Shopping for new Rubicon - noises on test drive

[entropy]

So you want a daily driver that's comfortable and doesn't have much noises and stuff, then why a Rubicon?. The Rubicon is slightly lifted, it has big loud tires, etc... Why don't you look at a Sport or Sahara instead?

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[cosine]

How do you find the handling / steering is at 70 - 75 on the highway?
I really want a 2 door and mine would be a daily driver (short drives), but I do one or two 2 hour highway trips a week.
- Dave

i have a 2dr sport and its my dd. i've done 2 1700 mile trips and have no complaints what so ever. the jl rides smooth at 70-75 mph. and mpg ranged from 25.6 to 29.6. i would do a cross country in my 2dr without any second guessing. which is in the early planning stages.

 

[cosine]

for the noises that you mentioned, i'm thinking its coming from the exhaust. i have a 2 dr and there are noises that comes and goes. so for me, its a jeep and its normal.

 

[entropy]

i have a 2dr sport and its my dd. i've done 2 1700 mile trips and have no complaints what so ever. the jl rides smooth at 70-75 mph. and mpg ranged from 25.6 to 29.6. i would do a cross country in my 2dr without any second guessing. which is in the early planning stages.

Same here. 2DR hardtop with headliner Sport S. It is very nice to drive long distance, comfortable and all that. I just don't drive fast, don't expect it to drive like a sedan.

 

[mschlott]

So you want a daily driver that's comfortable and doesn't have much noises and stuff, then why a Rubicon?. The Rubicon is slightly lifted, it has big loud tires, etc... Why don't you look at a Sport or Sahara instead?

That is a very reasonable question. I'm certain I'd be putting AT tires on a sport right away anyway. Beyond the tires, is there anything that makes a sport or Sahara any quieter or more comfortable?

Honestly I don't need a new Jeep. I need a 10 car garage so I can have a road car when I want it and truck when I need it and an off roader when I want it. I'm trying to force the JL into being all 3. I know it's a compromise but I think I can live with it. I'll never know until I've had it for a while.

 

[mwilk012]

Drive several others, they shouldn't make noises like that. Most people never seem to figure out what the air noises are caused by, don't buy that one.

 

[cOtter]

I took your advice. I went to a different dealer and drove a Rubicon with a head liner. The harmonic at idle was only noticeable one time. The buffeting at 40-45 was still there, but not as pronounced. I tried messing with the AC and cracking windows but nothing stopped it. I'll admit that I am more sensitive to low frequency noises than others. I have tinnitus pretty bad. I can't even hear squealing brakes. It drives my wife crazy.

As I was trying to decide if I could live with the buffeting on my daily drive, which is mostly 40-45 MPH, I was irritated by the stiffness of the ride. Then I noticed the dealer had 45 lbs in all the tires. Since I did not notice it on the other Jeep, I'm guessing dropping to 32 would help a lot.

I must be getting (more) irritable in my old age.

Good luck with your continued search.

 

[Altahami]

Regarding buffeting - place some foam between roof and back roll bar. Will fix it.

 

[blnewt]

A pure luxury driving experience just doesn't exist in a Wrangler and probably never will.

But a pure driving experience does though, F the luxury

Driven our 2dr on several 1500 mile round trips, great on the road and no obtrusive noises that are unreasonable. We get out of our JL on long trips and don't feel cramped up or tired vs. other vehicles we have, I think the seats are the difference, that upright seating and overall support seem ideal for us.
Only white knuckle times come during heavy cross winds, especially when you get blocked by a big rig, then that blast of wind when you get in front of them can push you across a lane if you're not paying attention.

 

[mwilk012]

It may sound stupid, but check the floor drain plugs. My passenger drain plug popped loose (wife’s shoes snagged it) and the noise was driving me crazy until I figured out what it was. I was convinced I had an exhaust leak and a brake going bad at the same time because of how loud it got.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I took your advice. I went to a different dealer and drove a Rubicon with a head liner. The harmonic at idle was only noticeable one time. The buffeting at 40-45 was still there, but not as pronounced. I tried messing with the AC and cracking windows but nothing stopped it. I'll admit that I am more sensitive to low frequency noises than others. I have tinnitus pretty bad. I can't even hear squealing brakes. It drives my wife crazy.

As I was trying to decide if I could live with the buffeting on my daily drive, which is mostly 40-45 MPH, I was irritated by the stiffness of the ride. Then I noticed the dealer had 45 lbs in all the tires. Since I did not notice it on the other Jeep, I'm guessing dropping to 32 would help a lot.

I must be getting (more) irritable in my old age.

Pretty much in the same boat you are in. Fairly bad tinnitus and the low frequency buffeting kills my ears. I currently have a 04 Lj that’s built, it’s just too loud to drive it anywhere because of the tinnitus. I have been looking at new Rubicons thinking they might be better with my hearing issues. I rented one for the day when I was down in Ouray a few weeks go. I would be 100% fine with it if I could get rid of that buffeting, I tried the foam between the roof and the roll bar and it didn’t help my issue, my wife said she no longer heard it but I still did because of the hearing damage. There is another thread on here that discusses this further. I think some sound pads on the floor in the back along with some sound pads on the roof with the headliner MAY fix it enough for me. I’m still on the fence pulling the trigger. It’s a big gamble to by a 50k rig and hope something works.

 

[OnlyOne]

I love this little 2 door. I’m on 37s with about 30 psi and a turbo. Set the cruise and forget it, no wandering or jittery crap. Only thing that’s a bit annoying is the wind noise when I have a strong headwind. Normal sounds for these Jeeps. Other than that, the only other noise is the whoosh of the turbo, when you need to actually pass, and this little engine will do it in a hurry. It’s funny to pass all the people headed up Vail pass struggling while this little fella stays in 6th and 7th purring up the hill like it’s not there.

 

[cosine]

But a pure driving experience does though, F the luxury

Driven our 2dr on several 1500 mile round trips, great on the road and no obtrusive noises that are unreasonable. We get out of our JL on long trips and don't feel cramped up or tired vs. other vehicles we have, I think the seats are the difference, that upright seating and overall support seem ideal for us.
Only white knuckle times come during heavy cross winds, especially when you get blocked by a big rig, then that blast of wind when you get in front of them can push you across a lane if you're not paying attention.

i've notice that too not feeling tired or cramped. also the cross wind with the big rig. its not all that bad compared wit any other vehicle.

 

[entropy]

That is a very reasonable question. I'm certain I'd be putting AT tires on a sport right away anyway. Beyond the tires, is there anything that makes a sport or Sahara any quieter or more comfortable?

Honestly I don't need a new Jeep. I need a 10 car garage so I can have a road car when I want it and truck when I need it and an off roader when I want it. I'm trying to force the JL into being all 3. I know it's a compromise but I think I can live with it. I'll never know until I've had it for a while.

The K02s that come with the Rubicon are one of the noisiest and heaviest all terrain tires you can get. I mean they are superb for the trail, they are very thick and strong so hardly puncture, you can drop the pressure a lot, etc etc... but for the road they are not so great. There are many, many great AT tires out there that will be a lot more comfortable on the road. There is a sports package (no slip differential) that I strongly suggest you get if you buy a Sport or Sahara, that package comes with a limited slip locker differential on and dana 44 axle on the back and also includes the Wrangler AT tires, which are really good tires on the road. And if you want something more aggressive, there are a lot of options out there, but the 33in KO2s are completely engineered for off-roading.

The Sport S with all the fancy packages is a really comfortable vehicle and gets close to giving you a more "luxury" feel. I think it fits exactly what you need, daily driver, towing (with the towing package), and off-roader. I personally don't like the Sahara, I know they tried to make it "luxury" but it looks pretty tacky to me, specially with those plastics sidesteps. However, a lot of people really like it so give that one a try too.

I know Rubicons are cool and all that, and if that's what you want go ahead and get it. But it won't ever be as comfortable to drive as a Sahara or Sport S.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

We had a lifted JKUR hardtop and my husband put a headliner on the top and some anti-vibration material (like dynamat) under the carpets. Those two mods made a very noticeable difference in the interior noise level, which was appreciated on long trips.

I’m glad to hear of those on this thread with two-door JLs taking them on trips and enjoying the ride. My JLR is one with steering issues and it’s a real pita just to drive to work. (Yes, I’m working on getting that fixed.) We’ve wondered if a four-door would be better. As of yet, we have yet to experience a decent drive.

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