2022 Rubicon

[JET_83]

why such a huge difference is weight? I was originally using 4500lbs when I was searching for trailers. So a 3000lb dry travel trailer would be ok with 1000lbs of cargo in the trailer for hauling purposes? Sorry for the questions but this is a whole new world for me and dont want to make a purchase of this amount and not be able to do what we want it to.

That’s why you don’t get the manual

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[JET_83]

People need to decide what they want for a daily driver. Personally….I thought the Sport was boring to drive. The Rubicon drives more like what I’d expect a Jeep to drive.

That being said…if you’re going to be running it up and down the freeway at 75+ MPH…I’d give that one some thought. My two cents…my Rubicon is fine at 72 MPH. Much more than that and It’s not exactly a relaxing ride.

Then again, you’ve got the whole “aerodynamics of a brick” thing and the fuel tank that seems to be about as big as my lawn tractor (it seems like I’m always filling it up), so I doubt that I’d be dying to roll much over 72 MPH even if I had opted to go the Overland route.

You won’t get the wander with the sport and overland you will with the Rubi and Mojave as well as Willy’s.

 

[JET_83]

People need to decide what they want for a daily driver. Personally….I thought the Sport was boring to drive. The Rubicon drives more like what I’d expect a Jeep to drive.

That being said…if you’re going to be running it up and down the freeway at 75+ MPH…I’d give that one some thought. My two cents…my Rubicon is fine at 72 MPH. Much more than that and It’s not exactly a relaxing ride.

Then again, you’ve got the whole “aerodynamics of a brick” thing and the fuel tank that seems to be about as big as my lawn tractor (it seems like I’m always filling it up), so I doubt that I’d be dying to roll much over 72 MPH even if I had opted to go the Overland route.

The sport and overland will also get better fuel economy

 

[brianinca]

Yes, drastically so. 4,500 lb vs 7,000 lb in the JT Rubicon, specifically.

It also makes a bigger difference going up in tire size with a manual vs the 8 spd auto. 35's are no problem with the 8-spd, you'd want to think about re-gearing the axles with the 6 spd manual.

If your wife likes manuals, I'd strongly suggest she test drive a manual Jeep first. They are NOT a slick 6 spd like you'd find in a Camaro or other performance car, it's delivery truck shifting.

My ancient YJ with the AX15 is a fun manual, for example; hardly a Miata, but connected. The JLU I drove was the opposite of fun.

The ZF 8 spd auto is the same as used in BMW's, it's the best automatic I've ever driven.

Does being a manual trans make a huge difference in the towable weight?

 

[brianinca]

Uhh, what? We've run all over the Southwest in the past two years, I drive too slow for my wife so she handles the real long range duties. 80-85 MPH is the normal highway speed out here, and the JTR has no problem hanging.

Phoenix is a nine hour drive and we've done it a couple times, San Diego a six hour ride, doing it again this weekend. The loop to St George and back was 1250 miles. 3 hrs/250 miles between fuel stops is fine at my age, just sayin'.

People need to decide what they want for a daily driver. Personally….I thought the Sport was boring to drive. The Rubicon drives more like what I’d expect a Jeep to drive.

That being said…if you’re going to be running it up and down the freeway at 75+ MPH…I’d give that one some thought. My two cents…my Rubicon is fine at 72 MPH. Much more than that and It’s not exactly a relaxing ride.

Then again, you’ve got the whole “aerodynamics of a brick” thing and the fuel tank that seems to be about as big as my lawn tractor (it seems like I’m always filling it up), so I doubt that I’d be dying to roll much over 72 MPH even if I had opted to go the Overland route.

 

[brianinca]

My Rubicon no longer wanders, $62 of lower control arms and a proper amount of caster is all you need.

You won’t get the wander with the sport and overland you will with the Rubi and Mojave as well as Willy’s.

 

[WILDHOBO]

The sport and overland will also get better fuel economy

It’s not relevant to the OP’s request. They asked for the right trim for towing and off roading/trails. He didn’t ask for the best fuel economy. And my stock rubicon didn’t “wander” whatsoever. It still doesn’t after significant upgrades. The overland is a terrible choice if you’re looking to maximize towing. The sport is the wrong choice for trail capability.

 

[Trout Safari]

IMO, the Rubicon is the best choice for what your looking for.

 

[JET_83]

It’s not relevant to the OP’s request. They asked for the right trim for towing and off roading/trails. He didn’t ask for the best fuel economy. And my stock rubicon didn’t “wander” whatsoever. It still doesn’t after significant upgrades. The overland is a terrible choice if you’re looking to maximize towing. The sport is the wrong choice for trail capability.

He said “light” overland can do all of that just fine while still being the best daily driver of the trims and provide better fuel economy than the rest.

 

[NachoRuby]

Yes, drastically so. 4,500 lb vs 7,000 lb in the JT Rubicon, specifically.

It also makes a bigger difference going up in tire size with a manual vs the 8 spd auto. 35's are no problem with the 8-spd, you'd want to think about re-gearing the axles with the 6 spd manual.

If your wife likes manuals, I'd strongly suggest she test drive a manual Jeep first. They are NOT a slick 6 spd like you'd find in a Camaro or other performance car, it's delivery truck shifting.

My ancient YJ with the AX15 is a fun manual, for example; hardly a Miata, but connected. The JLU I drove was the opposite of fun.

The ZF 8 spd auto is the same as used in BMW's, it's the best automatic I've ever driven.

It's not a sports car, but it's still a fun manual. No less engaging than the TJ, which I imagine was similar to your YJ, since they are both ax15s. It does shift very smoothly, but the throws are on the longer side, and it's not a close-ratio 6 speed. It's more like a 5 speed with an "over"-over drive.

It's a "6 speed", but it helps if people realize going in that the first 4 gears are the main gears, with 5th as main overdrive, and 6th being more of a higher speed highway cruising gear.

I agree with everyone that if you're towing on the heavy side of things, get the auto, since the Mt is only rated at 4500 lbs. But the MT isn't a disconnected experience. It shifts nicely and smoothly, with good action. In 4low, it loves to climb.

Also, the manual, paired with 35s is fine with Rubi or Mojave gearing. But I wouldn't go to 37s without re-gearing. I do sometimes contemplate re-gearing eventually, but it's not at the top of my to do list. It handles the hills/mountains around here well, but with a little bit of a higher ratio, it'd be nice to be able to use 6th more and downshift less. The manual with 4.1s and 35s pulls just fine.

On 3.73s (anything other than Rubicon or Mojave), with the manual, you'd probably want to regear for anything more than a 33".

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Uhh, what? We've run all over the Southwest in the past two years, I drive too slow for my wife so she handles the real long range duties. 80-85 MPH is the normal highway speed out here, and the JTR has no problem hanging.

Phoenix is a nine hour drive and we've done it a couple times, San Diego a six hour ride, doing it again this weekend. The loop to St George and back was 1250 miles. 3 hrs/250 miles between fuel stops is fine at my age, just sayin'.

Not complaining. Just saying that it wanders a bit and from the feedback that I read before and after purchasing, I’m not alone in that assessment.

Fuel wise…the economy is what I was expecting, so no issue there. A few more gallons of fuel to extend the range would be nice though. I’m coming from a Subaru though. If you’re used to Jeeps, I’m sure the range is a non-issue. It’s not REALLY an issue for me. I just needed something to whine about this morning. ?

Edit: At the end of the day, it rides like a lifted Jeep, which is part of the appeal to me. If I wanted a minivan/cushy ride quality, I’d have gone with the Sport or similar setup.

 

[Hristo]

What kind of trails are you thinking of running? Have you considered the Mojave trim? I apologize if you mentioned the weight of the small travel trailer you want to tow, but I'd assume a 6000lbs capacity (with auto) would be sufficient.

When I recently purchased, I was certain I would be ordering a Rubicon, but after researching and considering my needs/wants, I ordered a Mojave. The Rubicon has a lot of nice off road features, and you wont go wrong getting one, but I feel like they are better suited to the Wrangler platform (I've owned a Wrangler Rubicon). I"m currently running my Mojave stock (until my tires come in) and have been surprised at its ability on the trails. The ride on rough fire roads is amazing. I have taken it on a few 700km round trips and its also very comfortable through the mountain passes. I'm not sure about the steering wander that has been mentioned, but I dont have it on my '22.

Just thought I'd throw out another option to consider. Whichever you choose, the Gladiator is a really fun Jeep!

 

[WILDHOBO]

What kind of trails are you thinking of running? Have you considered the Mojave trim? I apologize if you mentioned the weight of the small travel trailer you want to tow, but I'd assume a 6000lbs capacity (with auto) would be sufficient.

When I recently purchased, I was certain I would be ordering a Rubicon, but after researching and considering my needs/wants, I ordered a Mojave. The Rubicon has a lot of nice off road features, and you wont go wrong getting one, but I feel like they are better suited to the Wrangler platform (I've owned a Wrangler Rubicon). I"m currently running my Mojave stock (until my tires come in) and have been surprised at its ability on the trails. The ride on rough fire roads is amazing. I have taken it on a few 700km round trips and its also very comfortable through the mountain passes. I'm not sure about the steering wander that has been mentioned, but I dont have it on my '22.

Just thought I'd throw out another option to consider. Whichever you choose, the Gladiator is a really fun Jeep!

The Mohave is an amazing platform. I suggested the rubicon for the extra 1k of towing capacity, and the 4:1 low range. I’ve ridden in one (Mohave) at high speeds off road and it’s amazing. They are VERY good off road machines.

 

[JET_83]

My Rubicon no longer wanders, $62 of lower control arms and a proper amount of caster is all you need.

Should be right from the factory tbh

 

[JET_83]

The Mohave is an amazing platform. I suggested the rubicon for the extra 1k of towing capacity, and the 4:1 low range. I’ve ridden in one (Mohave) at high speeds off road and it’s amazing. They are VERY good off road machines.

Very shitty ride quality though, you feel everything

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