About to buy a 2021 base Sport instead of Sport S here's my thoughts why

[mountainpass]

Base Sport w/ Max tow and wouldn't change a thing!!!!

The more basic I could order it the better. Absolutely love the old school roll up windows.

We have just become too damn lazy. Oh. I have to walk around the other side to lock the back door. Oh damn.

And the price difference. My payment is actually manageable. $36K special order with Max tow, auto, tonneau cover, spray bed liner, slush mats and axillary switches.

Lots of $ left for upgrade.
Now added leveling kit, Sunrider top, Rubicon take off shocks, wheels and rock rails on 35" tires.

Love this Jeep!!!!!

Do you have pics before leveling kit? I'm thinking of throwing Kendas like yours on the stock steel wheels.

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[Willys2Gladiator]

Do you have pics before leveling kit? I'm thinking of throwing Kendas like yours on the stock steel wheels.

As purchased.

 

[mountainpass]

As purchased.

Sorry I meant with Kendas, but you may well have had the spacer installed before tires.

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

Sorry I meant with Kendas, but you may well have had the spacer installed before tires.

Sorry. Spacer before tires.
There is a good youtube video showing 35" on stock.

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

And another awesome thing about the base is no damn warning sensors and bells. And we have actually gauges!!!

My wife Cherokee drives me crazy with all the warning crap yelling at me all the time.

Base = same engine, trans and power train. If I want lockers they wouldn't be air. The LSD is all I need. Most done but a truck to hard off-road. There better rigs for that.

Big fan of the Base. If I could buy another it would exactly identical as the one I special ordered.

But but what YOU want/ need and enjoy. Life's too short!!!!

 

[Artsifrtsi]

The Aux switches should be on you must list... those make wiring the simple part of installing accessories.

 

[mountainpass]

Sorry. Spacer before tires.
There is a good youtube video showing 35" on stock.

What kit did you install?

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

What kit did you install?

Tera flex. 1.5 front. Daystar .75 rear.

 

[jebiruph]

I decided in Feb to buy a 2 door Wrangler. The thought was to have something fun and keep my Tundra, then I sat in the backseat of one at the dealer. No way my grandkids would be comfortable on the long ride to grandma and grandpa's house not to mention where the bags would go. Then mulled over selling the Tundra and getting a Gladiator, then the covid hit....so last month got the bug again. I found this forum, learned a little, then decided to buy a 2020 gator. On the test drive as soon as I pulled out of dealer's lot it wandered to the left, I corrected it and it wandered right. Ok at this point I thought maybe the steering tsb thread was in my head, but no it did it again, so no deal......a 2021 it is.

That gator had the dual top group( among lots of other options ) which really made me face the reality of storage( I mean the soft top crate takes up the entire bed ) and if I really needed a hardtop. I decided I really wanted the soft top. I searched for a soft top sport s but they are rare. I think the main reason is for 2021 it appears Jeep is forcing a sport S buyer to select(actually they are pre-selected) the convenience and technology groups, but if you simply choose the popular equipment package for $300 more ( it includes both those ) it gets you a hardtop. So to get the S it costs $4100, then if you want a hardtop it's just $300 more.

So once again I started thinking do I really need electric windows and locks, I mean I hope to have the doors off a lot anyway. Plus after reading about the electrical connector issue with doors, and the garage door opener visor costing $500 why complicate a Jeep. Plus I don't like the wheels on the S, the base black steel wheels look better to these old eyes.

When I was a kid Jeeps were utilitarian, a luxury one had an automatic, steel doors, and AC.

I think I will miss the ability to run waze on screen( maybe it's possible to upgrade, haven't explored that too much ) but basic seems OK, right even.

My wife is gonna miss the heated seats though I must admit.

Edit: I am getting the Max Tow version.

I've had a base sport JL for 2.5 years and a base sport max tow JT since March. No problem with crank windows. Manual locks are sometimes inconvenient, but I rarely lock the doors. Get a good phone mount to keep your phone handy.

Either one can sit for weeks without a trickle charger and start right up. Many people have starting issues due to batteries draining after a few days. It may just be a coincidence, but I'm suspicious that fewer electronics on the base sport contribute to less battery drain.

 

[WXman]

So once again I started thinking do I really need electric windows and locks, I mean I hope to have the doors off a lot anyway. Plus after reading about the electrical connector issue with doors, and the garage door opener visor costing $500 why complicate a Jeep. Plus I don't like the wheels on the S, the base black steel wheels look better to these old eyes.

Yes. Yes you do need electric windows and locks. That is T H E reason to get the S model. 4 doors with manual locks and windows S U C K S especially if you have kids. I did that once. Thought I could save the money and live without it. It was miserable. Having to reach around the B pillar to try and unlock the rear door? Having to pull over and get out to roll the windows up if it starts raining? In 2020?? Heck no. It's horrible and it KILLS resale value. Don't do it. Get the S package.

 

[Benbean66]

Absolutely love my Sport with Max Tow. Besides the towing package, the only option it came with wad the slush mats, and I had a bed liner sprayed in before I picked it up from the dealer. My GF has a loaded JLUR and keeps saying that when her lease is up, she's going to get a base JT, too.

 

[bastage]

I am in the camp of absolutely no way in hell would I get the base model. The windows alone are enough for me. I like to have everything open entirely too much to have to go around & roll em down & up by hand every time I stop somewhere. All 4 would get old very quickly.

 

[mountainpass]

LOL I love this place. Honest opinions. I should concede that my 18 year old truck has manual door locks, mirrors, windows, transmission.... so I know the struggle. As for kids, the grandkids are around for a limited time and I don't plan on locking the jeep as I'll have the canvas top version. I put very few miles on one yearly and it'll be garaged. The S now being over 4k(2021) more than base instead of over 3K(2020) simply makes it easier to go base. It's crazy that last week I was a handshake away(well a fistbump) from buying a 46K 2020 gator only to go to a OTD 2021 37K base max tow is odd. Hopefully this week I'll pick up the new one.

 

[H_pipe]

LOL I love this place. Honest opinions. I should concede that my 18 year old truck has manual door locks, mirrors, windows, transmission.... so I know the struggle. As for kids, the grandkids are around for a limited time and I don't plan on locking the jeep as I'll have the canvas top version. I put very few miles on one yearly and it'll be garaged. The S now being over 4k(2021) more than base instead of over 3K(2020) simply makes it easier to go base. It's crazy that last week I was a handshake away(well a fistbump) from buying a 46K 2020 gator only to go to a OTD 2021 37K base max tow is odd. Hopefully this week I'll pick up the new one.

Hello-
I ended up with a Sport (no power windows or locks). Yes, it is a little odd but I still love the simplicity of it. (I just wish I still did not have to unplug wires to take off the doors )

The simplicity of it is what sealed the deal and it was the cheapest one around of course!

 

[JTpoor]

Add one more for the Base Sport. I had a base JKU when my kids were smaller and, admittedly, it was a HUGE pain not having power door locks. The roll-up windows and non-powered mirrors weren’t really a big deal but the door locks were. Jump to 2020 w one away at school and the other driving, it’s only me about 99% of the time in the JT. Got a killer deal on a custom order Base Sport a week before the Covid shut down and couldn’t be happier. At that time the Sport S was $3200 more. Now that it’s $4k, it would be even more of a no-brainer for me. That just seems like sooo much money for the powered features of the Sport S.

Like a lot of people have already said.....go w what works for you resale be dammed. In my experience, resale value is still pretty proportional to what you paid for it originally. In 3-5 years, I certainly don’t expect my $36k Base to be of the same value as a 3-5 yr old loaded Rubicon. Probably will fall in line w the difference in their original pricing.

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