Loaded Sport S or Rubicon....

[tampahoosier]

Show me pics of your lifted Sport S rolling on 35" tires (not getting 37s until down the road)! Also, if anyone put the rubicon fenders on their Sport S let me see, or if you've got a Rubicon with 35s and a small lift I still want to see it!

Make sure to give details on the 35s since none are the same size, and what lift height you went with along with who makes the lift. Any other input like handling improvements, # of mpg lost etc are all welcome with the above.

I thought that 35s and 3" lift on a Sport S wouldn't look funny like it does on the Rubicon since the sport s doesn't have the rubicon high line fenders. But I wondered how much lift a stock Rubicon has over a Sport S and what a Rubicon would look like if I did 35s and just a spacer lift or something to give an extra 1" lift and maintain all stock parts. This right here could sway me back to just going the Rubicon route!

I know, first world problems right???

Some background on why I'm curious:
I have a fully loaded Sport S - Max Tow on order as of last Friday! After researching on here I found that a Sport S w/Max Tow saves me a lot of money over the Rubicon (don't need the lockers or e-disco on a truck since I never truly needed them on my TJ). I can use that difference in cost to do a lift and tires right away and come in a bit cheaper. Whatever I do would be done at the dealer upon delivery and they'd wrap that cost into my loan. My plan was to do 35" tires then go all out on a metal cloak game changer lift, Rock Krawler 3" springs, falcon sp2 3.3 shocks and front drive shaft from tom woods. Then down the road I will add rubicon fenders and 37-38" tires when it's not my daily driver.

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[Alabama Mud Machine]

Rubicon. Not only higher resale value, but much easier to sell, and cooler features. Also, do yourself a favor, and make sure it has 2 options from the factory... Get the 8.4” Navi w/ 9-speaker Alpine, and the AUX switches. You’ll thank me later.

It’s the same with 35’s vs. 37’s... If you’re even considering 37’s, just cough it up and get the 37’s. You’ll be happier in the end.

 

[tampahoosier]

Rubicon. Not only higher resale value, but much easier to sell, and cooler features. Also, do yourself a favor, and make sure it has 2 options from the factory... Get the 8.4” Navi w/ 9-speaker Alpine, and the AUX switches. You’ll thank me later.

It’s the same with 35’s vs. 37’s... If you’re even considering 37’s, just cough it up and get the 37’s. You’ll be happier in the end.

Maybe it's my ignorance so I'll ask a few followups to your 35 vs 37 comments below. But I had a general thought process that 37s create a lot more stuff to worry about:

Isn't there a decent price difference between the 35 and 37?
Don't 37s typically wear out before 35s... and they are hard to find with good 50k+ warrantees right?
Even worse gas mileage?
will 37s still fit fine on a 17" x 8.5" rim?
Do you need more back spacing or wheel spacers?
From my understanding 2" is the absolute limit before you should seriously consider a front drive shaft swap, I've seen the pictures first hand. Wouldn't adding 37s exacerbate the issue with the front drive shaft further if you don't swap it?
Does it diminish towing?

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Maybe it's my ignorance so I'll ask a few followups to your 35 vs 37 comments below. But I had a general thought process that 37s create a lot more stuff to worry about:

Isn't there a decent price difference between the 35 and 37?
Don't 37s typically wear out before 35s... and they are hard to find with good 50k+ warrantees right?
Even worse gas mileage?
will 37s still fit fine on a 17" x 8.5" rim?
Do you need more back spacing or wheel spacers?
From my understanding 2" is the absolute limit before you should seriously consider a front drive shaft swap, I've seen the pictures first hand. Wouldn't adding 37s exacerbate the issue with the front drive shaft further if you don't swap it?
Does it diminish towing?

Everything you have asked required MASSIVE amounts of more detail about tire makes, models, sizes, your vehicle model, suspension, gear ratios, etc... than I can answer, giving you gave no specific details. So, here are some basic answers...

Price difference? Typically... How much depends on tire brand, model, type, and who you buy from.

37’s use LESS revolutions per mile than 35’s, so they typically last longer on the street.

I wouldn’t be worrying about mileage warranties, that’s mostly a gimmick anyway, because they will almost always find something to fault your warranty over, and walk away Scott-free.

Worse gas mileage depends on WAY too many factors, like gearing, tire weight, wheel weight, unsprung weight, rotational mass, horsepower, torque, etc... I could regear my Rubicon to 4.88’s with my 37” tires, and probably get better fuel mileage than my Rubicon was stock with 4.10’s and 33’s.

A 37x12.50r17 should fit on your 17x8.5” wheel. Depending on your wheel’s specs will determine if it will fit on your Jeep without issues. Need more details...Like lift height, backspacing, offset, etc...

I have not heard of any front driveshaft issues, regardless of tire size.

Towing... Once again, not enough info to give you an answer.

 

[bastage]

Get the 8.4” Navi w/ 9-speaker Alpine, and the AUX switches. You’ll thank me later.

I thought about these & actually instead tried my damnedest to get neither.. I wanted the 5" display without the alpine speaker upgrade & no aux switch's. My thought on it was that I could do better afterwards. Though for a fair amount of additional cost. 3000 for the x409 restyle kit, 1300 for the speaker/sub/amp upgrade from alpine, 200 for the 7 switch pod controlled by the head unit making it about 4500 total for a bigger better unit & you dont loose the storage for the sub as its under the passenger seat instead of behind the seat which is I think a more valuable storage area. Anything in stock I found almost always came with the dumb ass bluetooth speaker (300) & extra year of sirrus (300 which is about 240 more then you can get it for if you are savvy in the way of the internet) making the overall price diferance about 2200 which while substantial I feel is worth it if you want the better audio.

Now what I actually ended up with is the 7" display aux switch's but only because it was about 6k cheaper then the one that didnt have the options I didnt want. So I will just add the alpine PSS-23WRA for now & hope that next year alpine has wireless carplay in the next head unit they use in the restyle kit.

 

[tampahoosier]

Thanks for the answers guys, the details are great! I ask a lot of questions because I like fully understanding the "why" for someones reasoning so I always welcome it.

@bastage I'm definetly getting the 8.4" and prem. audio as I don't plan to touch the stereo anytime soon. Plus, I wanted the 7" upgraded driver dashboard setup that you get as a result of the 8.4" uconnect upgrade. I will have to look into the Alpine set up though!

@Alabama Mud Machine you might have just screwed me (err my bank account) into getting the Rubicon. I'm not totally sold on needing the lockers/disco BUT i like most everything else about the rubicon (hood, fenders, steel rear bumper, accents etc). Plus there are also a few features I'll be purchasing immediately out of pocket that I would otherwise get on the rubi (led lighting, proximity keyless etc) so for me there is a path forward where I'm really close price point wise between. All those extras are $2500 total.

If I stick with my already ordered sport s max tow loaded I'll be getting 35s (if I do 37s i will regear and I'm not ready for that expense), new rims and the 2" mopar lift rolled into the loan. If I get the rubi I will leave it stock and put down the $2500 I would have spent right away. That puts me at only $10 more a month with the rubi than the Sport S.

My problem is the truck is ugly stock with no lift, but I think the rubi setup looks good enough to keep me happy. Worst case I'll end up throwing the $230 rock crawler spacer lift on with some 35s to give it slightly more appeal.

I've been told I have basically until the end of day today to decide as the factory should be accepting my order any day now and locking it in. I ordered last week, so they are surprised it hasn't already been accepted.... is this a sign??

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

$10 a month for the resale, trade-in, and private party value that the Rubicon will hold over a Max Tow, will be well-worth it in the end. Plus, like you said, the Rubicon comes with lots of options you were planning on installing anyway. Think about how much in labor costs to install all those items, and then think about it only costing you $10 a month extra just to get everything you want, and all of it would be factory-installed and under warranty.

 

[ZTMAN]

I read a lot of posts regarding why someone does not need a Rubicon, and posts where people bought a Sport but wished the bought the JTR. However, I have not come across a post from someone that regretted buying a Rubicon over a Sport.

I started out looking for a Sport S, but taking into consideration what I wanted to add to the Sport, ended up with the Rubicon. I never needed the lockers or E-Disco either. But now that I have them, WOW

Nothing wrong with the Sport S, just a personal choice between models. Either way, you will end up with a great truck.

 

[tampahoosier]

$10 a month for the resale, trade-in, and private party value that the Rubicon will hold over a Max Tow, will be well-worth it in the end. Plus, like you said, the Rubicon comes with lots of options you were planning on installing anyway. Think about how much in labor costs to install all those items, and then think about it only costing you $10 a month extra just to get everything you want, and all of it would be factory-installed and under warranty.

Do you ever tow?

 

[tampahoosier]

I read a lot of posts regarding why someone does not need a Rubicon, and posts where people bought a Sport but wished the bought the JTR. However, I have not come across a post from someone that regretted buying a Rubicon over a Sport.

I started out looking for a Sport S, but taking into consideration what I wanted to add to the Sport, ended up with the Rubicon. I never needed the lockers or E-Disco either. But now that I have them, WOW

Nothing wrong with the Sport S, just a personal choice between models. Either way, you will end up with a great truck.

Same question for you, do you tow?

 

[WXman]

I'd like to point out that banks are in the business of money, and if you go by what the banks all use for lease residuals, then the Rubicon does NOT have better resale or value down the road. What I found is that you should never go into the Rubicon thinking it's a better financial decision in the long run. In fact, I've leased 3-4 Jeeps in recent years and the Rubicons always have worse values in 3-4 years.

If you must have options that are not offered on the Sport S Max Tow, then that narrows the choice down quickly. But if you can get what you need on the Max Tow and then build it up some, that's usually going to be best because you get things on the Max Tow that are impossible to add to the Rubicon, but not vise versa.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Do you ever tow?

I used to deliver steel for a living with a 3500 dually pulling a 30' gooseneck loaded-down with steel. Did that for almost 15 years...

But personally, have I towed with my JTR? No, not yet. I have no real need to until I get another bass boat or have to pull a small trailer. I have a Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins that I use if I need to tow something over 6,000 lbs.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

I'd like to point out that banks are in the business of money, and if you go by what the banks all use for lease residuals, then the Rubicon does NOT have better resale or value down the road. What I found is that you should never go into the Rubicon thinking it's a better financial decision in the long run. In fact, I've leased 3-4 Jeeps in recent years and the Rubicons always have worse values in 3-4 years.

If you must have options that are not offered on the Sport S Max Tow, then that narrows the choice down quickly. But if you can get what you need on the Max Tow and then build it up some, that's usually going to be best because you get things on the Max Tow that are impossible to add to the Rubicon, but not vise versa.

How do you figure that? I negotiated my price, ended up paying $46K (before taxes) for my brand new JTR with 20 miles on it, that price included all the fees, destination fee, and the full protection packages. My lease will be up in 40 months, and I will only owe about $30K (residual) on a Rubicon that I've owned since new. Having gauged sales numbers for Rubicons in my area for JK's and JL's, I've estimated that In 3.5 years, my low-mileage JTR will still be worth $43K-45K+ (sticker price $53K) without the accessories that I've added, so I don't see how I'll be upside down with my lease/loan combo?

Leases are no longer like they used to be. They used to be horrible for you, and you would get royally screwed with a leased vehicle. But now there are caps on things, and they can't charge you ridiculous fees, etc... So, leasing is now a much more affordable option to being able to purchase a ridiculously-priced vehicle (like most are these days). And this was told to me by the President of a bank that my family has known for 30+ years. I normally use them for loans, but they don't do leases, so he had no dog in the fight to try to earn my business by telling me that information.

 

[ZTMAN]

Do you ever tow?

Every now and then. I have a 12 foot landscape trailer and a little 4x8. Most I tow with the Jeep is some firewood around our camp and use the 4x8. Heaviest I ever tow is my 1k pound ZT , and that is only once or twice a year.
Generally, I use my F150 for any towing

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

If you must have options that are not offered on the Sport S Max Tow, then that narrows the choice down quickly. But if you can get what you need on the Max Tow and then build it up some, that's usually going to be best because you get things on the Max Tow that are impossible to add to the Rubicon, but not vise versa.

Also, I'd like to hear more about these "options" you can get with a Max Tow that are "impossible to add to the Rubicon"?

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