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nomographer

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Echoing that the JL is a luxury compared to the 94 YJ I had for 15yr. Being my first new vehicle, I really tried to approach it with a slightly detached attitude. I knew every hiccup in my old Jeep, every hesitant piece of dust in the throttle body, how could I expect the same of a vehicle that just came off the assembly line?

Instead I went out and practiced driving it around. Basically I expected that everything would fail in some way ("car manufacturing these days harrumph") and was happy when it didn't. My first four days were awful and then I fixed the throttle and all was better.

It's still a relatively light vehicle for its size, so it will be a bit bouncy depending on the road surface. Dropping the tire pressure can help, but you should also try to raise it again to make sure you don't have it too low. I personal don't like the feeling of highway corners at 25psi and probably run a bit hot compared to most people here: 37psi.

When I let go of the wheel it drives straight and true. When I notice an issue it's almost always because the highway has 3" deep tracks in it, so I just scooch over 6in and drive on top of them.

One thing I've never figured out.. I'm a two hands on the wheel driver. I can't really get my shoulder on the door and steer effectively (that was my default in the YJ). Also the important buttons are on the right side of the wheel. I find i don't use my left grip handle much. I guess I'm saying there isn't an "asleep pose" in the JL, in my experience.
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txj2go

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I went from a C7 Corvette to JLU Willys... Talk about polar opposites! As others said you'll get used to it and actually find it entertaining. It definitely has a personality. Around town it's best as ride height, tight turning radius, and squishy-ness makes for fun errand running. On the freeway the wandering is something you don't notice over time. Just keep the tires around 32/34psi and don't go over 75mph.
I'm almost in the same situation- I was driving a Cadillac CTS-V (still have it) and I bought a JLU Sport. I've put Rubicon tires/springs/shocks on it as well as new Mopar LCA. Obviously the driving is much different between the 2 cars, I don't have any problems with long highway trips in the JLU. I did just over 700 miles 2 days ago. On most highways it feels smooth to me. On some concrete surfaces that probably aren't screeded very well there is some up/down resonance that is almost to the point of bounciness. Mine has good directional control and doesn't wander as long as you have a hand on the wheel but I don't mess with my phone while driving. I find the wind noise more of an issue than the ride quality.
If you want smooth cushy ride then I notice that my daughter's Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is very smooth riding and quiet. We will be taking it on trails around Moab in a couple of months.
 

2nd 392

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My Jeep must be defective.

If we’re talking simple commutes from point a to point b, it drives just like every other vehicle I’ve driven.
There appears to be so few of us we should have a “defective Jeep club”. Mine rides as comfortable as my GC in sport mode ( unfortunately not the seats), Wander is so minimal as to be “what wander”, slight steering vagueness nearly eliminated with 35/12.50’s at 32psi. Doesn’t sway and wallow like my IFS 4R or Bronco, add jar my teeth and back with every bump to the 4R. Far superior to a lifetime of SFA vehicles ( starting with a 3A in the mid 60’s) . Wranglers are now an improved Jeep off road ( other than size), but now closer to a GC on road—Yet—we still B I itch
. ( as I did about the seats) 🙄
 
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Heimkehr

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I personal don't like the feeling of highway corners at 25psi and probably run a bit hot compared to most people here: 37psi.
36-38 PSI is in fact accepted as the sweet spot for most stock tires, or at least the starting point to dial them in. This is doubly true when viewing the recommended tire pressure data on the door jamb sticker. After a bit of testing myself, I've landed on 37 PSI as the correct pressure for the all-seasons on my JLU. 👍
 

Spank

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For as much technology is in a modern Wrangler, it still has one of the most analog steering systems.
 

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zakaron

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Another thing to keep in mind is that the tires are still brand new. When I picked up mine with the Firestone MT2, I felt like I was all over the place. Squirrely comes to mind. But once they wore in, it got much better. I also keep them around 35psi.

As others have stated, you just have to know what to expect with a box on wheels and 2 live axles underneath. There only so much the engineers can do with that (and they did a fantastic job with the JL)... live axles will be a bit more jittery, especially over uneven bumps. And the shape doesn't lend itself well to wind gusts, though not as scary as on a motorcycle and getting pushed across your lane while leaning into the wind. That was an unnerving experience.

Now that I have 16K+ miles on it, I have no qualms taking it on long road trips. In fact, my wife and I visited friends in northern Ontario over New Years. It was about 620 miles one way. I did the entire return trip in one day, and I would do it again too.
 

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The electronic assist steering, just has a different feel to it. 6.0 degrees of positive caster is a must need.
 

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Before I got mine, I was worried about reviews about nvh, steering online. I rented one for a long weekend trip, and also had some long trips with a neighbor's gladiator. The gladiator's longer wheel base definitely feels more stable on the highway.

I feel relaxed driving the unlimited with AT tires. I notice I drive slower than in my other cars, which helps with the noise and steering. But more likely, it's because going slower helps me enjoy the scenery.
 

RubiBlueJLU

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Guess I just got lucky with my 21 JLURD. All stock, KO2’s. Tires at 35psi. Drives like a dream. 30,000 miles in.
One handed, left arm in the door rest, hand at 8 o’clock, cruising down the highway at 70mph. Easy peasy. Wind pushes it a bit, but not bad.
2-Lane twisties, curve ahead, sign says 45mph

..no, 60 is good. Glides right on through.
Maybe it’s the combination of the Rubi suspension and the added weight of the diesel engine that makes it cruise/handle so nice. (maybe it’s just me?)

Previous vehicle was a 2001 TJ, 5-spd. Yes, it wandered! The wandering got worse after I took the winch off before I sold it.
 

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Bill_BCNtoNY

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Guess I just got lucky with my 21 JLURD. All stock, KO2’s. Tires at 35psi. Drives like a dream. 30,000 miles in.
One handed, left arm in the door rest, hand at 8 o’clock, cruising down the highway at 70mph. Easy peasy. Wind pushes it a bit, but not bad.
2-Lane twisties, curve ahead, sign says 45mph

..no, 60 is good. Glides right on through.
Maybe it’s the combination of the Rubi suspension and the added weight of the diesel engine that makes it cruise/handle so nice. (maybe it’s just me?)

Previous vehicle was a 2001 TJ, 5-spd. Yes, it wandered! The wandering got worse after I took the winch off before I sold it.
I second the idea that weight could be a big factor here - my Rubi 4xe is great on the highway.

I bought an Exact Center before taking delivery and haven’t found the time to install it yet. Thinking of getting the Mopar lift LCAs and then putting it all in at once to see if there is much difference.
 

dreep jeemin

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It's all relative.

Going from this to the Jeep, the Jeep feels like a Zen retreat.
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I have a '19 ND softie and I'd say 'Jinba Ittai' is spot on. NEVER feels like it's a chore to drive. Maybe the Fiata (no offense!) renders a different sensation.
 

aldo98229

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I have a '19 ND softie and I'd say 'Jinba Ittai' is spot on. NEVER feels like it's a chore to drive. Maybe the Fiata (no offense!) renders a different sensation.
I wouldn’t call driving it a chore. But compared to the Mazda, the Fiat dials things up a notch: the little turbo has a nice kick, the exhaust sounds angry all the time, and the styling looks a lot more exotic than it really is.

The Italians have a long tradition making tiny engines sound like the big bad wolf; they sure didn’t disappoint
 

COJeeper

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Yeah, mine is very stressful to drive. I just put on 37s with no lift and running at 26psi. With the stock KO2s at 35psi cold, the thing drove like a sports car, seriously. Going 37s was the worst thing I ever did for handling and driving comfort. Oh well, I'll be able to drive over bigger curbs at the mall now.
 

Carolina Jeeper

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Differences in perception based on what types of vehicles a person is used to driving can cause them to complain about Jeeps.

My Rubicon drives a bit like an old pickup truck on some roads, but then it drives in a predictable manner on others. I actually have an old truck to compare it to.

I do understand and agree with the process of getting used to a Jeep. However, there are legitimate complaints in recent years that eventually led to TSB based repairs related sloppy to steering. Bad welds, bad steering boxes, bad stabilizers, under torqued ball joints, and, etc... I found all of these issues on my Rubicon except for the bad welds. They've all been corrected and it drives much better at almost 4 years old than when new.

So, you need to be sure not to ignore some things that people here have found that were out of specs on these "luxury" Jeeps.
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