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Two days in a JK and I’m ready for a JL

Spank

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Wrangler sales 2007-2011 were pretty much the same trend from the TJ, and it's known that the 4dr cannibalised 2dr sales, I'm one of those people that moved from a 2 to a 4, sticking with a 2 would have resulted in me needing a second vehicle, or giving up owning a Wrangler all together.
Exactly. And that was the consensus with a lot of non-enthusiast JK owners. Now, imagine if they never came out with the 4-door at all and tried to push only a 2-door JK throughout those four years, especially during the 2008 bailout.

Aside from the engine(common practice) and radios, I'm not sure what other parts were shared with other vehicles? The power window controls from the old PT cruiser?
The Wrangler has always shared parts and gotten hand me downs from vehicles such as the Grand Cherokee, but both the YJ and TJ's suspensions and engines, shared for over a decade, were tried and proven. They were excellent applications for the vehicle. The JK was given the extremely dated 3.8L and its awful transmission choices only because Chrysler had nothing else to use (and I don't recall if the Pentastar was even on the drawing board before 2007). There was a discussion on JeepForum years ago with an engineer that stated they weren't proud of the powertrain they originally stuck in the JK, but they did the best they could with what they had "lying around." They just slapped in what they had because, again, Chrysler was in bad shape.

While I'll admit I don't think the 3.8L was as bad as a lot of people thought, it was the dogshit transmissions it was paired with and the horrible gearing that gave it a bad wrap. It wasn't a great engine, but it wasn't the worst, either. Regardless of such, it was never the right engine for a Wrangler.
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anotherWS6

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I was not in the market for a Jeep, wasnt on my mind. Got into a accident and ended up with a JK rental for 4 weeks. My 4 year old daughter and I loved it. When I dropped the rental off the rental guy then dropped me off at my Jeep dealer to pick up my new JL. I love the simplicity of the JK, wish the JL was a little more simple.
 

BXFXJeep

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Exactly. And that was the consensus with a lot of non-enthusiast JK owners. Now, imagine if they never came out with the 4-door at all and tried to push only a 2-door JK throughout those four years, especially during the 2008 bailout.



The Wrangler has always shared parts and gotten hand me downs from vehicles such as the Grand Cherokee, but both the YJ and TJ's suspensions and engines, shared for over a decade, were tried and proven. They were excellent applications for the vehicle. The JK was given the extremely dated 3.8L and its awful transmission choices only because Chrysler had nothing else to use (and I don't recall if the Pentastar was even on the drawing board before 2007). There was a discussion on JeepForum years ago with an engineer that stated they weren't proud of the powertrain they originally stuck in the JK, but they did the best they could with what they had "lying around." They just slapped in what they had because, again, Chrysler was in bad shape.

While I'll admit I don't think the 3.8L was as bad as a lot of people thought, it was the dogshit transmissions it was paired with and the horrible gearing that gave it a bad wrap. It wasn't a great engine, but it wasn't the worst, either. Regardless of such, it was never the right engine for a Wrangler.
What I have found over the years people like to cry and make a lot of noise about nothing. 2007 - 2011 FCA sold half a million garbage JKs to unsuspecting customers, many manufacturers couldn't come close to selling those numbers with "superior" vehicles.
 

Spank

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What I have found over the years people like to cry and make a lot of noise about nothing. 2007 - 2011 FCA sold half a million garbage JKs to unsuspecting customers, many manufacturers couldn't come close to selling those numbers with "superior" vehicles.
Eh, trackbar mounts snapping off axles, fuel filler necks spraying gas all over you, plastic soft top headers that warped being in the sun, axles not being properly welded and bending when you hit a pothole, static electricity from simply getting in and out of the seat causing the WCM to seize, throwout bearings that ate shit before 2500 miles... I wouldn't say they were nothing.

The big difference between then and now is FCA is making an effort, begrudgingly, to fix the JL's equally ludicrous QC issues under warranties and recalls whereas Chrysler in '07-'11 treated virtually all the aforementioned problems as TSBs and generally made the owner eat the cost for repair.

The JK was an excellent Jeep after 2015 when those issues were long gone and they figured out how to manufacture the Pentastar properly.
 

Ksvette

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Jk gets a lot of hate. But I would have never been in a Wrangler without it. I needed the backseat and more space for what I like to do.

I LOVED my jkur. It had the horrible 3.8l. I got it used because it blew the original motor, so at 62k....new motor. I sold it after it blew that motor just a bit shy of 120k. 3.8 was a POS. Craptastic early interior. But, still, it was more than the sum of it's parts. I am very happy with my jlu, but honestly wouldn't have one if my JK hadn't ate the motor. I was perfectly happy. Now, I wouldn't go back as the jlu is all the jk was, but is actually nice, has a few creature comforts, and the motor isn't a complete dog.

But, I think the jk gets a little too much hate.
 

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I just did 9 days, and 3k miles in my jeep. Went to Florida with it and ran all over the place. this is my first jeep, my friend has a JK and i rode 5 miles in it and couldn't wait to get back in my JL. So much more comfortable, i like the view out over the hood better, and the interior i think in mine is nicer. His did however feel peppier to me, and also didnt have the surging problem that a lot of the JL guys are talking about. SO i like my JL.
 

mwilk012

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I traded in a 2011 JKU sport for my ‘18 JLUR for two reasons. 1, I always wanted a blue Jeep. 2, the 3.8L and 4 speed auto trans were AWFUL. The JL is an incredible work of engineering compared to the early JK’s, and still a large improvement over the newer models.
 

Spank

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Jk gets a lot of hate. But, I think the jk gets a little too much hate.
It deserved the hate it got in the beginning, but not because it was a new design, but because it was a poorly developed and built vehicle. And as much as I loathed the formation of FCA, they did a fantastic job of turning it around. In the end, the JK rocked. I loved my '14, beat the absolute shit out of it, and took it everywhere.
 

Ksvette

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It deserved the hate it got in the beginning, but not because it was a new design, but because it was a poorly developed and built vehicle. And as much as I loathed the formation of FCA, they did a fantastic job of turning it around. In the end, the JK rocked. I loved my '14, beat the absolute shit out of it, and took it everywhere.
Engine and transmission, yes. Interior refresh looked nice. But suspension, look, etc pretty much stayed the same.
 

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BXFXJeep

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Eh, trackbar mounts snapping off axles, fuel filler necks spraying gas all over you, plastic soft top headers that warped being in the sun, axles not being properly welded and bending when you hit a pothole, static electricity from simply getting in and out of the seat causing the WCM to seize, throwout bearings that ate shit before 2500 miles... I wouldn't say they were nothing.

The big difference between then and now is FCA is making an effort, begrudgingly, to fix the JL's equally ludicrous QC issues under warranties and recalls whereas Chrysler in '07-'11 treated virtually all the aforementioned problems as TSBs and generally made the owner eat the cost for repair.

The JK was an excellent Jeep after 2015 when those issues were long gone and they figured out how to manufacture the Pentastar properly.
Lol I had one of the early build JK, zero issues other than the airbag and fuel line recall, sounds like you should buy a BMW or Merc since Wranglers make you so bitter.
 

Kyanche

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1, I always wanted a blue Jeep
ME TOO! SO MUCH THIS! I currently have an anvil (grey) Jeep. Initially I loved the color - at the time everyone was buying white and grey was starting to catch on, but the weirder shades of grey hadn't caught on yet. Now every other new car is some shade of grey and it's really boring to me.

Meanwhile blue is really pretty. When I bought my anvil jeep in 2015 I almost bought a hydro blue 2014, lol. This time I'm going with Ocean Blue! Can't wait.

I'm also still curious how the 3.6+8speed does in the JL. We had a chrysler 300 with that and it was fantastic. Felt a lot faster than the 3.6+5speed in my JK does.
 

Spartan99

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It’s quite the echo chamber in here! You do realize this is a fan page, right? On the Ford Pinto page you’ll hear nothing but claims that the Pinto is the best vehicle ever produced. 140k on my 2008. 275k on my friend’s 2007. No issues at all. Original everything. 19mpg. Happy Jeeping!
 

BXFXJeep

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I'm also still curious how the 3.6+8speed does in the JL. We had a chrysler 300 with that and it was fantastic. Felt a lot faster than the 3.6+5speed in my JK does.
I came from a 3.6+6 2015 JK Sahara unlimited, I think the 3.6+8 does feel faster.
 

MikeJLUR

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Had a 2014 JKUR and have a JLUR.

There are somethings I like about the JLUR and there are somethings i prefer about the JKUR.
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