Sahara vs Rubicon HELP!

[SouthLeb]

If you already have sport, I would get the Sahara, for me it was the better ride as a daily. Also, you get softtop ($1500)

You can upgrade the sport if you decide to get adventurous

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[aldo98229]

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[SleepEatJeepRepeat]

Some of you make it sound like a Sahara can’t leave the pavement. That is far from the case.

My prior Wrangler was a top-of-the-line Rubicon Recon with a Mopar lift and 35” KO2s. Yes, it was fun on the trail, but honestly, I don’t miss driving around town on those big, heavy tires.

This time I shopped both, Rubicons and Saharas: the availability of Selec-Trac, rear LSD and a slightly easier-to-live-with daily driver were the deciding factors for me. No regrets; I’d do it again.

PS - my JL Sahara with 33” tires sits as high as my JK Recon with a 2” Mopar lift and 35” tires.

100% my first jeep was a Sahara, and it is still one of the most capable productions street-legal offroad capable vehicles the world has ever seen.. i happily wheeled mine for years, only getting stuck once even on some challenging trails. That said, my lifted rubicon is a whole different thing.. , it's insane, what I have driven thru.. when I get in the nasty stuff I am always too caught up in the moment to stop and take pics of vids... but not everyone really needs or wants that.. if it's your first jeep and your not sure if wheeling will ultimately be a hobby, then the Sahara is great, totally capable, more affordable, looks nice, little tamer for a daily driver.. and you can always add aftermarket quick disconnect to bring it up a level on capability.. and even aftermarket lockers.. and you will be 95% as capable as a rubicon. Just wheels and about a half-inch of front axle width, and honestly if you break the front axle, you were probably asking for it, doing something crazy or stupid..

 

[ken31756]

When I first read your opening post I thought to myself "This is going to be interesting".
And after reading through all the replies, in order, it got even more interesting.

One things for certain, this is a great forum!
...unlike some others out there where you post a question and get nothing but dozens of attack replies.

Many great suggestions have already been brought up: the warranty, sales tax, type of driving and off-roading you do (or don't do), test driving each one to be sure how they handle, ride, and steer (especially the steering cus that's a issue you'd want to avoid from the start if possible). The one comes with the soft top that you want. Same colors, but the Rubi looks cooler. Wants vs Needs. A Rubi is better suited for serious off roading no doubt. It also will hold its resale value better down the road when you go to get rid of it. A Sahara is better as a daily driver, handling and steering is better on pavement, and it's "new".
Based on these, and other considerations, and that your responses make both vehicles kind of the same... it's a tough call.

your question was "Which is the better buy". Which is the better vehicle FOR YOU is a different question entierly.

Which is the "better buy" probably isn't the question to be asking. The question should be which vehicle is better for you.
And "better" needs to be defined... is better what you WANT, or is it what you NEED.
Is better based on financial considerations, or how much you'll customize and change on the Jeep once you buy it? Do you WANT to customize it, OR do you want one that is "turn key" ready to roll. The questions can go on and on.
"Better" is something that only you can define for yourself.
Once you define what "better" means, then you can make the choice of which Jeep to go with.

The only personal experience that I can add to this thread would be this:
I used to own a TJ Rubicon. I loved that Jeep. I sold it when they came out with the 4 door models.
Then I bought a JK Rubicon. I loved that Jeep also! I sold it when they came out with the JL models.
When it came time to buy my JL I had 2 choices: a 2018 Sahara vs 2018 Rubicon.
The realization set in that I've owned Rubicons going back to 2006 and spent little or no time doing serious off-roading...
So I opted for the Sahara.
Withdrawl pains? Yes.
But it's my daily driver, and weekend mild trail runner
and with a lift kit and some bad ass rims and tires, guess what...
I'm happier with this Jeep than ANY I've ever owned.

With all the thought and consideration you are giving your decision I'm sure you will be too!

 

[TrailJoy]

^ All of this. Great post, @ken31756 !

 

[2020wranglerjl]

My thought process going into this was if the cars are priced the same, then why opt for the Sahara rather than the "stronger" Rubicon? I don't not want buyers remorse after getting the Sahara and thinking crap, I should have gotten the rubicon instead...
At the end of the day, I think what I really should be asking is if 16,000 miles is a lot on a 1.5 year rubicon.
If they were both new and priced the same, then its a no brainer. The upgraded parts on a Rubi definitely outweigh getting a Sahara.

I should just flip a coin lol.

I researched the Sahara and Rubicon for 6 months.

Does the Sahara have the Anti-Slip rear differential and the Auto Hi 4 WD? The Anti-Slip is mechanical and is on all the time. If one wheel looses traction it will apply power to the wheel with traction. The Auto Hi 4 WD is nice when the road has dry spots along with snow and ice. It figures out when you need 4 WD. It switches between 2 WD and 4 WD as needed, Those two options are great for driving in the snow and you cannot get those two options on the Rubicon.

The Rubicon requires you to manually put it in 4WD when you need it, which also engages Brake Lock Differentials (it applies brakes to the wheel that has no traction so the power goes to the other wheel, but there is a slight delay for that to kick in). If the snow gets bad, then you may need to manually lock the differentials. So you have to manually decide what mode to be in.

Also, the tires on the Rubicon are much better for snow than the Sahara. So, you may want to upgrade the tires if you do a lot of winter driving in the snow. With the Rubicon the tires will be great.

I was going to custom order a Sahara this fall, because I didn't think I would find a 2019 or 2018 on sale with most of the options I wanted. I found I could get around $5K off if I did a custom order, plus any incentives from the factory.

3 weeks ago, I ended up buying a new 2019 Rubicon for $12K off the sticker, I couldn't ignore the discount & it had every option I wanted except the 1 touch top. It had the matching color hard top, which was my 2nd choice. There are +'s & -'s to both tops, but I don't regret what I got.

I got the 2.0 turbo eTorque engine with noise canceling, which I wanted. I like that an electric motor used to seamlessly restart the engine, it gets better MPG & has 70 lbs of extra torque off the line. It will also turn the engine off/on over and over in stop and go traffic. When the starter is used to restart the engine, (ESS) it needs to reach a speed of 5mph before it will turn off the engine again. In 2020 the eTorque engine is only available in the Sahara.

That's my 2 cents. You can't go wrong either way.

 

[MLS_AZ]

I have always gone with new because you never know how the "used" Jeep was treated/maintained. But that doesn't mean you can't get a good used one. Like Harleys, Jeep owners seem to take care of their stuff.
Like others have said, it just depends on what you're going to use it for. I just traded in an excellent Grand Cherokee Trailhawk for a JL Rubicon because I'm going off road more, hauling an ATV. So far, it is great. Glad I did it.
As the previous poster said, you can't go wrong either way. Gotta love a Jeep!!

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