Questions for Wrangler JK Owners

DblD

Adventurer
I need some input from Jeep Wrangler owners. My 98 Discovery is getting up there in mileage and I don’t feel comfortable relying on it to get me were I want to go and back home. I’m talking trips of 700-800 miles or more. I’ll keep the Discovery and will always have a Land Rover in the stable but the Jeep Wrangler JKs have my attention.

Questions…
Is the current “Employee Plus Pricing” good on both two and four door models?
Is there a rule of thumb as to how much of a savings on the different models?
i.e. Save more on the two door or the four door, save less on Rubicons.
I can’t find anything on the Jeep website to answer these questions.

How are the on-road manors of the new Wranglers?
Unfortunately the majority of my travels will be on paved roads and interstates. I just want/need the 4x4 ability for about .01 percent of my journeys. The dealer won’t allow a long test drive over a weekend to get a real seat of the pants feel.

How can I word this and be politically correct…
Oh Hell…
l’d like to hear from the “Big Guys” that drive Wranglers everyday. I’m about 6’2” and tipping the scales at around 325lbs.
Can I be comfortable driving a Wrangler 300 or 400 miles in a day?

Finally…
This goes hand in hand with my last questions.
Are there seat upgrades for the Wranglers?
I don’t see any trim levels of Wrangler that have lumbar support in the seats.

Thanks for any and all input. The photos of the Easter Safari 4 door Wranglers a few posts down really have me thinking.
See any similarities?

1239897897_roverkayakbuffalo15.jpg

1239898081_wrangeler_overland.jpg


dd
 

TJVach

Observer
Questions…
Is the current “Employee Plus Pricing” good on both two and four door models?
Is there a rule of thumb as to how much of a savings on the different models?
i.e. Save more on the two door or the four door, save less on Rubicons.
I can’t find anything on the Jeep website to answer these questions.

I don't actually have a JK, but I have been pricing them and looking at countless. I myself am also looking into upgrading to a new Wrangler. Well to answer this question for you, it's actually opposite at least near me. Rubicons are getting higher discounts. I think the average Rubicon discount is right around $3000.00. Check out Jeep.com they give you a estimate for Employee Plus Pricing on all there models when you use the Build My Own feature. I have confirmed this with local dealerships as well. Hope that helps.
 

JKDetonator

Adventurer
I've got one...

I'm 6' 2" and running about 280-290#. I have a JK X model with a 6 speed. I travel all over the country in it just fine! I might add that I'm 52 and not near as nimble as I used to be, old football injuries are starting to take their toll. I would suggest that you get an automatic with cruise control, and my seat does have lumbar support. I find the JK very comfortable. I am adding the cruise control to mine next week; its a $250 plug and play part. I'll post some pics when I get my trailer back from the painter.....
 

ExpoMike

Well-known member
Well, I don't own one (wishing I could afford a car payment) but my wife and I rented a 4 door when on Maui and a 2 door when on Kauai. We put about 600-700 miles on each of them during the week we were on each island. We found them both very comfortable but REALLY liked the 4 door. The longer wheelbase made the ride much nicer (not that the 2 door was bad). We currently own a Cherokee and the 4 door reminded us of it but with all the interior dimensions even bigger.

We are both what you would call "plus" sized and the Cherokee can feel a little cramped. The Wrangler really felt roomy to us and with the back seat down, it had more storage then our Cherokee. I even rode in the back to get a feel for it and found it has a lot more room for back seat people then our Cherokee could ever have. You do give up some space behind the rear seats for this added leg room but being a split rear seat, you could have room for larger items and still have a third person back there.

We both found the seats comfy but we did not have the chance for any long distance (about 75 mile at one time max) driving.

I REALLY like the white one above and without the RTT, that would be perfect for me.

Good luck on choosing a new rig.
 

alosix

Expedition Leader
Can't comment on pricing...

Had a JK Rubi 4 door for about a year. (lost it in the divorce, .. I miss the Jeep :) )...

I'm not that big, but they have considerably more room than the older wranglers, probably on par or better than your LR (good friend of mine has one like yours).

On road, even with the MTs on it it handled very well. On par with the LR, if not better.

Also has more room in the back than that model LR.

It really was a nice refined Jeep. Probably why I was seeing soo many 'soccer moms' with them in MD.

Jason
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:wings: Today's a buyers market, if you go after WHAT you want, you can find a deal

The only thing you'll give up, if you get the 2 dr vs 4 dr is

comfort/room/towing ability/sleeping ability

The only thing you would gain with the 2dr, is the ability to make tighter turns

I've had my RUBY for 7 months, lots of freeway (I've added hardtop insulation, so it's quiet and has temp control), towed my camping trailer and as long as you stay out of OD,on hills, it's primo, off-road 4lo will still climb trees, pulling my trailer


It's fully capable of freeway/rock travel, but you must DRIVE it sensibly

Mine was $30285 total, 32" BFG tires/lockers/MOAB wheels/auto/hardtop/towing pkg/Ruby shocks/suspension-etc

Checkitout

:coffee::camping::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO
 

CFisher

New member
DblD,

I purchased my 2009 RedRocks Red (extra cost metallic paint) Rubicon Unlimited in February 2009. The MSRP sticker on the vehicle was in the $37,200 range as I have even option except the side airbags. The employee pricing brought the unit down to the $31,200 range (nice discount) but Chrysler offered an additional $1000 rebate + $1000 (if I used Chrysler finance) so my price was down to $29,200. I was then able to negotiate an additional $850 from the dealer so my purchase price was $28,350+/-. Since I used Chrysler Finance, I got the deal 100% financed (including rolling in the state taxes) at 0% for 48 months. I deal I could not turn down. As for the Jeep, the fit and finish is good, with hardtop it is quiet on the highway (even with the MOAB wheels BFG MT tires). The only complaint I have on the vehicle is that it is underpowered on the highway here in the Rockies (I live in the Denver area) when it is loaded for a trip with the family. I have replaced the stock air filter and intake with a K&N CAI which has helped it breathe better but climbing I-70 above 10,000 ft taxes the engine. My other 4x4 is a Lexus GX470 which does not even notice the hills but has become expensive to repair when it comes up against the boulders on the trail. Last trip cost me $800 to fix the bumper. Fuel economy for combines Hwy/city for the first 2500 miles has been 18.1 -18.5mpg which is not bad considering it has the aerodynamics of a brick. The nice thing about the Jeep is the ready availability of more after market parts and mods at reasonable pricing. I have done more to my Ruby for significantly less then what it cost me to outfit a 2005 Land Rover LR3 which was the first vehicle I used to get my family into the Rockies on the weekends. As for personal comfort, it will be similar to your Disco. The seats are comfortable and you will not lose the headroom that you have become accustom to in the Disco.

Good luck and continue to ask questions.
 

Bigjerm

SE Expedition Society
size is alright. I am 6'5" and at my biggest was 275 and I still did fine on long trips in the JK
 

The Swiss

Expedition Leader
I guess I am tiny compared to some of you folks at 6 foot nil and 185 lbs; no problems at all on long hauls. Rides comfortably on the road. She puts every time a smile on my face when I walk towards her on a parking lot. Love my JK Unlimited. No regrets what so ever.
 

DblD

Adventurer
This is terrific information, thanks to all. Please keep it coming. Visited my local dealership today and was surprised by a couple different things.
1. Lack of shoulder room with the doors shut – hard top with full steel doors.
2. No fan belt – electric fan only. This brings about another question.
How easy/difficult are normal maintenance procedures like oil changes?

dd
 

AZUnlimited

Adventurer
I have a '07 Rubicon Unlimited with 6spd. The JKs by far have the most civilized on-road manners of any wrangler. It easily cruises down the highway at 75mph all day long. I'm 6' 4" 250lbs and I find that it has plenty of room in the drivers seat and comfortable on long rides. I normally do not have the seats pushed back all of the way either. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything!!
Now with all of that being said, I have friend that had a Disco II and now an LR3. The land rovers and JK's are hard to compare(different class of vehicle). The land rovers are VERY comfortable on the inside, have more power under the hood, and more back seat and cargo room. A JK compared to a Disco II or LR3 is very utilitarian. But at the same time just the way I like it.
 

Gear

Explorer, Overland Certified OC0020
How easy/difficult are normal maintenance procedures like oil changes?

Oil Changes are a snap. I have 35" tires so I simple slide a 5 gallon bucket under the Jeep. Pull the plug and drain. The oil filter is right up front and since the engine is so far back from the radiator you just reach down and spin off the oil filter. Takes about 15 minutes to change.

Differentials are just as easy. The Rubicon has a top plug and a bottom one. Just unscrew the plugs drain and refill. I simple squeeze the gear oil in from the store bought container. Synthetic is a little expensive at $17.00 a quart. I believe you need 2 quarts for the rear and about 1 1/2 for the front.

Air filter - I just put in a K&N drop in replacement filter. Before I had an AEM Brute Cold Air intake. Man that thing is loud inside the Jeep. I am now enjoying the quiet ride again with a few less horse power.

All in all it is pretty straight forward. 27,000 miles and I am still enjoying every minute of it!
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
I'm 6'5" and 270 --- wife and I took our 2-door Sahara on a 2-week 7000 mile boondoggle up the Rockies last year; we're still talkin'...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr63wj1-jTw

Like somebody said, get the cruise control. I have an autobox and it has its shortcomings; wish I had gotten a stick. But auto is better on the rocks...

I got employee pricing last year on it because my company is a vendor. That's 1% below invoice plus $75 minus any rebates; you should get that on any model.
If I could get in the wayback machine, I would've gotten an Unlimited X and built the heck out of it. I'd have ordered a D60 and D44 front, locked with 5.13's, 6-speed, running 35's on 16's with a nice set of bumpers..........
But that's not happening unless I hit the lotto now.

Happy shopping big feller.
 

4Rescue

Expedition Leader
Go to AEV and get a J8... I'm still bummed that the LWB 2 DR was dropped in favor of just the 4 dr. instead of all 3 being available. I loved the Scrambler, the LJ took it to the next level and the J8, to me, is just about perfect except for the lack of lockers and for somethings, the lower T-case gears (sometimes the 4.0 LO is too low for mud and stuff like that).

That Overland JK 4door looks SWEET, I love that they're trying, but I've heard horror stories of the work quality coming out of Chrysler while their financial future was uncertain. I'm sure alot of it is internet rumor, but even half of what I heard is bad enough...

Cheers

Dave
 

burke

Observer
If i were you I would look at some of the used models out there. I have seen some really good deals. We bought an 07 rubicon 2 door (6speed) with 2600 miles. We've got about 19000 miles on it so far and have no complaints.

Mastercraft makes some seriously sturdy seats that will work in the jk. Depending on the wheeling you do you might seriously consider upgrading. I am 6ft 165 and I felt the seat give a little on some rather steep obstacles in moab. I thought i may have broken the seat but everything seems fine now.
 

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