vs. a JL?

[IceAge]

JL ALL DAY every day. I have owned the JK 2 times and now own the JL 2 at the same time. And had 3 Jeeps all at the same time up until this July Summer. Sold my JK since the JL’s truly ruined the JK. The JL is just so damn nicer than the JK. Better Tranny, Interior. looks, Ride, Power (8 speed Tranny) makes her more fun to drive, factory bumpers allow you to do modifications. No lift for 35s read that again NO LIFT for 35s, quieter ride, easier soft top, factory switches for add on accessories, rear Air Conditining and heating vents for the back seat, better fuel mileage....etc Ok that’s all and yeah get the BIG discount on the JK but if you second guess yourself and trade up to the JL later down the road then the BIG discount will be a BIG Loss.
And here’s my JK which I sold:

And here’s my JL’s

Didn’t have to get rid of my JK but the fun factor just wasn’t there anymore.

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[Wanderingwheelz]

That holds true for 99% of vehicles out there.

It's not true for the Wrangler.

Even the TJ is still commanding prices in the $10,000 to $15,000 range, and it hasn't been on sale since 2006. The JKU is still holding very high values and will continue to for a long time. The insane pricing on JL will also help to drive used pricing up.

To my way of thinking a base JL Sport with all the options available, like I have, is anything but insanely priced. For some perspective, the new Civic I bought for my daughter a few years back was more than 75% of what I paid for my Wrangler.

Older Jeeps were less expensive than what they are now, but that’s true for every other vehicle also.

 

[TrailTorque]

It’s a valid question no doubt but if you’re like me, you would end up regretting not getting the latest addition..

Jeep Wrangler residuals are great, especially in areas that they can be enjoyed in (EVERYWHERE) lol

That being said though, not every model of the Wrangler becomes a “classic”. So it’s likely the JK’s residuals will take a dump overtime just like most others.

However, if you buy the latest and greatest, you’ll have better residuals for longer because it just came out.

5 years from now the JL’s residuals will be much better than that of the JK. So, think about that.

 

[GoHack]

While the JL is nicer than the JK over all, I agree, w/a lot of improvements, but it's still all new, mechanically.

I'm sorry to say, we the owners are the ones who are really testing the JL out, finding its flaws and problems, and not Chrysler.

If all you do w/a JL is to use it essentially as a road vehicle, which will never see its light of day off-road, then that may not be as big a problem, vs. driving it off-road, where the very last thing you want to happen is for it to break down In the middle of no where.

 

[TrailTorque]

 

[Jeep It]

Fair question, but it’s not like the JKs are Lexus reliable and the JLs are 1980s Hyundais. Visit a JK forum to research their issues (if you haven’t already), then drive them both and buy what you like better.

I like the JKs, but love my JL. The decision was easy for me, hopefully yours will be too.

 

[TsundereKaho]

I would say it really depends on how much you're willing to spend.


There isn't anything that one can do that any another Wrangler can't. A YJ,TJ,JK,JL can all run the same trails. The JL Rubicon is undoubtedly nicer than a JK, but is it $20,000 nicer? $45 - $60k is A LOT of money for how basic a Jeep really is. When you realize that a JL Rubicon costs as much as a Tesla you start to wonder if it's worth it.

 

[Bubba33]

I would say it really depends on how much you're willing to spend.


There isn't anything that one can do that any another Wrangler can't. A YJ,TJ,JK,JL can all run the same trails. The JL Rubicon is undoubtedly nicer than a JK, but is it $20,000 nicer? $45 - $60k is A LOT of money for how basic a Jeep really is. When you realize that a JL Rubicon costs as much as a Tesla you start to wonder if it's worth it.

Rubicon is not the only jeep out there . There is the Sahara, sport s and sport.

 

[Litfuse]

Are the JKs really $20K less? Not from what I saw. We paid $43.8K for our JLUR (before all the tax, license, etc). That would make a JKUR $23K. From what I saw, it would have been about $5-6K less.

The difference for me when purchasing my JLR vs a JKR was about $4k.

 

[Bubba33]

Are the JKs really $20K less? Not from what I saw. We paid $43.8K for our JLUR (before all the tax, license, etc). That would make a JKUR $23K. From what I saw, it would have been about $5-6K less.

When I first looked. I saw a 17 jk Sahara with 7000 miles on it and wouldn't budge off 36. 5k more I got the jl Sahara.

 

[krucam]

Im concerned with the 2nd battery, 3 if a Turbo on the JLs. Particularly in a jump situation.

 

[TrailTorque]

Ya, the used market makes even less sense. Interest rates are higher....and the residual resale is so high you might as well buy new if you can.

That’s the way I looked at it when I went to buy mine. I’m like well $h!t for only 5-7k more I can buy one with “0” on the ODO and know it’s been taken care of lol. They were trying to dump the JKs at the dealership when I went. I’ll be honest I thought about it, I mean there is nothing wrong with the JK. I just wanted better residual for a slightly longer time and the newest model out. I figured it just made sense at the time. Taking the soft-top panels off the JL are like super easy!!

 

[Swanny297]

Half as expensive , and twice as reliable . Get a 2-door for even more benefits .

I’d sure like to know where I can find a new JK half the price of a JL.

 

[RedJLUR]

No comparison, I have owned them both. They addressed all the issues I didn't like about my JK.
Mainly the trans, I hated that 5 speed auto, it felt like a dog. I have same motor in my JL
it feels like is has way more power. Drive them both you will see. I have not had any of the problems you read about in this forum.
I did tighten up the ball joints and change out the steering stabilizer other than that its a great ride.
Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

[Wanderingwheelz]

I would say it really depends on how much you're willing to spend.


There isn't anything that one can do that any another Wrangler can't. A YJ,TJ,JK,JL can all run the same trails. The JL Rubicon is undoubtedly nicer than a JK, but is it $20,000 nicer? $45 - $60k is A LOT of money for how basic a Jeep really is. When you realize that a JL Rubicon costs as much as a Tesla you start to wonder if it's worth it.

When it’s comes to how much you are able to afford (or want to spend), the comparison between a JL Rubicon ($20,000 more in your example) and anything else out there for sale may be more fairly compared to a JL Sport where the gap in price will be far smaller- either side of $5,000. To your point- a JL Sport can do just about anything a Wrangler has ever done, also.

And it’ll cost you a lot less than a Tesla, not that a single person has ever cross shopped a Wrangler and a Tesla.

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