Torn

[mixdup]

I'm at a crossroads, and looking to as much input as I can get. Disclaimer, this includes 4xe discussion and I'm not super interested in hearing anything political or not fact based about hybrids, EVs, electrification, or the like

I've currently got a 2022 Sarge Green 4XE Sahara. I love it, have had zero issues out of the hybrid system and actually like the way it drives. I love that because of the hybrid I don't have to worry about turning off the auto-start/stop feature and the get up and go that it has vs. a traditional 4-cylinder

It's got about 35k miles, and while I have purchased the Mopar extended warranty plan, it's obviously about to age out of the factory warranty (I bought it a year later as it was the last 2022 the dealer had on the lot and got a good deal)

I've got some wheels I like, but no lift. I've gotten to go riding a lot more, and expect to keep riding trails into the future, and I definitely need a mild lift

The downsides are that I'm upside down by a decent amount because of the dramatic drop in 4XE values the last few years and the fact my wife had a minor fender bender which, all in all wasn't that bad, but the front bumper (factory rubicon steel bumper) is slightly damaged so it's dinged in any valuations

I've also got some paint pinstriping from riding trails that have not been super trimmed. And, as I've pushed the limit on tires that will fit under the Jeep without a lift, I've found that my 285/75s are pushing the limit of the gearing and if I go any bigger I will definitely need to re-gear

Early-mid next year, I should be coming into some cash, enough to get out from the negative equity, and enough to put a mild lift under me

Also, for my entire adult life I have never had a car this long, or put this many miles on. I have been a habitual trader of cars, and sometimes that has been bad financially, but everyone has their vice. I love this Jeep and it's put me in a strange situation I've never really been in

The question I'm facing is, do I try to sell this Jeep and move up? I am a huge Carplay fan and would love to have wireless + the larger screen. My wife's Grand Cherokee has wireless carplay and I'm a bit jealous. Also, while I have had zero issue with the 4XE, and did not need a battery replacement under the 95B recall, I'm concerned when I get into much higher mileage what am I going to do when the hybrid or battery gives up the ghost?

Is this a platform I want to sink money into or do I want to get a good 24 or 25 used Rubicon, non-4XE v6, and put my money into that instead? On the other hand, I've already taken the value hit, should I just put a lift under this one and ride it till it dies (or I get closer to a 6-figure mileage)

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[shane h.]

The question is whether you are going to keep the Jeep long term whichever way you decide to go - 4XE vs ICE. If you plan on keeping the Jeep long term, then it's a no-brainer to build it out the way you want when you can afford the upgrades. If not, then save your money on upgrades.

I'm an ICE guy all the way. I'd get rid of the 4XE and get into a V6 (or 392) Rubicon as fast as I could before dumping a lot of money into it for upgrades. But I am also a keeper of vehicles and I'm not in the Jeep for Carplay or the screens. I'm in the Jeep for where it can get me off pavement. I plan on keeping my 19 JLUR until I can no longer drive it. It will probably be handed down to one of the grandsons one day when I can no longer go out and enjoy its abilities.

 

[alphawolff]

I'm at a crossroads, and looking to as much input as I can get. Disclaimer, this includes 4xe discussion and I'm not super interested in hearing anything political or not fact based about hybrids, EVs, electrification, or the like

I've currently got a 2022 Sarge Green 4XE Sahara. I love it, have had zero issues out of the hybrid system and actually like the way it drives. I love that because of the hybrid I don't have to worry about turning off the auto-start/stop feature and the get up and go that it has vs. a traditional 4-cylinder

It's got about 35k miles, and while I have purchased the Mopar extended warranty plan, it's obviously about to age out of the factory warranty (I bought it a year later as it was the last 2022 the dealer had on the lot and got a good deal)

I've got some wheels I like, but no lift. I've gotten to go riding a lot more, and expect to keep riding trails into the future, and I definitely need a mild lift

The downsides are that I'm upside down by a decent amount because of the dramatic drop in 4XE values the last few years and the fact my wife had a minor fender bender which, all in all wasn't that bad, but the front bumper (factory rubicon steel bumper) is slightly damaged so it's dinged in any valuations

I've also got some paint pinstriping from riding trails that have not been super trimmed. And, as I've pushed the limit on tires that will fit under the Jeep without a lift, I've found that my 285/75s are pushing the limit of the gearing and if I go any bigger I will definitely need to re-gear

Early-mid next year, I should be coming into some cash, enough to get out from the negative equity, and enough to put a mild lift under me

Also, for my entire adult life I have never had a car this long, or put this many miles on. I have been a habitual trader of cars, and sometimes that has been bad financially, but everyone has their vice. I love this Jeep and it's put me in a strange situation I've never really been in

The question I'm facing is, do I try to sell this Jeep and move up? I am a huge Carplay fan and would love to have wireless + the larger screen. My wife's Grand Cherokee has wireless carplay and I'm a bit jealous. Also, while I have had zero issue with the 4XE, and did not need a battery replacement under the 95B recall, I'm concerned when I get into much higher mileage what am I going to do when the hybrid or battery gives up the ghost?

Is this a platform I want to sink money into or do I want to get a good 24 or 25 used Rubicon, non-4XE v6, and put my money into that instead? On the other hand, I've already taken the value hit, should I just put a lift under this one and ride it till it dies (or I get closer to a 6-figure mileage)

392 my brother, take the plunge.

 

[mixdup]

The question is whether you are going to keep the Jeep long term whichever way you decide to go - 4XE vs ICE. If you plan on keeping the Jeep long term, then it's a no-brainer to build it out the way you want when you can afford the upgrades. If not, then save your money on upgrades.

I'm an ICE guy all the way. I'd get rid of the 4XE and get into a V6 (or 392) Rubicon as fast as I could before dumping a lot of money into it for upgrades. But I am also a keeper of vehicles and I'm not in the Jeep for Carplay or the screens. I'm in the Jeep for where it can get me off pavement. I plan on keeping my 19 JLUR until I can no longer drive it. It will probably be handed down to one of the grandsons one day when I can no longer go out and enjoy its abilities.

I also am in the Jeep for its capability, that's why I'm not considering trading it for a Rivian or a RAM with the 15" screen. But, if I'm going to actually turn it into a build and dump money into it, I want it to be the platform I want to truly start out with

And to the long term aspect, we do have a YJ in the family that my dad will be leaving to me/my son. That one will definitely stick around because we can maintain it without a lot of computer stuff that might go sideways and be prohibitively expensive to repair

 

[mixdup]

392 my brother, take the plunge.

I'm not coming into 392 money. I'll bump up to the V6 and skip the 4-cylinder, but I can't do a 392

 

[Kerney]

Also, for my entire adult life I have never had a car this long, or put this many miles on. I have been a habitual trader of cars, and sometimes that has been bad financially, but everyone has their vice. I love this Jeep and it's put me in a strange situation I've never really been

I'm not sure my feedback will help as you admittedly have a "habit" that I'm going to say you need to break. I sold a tahoe I owned for 23 years to buy my first new car for me since the 90s. I bought a new 24 Rubicon a few months ago. That tahoe was used when I bought it. You should keep your existing car which has been trouble free. I'm a car enthusiast as I'm more of a sports car guy (own a lotus elise) but I keep my cars/boats for very long periods of time. Our boat is 30+ years old.

I'm not a 4xe fan but isn't the warranty 10 years on the battery? You are 2 years into that warranty. You haven't given a good reason to get rid of your 22 other than to feed your habit.

 

[mixdup]

I'm not sure my feedback will help as you admittedly have a "habit" that I'm going to say you need to break. I sold a tahoe I owned for 23 years to buy my first new car for me since the 90s. I bought a new 24 Rubicon a few months ago. That tahoe was used when I bought it. You should keep your existing car which has been trouble free. I'm a car enthusiast as I'm more of a sports car guy (own a lotus elise) but I keep my cars/boats for very long periods of time.

I'm not a 4xe fan but isn't the warranty 10 years on the battery? You are 2 years into that warranty. You haven't given a good reason to get rid of your 22 other than to feed your habit.

3 years, but it is a good point, that I have a lot of time, including long enough to see what comes after the JL. The warranty on the battery and hybrid system is 8-yr/100,000 miles on 2022s and newer (2021s had a 10 year)

Wanting to settle in long term is a little bit of my motivation here. The things I want to change are somewhat minor but over time will just continue to nag at me, but if I take the time now to level set I'll be even more happy than I am

That said, taking hit and trading in a perfectly good Jeep for seemingly minor updates seems like a poor financial decision, but sometimes buying a Jeep is a poor financial decision

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Keep the one you have. A paid off vehicle is a huge relief. Once you begin paying them off, you see what little sense it makes to be constantly stuck in a payment. Those who pay for their vehicles tend to take much better care of them too.

I get your reluctance to stay with what is trending towards being a somewhat unreliable powertrain, however it has been trouble free for you, so that’s worth keeping in mind. At some point in the future, you can do a drivetrain swap.

Also, you can go aftermarket for CarPlay, if that’s important to you. Makes no sense to trade upside down and go deeper into debt for a bit of tech. And if you always have to have the latest and greatest, tech is always outdated within half a decade.

The steel bumper end caps are easy to replace. You should be able to find one on eBay. Or cheaper yet, just remove them.

 

[mixdup]

The steel bumper end caps are easy to replace. You should be able to find one on eBay. Or cheaper yet, just remove them.

Whichever way I go, trade or keep, when I start turning this into an actual build I'm replacing bumpers anyway. The fender bender status of the current bumper is really just a problem if I trade and get dinged for it

 

[flick2614]

If your mindset is building a Jeep the right way and keeping it for a while (correct mindset IMO) logically you should move to the version with better longevity and repairability which is not the 4xe.

 

[Gio]

I'm not coming into 392 money. I'll bump up to the V6 and skip the 4-cylinder, but I can't do a 392

Are you having problems with the 2.0 in your current rig?

I ask because you are limiting your options if you just go with the 3.6.

Having owned both, I can say the differences are minimal and both work OK with the Wrangler.

We initially were only looking at the 3.6 since we liked our first one but along came a rig with everything we wanted sans the 3.6.

We took a shot at the 2.0 and I can say I'd take either motor again if the vehicle had what we wanted.

Both motors have had problems and both have proven to go without issue for a long periods also.

A lemon of either will taint your views.

Try both. The 2.0 may surprise you without the extra weight of the 4XE.

The 3.6 may feel better and certainly sound better but until you try them in similar rigs you won't know.

I do agree that if you are building something to keep for a long time you may want to bail on the hybrid which is what your question is about.

The 392 would be a lot of fun for sure but I don't like the price.

 

[Heimkehr]

A reliable Wrangler isn't anything to treat lightly, doubly so when it's a 4xe.

Debt retirement should be Priority #1. At the very least, get the equity to the point that you're not underwater. Doing so will set you up to sell or trade the vehicle more easily, if you decide to do so.

I'd be sorely tempted to keep a Wrangler that has provided a reliable ownership experience, as you suggest yours has. There is of course the risk that if or when a 4xe craps out, it could do so spectacularly. That's the only thing I'd need to reconcile for myself when determining if it stays in my garage.

 

[MayThe4x4BWU]

I agree with what some others have said about getting out from underwater before you make any decision on whether you keep or get rid of it in favor of a new one.

That way you can use that money you're coming into later for something more useful.

 

[Twisted10]

392 and also...

 

[cansberry]

The 4xe (when it's a good one) is fairly reliable. If you're a habitual vehicle swapper and have never made it to even 30k on a car before, you'll be covered during your likely ownership. Even if you exceed that, batteries last a while. Teslas are proving to retain close to 90% capacity through 300k miles. Keep in mind, under normal driving, 100k is close to a decade, so you got time.

The 3.6, in my opinion, is less reliable. Look on this forum and elsewhere on how many have just given up before even 50k. The 2.0L has proven virtually trouble free, despite the old cats here decrying turbos as if they're voodoo magic. I'd say for reliability the list would look something like:

2.0L
392
3.0L diesel
4xe (Super dependant on build)
3.6L


And last thing, don't go in more debt. It's never worth it. It's always a bad decision that touches every aspect of life.

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