Ride quality of the JL compared to other models

[thegame81]

Hey guys,

So I'll keep it as short as I can. How would you compare the ride quality of the JL compared with either other jeeps or even other vehicles you may own.

I had a 2012 JK unlimited but I did a 3 inch lift and 35s with steel bumpers. Probably didn't help the quality of the ride. I remember it kind of floated around a lot on the highway and just wasn't very good on long road trips. Thus leading me to eventually get rid of it and now I have a grand cherokee trailhawk. The trailhawk rides great BUT it's nowhere near as fun as the wrangler. I miss the open air and just the community and whole owners experience.

I will be looking to get back into a wrangler 392 when the right sale/deal comes along but was just wondering how the JL will fare on long rides and the highway. Again I don't expect it to be as good as gc in those areas but just looking for your opinions.

Thanks

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[aldo98229]

Grand Cherokee is built on a unibody so it handles like a car; further, Trailhawk rides on air springs, so it is going to feel super smooth.

You can get a smooth riding Wrangler, but you have to very deliberate in your choices.

Some general rules of thumb:

1. High quality lifts, like Teraflex, AEV or Mopar, can actually result in a smooth riding Jeep
2. AT tires tend to ride and handle better than MTs
3. The wider the tire, the more bumps and imperfections are going to transmit up the suspension. In my experience, 255 - 285 wide tires is the sweet spot for these Jeeps. By the time you get into 295 - 315 wide tires, the ride starts to deteriorate
4. Keeping the wheels light (under 30 lbs) helps maintain the factory ride and handling. OE wheels weigh 25-27 lbs; most AEV and Quadratec wheels weigh 27-30 lbs. Popular aftermarket wheels (e.g., Fuel, Method, etc.) weigh 30-35 lbs. There are a few high-end aftermarket manufacturers that make lightweight wheels for Jeeps, but they tend to be pricey.

Good luck!

 

[nU7OuxIx]

I just bought a JLU this year. I rebuilt a YJ and drove that a bit but mostly kept it in the garage. The YJ wandered a lot to the point where I thought something was wrong with it. After driving the JLU, I determined that there's nothing wrong with it. :D Maybe the shackles are a bit high that attributed to the wandering but this is a JLU form and not a YJ one.

My daily driver before the JLU was a subaru impreza sport. I drove that thing for years. Before that was a Grand Cherokee and I had zero issues driving that thing. Getting into the JLU was a bit of an adjustment. Anything over 50 was a bit scary, especially going over bridges. It felt like it floated around a lot. I will say that I now have about 700 miles on it and it feels much better. I don't know if I got used to it, if it was a result of lowering the tire pressure, or the break in of the tires and other components.

I think you'll find that most people here say it is much better and rides normally, because that is what they're used to. And after about 700 miles, I feel like the ride is a ton better. I have a trip planned next week, and I'm expecting that by the end of this trip, I will say it rides great. I would suggest, if you can, try to find a used JL to take for a test drive to get a feel of how a broken in JL feels.

 

[LarryB]

To Aldo’s point, a “killer off-road” rig will not be one that you want to use for a comfy ride across the country. The Unlimited (such as the 392) rides better than my 2-door, so if that is a priority, stick with 4 doors.

My wife has a Mazda CX-5 turbo. No comparison, that rides and handles like a Sports sedan. Was in a friend’s JK unlimited the other day … he has a Sahara, maybe 2014. When I did test drive a JL Wrangler Minivan (aka 4-door), i remember it being a lot more comfy than his JK, even though the JL was a Sport.

 

[Oldbear]

JL rides great compared to earlier models, but she is not a luxury SUV (ride wise). I love mine, but if I’d headed a long way I’ll be in my Ram…

 

[Oldgoatdj]

I am halfway through a 3200 mile road trip with my stock 21 JL Sahara, Just got my first oil change and tire rotation. Wife and I both have enjoyed the ride. Both Jeep owning and non Jeepers are impressed with the ride. I am looking forward to completing the trip in about a week. I have driven Town cars, Caddies, Saturns, SUVs, and more but the Jeep ride is better than all but the luxury cars, and more fun than any of them!

 

[TrapperJ]

Still waiting to trade my ‘21 JL 2 door manual for a 2 door 392. Make it a SRT.

 

[swozey]

I mean if you want me to be honest, I came from BMWs before my JLUR and I think the JLUR rides like absolute shit and is miserable to go on road trips in but it's a Jeep and I can't do anything similar in my BMWs. I just live with it and don't expect much.

The only time I *hate* driving it is in 30-60mph crosswinds where it's actually kind of scary how blown across the highway I get.

edit: I should mention, I don't feel like it drives much differently, in fact it's way better with my lift than when it was stock. But it still isn't a "fun" highway car.

 

[J_Winslow]

I just traded in my c8 corvette with magnetic suspension for my JLURXR. Now the c8 is the best riding car I have ever been in. I previously had a TJ and the JLURXR is 1000× better than the TJ. The wrangler is no luxury car but it rides very well and I would not hesitate to do a road trip in it.

Let's be real, the people claiming the wrangler rides terrible are soft cry babies that need their own asses wiped.

 

[five9dak]

My JL 2 door rides nicer than my TJ did, even with bilstien 5100s. JL has longer wheelbase and longer control arms. There is no getting around the wheelbase though, the shorter it is, and the higher you sit, the more its going to pitch you compared to other vehicles.

If you are concerned about ride quality get a 4 door and don't lift it or make the wheels/tires heavier than stock.

I drive my JL 62 miles a day, mostly highway, and it's fine. These sort of questions are about frame of reference more than anything. The guy above talking about his BMW for example.

Rent a JL on turo for a weekend and put some miles on it.

 

[LOBBS]

I mean if you want me to be honest, I came from BMWs before my JLUR and I think the JLUR rides like absolute shit and is miserable to go on road trips in but it's a Jeep and I can't do anything similar in my BMWs. I just live with it and don't expect much.

The only time I *hate* driving it is in 30-60mph crosswinds where it's actually kind of scary how blown across the highway I get.

edit: I should mention, I don't feel like it drives much differently, in fact it's way better with my lift than when it was stock. But it still isn't a "fun" highway car.

I've put just shy of 10k miles on my Rubicon in the 3 months I've had it. Sometimes up to 800 miles in a single day. My commute is about 30 miles each way, mostly highway. It's not a BMW, no, but it's not that bad either.

 

[johndan]

I've had a JKR, a JLUR, and a JLR. The JLUR had a smoother ride than either JKR or JLR. But it depends on what you're looking for—the JLUR felt more like a truck to me while the JKR and JLR felt, well, not exactly like a sports car but more responsive and just fun to drive due to the shorter wheelbase. FWIW, the JLR was also more fun to drive than the JKR, partly due to the increased horsepower (both 3.6 V6s, but the JLR had more horsepower) and better shifting (six-speed manuals in both).

As others have said, being careful about size of tires, quality of lift, etc. will also contribute to a better experience. I don't mod my vehicles a lot beyond front bumpers, winches, and skid plates so I can't speak to how more serious mods might affect things.

 

[Shibadog]

JL rides great compared to earlier models, but she is not a luxury SUV (ride wise). I love mine, but if I’d headed a long way I’ll be in my Ram…

Ditto. I love Jeeps, have for decades. The JL is a luxury ride compared to my old TJ (ever more so compared to a CJ), but on a road trip it will be my Ram 1500 Ecodiesel every time.

 

[Jim1964]

Wrangler for a road-trip vehicle = recipe for disappointment.

 

[aldo98229]

I’ve done dozens of long trips on Wranglers. They are one of the best vehicles in extreme winter weather. They won’t be much fun to drive if it has monster MT tires and cheap mods, though.

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