Jeep or not?

Thinking of buying a jeep...or a truck. Looked at a Jeep last weekend. It was super bad ass BUT through the week I have been researching Jeeps and reviews are poor. Not sure I trust the reviews ("professionals" not owners) because why are Jeeps so popular if they are so unreliable? Anyway, would love some feedback. Also went just for fun to build my own Jeep and under Wrangler there is Sport, Sport S, Willys Wheeler, Black Bear, Freedom Edition, Sahara, Willys Wheeler W, Rubicon, 75th Anniversary Edition and Backcountry. All raising in price but what is the REAL differences in all these models. (The salesman obviously did not really know)

 

I never saw the draw of a Wrangler until I rented one. I absolutely love it. It is 4wd, it is a convertible, it is a 4 door to accommodate my family. I have always had pick ups and the only thing I miss is the bed.

 

Also welcome to the group.

 

I will take a stab at this....

Probably not a help but here it is anyway.

Jeep is many things. It is a company, a legacy, a bit of a cult (if you buy it..WAVE DAMNIT!) , and in the case of the Wrangler...the best factory production off-road ready but, street legal in all 50 states, rig on the market. It is not a real refined vehicle. Not even close. Heck, it has drain plugs in the floor so you can drain the water out after you crossed an almost 3 foot deep creek. Do that with a Mini Cooper. HA! It is a convertible...the only 4x4 convertible available in the US. It is one of the most modifiable and customizable vehicles ever made.

What it is not: AGAIN, it is NOT a refined vehicle. If you are looking for one of those super quiet interiors...a wrangler IS NOT IT. It is a convertible and SOUNDS like it is a convertible, especially if you get the soft top. Its seats are not made to be snuggly and comfy on 400 mile interstate tours. They are, however, great for those damn bouncy, bumpy and rocky roads so many of us use them on. It does not have a Lamborghini's sound system or the fit and finish of a BMW. It will not hold the road on high-speed corners like a vette but mine commonly travels trails at 5 mph that would destroy that vette in about 5 minutes. It is part truck, part SUV, part dune buggy and part mud bogger. When car and driver does a review, they are not smart enough to review what it is, they always compare it to some car or some such because the college boys they have doing reviews have no idea what a class 5 trail is.

It is not for everyone. However, for some of us, there is nothing else.

Most of the models you name are just special cosmetic packages with very little real difference. The Rubicon models are more expensive as they have more upgrades designed primarily for off-road use, These include front and rear lockers, a 4:1 transfer case, Rock Rails, an electronic sway bar disconnect system and a heavier duty front axle. If you are not going to get serious about off-roading, the Rubicon is a bit of a waste of the extra money. If you are going to off-road, it has most of the things people would normally add to the others to do so. (I have owned two Rubicons)

Have a great day and welcome to the forum.

 

The Rubi also comes with a dana 44 up front (significantly stronger than theDana 30) and sits a little higher. Hard core off-road enthusiasts Say they can by a wrangler lift it and outfit it with Dana 60s, lockers, gears and an atlas for less than the cost of a Rubi. I don't know how though because I saw a new Rubi on sale for $36000 here in Houston. The jk truck will be here next year if you can wait.

 

I believe you are incorrect about the jk pickup. It won't be a jk, it will be JL. I'm also pretty sure the release date for that isn't until 2020.
The plan that I read was stages
Stage 1 aluminum body
Stage 2 half hybrid wrangler
Stage 3 full hybrid wrangler
Stage 4 pickup
This being spread out over 4-5 years.

Also I could be wrong I don't work for Chrysler, just what I had read.

 

I only heard soon. Assumed it would be next year with the new body style. That's no fun. I have a 103??? on my 2010 chevy. Maybe it will make it that far.

 

Chrysler is still claiming the truck will be a 2018 model. That means it will likely be available in the last quarter of 2017. While it can always change, they are in the end phases of testing (road tests) on this rig and that means, unless there is some big unforeseen shakeup, it is on the way...soon. I will stick to the JKU (or whatever it's next family model is designated) for my purposes but I know a lot of people who think they are all excited about the truck.

 

According to Car and Driver Magazine and others it should come out late 2017 as a 2018 model.

http://www.caranddriver.com/jeep/wrangler-pickup

 

I personally will be all over the pick up. you could rig an expiditions vehicle that also has solid axles...super excited.

Edit: apologies. I was misinformed.

 

Hell, keeping up with all the rumors for years about the truck would be a full-time job. Can't blame anyone for not being sure...jeep is a bit tight with information. Certainly, no apologies needed. lol I can't prove I am right until it actually hits a showroom floor. lol

And yes, I agree the truck will likely be a good platform for such mods as an expedition rig. I bet the aftermarket industry is just going nuts with excitement. It should be interesting.

It should be crazy for a bit....

 

I sure hope the bed is big enough to be useful. I really dislike that commercial of the ridgline with the 4 foot bed containing a bed full of cut to fit 2x4s so they can close the tailgate. If a truck can't carry a stack of 2x4x10ft than I'm not sure I want it. It would have to be a 6ft bed for me. Fingers crossed.

 

I would think a 6ft will be possible with a 2 door model. The 4 door will certainly not have one that long.

My .02