IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, PURCHASE DECISION

[Tim]

I knew I wanted the Rubi from the start and I am glad I went that route. The goodies that the Rubi comes with will cost much more to add to a sport or overland at a later date.

2 things I ended up with that I am now very happy about are proximity entry and the active safety group. Proximity entry is amazing. I didn't know what I was missing until I had it. It's worth every penny. The active safety group (blind spot/cross path detection) is also pretty darned useful. I have a mid-height rack setup on my Gladiator which limits rearward visibility. The side mirrors are pretty small so having blind spot monitoring is extra reassurance that I haven't missed something before changing lanes.

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[spazzyfry123]

...
Only other feature I wish I had with daily use is proximity entry... wifes car has this feature and you don’t realize how convenient it is until you don’t have it lol

This was a must for me. BUT, it aggravates me to no end that the proximity feature does not extend to the tail gate. I've got my hands full and reach up to hit the handle expecting it to just fall down with the dampened tail gate. Nope. Gotta set aside what's in my hands to reach down into my pocket to unlock and then open the tail gate.

 

[SleepyJeep]

The only option that I really wish I had is the lockers. That option is only available with the Rubicon. The Rubicon however is not available with Max Tow and that was a must have. I DD my JT and I wheel it moderately too. I probably didn't save enough to cover the cost of adding lockers to my truck but I couldn't increase the tow capacity of the Rubicon. I'm very pleased with what I have and I am glad I went the route I did.

Are you saying the towing capacity of the LE is less than that of a Sport S max tow?

 

[BLK HOLE]

Are you saying the towing capacity of the LE is less than that of a Sport S max tow?

Yes Rubicons tow 650lbs less.

 

[Southbayglad]

I don't think I would do it any different. I got pretty much every package available on the max tow. I researched the max tow and rubicon a ton. I came to the conclusion that the payload, and axle, was the decision maker for me. I bought the truck for hunting, fishing, and getting to the grocery store in 8 ft of snow in the winter. The price difference between the two was minimal. Ive had jeeps with sway bar disco, and lockers, and very rarely used them, and I 4wd a lot. Not rock crawl though. I assume where I live in part of the year, I 4wd, more than 90% of the people here who have Rubicons. But its worth noting if the beefed up axle didn't come with the max tow, theres no way I would have ever gotten it. and would have went with a Rubi. Fender flares coming off soon, lift just came in mail yesterday, and new 37's going on. So for my needs I think Ill be able to get to those elk, and trout.

 

[Dr Kel]

I’d probably do the same back-and-forth between the Overland and Rubicon. I’d stress over Hydro Blue vs White. I’d still have a custom red leather interior, but I might have it done with the diamond stitching or a suede insert. Not so sure I would get the Rubicon. I am thinking about things with my truck I hadn’t considered, so maybe I’d go that way. I’d still get the manual; it works great for me. I wish I had the trailrails. The other features I want aren’t available on any of them, so that’s irrelevant.

 

[hjdca]

fyi, Gladiator Rubicon Manual -- every time I have gone wheeling and stopped for a break or lunch, I have used the blue tooth speaker. I bought mine off the lot and normally would not have ordered it, but, I find I use it a lot and everyone loves it. It is also super loud.

 

[CarolinaGladiator]

Are you saying the towing capacity of the LE is less than that of a Sport S max tow?

Yes. Tow rating for Max Tow is 7600#. I'm not sure what all the LE comes with but I know the Rubicons weigh more than the Sport S so the tow rating is less. The Max Tow also has improved engine cooling and high output alternator. Those may be available with the LE but I'm not sure.

Yes Rubicons tow 650lbs less.

Thank you Sir.

 

[SleepyJeep]

So is there a way to increase the max tow with mods besides modding the engine for more power?

 

[Dwosgood]

I love the look of the Rubicon, but I’m very glad I went with a Sport S with Max Tow. I didn’t buy my Gladiator to rock crawl so I couldn’t justify the added premium for the Rubicon just for the sweet hood and fender flares. Yeah, the Rubicon has lockers and sway disconnects, but I need the extra payload and hauling capacity more than that.

As far as features, I feel like I’m living in some Bizarro world because proximity keys on a Jeep is something that exists - but my wife’s car has it and I wish the Jeep had it sometimes for convenience sake. Then again, I’d never thought I’d own a Jeep with a heated steering wheel or that averages 18mpgs. I’m a CJ and TJ guy, so my Sport S is basically a luxury vehicle in my eyes.

Honorable mention is the LED headlight package. I have the safety group or whatever it’s called, so I have all LED interior lights and rear lights, so now it seems kind of silly to me that every light behind the hood of the Jeep is an LED. This will be addressed come tax season.

 

[noside85]

Kinda wish I got the damn speaker...the change in monthly payments would've been unnoticeable

 

[futzin']

Kinda wish I got the damn speaker.

...until it quits working. That's my concern. Plus I like storage cubbies.

But I love music and I love my JBL Xtreme BT speakers. I have a couple of them. They are excellent.

 

[ZTMAN]

So I see no one is touting the trac loc. Seems like the max tow over the trac loc rules.

 

[SleepyJeep]

So I see no one is touting the trac loc. Seems like the max tow over the trac loc rules.

Well, I haven't really tested that yet. We only had snow here once for a couple of days and I haven't really taken it off roading yet. ALthough, the lockers will come more into play off-roading than trac lok... So, this is hard to say at least for me... I believe it should be more helpful in snowy and icy conditions?

 

[CarolinaGladiator]

So is there a way to increase the max tow with mods besides modding the engine for more power?

Not that I know of, but I would guess that anything you can do to decrease the curb weight of the vehicle will in turn increase the tow rating.

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