Resell of a Rubicon vs Sport S

[maxpower220]

Looking to get a JT in the coming months. I assume many of you are Jeep Wranglers making the transition. My question is if the Rubicon will have a better resale value in let's say 3-5 yrs over an optioned out Sport S.

I am about $4000 difference in build price on the options I'm looking for. Obviously the Rubicon has items that can't be on a Sport (from the factory) like the hood, wheels, rock rails.

Thanks for any input.

Also, am I the only person who thinks that all of the wheel options are terrible?

Sponsored

 

[RedTRex]

Rubicons dont last long on Craigslist ......or anywhere else on the used market for the that matter.

 

[WXman]

Logic would dictate that the Rubicon would have better resale value. But what I have found in my many travels to dealerships is that the higher trim levels in just about any pick up truck actually are pegged at lower resale value.

Rubicon also has lower residual values so they don't lease quite as well either.

Yes all of the wheel options are horrible except for the solid black ones with the falken tires.

 

[Lou3.6]

Logic would dictate that the Rubicon would have better resale value. But what I have found in my many travels to dealerships is that the higher trim levels in just about any pick up truck actually are pegged at lower resale value.

Rubicon also has lower residual values so they don't lease quite as well either.

Yes all of the wheel options are horrible except for the solid black ones with the falken tires.

Your Honor, I object . . I submit that the last statement by the defense council is pure Opinion and should be struck from the juries ears ! However on second glance I do agree about the Falken's ! . . . . . . has the jury come to a verdict ?
. . . Further more, the poster / MaxPower seems more interested in the "frivolous" aspects of the Rubicon's differences with the Sport S -- Not the HARDWARE that truly makes a Rubicon a Rubicon ! What ? I'm not hearing any Council rebuttal
? Alrighty then . . . shall we "settle" or let the Jury have its say ? I stand adjourned !

 

[Hootbro]

You will waste more money in mods that you will get next to nothing for on trade than worrying about the model difference pricing at trade in time.

Buy what you want and/or can afford now and enjoy it than worrying about some resale value 3-5 years down the road.

 

[Linx]

I just checked the KBB trade in value on my 16 JKU (Sport S) and then changed it to a rubicon... trade in went up roughly 3-4K. I know it’s not a real world number, but it does seem that the rubicon holds it’s price premium value pretty well.

 

[Renegade]

Check the historical Wrangler lease residuals. Over 36 months, a Sport generally retains about 71% of MSRP, a Rubicon 69%, and the Sahara (Overland), about 67%, depending on mileage variables. There are however certain options which work toward lease residuals which have no actual value on the second hand private market (blue tooth speaker for one). When people are evaluating used vehicles, generally the only things they consider important are transmission, AC (which they all have now), leather, and power windows/locks. The rest of the options lose value there.

 

[Phatjoe]

On a post like this, you may end up getting a lot of back and forth responses...so let contribute.

I don't think anyone can really predict the resale value of the sport s vs the rubicon 3-5 years down the road

Someone mentioned the Sport retains a little higher percentage than the Rubicon. But another factor is time. With a Rubicon, the time it takes to sell it may be quicker instead of sitting with something for months. I've been in that situation and the Rubicon sold A LOT faster (again everyone's situation will be different).

The more you load up with options, the less you'll get back on them.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

A good, clean carfax on a 2003 Rubicon TJ, with lower miles and has NOT been bastardized by some guy who builds jeeps from recommendations in WeBJeeps monthly will sell for almost what it sold for new in '03.

Anything you add to a Jeep is worth 1/2 the day you install it, go to sell it and if you get 25% you will be lucky. BUT most add ons will decrease the value of the Jeep itself.

I think(?) the FCA lift kit IF installed by the dealer may not hurt resale and may even help it a little....only time will tell.

When I had my shop I saw a LOT of customers that bought used Jeeps with lots of mods and to discover they had bought a bag of worms that had been band-aided to sell. Biggest problem was Death Wobble and handling issues.

 

[ThirtyOne]

They all have good resale value. I wouldn't make it a factor.

 

[eternus]

I just checked the KBB trade in value on my 16 JKU (Sport S) and then changed it to a rubicon... trade in went up roughly 3-4K. I know it’s not a real world number, but it does seem that the rubicon holds it’s price premium value pretty well.

But... how much more did the Rubicon cost new? I'd guess 3-4k. Yes you get more on resell, but you paid more up front.

Every time I see this topic come up on the Wrangler forums its always pointed out that in fact, the Sport does NOT lose value faster. They all do really well. The bigger point is that your addons do not get factored into a resale... you won't get your money back on that lift, those tires, those bumpers. A Rubicon might have a perceived higher value because a lot of those mods are just factory options.

Now, for a 2020 Gladiator, regardless of the model... you're going to have to hold it a while to see a notably good resale value. FCA/Jeep is being very aggressive in pricing & financing options in a lot of places. If 2 years from now you're trying to sell me a Gladiator thats just a 2-3k less than MSRP brand new... I'll be buying the new one with better warranty, financing and lower miles. I ran into this when buying a Tacoma 6 or 7 years ago... vehicles that retain their value are a bit trickier to sell for a few years after it's released.

 

[Lumberjack500]

I really believe a stock sport s does have a slightly higher residual, but who keeps a sport stock?

 

[barongan]

Loving this thread, I think this is a very interesting discussion

 

[Lumberjack500]

I bought a rubicon 2010 with basic options (auto, hardtop, etc) for 33499. I had it four years got death wobble and traded it in in 2014 for 27500 with worn tires and a cracked windshield. The list price was 36 and change. I didn’t do any mods but it did have 60,000 or so miles I have never had a vehicle hold that value before or since.

 

[Phantom]

I just went through the JL buying process and looked HARD at Rubicon vs sport. There's about a 10k difference, equally equipped, which is about the same as MSRP difference. So the Rubicon is keeping more of the value, but not a WHOLE lot more.

Keep in mind, that's for 1-2 year old jeeps, as they age the disparity might change more.

Sponsored