Sport vs Rubicon if No Rock Crawling

[ShadowsPapa]

Well shoot, now I'm curious what the larger screen is like. I find it frustrating that many features indicated in the manual (like settings) are not available in the 7.0 screen.



That was my thought process. Buy the car you need, not the car you can afford. I wasn't, and still don't plan on lifting the Jeep or putting on 35s, or going anywhere it can't handle with only moderate effort.




Maybe a little more sport and a little less rubicon, we gotta have room for overlands like you!

In hindsight I should have driven more than 3 miles on the JT before buying. It felt right. I loved it from the first time I sat in it. Seems fine so far, no steering issues after 1500 miles (that I can tell)


that puppy along like a tank. I really like that 4:1 transfer case and inching along in 1st gear with no tire slippage is very calming. In the manual, 3rd gear low lock for the hills were you want to go up fairly fast, 2nd gear low lock for the tough ones. The manual in second gear low lock just tractors up those hills, no slip. The suspension was also very comfortable, not jarring at all, floats well over the whoops and other obstacles. Stock Rubicon is still very impressive off road...

Both a near-stock Rubicon and a Sport S with a few packages get to be about $47000 MSRP. The only thing the Rubicon had that I wanted was the steel bumper. It wasn't an option for any of the Sport models in my area. And all of the Rubicons in my area were/are $15k more than my Sport with packages. I'm happy with my decision.[/QUOTE]

I have a whopping 280 miles on mine and LOVE how it handles and RIDES. Man, it rides GREAT! Even my wife commented when we were on a really messed up rough highway near us (two trains have tipped over on it, even the patched patches are patched)

Steel bumper? You can buy an after-market one if you wish. Winch? Do what I'm doing - put a front receiver on it and that way IF I want a winch, I can do it - but I don't get into spots I'd need one to pull myself out in most cases - or pull others out, either. I'm doing it so I can more easily park my car hauler in a really tight situation by my shop.

I MAY go different tires as I guy has some take-offs for sale - a bit more aggressive and here I do get concerned about snow and ice and am not sure how the stock Overland tires will handle things. If I do I won't go anything really taller, just a bit more meat and aggressive tread. Still thinking and will ask on that when ready.
My wife is already seeing this as a money pit when I showed her what steps could cost (she struggles getting in and out with her arm handicap and she's only about 5'5" or 5'6" with sore knees so that doesn't help.
If I didn't have my 04 WJ and my other cars - I could see this as a daily driver for sure. I love driving it that much.

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[PyrPatriot]

Both a near-stock Rubicon and a Sport S with a few packages get to be about $47000 MSRP. The only thing the Rubicon had that I wanted was the steel bumper. It wasn't an option for any of the Sport models in my area. And all of the Rubicons in my area were/are $15k more than my Sport with packages. I'm happy with my decision.

I have a whopping 280 miles on mine and LOVE how it handles and RIDES. Man, it rides GREAT! Even my wife commented when we were on a really messed up rough highway near us (two trains have tipped over on it, even the patched patches are patched)

Steel bumper? You can buy an after-market one if you wish. Winch? Do what I'm doing - put a front receiver on it and that way IF I want a winch, I can do it - but I don't get into spots I'd need one to pull myself out in most cases - or pull others out, either. I'm doing it so I can more easily park my car hauler in a really tight situation by my shop.

I MAY go different tires as I guy has some take-offs for sale - a bit more aggressive and here I do get concerned about snow and ice and am not sure how the stock Overland tires will handle things. If I do I won't go anything really taller, just a bit more meat and aggressive tread. Still thinking and will ask on that when ready.
My wife is already seeing this as a money pit when I showed her what steps could cost (she struggles getting in and out with her arm handicap and she's only about 5'5" or 5'6" with sore knees so that doesn't help.
If I didn't have my 04 WJ and my other cars - I could see this as a daily driver for sure. I love driving it that much.[/QUOTE]

The winch is for IF I get stuck. I'm thinking more like icy roads causing me to go off the road or a trail causing me to slip off somewhere. It is just insurance, albeit going to cost about $2000 lol! Or even if you go over a hill at just the right angle you get stuck like this, and maybe there is a stump/tree to pull yourself over.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm considering winch - there are times I used my Chevy to pull stuff just by wrapping chains around the hitch ball or something else tough and handy. I kept a hitch ball mount with a heavy clevis with the truck. I figured the same steel on a tractor could pull a whole lot more so it was good enough for my pickup.
Since most "pulls" are just that, pulls and not lifts, I can't see myself going crazy with something that could lift 5 tons straight up. Most of the time it would be pulling up an incline so the weight of the entire vehicle wouldn't be leaving the ground.
I've pulled 3400 pound cars onto my trailer with a come-along before - dead weight with front wheels that wouldn't turn or spin because the front axles were locked up.
You can double or triple or more the pulling capacity, too - by adding snatch blocks. We could pull amazing things with the wrecker when I worked in the shop that did 24/7 towing by adding snatch blocks.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

What off-road capability does the Rubicon offer that the Sport S with Max Tow does not?


If I will NEVER go rock crawling, if my off-roading is limited to forest service roads and mountain trails (technically driveways but they are more rutted than most trails and off-road parks in my area!) that old Ford Explorers with bald tires can go up/down, is the Sport enough?

If they were the same MSRP/deal, which is the better buy: Sport S with several packages or near bare-bones Rubicon?

Do yourself a favor and build the Sport S you want and then a comparable Rubi using the pricing spreadsheet. I had every intention of going Sport until I realized how minor the price difference was between Sport and Rubi once I added all the mandatory options required to get the options I wanted on the Sport. Also keep in mind you lose 650 lbs. of towing capacity with the Rubi over the Max Tow Sport. Uneven washed out forest roads will be doable in whatever trim you choose.

 

[Rafael's Jive]

If dirt forest roads are your thing, the Sport/Overland will likely be better. The downside to the Rubicon is you cant get a limited slip rear diff and the lockers are only useable from the factory in 4 low. The electric sway bar disconnect is convenient but you can achieve the same effect on the sport for less than $100. Now that LEDs and the 8.4 are available on the Sport you can get Rubicon luxuries without the need for the super rock crawling features.

I just double checked the Jeep configurator. From what I can tell, the LEDs and 8.4" are still not available in the Sport or the Sport S. If you have other information, can you please let me know? I will not take the Gladiator I ordered and order another one with LED's.

FWIW, the LED's were the only option in the Overland that I thought were worth acting on.

EDIT: Just saw the thread about the 8.4" screen coming soon for Sport, but still nothing about LED's

Thanks,

Rob

 

[jurfie]

When I priced my build out for things that come stock on the rubicon like Max tow, larger tires, lift I ended up coming close enough in price that the Rubicon made a ton of sense to me. I also wanted the 8.4 inch screen at the time and it was the only way to get it. Price yours out on the site and see what the difference it, in my case all the Rubicon features being added for just a little bit more money was a huge value to me over buying the sport.

I'm in this boat as well...I haven't ordered yet, but I keep going back and forth between Sport S w/Max Tow (no Sport in Canada) and Rubicon on the build site. With the options I want, a Sport S w/Max Tow and hardtop, 7" display (8.4" isn't an option on Sport S in Canada), Alpine speaker upgrade, cold weather group, aux switch group, SafetyTec group and TrailRail has an MSRP of $57,725 (CAD), or $43,426 USD. A similarly equipped Rubicon is $63,505 ($47,776 USD), so a $5,780 ($4,348 USD) difference. Assuming a 6% discount off of MSRP, that's a $4,087 difference; for simplicity, I'll continue to speak American (it's okay, I'm bilingual).

For that $4,087 I would get e-lockers, e-disco, bigger tires (and better-looking wheels, IMO), better suspension, hi-line fenders and the Rubi hood.

Front and rear E-lockers alone would be a couple grand installed; air lockers would be about the same, not including the compressor. If I sell the wheels and tires as take-offs, I'd recover around $1,000 based on the Member For Sale section. A JKS quick disconnect is $175 on their website, plus shipping to my mailbox in WA would put them at $200. $4,087 - $2k (lockers) - $1k (take-offs) - $200 (disco) = ~$900 for the Rubicon coils and shocks, hi-line fenders and a factory painted Rubicon hood (edit: and the Rubicon sliders). Seems worth it to me. A spacer lift + 37s and done until I want to upgrade with a quality aftermarket lift.

PLUS, now I can add the 8.4" display and trail cam on the build sheet, which I would want but cannot get with the Sport S. Also considering painted fenders and hardtop, neither of which is available on the Sport S, so that would put me at least in an Overland; but then I wouldn't get the wider track and 4.10s, nor the ability to get the Mopar steel bumper that I am also considering. And to top it off, I could get the manual transmission (can't get that with the Max Tow).

Hmm...seems I've made my decision!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Do yourself a favor and build the Sport S you want and then a comparable Rubi using the pricing spreadsheet. I had every intention of going Sport until I realized how minor the price difference was between Sport and Rubi once I added all the mandatory options required to get the options I wanted on the Sport. Also keep in mind you lose 650 lbs. of towing capacity with the Rubi over the Max Tow Sport. Uneven washed out forest roads will be doable in whatever trim you choose.

The biggest towing drop is with mine where I lost 1650 because my wife insisted on certain options. I should have pushed for the Rubicon and lost only the 650 but it didn't feel right then - now if I was doing it all over, I'd have gone with the Rubicon but then she'd have been unhappy with some of the other changes - and likely I would have to - didn't want a red dash LOL

 

[Rex3rd]

Do yourself a favor and build the Sport S you want and then a comparable Rubi using the pricing spreadsheet. I had every intention of going Sport until I realized how minor the price difference was between Sport and Rubi once I added all the mandatory options required to get the options I wanted on the Sport. Also keep in mind you lose 650 lbs. of towing capacity with the Rubi over the Max Tow Sport. Uneven washed out forest roads will be doable in whatever trim you choose.

You also lose alot of payload on the Rubi as well.

 

[eaglerugby04]

I'm in this boat as well...I haven't ordered yet, but I keep going back and forth between Sport S w/Max Tow (no Sport in Canada) and Rubicon on the build site. With the options I want, a Sport S w/Max Tow and hardtop, 7" display (8.4" isn't an option on Sport S in Canada), Alpine speaker upgrade, cold weather group, aux switch group, SafetyTec group and TrailRail has an MSRP of $57,725 (CAD), or $43,426 USD. A similarly equipped Rubicon is $63,505 ($47,776 USD), so a $5,780 ($4,348 USD) difference. Assuming a 6% discount off of MSRP, that's a $4,087 difference; for simplicity, I'll continue to speak American (it's okay, I'm bilingual).

For that $4,087 I would get e-lockers, e-disco, bigger tires (and better-looking wheels, IMO), better suspension, hi-line fenders and the Rubi hood.

Front and rear E-lockers alone would be a couple grand installed; air lockers would be about the same, not including the compressor. If I sell the wheels and tires as take-offs, I'd recover around $1,000 based on the Member For Sale section. A JKS quick disconnect is $175 on their website, plus shipping to my mailbox in WA would put them at $200. $4,087 - $2k (lockers) - $1k (take-offs) - $200 (disco) = ~$900 for the Rubicon coils and shocks, hi-line fenders and a factory painted Rubicon hood (edit: and the Rubicon sliders). Seems worth it to me. A spacer lift + 37s and done until I want to upgrade with a quality aftermarket lift.

PLUS, now I can add the 8.4" display and trail cam on the build sheet, which I would want but cannot get with the Sport S. Also considering painted fenders and hardtop, neither of which is available on the Sport S, so that would put me at least in an Overland; but then I wouldn't get the wider track and 4.10s, nor the ability to get the Mopar steel bumper that I am also considering. And to top it off, I could get the manual transmission (can't get that with the Max Tow).

Hmm...seems I've made my decision!

You are really thinking this through intensely, way more than I did, lol. I did some basic math and was like I plan to at least try off roading, sold on the Rubi.

Overland was a no-go for me from the beginning due to the lower towing.

 

[jurfie]

You are really thinking this through intensely, way more than I did, lol.

My job is looking at cost/valuation numbers all the time, so I tend to overthink things.

 

[eaglerugby04]

My job is looking at cost/valuation numbers all the time, so I tend to overthink things.

Thats a good thing. And I think a lot of JT owners are doing that, hence the huge number of them rotting on dealer lots right now. So many people waiting on orders, yet the one closest to my house has 30 on the lot that haven't moved.

 

[jurfie]

Thats a good thing. And I think a lot of JT owners are doing that, hence the huge number of them rotting on dealer lots right now. So many people waiting on orders, yet the one closest to my house has 30 on the lot that haven't moved.

My closest dealer has 8 (3 Sport S, 3 Overlands, and 2 Rubicons). The next 2 closest dealers have 5 (3 Rubicons, 2 Sport S) and 12 (4 Overlands, 5 Rubicons and 3 Sport S). One of them has a Rubicon LE in Billet Silver that is nice, but it is "sale priced" at $6,556 CAD ($4,965 USD) more than a fully-loaded Rubicon on the build site. So naturally they can f-right off.

I never understand why dealers carry so much inventory; one in each trim should be sufficient for demos, then sit down with a build sheet and help the buyer order what they want. With the build-and-price tools on manufacturers websites, how many people these days walk onto a lot and drive off with something already sitting there? I know it happens, but a new vehicle is a major purchase and I'd prefer to get EXACTLY what I want rather than settle for one on a lot that might not have everything I'd want.

I know it takes a while to get it when you order from the factory, but if FCA was focused on building orders rather than inventory for dealers, it would speed up the process. You'd think it would mean less overhead for dealers as well, therefore more profit.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Because people cancel orders. Much more likely to buy right then and there. A friend who sold cars said if a prospective buyer leaves the dealership there is a near certainty they wont return

 

[jurfie]

Because people cancel orders. Much more likely to buy right then and there. A friend who sold cars said if a prospective buyer leaves the dealership there is a near certainty they wont return

I can only see prospective buyers not returning if they find a better deal elsewhere (or they weren't really ready to buy in the first place).

Make it a fixed fee for each sale (like a brokerage fee) and the manufacturer sets the price. Most dealers make their money in the service department anyways, from what I understand.

 

[Gladiator4Runner]

I find it interesting I just heard a commercial saying "employee pricing"- I believe it includes the Gladiator which I thought they would never "discount". Funny how it works out when people get "intentionally greedy"

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