Why JLU?

[PavementWarrior]

Well my boxers jump 7' so they can jump in the the back of my JL

IMO you lose too much styling in a JLU and even once you do its friggen teeny still. You put the rear seats down look and then laugh, the back is a pia with 2 part opening instead of a single open hatch.

For hauling alot of people and stuff I will keep my AWD drive Ford Edge, and for fun the JL.

The JL makes no sense to buy either, its gonna be bouncy, loud, go the the shop too much, and is totally impractical for hauling stuff. But it styling and looks are amazing, it screams fun and screw rear doors, F going to work take off the top and hit the beach with the boxers (oops did I leave kids at home... bummer)

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[PhoenixM3]

Cause I'm sick and tired of getting out and moving my seat to let someone in like a god damn poor fucking peasant

Plus, Ford doesn't make 4 door Mustangs (thank God).

 

[Covfefe]

I was in the 82nd and I have brain damage from a stroke I had while in Afghanistan. I could not buy a jeep till this JL model because of the android auto,back up cam, brake and lane assist. I was thinking two door for my JL because of the tighter turning radius and maneuverability. I have a real Service Dog and have to haul my 3 wheel Catrike so I was starting to lean to the JLU. what do you guys think?

How did you get a stroke in Stan?

 

[JohnF]

When I bought my 16' JK 2 years ago I felt the same way. I liked the look and feel of the 2 door and planned to drive it until the wheels fell off. Everyone has their reason for why they buy whatever. I'm going to sell my JK and order a JLU because my wife just had our first child 2 months ago and a JK just isn't practical as a primary family vehicle. Aside from being a pain to put a car seat in the back, the trunk space is a joke. My wife isn't currently working and her car isn't reliable enough to drive long term. Ideally I will own one of each one day.

 

[NavyJeeper]

To me the JLU has always seemed huge - it's a few inches longer than my FJ Cruiser, which feels like a boat on trails compared to a two door Wrangler - and so, aside from the extra cargo room or rear doors, why a JLU?

The soft top becomes unwieldy, the hard top nearly impossible to remove and the length increases the turning radius quite a bit, all things which kind of mitigate many of the things I tend to think of as "Jeepyness."

This isn't a criticism of JLU owners per se, but rather besides needing the space, I don't get why it's so popular other than as a substitute for some other kid hauler or when you need to take a family regularly and don't want to deal with flipping up the seats to get kids in the back.

I'm seriously curious to know and don't mean to be snarky in any way, nor do I mean to come across in any sort of "Real Jeeps have Two Doors" kind of way.

Don't short change the space, we love to camp and even before kids camping gear + two dogs meant we couldn't take the Tj we owned. Most of us can't afford a dedicated wheeler so we need the balance.

 

[ThirtyOne]

When I bought my 16' JK 2 years ago I felt the same way. I liked the look and feel of the 2 door and planned to drive it until the wheels fell off. Everyone has their reason for why they buy whatever. I'm going to sell my JK and order a JLU because my wife just had our first child 2 months ago and a JK just isn't practical as a primary family vehicle. Aside from being a pain to put a car seat in the back, the trunk space is a joke. My wife isn't currently working and her car isn't reliable enough to drive long term. Ideally I will own one of each one day.

Congratulations on your first child!

 

[Indio]

To me the JLU has always seemed huge - it's a few inches longer than my FJ Cruiser, which feels like a boat on trails compared to a two door Wrangler - and so, aside from the extra cargo room or rear doors, why a JLU?

The soft top becomes unwieldy, the hard top nearly impossible to remove and the length increases the turning radius quite a bit, all things which kind of mitigate many of the things I tend to think of as "Jeepyness."

This isn't a criticism of JLU owners per se, but rather besides needing the space, I don't get why it's so popular other than as a substitute for some other kid hauler or when you need to take a family regularly and don't want to deal with flipping up the seats to get kids in the back.

I'm seriously curious to know and don't mean to be snarky in any way, nor do I mean to come across in any sort of "Real Jeeps have Two Doors" kind of way.

Agree with you about the style and fun of the short wheelbase models. We had more fun than a human should be allowed to have in my 1970 CJ-5, which had a very short wheelbase. Sometimes would pile four adults in that rig and go camping up in the Rockies. (Yes rear passengers had to hold a few things and I got good at tying things to the roll bar.) And surprisingly it was a nice city vehicle, due to height, short length and maneuverability. It could wedge into nearly any parking spot. The shorter wheelbase is a different feel compared to long wheelbase vehicles. I always felt in-tune and connected to that little CJ5. Now I am starting to pine for that rig.

That said - my primary interest in possibly getting a JLU is because the model does afford more room and easier access. My kids are now teens taking up more room, it would be a mutli-use vehicle also hauling kids and their friends around. And sadly living now back in the Chicago area, we need to travel farther for decent offroad exploration away from people, so that means longer car rides with additional gear. (A few times I drove my old CJ-5 from Illinois to Colorado and back, but can't say that was the most comfortable thing I ever did, lol.) I think JLU might be a good fit in terms of extra room, and it is not quite as long as it appears.

 

[RussJeep1]

The subject of this thread mentions the JL versus JLU, although I can't help but glean from context that this question is more about "why go with a 4 door Wrangler over a 2 door," JK or JL--the people moving issues you suggest we put aside notwithstanding.

The thing of it is though that 2 of the issues you raised (no pun intended) as reasons to not get the 4 door are things that the new JL series has addressed well: the ability to raise and lower the [manual] soft top much easier, and a 20% reduction in the weight of the Freedom hard top. So I think that some of the downsides over a 4 door JK Unlimited you raise are addressed in the new 4 door JL Unlimited--and that doesn't even include mention of the power soft top--which others can confirm for me is only a 4 door option.

Sure--I'll bet the power soft top is going to cost a king's ransom, and the Freedom top will still likely require 4 hands to remove (at least the back portion) accessories to do so notwithstanding.

If you have the $, or lack the need to haul more than yourself and a passenger, sure, get a JL and a people mover in addition. I don't have that money in my budget, so I merge the two and get 4 doors.

 

[1quick1]

I was in the 82nd and I have brain damage from a stroke I had while in Afghanistan. I could not buy a jeep till this JL model because of the android auto,back up cam, brake and lane assist. I was thinking two door for my JL because of the tighter turning radius and maneuverability. I have a real Service Dog and have to haul my 3 wheel Catrike so I was starting to lean to the JLU. what do you guys think?

First thing you do is remove the backseats in the 2 door. My 80lb lab loved having the whole back area for himself and was very cozy.

 

[1quick1]

I'm a 2 door all the way kind of person but what sucks the most is the towing capacity on the 2 door

 

[BillyHW]

I'm a 2 door all the way kind of person but what sucks the most is the towing capacity on the 2 door

So just get the Unlimited and remove the 2 rear doors. Easy-peasy!

 

[word302]

Because I like it. Drops mic.

 

[tilleo]

First thing you do is remove the backseats in the 2 door. My 80lb lab loved having the whole back area for himself and was very cozy.

My Service dog is a 80 lb German Shepard so that works out perfectly.

 

[ThirtyOne]

I was always partial to the 2-door because I am sentimental about my YJ.

I took my family of 4 to the dealership and we all piled into a 2-door. Then we all piled into a 4-door.

I am getting a 4-door.

Why is this even a question? Everyone has different needs.

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