Posted: 8/29/2026 8:05:03 PM EDT
| Mechanics and owners. Would this be a decent used car buy? I understand there are several TSB's, but if they have been taken care of, would this be a good purchase? I am fully aware Jeeps are not built to the level of, say, Toyota but that is also why they are affordable. I'm just looking for opinions. Thanks all. |
|
Without knowing the price, year, and miles I can’t say if it’s a good used buy. 2 door or 4 door? What do you plan to use it for? Wranglers are great for certain uses…..not so great for other uses. Wife and I love our JKU but it’s also not a daily driver. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Member
Joined:
Dec 2023
Posts:
1188
EE: 100% (8)
AZ, USA
|
I have had 4 Jeeps. And one is a 2012 JKUR. The Rubicon is solid in stock form. I take mine in the desert quite a bit. Attached File Get a 2014 and up, to bypass the 3.6 Pentastar engine troubles |
|
Are you going to actually go 4 wheeling on more then 2 tracks occasionally? If not, no, they are a poor choice for a road vehicle daily driver. |
Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
|
Originally Posted By fxntime: Are you going to actually go 4 wheeling on more then 2 tracks occasionally? If not, no, they are a poor choice for a road vehicle daily driver. Yeah, fiqured it would be. No, this will not be a dedicated off roader. Just daly. Thought it may be a fun vehicle. I don't need luxury. I used to have an 89' Toyota pickup. Loved that truck. The only vehicle I regret getting rid of. The one I am looking at has 72k on the clock and is a 2018 Rubicon. Selling price is $24,850. There are more than several in this price. |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Yeah, fiqured it would be. No, this will not be a dedicated off roader. Just daly. Thought it may be a fun vehicle. I don't need luxury. I used to have an 89' Toyota pickup. Loved that truck. The only vehicle I regret getting rid of. The one I am looking at has 72k on the clock and is a 2018 Rubicon. Selling price is $24,850. There are more than several in this price. Buy what you like. You don’t need our permission! But, as a daily driver…..the Jeep isn’t the best. And I say that as someone who will be taking my Jeep JKU on two multi thousand mile trips out west next year. But, we will be off roading some too. If you just really want a Jeep as a daily driver, I wouldn’t spend the money for a Rubicon. Rubicon Jeeps are geared toward rock crawling/off roading. They always command a premium price due to the extra off roading capabilities (and the bragging rights of owning a Rubicon…..). If you aren’t going to off road, don’t pay the extra for capabilities you won’t use. If I wanted a Wrangler for daily driving, I’d probably look at a Sport or Sahara. And , if you want to do some off roading, any Wrangler will still do well off road. Also, I’d buy a 2018 JK but prefer to avoid a 2018 JL. That’s the first year of the JL. One more thought…..are you looking at 2 dr or 4 dr Wranglers? I’ve owned both and 4 door are MUCH more comfortable especially if you are using it as a daily driver. The short wheel base of the 2 dr are great for off roading but less comfortable for daily driving. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Originally Posted By ColtRifle: Buy what you like. You don’t need our permission! But, as a daily driver…..the Jeep isn’t the best. And I say that as someone who will be taking my Jeep JKU on two multi thousand mile trips out west next year. But, we will be off roading some too. If you just really want a Jeep as a daily driver, I wouldn’t spend the money for a Rubicon. Rubicon Jeeps are geared toward rock crawling/off roading. They always command a premium price due to the extra off roading capabilities (and the bragging rights of owning a Rubicon…..). If you aren’t going to off road, don’t pay the extra for capabilities you won’t use. If I wanted a Wrangler for daily driving, I’d probably look at a Sport or Sahara. And , if you want to do some off roading, any Wrangler will still do well off road. Also, I’d buy a 2018 JK but prefer to avoid a 2018 JL. That’s the first year of the JL. One more thought…..are you looking at 2 dr or 4 dr Wranglers? I’ve owned both and 4 door are MUCH more comfortable especially if you are using it as a daily driver. The short wheel base of the 2 dr are great for off roading but less comfortable for daily driving. Thank you Colt. I am looking at 4 door. I am looking at Wranglers in general but saw the Rubicon and thought it was cool. The Sahara and Unlimited would also work. Many people are saying stay away from the 2018 so the 19 would be the play if I was to get one. I am aware that the Jeep is not going to give me a modern SUV ride or experience. I'm ok with that. Also, if I had a Jeep I'd be more likely to get out to the trails and camp, which is something I want to do. |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thank you Colt. I am looking at 4 door. I am looking at Wranglers in general but saw the Rubicon and thought it was cool. The Sahara and Unlimited would also work. Many people are saying stay away from the 2018 so the 19 would be the play if I was to get one. I am aware that the Jeep is not going to give me a modern SUV ride or experience. I'm ok with that. Also, if I had a Jeep I'd be more likely to get out to the trails and camp, which is something I want to do. Any reason you aren’t considering a JK? You can usually find some low mileage ones if you look around. I’d stick to the 2015-2018 JKs if you might consider one. Nothing wrong with having a Rubicon but if you want to save some money, go with the Sport or the Sahara. Sahara will be nicer than the Sport. I camp out of mine occasionally. I really enjoy it. My wife loves day trips but not a fan of camping out of it. I recently bought a cot tent and it’s amazing for camping. I used to backpack a lot but old injuries and age are starting to limit my backpacking. With the Jeep, I can bring good food in my 12v refrigerator, cook on my Jetboil Genesis stove, sit in a comfortable chair, and now sleep on a cot with nice comfortable padding. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Originally Posted By ColtRifle: Any reason you aren’t considering a JK? You can usually find some low mileage ones if you look around. I’d stick to the 2015-2018 JKs if you might consider one. Nothing wrong with having a Rubicon but if you want to save some money, go with the Sport or the Sahara. Sahara will be nicer than the Sport. I camp out of mine occasionally. I really enjoy it. My wife loves day trips but not a fan of camping out of it. I recently bought a cot tent and it’s amazing for camping. I used to backpack a lot but old injuries and age are starting to limit my backpacking. With the Jeep, I can bring good food in my 12v refrigerator, cook on my Jetboil Genesis stove, sit in a comfortable chair, and now sleep on a cot with nice comfortable padding. No real preference for either. The JL is a bit more modern but a JK will be better priced. Looking for the right price to mileage ratio. I'm in no big hurry at the moment. Thank you for your input. |
| It sounds like it will work for you. Absolutely nothing wrong with a JL for a daily if that’s what you want. The only vehicle I own is a Mojave Gladiator and I constantly see people on here bash them with no basis. Mine has worked well for me. Buy what YOU want and enjoy it. |
|
Originally Posted By LoudLyle: It sounds like it will work for you. Absolutely nothing wrong with a JL for a daily if that’s what you want. The only vehicle I own is a Mojave Gladiator and I constantly see people on here bash them with no basis. Mine has worked well for me. Buy what YOU want and enjoy it. I’m thinking of a Gladiator for a retirement vehicle. Use it to tow a small camper (4000 max loaded) out west and go off roading once the camper is parked. I do like the Gladiators. I didn’t at first but they grew on me. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Originally Posted By LoudLyle: It sounds like it will work for you. Absolutely nothing wrong with a JL for a daily if that’s what you want. The only vehicle I own is a Mojave Gladiator and I constantly see people on here bash them with no basis. Mine has worked well for me. Buy what YOU want and enjoy it. Thank you Lyle. I still need four doors but I don't want the usual SUV or sedan. I've been driving SUVs for 20 years. I want something different. I liked all the SUVs I had and they served their purpose well. I no longer need the capability a "family" SUV offers. I do still need the cargo room of fold down seats. Just don't need a lot. Which Is good because the JLU isn't known for being cavernous. From what I've read. |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thank you Lyle. I still need four doors but I don't want the usual SUV or sedan. I've been driving SUVs for 20 years. I want something different. I liked all the SUVs I had and they served their purpose well. I no longer need the capability a "family" SUV offers. I do still need the cargo room of fold down seats. Just don't need a lot. Which Is good because the JLU isn't known for being cavernous. From what I've read. I went from a 2 door TJ to a 4 door JKU. The JKU seems incredibly roomy. We took the TJ on two lengthy trips out west and still enjoyed it immensely. It was more tiring to drive though. I limited myself to 500 miles per day. I did more once…..but never did it again. The JKU will be easier to drive more miles. I’ll still probably limit myself to 600 miles per day though. Soft tops are more tiring to drive. Personally, I hate soft tops and will never own another one. But, some people do love them. Just a thought on Jeeps….can you work on it yourself? If not, budget more for maintenance than you would for past vehicles you have owned. The 3.6 has the infamous oil cooler that will eventually leak. It’s actually an easy repair but it looks intimidating so lots of places overcharge to replace it. You also want to replace the PCV valve more regularly than other vehicles. It has two T25 Torx screws holding it on and it’s a bear to get to. But, once you get it off, install the new one with bolts and it will be much easier to remove in the future. You should expect the radiator to fail at around 100k miles. It may last longer. But good chance it won’t. Luckily, they don’t usually fail catastrophically. So, you usually get a warning that it’s failing when you smell coolant. When you start looking at Jeeps, buy a mechanics stethoscope. They are cheap at Harbor Freight. Touch it to various areas on the valve covers. Listen for ticking sounds. 3.6 engines had rocker and lifter issues and if it goes on long enough, it will destroy the camshaft(s). Luckily, with some specialty tools it can be repaired without removal of the heads. But it’s not a cheap repair. Not all 3.6 engines develop the issue but it does happen more than it should. If you hear ticking sounds, either negotiate the price down or walk. 3.6 engines should get regular oil changes especially if they are used off road. I NEVER go more than 5000 miles and usually change around 4000…always with quality full synthetic oil. If it appears the oil changes were neglected, walk from the purchase. A Jeep that was used on paved roads only and driven long enough to warm the oil up, can go longer than 5000 miles on an oil change….but I would not. Don’t use quick lube places for oil changes. Almost all of them will over tighten the oil filter cap and doing so will cause the oil cooler to leak sooner that it normally will. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Originally Posted By ColtRifle: I went from a 2 door TJ to a 4 door JKU. The JKU seems incredibly roomy. We took the TJ on two lengthy trips out west and still enjoyed it immensely. It was more tiring to drive though. I limited myself to 500 miles per day. I did more once…..but never did it again. The JKU will be easier to drive more miles. I’ll still probably limit myself to 600 miles per day though. Soft tops are more tiring to drive. Personally, I hate soft tops and will never own another one. But, some people do love them. Just a thought on Jeeps….can you work on it yourself? If not, budget more for maintenance than you would for past vehicles you have owned. The 3.6 has the infamous oil cooler that will eventually leak. It’s actually an easy repair but it looks intimidating so lots of places overcharge to replace it. You also want to replace the PCV valve more regularly than other vehicles. It has two T25 Torx screws holding it on and it’s a bear to get to. But, once you get it off, install the new one with bolts and it will be much easier to remove in the future. You should expect the radiator to fail at around 100k miles. It may last longer. But good chance it won’t. Luckily, they don’t usually fail catastrophically. So, you usually get a warning that it’s failing when you smell coolant. When you start looking at Jeeps, buy a mechanics stethoscope. They are cheap at Harbor Freight. Touch it to various areas on the valve covers. Listen for ticking sounds. 3.6 engines had rocker and lifter issues and if it goes on long enough, it will destroy the camshaft(s). Luckily, with some specialty tools it can be repaired without removal of the heads. But it’s not a cheap repair. Not all 3.6 engines develop the issue but it does happen more than it should. If you hear ticking sounds, either negotiate the price down or walk. 3.6 engines should get regular oil changes especially if they are used off road. I NEVER go more than 5000 miles and usually change around 4000…always with quality full synthetic oil. If it appears the oil changes were neglected, walk from the purchase. A Jeep that was used on paved roads only and driven long enough to warm the oil up, can go longer than 5000 miles on an oil change….but I would not. Don’t use quick lube places for oil changes. Almost all of them will over tighten the oil filter cap and doing so will cause the oil cooler to leak sooner that it normally will. Thank you Colt, this is what I'm looking for. I am capable of working on my own car. With that said, I think I scared myself out of a Wrangler. If you go looking for problems you'll find em'! Lots of talk of ZF 8 speed issues. Issues that are mostly resolved with a transmission change. And even then, not always. I was speaking to a close friend this morning and he told me his sister's newer (year unknown) JK just had a trans failure, albeit a manual. 10 grand quote to fix. They think that would total it. They do not off road it. Combine that with what I've been reading and a Wrangler seems like a scary buy. 
|
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thank you Colt, this is what I'm looking for. I am capable of working on my own car. With that said, I think I scared myself out of a Wrangler. If you go looking for problems you'll find em'! Lots of talk of ZF 8 speed issues. Issues that are mostly resolved with a transmission change. And even then, not always. I was speaking to a close friend this morning and he told me his sister's newer (year unknown) JK just had a trans failure, albeit a manual. 10 grand quote to fix. They think that would total it. They do not off road it. Combine that with what I've been reading and a Wrangler seems like a scary buy. Wranglers are great. Especially great off road. Most fun vehicle I have. Mine is a JK automatic so it’s a 5 speed. Actually a pretty reliable transmission. I keep the fluid changed and don’t worry about it. From my understanding, the 8 speeds overall have been a good transmission. I wouldn’t worry about the transmission. Any Wrangler issues are well documented and there is plenty of info online on how to fix things. I love mine but you just need to understand what you are buying and the issues to look out for. All vehicles will break eventually. Part of the issue with Wranglers is people modifying them cheaply. Now a suspension that would last fine, is suddenly way out of spec. Just learn what to look for and you should avoid most surprises. Plan for more frequent repairs and keep an eye on things and you’ll be fine. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Originally Posted By ColtRifle: Wranglers are great. Especially great off road. Most fun vehicle I have. Mine is a JK automatic so it’s a 5 speed. Actually a pretty reliable transmission. I keep the fluid changed and don’t worry about it. From my understanding, the 8 speeds overall have been a good transmission. I wouldn’t worry about the transmission. Any Wrangler issues are well documented and there is plenty of info online on how to fix things. I love mine but you just need to understand what you are buying and the issues to look out for. All vehicles will break eventually. Part of the issue with Wranglers is people modifying them cheaply. Now a suspension that would last fine, is suddenly way out of spec. Just learn what to look for and you should avoid most surprises. Plan for more frequent repairs and keep an eye on things and you’ll be fine. Thanks again Colt. I feel as though I have a good understanding of what to look for. I need to stop looking for problems. As far as the 18 and up trans issues, most of what I read about them were issues early in ownership. As in the first few thousand miles. I figure if I test drive and everything is good I'll most likely not have any issues. I am seeing 16 and 17 on Carvana at good prices and mileage. I would like to get one within the next few days but I feel I'm stuck in analysis paralysis. There is a 22' at a dealer near me that looks nice. I need to see it and drive it. |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thanks again Colt. I feel as though I have a good understanding of what to look for. I need to stop looking for problems. As far as the 18 and up trans issues, most of what I read about them were issues early in ownership. As in the first few thousand miles. I figure if I test drive and everything is good I'll most likely not have any issues. I am seeing 16 and 17 on Carvana at good prices and mileage. I would like to get one within the next few days but I feel I'm stuck in analysis paralysis. There is a 22' at a dealer near me that looks nice. I need to see it and drive it. Main thing to check is the valve covers with a stethoscope for signs of valve train issues. If no abnormal rattling, it should be fine. Everything else is a pretty easy repair if you are handy. Replacing the camshafts is a big job. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
I have a 26 rubicon 4 door. Bought it new in March. It's a 6 speed manual v6. I DD 30 miles a day for work and it's fine. I don't drive on the interstate highways much at all so can't comment on the long term drive comfort. DD at first was weird but I'm 100% used to the ride it gives which isn't much different than a small truck imo. The wind blowing the vehicle on the road is also something to get used to but after a few times it's everyday stuff. Same with the wind noises inside, hard top is hardly noticeable and I recently installed a soft top and I don't even notice the wind noise inside on that anymore. If you previously drove nicer cars or SUVs you may think it's a rough ride and noisy. The steering is nice and smooth. I have the stock 33s BFGs on mine. Some people dont like the size of the cabin, it's fine for me. I like the closeness of the dash controls better than a regular vehicle. Cons. Fuel economy is like 17-18 mpg. I knew that though. I think the little 4 cylinder auto does much better. Mine like I did is a stick shift and only comes in a v6. Every bug hits the windshield since it's nearly vertical, it's insane. Stock stereo isn't very loud, should have gotten the Alpine one. V6 needs about 30 more hp imo. I wish mime had the 4:56 gears instead of the 410s Engine had an annoying miss at low rpm cruising I am prettty sure it's the vvt adjusting or something in the tune. People have aftermarket tunes that are supposed to get rid of that and maybe even add a couple HP. It doesn't worry me much though. Not sure if an automatic v6 does the same. |
|
Originally Posted By Jerret_S: I have a 26 rubicon 4 door. Bought it new in March. It's a 6 speed manual v6. I DD 30 miles a day for work and it's fine. I don't drive on the interstate highways much at all so can't comment on the long term drive comfort. DD at first was weird but I'm 100% used to the ride it gives which isn't much different than a small truck imo. The wind blowing the vehicle on the road is also something to get used to but after a few times it's everyday stuff. Same with the wind noises inside, hard top is hardly noticeable and I recently installed a soft top and I don't even notice the wind noise inside on that anymore. If you previously drove nicer cars or SUVs you may think it's a rough ride and noisy. The steering is nice and smooth. I have the stock 33s BFGs on mine. Some people dont like the size of the cabin, it's fine for me. I like the closeness of the dash controls better than a regular vehicle. Cons. Fuel economy is like 17-18 mpg. I knew that though. I think the little 4 cylinder auto does much better. Mine like I did is a stick shift and only comes in a v6. Every bug hits the windshield since it's nearly vertical, it's insane. Stock stereo isn't very loud, should have gotten the Alpine one. V6 needs about 30 more hp imo. I wish mime had the 4:56 gears instead of the 410s Engine had an annoying miss at low rpm cruising I am prettty sure it's the vvt adjusting or something in the tune. People have aftermarket tunes that are supposed to get rid of that and maybe even add a couple HP. It doesn't worry me much though. Not sure if an automatic v6 does the same. Thanks Jerret. I have been driving IFS SUVs for a while now. I did own an 89' Toyota pickup for a while. 5 speed manual, 4 banger, solid axles. Really miss that truck. I have a good idea of how the ride in the Wrangler will be. My only concern with the cabin is leg room. I'm 6'4" so I'm hoping it's not too bad. I saw a video of a guy 6'6" and his legs were not in the dash and it looked like he had room. His head was also not hitting the roof, albeit a soft top |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thanks Jerret. I have been driving IFS SUVs for a while now. I did own an 89' Toyota pickup for a while. 5 speed manual, 4 banger, solid axles. Really miss that truck. I have a good idea of how the ride in the Wrangler will be. My only concern with the cabin is leg room. I'm 6'4" so I'm hoping it's not too bad. I saw a video of a guy 6'6" and his legs were not in the dash and it looked like he had room. His head was also not hitting the roof, albeit a soft top I'm 6'4" with a 34" inseam and leg room is okay for me - could use just a touch more. Adding a dead pedal helped on longer drives. Something I did for headroom (head would touch the sound bar on rough terrain) and overall comfort is add the Desert Does It Seat Slammers. That was a massive improvement, albeit scary cutting into a brand new seat base to install it. My 5'4" wife can still drive it no problem and doesn't even have to touch the height adjuster. Seat Slammers |
|
Thank you all for the help. I bought a 22' JLU. First impressions are this thing has far more room than I was thinking. I am 6'4" and my left leg is stretched all the way out to the firewall. My head has plenty of room to move around and not hit the sound bar. I heard many stories of this happenning. It drives much better than I was thinking as well. Yes, it is "bouncy", but not sharp like you would expect. I think it drives pretty damn good. Lots of power compared to my outgoing pilot. @ColtRifle Thank you again. I get the feeling you were nudging me towards a JKU, but in true Arfcom fashion I completely ignored that . I did buy a stethoscope and heard no abnormal noise in the valve covers. The trans shifted so smooth I barely felt it. The Jeep looks like it has been garage kept and the interior looks almost new. Very happy, for now
|
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thank you all for the help. I bought a 22' JLU. First impressions are this thing has far more room than I was thinking. I am 6'4" and my left leg is stretched all the way out to the firewall. My head has plenty of room to move around and not hit the sound bar. I heard many stories of this happenning. It drives much better than I was thinking as well. Yes, it is "bouncy", but not sharp like you would expect. I think it drives pretty damn good. Lots of power compared to my outgoing pilot. @ColtRifle Thank you again. I get the feeling you were nudging me towards a JKU, but in true Arfcom fashion I completely ignored that . I did buy a stethoscope and heard no abnormal noise in the valve covers. The trans shifted so smooth I barely felt it. The Jeep looks like it has been garage kept and the interior looks almost new. Very happy, for now lol! Not at all! I have a JKU and love it. But my thoughts were that you can dip your toe in the Jeep world a little cheaper and decide if you like it or not. Some people despise the Wrangler. I like the JLs. Really the only thing I am undecided on is the axle disconnect for the front. If you off road (water crossings) the connector can corrode. And, it’s one more thing to fail. But, I think I’ll have a Gladiator in a few years so I’ll have it eventually anyway. Just keep an eye on it. Unplug it once in awhile and put some dielectric grease in it to keep out water. I wouldn’t buy the diesel at all. I’m unsure of the 2.0turbo. I like turbo engines but I don’t trust Stelantis turbos….but I’ve heard some 2.0 engines are going high miles….so maybe it’ll be a good engine. I also would not touch a 4xe. How many miles on it? Just keep an eye on the things I mentioned and you’ll be fine. If you lift it, do it right…..meaning adjustable lower control arms and adjustable track bar for the front and either a track bar relocation mount for the rear or an adjustable track bar for the rear. If you go to THIS site you can input your VIN and find out what it was equipped with from the factory. It’s particularly useful to know if you have a limited slip differential (you’ll know if you have lockers) and what the axle gear ratio is. Just be aware the VIN letters have to be capitalized. I’d bypass the start/stop battery ASAP and buy the adapter to disable the start stop. Personally, I suspect the stupid start/stop contributes to the rockers/lifter/cam issues (although I don’t have scientific proof of it). It’s cheap and easy to eliminate (and I would eliminate it on any vehicle I own….I hate start/stop). If you need some links, let me know but a quick google/youtube search will show you everything you need. Now, get it out and get it dirty!! I don’t do the whole duck thing but it doesn’t bother me. If you like it, whatever. I’ll make fun of you but do what makes you happy…..you don’t need to please the grumpy Jeep people. But now that you have a Jeep, we need to make fun of you…..  The Average Jeep Owner 👀😂 This Is So Accurate 😂😂 #jeep #funny #funnyshorts  Jeep owners be like… 🦆 😆 #jeeplife #jeepwrangler #jeepgirl #jeep |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
| I put a start/stop eliminator in my new jeep after 2 weeks of it bugging the hell out of me. Mine is a manual and they still installed that crap on it. I bought the unit that goes under the hvac button bezel panel. It was kind of scary popping that thing off a brand new vehicle felt like it was going to break for sure. I just popped it off just enough to get the job done. |
|
The start/stop is new to me and I already don't like it. I'll look into that. This will be staying stock. No lift. No huge tires. I like it the way it is. If someone puts a duck on it I won't freak out. More that likely won't display it. Unless my daughter sees it. Then she'll want to. I was so hyper aware of every little noise coming from my Pilot that I'm doing the same with this. I need to re learn to just relax and enjoy it. |
| I have been turning it off with the button on the dash. When I had the pilot a legalese screen would turn on every time. I had to select OK with the button on the dash to go to the main screen. Every day. For 13 years. I'm thinking I can just do the same with the ESS. The buttons are close to each other. Pointer starts, pinky shuts of auto stop. That's my thinking anyway. It's not really an inconvenience. First world problems right?! |
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: It drives much better than I was thinking as well. Yes, it is "bouncy", but not sharp like you would expect. I think it drives pretty damn good. Factory shocks are really underdamped on everything except the Mojave. My only experience with non-factory shocks is with lifted Jeeps, so YMMV, but I liked the Fox 2.0s for a budget friendly option that keeps the bounce and head bobbing to a minimum. |
|
Originally Posted By Jerret_S: I have a 26 rubicon 4 door. Bought it new in March. It's a 6 speed manual v6. I DD 30 miles a day for work and it's fine. I don't drive on the interstate highways much at all so can't comment on the long term drive comfort. DD at first was weird but I'm 100% used to the ride it gives which isn't much different than a small truck imo. The wind blowing the vehicle on the road is also something to get used to but after a few times it's everyday stuff. Same with the wind noises inside, hard top is hardly noticeable and I recently installed a soft top and I don't even notice the wind noise inside on that anymore. If you previously drove nicer cars or SUVs you may think it's a rough ride and noisy. The steering is nice and smooth. I have the stock 33s BFGs on mine. Some people dont like the size of the cabin, it's fine for me. I like the closeness of the dash controls better than a regular vehicle. Cons. Fuel economy is like 17-18 mpg. I knew that though. I think the little 4 cylinder auto does much better. Mine like I did is a stick shift and only comes in a v6. Every bug hits the windshield since it's nearly vertical, it's insane. Stock stereo isn't very loud, should have gotten the Alpine one. V6 needs about 30 more hp imo. I wish mime had the 4:56 gears instead of the 410s Engine had an annoying miss at low rpm cruising I am prettty sure it's the vvt adjusting or something in the tune. People have aftermarket tunes that are supposed to get rid of that and maybe even add a couple HP. It doesn't worry me much though. Not sure if an automatic v6 does the same. Are you hand calculating your MPG or going off the dash? Mine was roughly 1.5 MPG more generous than what I was actually getting. |
World's okayist yeller
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thanks Jerret. I have been driving IFS SUVs for a while now. I did own an 89' Toyota pickup for a while. 5 speed manual, 4 banger, solid axles. Really miss that truck. I have a good idea of how the ride in the Wrangler will be. My only concern with the cabin is leg room. I'm 6'4" so I'm hoping it's not too bad. I saw a video of a guy 6'6" and his legs were not in the dash and it looked like he had room. His head was also not hitting the roof, albeit a soft top They make a bracket I believe called seat slammers? It lowers the seat some. I had a 3.6 Gladiator and traded it in for 2.0 four door Rubicon. I really didn’t need the bed and was wanting to eventually do more Jeep stuff. Due to work, deployments, injuries/recovery and also retiring from the Army and not being sure what the future had in store for me I didn’t get the chance to really do Jeep things. I traded that one in back in April. Having to drive just under 100 miles round trip for work, even more if I had to go to downtown Austin and the Texas speed limits aren’t Jeep friendly. It’s going to drive like a solid axle. The ride really didn’t bother me too much though. They’re fun vehicles and for the most part easy to work on. I’m curious what they’re saying about the ZF issues? Those transmissions pretty much have nothing but praise in every application they’re in. My uninformed guess is it is manual guys just stirring up shit. Now there have been some issues with the clutches in the past. That is well documented and there has been at least one recall on them. |
World's okayist yeller
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: The start/stop is new to me and I already don't like it. I'll look into that. This will be staying stock. No lift. No huge tires. I like it the way it is. If someone puts a duck on it I won't freak out. More that likely won't display it. Unless my daughter sees it. Then she'll want to. I was so hyper aware of every little noise coming from my Pilot that I'm doing the same with this. I need to re learn to just relax and enjoy it. If you get a JL or JT get a tazer mini. It will take care of the start stop bs along with a bunch of other cool things. If you get bigger tires you can use it to recalibrate the speedo, if you go from halogen to LED you’ll need it to program and etc. |
World's okayist yeller
|
Originally Posted By camarofrk: Thank you all for the help. I bought a 22' JLU. First impressions are this thing has far more room than I was thinking. I am 6'4" and my left leg is stretched all the way out to the firewall. My head has plenty of room to move around and not hit the sound bar. I heard many stories of this happenning. It drives much better than I was thinking as well. Yes, it is "bouncy", but not sharp like you would expect. I think it drives pretty damn good. Lots of power compared to my outgoing pilot. @ColtRifle Thank you again. I get the feeling you were nudging me towards a JKU, but in true Arfcom fashion I completely ignored that . I did buy a stethoscope and heard no abnormal noise in the valve covers. The trans shifted so smooth I barely felt it. The Jeep looks like it has been garage kept and the interior looks almost new. Very happy, for now Congrats! Where are the pictures??? 
|
Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.
|
Another data point, we have a '20 JLUR with about 70k on it now. Bought new, been very happy with it. Upgraded from a '16 JKU Sport optioned w/3.73's and auto. Both w/3.6 V6 Ride improvement between the JK and JL was noticeable. 8 speed in the JL makes highway driving nicer (plus the ride improvement). Drove the JLUR all over in '21 from TX to North Dakota in two weeks loaded up for camping. It's a jeep, it's generally going to drive like one but is still very tolerable as long as you have proper expectations. Only thing that really stuck out is crosswinds, but it's a box, so that's expected. I think we averaged about 16-17 mpg the whole 5-6k miles with a few hundred dirt road in there and some mountain fire-roads up in the black hills and two-track in ND around Roosevelt. |
Wake up, wake up and smell the ashes.
|
Originally Posted By Agilt: Another data point, we have a '20 JLUR with about 70k on it now. Bought new, been very happy with it. Upgraded from a '16 JKU Sport optioned w/3.73's and auto. Both w/3.6 V6 Ride improvement between the JK and JL was noticeable. 8 speed in the JL makes highway driving nicer (plus the ride improvement). Drove the JLUR all over in '21 from TX to North Dakota in two weeks loaded up for camping. It's a jeep, it's generally going to drive like one but is still very tolerable as long as you have proper expectations. Only thing that really stuck out is crosswinds, but it's a box, so that's expected. I think we averaged about 16-17 mpg the whole 5-6k miles with a few hundred dirt road in there and some mountain fire-roads up in the black hills and two-track in ND around Roosevelt. I ordered my Wrangler from Granger in Iowa and traded in my Gladiator for it. Driving from central Texas there and back was windy. It took almost two weeks for my body to stop feeling like it was in a constant crosswind. |
World's okayist yeller
|
How are the used JL prices? Regarding the OP's original question, I was shopping for a 4-door Rubicon in late 2017 (this was still the JK) and I found the used prices to not be much lower than new, even with lots of miles. Eventually, I said F that and started shopping new. I had a number in mind that I totally pulled out of nowhere. Salesmen told me I would NEVER get one for that price. I just kept shopping. Eventually I found a dealer who needed the sale to make his numbers and came to within a hair's breadth of my number, so I pulled the trigger. There is much to be said for being the one to break in the engine and look after everything right from the start. It has been a pretty great vehicle. Nothing more than routine maintenance and a battery replacement last year in >78k miles. |
Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.