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Trying to Decide: Willy's vs. Sport Altitude

Ogre_FL

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Make sure you're not selecting the LED option when building your Willys (you may not be, but it's worth warning you about). It comes standard with LED headlights and fog lights. Not sure why it's there on the B&P tool. If you're checking that option, you're artificially inflating the price of your Willys build.

edit: I built a Willys and Sport Altitude on the website and added nothing except the features you'd need to add to the SA to get similar features that you get with the Willys. I show a price difference of exactly $500 ($46,155 for the Willys and $45,655 for the SA).

You save $500 but you give up larger M/T tires, Rubicon shocks, heavy duty brakes, all weather floor mats, rock rails, and probably something else I'm forgetting.
I know I missed the LED lighting thing as it showed as an option on each.
Did you miss the hard top head liner adder to the Willys, as that is also included on the Sport Altitude.

If you do opt them as close as possible to each other I still see just over $1000 less on the SA.
 

WhereRU_A-A-Ron

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I know I missed the LED lighting thing as it showed as an option on each.
Did you miss the hard top head liner adder to the Willys, as that is also included on the Sport Altitude.

If you do opt them as close as possible to each other I still see just over $1000 less on the SA.
I did make that mistake. Another thing I didn’t realize came standard on the Sport Altitude. I’ll have to amend my previous post.
 
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Echo4papa

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Might consider the 4xe as well. Price will be more, but if you get the $7500 tax credit it makes it a pretty good deal and similar in price.
 
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I’m a little biased… even when stock I loved my Willys.

CBE50767-191C-43E7-90BE-816C64A9597F.jpeg


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Beautiful. I think I'm going Willy's unless I can get this 5% below invoice that some of you are getting. I emailed a few local dealers asking them to call me, but no calls yet. They may think I'm crazy to even ask for that. We shall see. I'll drive to Philly if the reward is a Rubicon for the price of a Willy's.
 

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Trainman

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I'd get the Willys Sport and swap the mud tires with some Rubicon take offs from Craigslist which would be nearly a wash.
Don't see the difference here, Rubicon and Willys have pretty much the same tires and wheels new.
 

1quick1

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Don't see the difference here, Rubicon and Willys have pretty much the same tires and wheels new.
Not even close on the tires but they do have the same wheels.

Willys is on a 32" Firestone mud-terrain and Rubicon is on a 33" 285/70R17 BFG KO2 all-terrain. Granted for my use I would get the AT over a MT so that's why I mentioned this swap.
 

The Last Cowboy

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Wheels are the same except for the finish. Willys has MT tires, Firestone or BFG. Both are spec'd at a true 32", but the Firestone looks a little more so. The 285/70/17s on a Rubicon spec at 32.8". That would give a stock Rubicon less than 1/2" better ground clearance than a stock Willys.
 

CrimsonGhost

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Beautiful. I think I'm going Willy's unless I can get this 5% below invoice that some of you are getting. I emailed a few local dealers asking them to call me, but no calls yet. They may think I'm crazy to even ask for that. We shall see. I'll drive to Philly if the reward is a Rubicon for the price of a Willy's.
I just ordered a Willys from 3 Rivers Jeep. You can get 1% under Invoice with the Tread Lightly program.
 

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Jeep Wrangler JL Trying to Decide: Willy's vs. Sport Altitude Willys_D-Side angle_20210802


Love my Willys. They are a nice middle ground and have several of the Rubi features. For about a $100 and <4hrs work you can easily upgrade to Rubi take-off springs.
 

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james.heredia

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Following this thread! I recently ordered a Sport Altitude, I wanted a Willys originally but the dealership told me I couldn't outfit any vehicle with the 3.6 etorque with the exception of the Sport Altitude and High Altitude due to the chip shortage, not sure if thats true (I live in Oregon, maybe the order and configuration here from the manufacturer are limited to certain models currently).

Anyway, from what I've gathered from this thread and the homework ive done, the biggest components to consider between these two models (Willys and Sport Altitude) is -

• Willys comes more off-road ready than the Sport Altitude
• Sport Altitude comes with Sahara shocks & brakes, Willys comes with Rubicon components
• In the Sport Altitude, you're able to add Anti Spin Diff, Willys comes stock w/ Limited Slip Diff
• Both come in blacked out trim, Willys have MT white letters and Sport comes with AT tires black letters


Would love thoughts if this all sounds correct. I'm coming from a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, so any wrangler for me will be a great upgrade.

That being said, I plan on upgrading as I go and as needs arise. I think the Sport Altitude is a good starting point to add things.

I think the first things I'm looking at are steering stabilizers, I've experience death wobble and I've heard stabilizers reduce this. (looking for confirmation if anyone can chime in)

Second upgrade will be the roof top, would love love love that smitty built safari top when it becomes available for the JL. Ive seen this guy build his own hardtop, so sickk his name is Jeff Scherb

Check it out here -

Thanks for the add y'all, Should've joined sooner!
 
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Wallbanger

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If anyone was curious, I went in a complete different direction....

I ordered a Sting Gray Unlimited Rubicon yesterday.

Thanks to this forum, I was able to get a much better deal than I was expecting.

I'm still enjoying this thread and all of the great info and amazing Jeeps. Keep em coming. :like:
 

viper88

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Following this thread! I recently ordered a Sport Altitude, I wanted a Willys originally but the dealership told me I couldn't outfit any vehicle with the 3.6 etorque with the exception of the Sport Altitude and High Altitude due to the chip shortage, not sure if thats true (I live in Oregon, maybe the order and configuration here from the manufacturer are limited to certain models currently).

Anyway, from what I've gathered from this thread and the homework ive done, the biggest components to consider between these two models (Willys and Sport Altitude) is -

• Willys comes more off-road ready than the Sport Altitude
• Sport Altitude comes with Sahara shocks & brakes, Willys comes with Rubicon components
• In the Sport Altitude, you're able to add Anti Spin Diff, Willys comes stock w/ Limited Slip Diff
• Both come in blacked out trim, Willys have MT white letters and Sport comes with AT tires black letters


Would love thoughts if this all sounds correct. I'm coming from a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, so any wrangler for me will be a great upgrade.

That being said, I plan on upgrading as I go and as needs arise. I think the Sport Altitude is a good starting point to add things.

I think the first things I'm looking at are steering stabilizers, I've experience death wobble and I've heard stabilizers reduce this. (looking for confirmation if anyone can chime in)

Second upgrade will be the roof top, would love love love that smitty built safari top when it becomes available for the JL. Ive seen this guy build his own hardtop, so sickk his name is Jeff Scherb

Check it out here -

Thanks for the add y'all, Should've joined sooner!
Sahara and Willys have the larger Rubicon brakes. Not sure about Sport Altitude?

I think anti-spin is the same as LSD.

You should not have to replace your steering stabilizer on a new JL. Death wobble is caused by a lot of things but usually not steering stabilizer. A different steering stabilize might only mask the real problem of death wobble.. Worn track bar links and other suspension parts are common causes. So are bad or poorly balanced tires. Alignment too.
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