Anyone drive Rubicon and Overland back to back? Thoughts?

[Phatjoe]

Hi,

The dealerships around me never seem to have both Rubicon and Overland gladiators on their lots. I test drove the Rubicon trim 3 weeks ago and today I test drove an Overland. To me, the Overland seemed a little more composed on the road, not as firm. I'm sure it's probably due the differences in the suspension. Just not sure if that's my imagination or not.

Has anyone had a chance to test drive the Rubicon and Overland models back to back? If so what are your observations?

Thx

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[mikesjt]

Yes, I drove both the Overland and Rubicon. And you aren’t imagining the difference in how they feel on the road. IMO, the Overland feels more like an SUV, and the Rubicon feels more like a truck. Both drive awesome but I actually liked the feel of the Rubicon better for what I wanted so I ordered a Stingray one

 

[Hepps]

I drove both back to back. The overland had a another ride due to the lower profile tires.

I ended up with a Rubicon. I love the Rubi style and meatiness. The rides are different but both are excellent.

If you want a little lower profile and a slightly another ride, go with the overland.

BTW, my dealer let me take the Rubicon for an overnight test drive. That helped alot.

 

[Lou3.6]

I drove both back to back. The overland had a another ride due to the lower profile tires.

I ended up with a Rubicon. I love the Rubi style and meatiness. The rides are different but both are excellent.

If you want a little lower profile and a slightly another ride, go with the overland.

BTW, my dealer let me take the Rubicon for an overnight test drive. That helped alot.

IF I MAY TWEEK THE THREAD A BIT . . . SINCE IT SEEMS TO OF RUN ITS COURSE . . . TO LAZY TO START A NEW ONE !
TODAY I test drove 2 Sport S's back to back . . . one with the MAX Tow and One without (also no rear locker). One had the BLACK Cloth, one had the TAN Cloth . Interesting added "flair" on the Fenders of the Max Tow JT . . . about 3/8" ! Not an add on . It's a new molded part of that secondary part, that some think can be removed from the main part of the Fender ?
Confused ? Ha . Anyway that's not the point . . . the point is the DRIVE . I found the Max Tow version to have a bit of "slop" in the steering - had to "think" more about steering, whereas the Regular tow packaged Sport S felt Better . More like the "straight as an arrow WK2 I have . Probably just more of the "one-off" / coincidence thing . . . not trying to make a big deal of it, just making a mental note to myself for the next time I test drive these things at a different dealer . I plan to also test drive and compare Overlands with the Sport S - not interested in the Rubicon (way more than I need in function, weight and cost!). I've been eyeing the Sport S for awhile now, but comparing Apples to Apples ( say mackintosh to granny smiths / Sport S to Overland -- I'm wanting to Test Drive the Overland for what IT allows me to Option above & beyond that of the Sport S ! Yes I realize the difference in cost is averaging about $2k to $2.5K (so far) on my builds compared to the Sport S . It's just that the 8.4" and the larger wheel with the larger width tire fills the wheel well nicer and the tire upgrade I would plan on - Falkens have a 32.1" Diameter vs, 31.2~31.4 . I can't comment on the Overlands RIDE - though some believe it is more CUV like in the suspension tuning and parts . That can be altered relatively easily later IF I choose to make it More Off Road Worthy . But that 8.4" with the NAV (apparently) sounds inviting, even though I'd most likely use my iPAD for Off Road Pages and use the NAV for On Road Stuff - turn by turn directions etc.!
Getting long winded so let me stop there . Any one share my thoughts ?

 

[jhale1800]

I test drove the Rubicon and the Overland and ended up with the Overland. I have to take long trips on the interstate, and the Overland felt better at interstate speeds. The Rubicon didn't feel terrible, but it didn't feel as planted at highway speeds.
Think about where you'll be driving most of the time, and how much off-road capability you need. The Overland is no slouch on the trails, but isn't a rock crawler like the Rubicon.

 

[lrtexasman]

I have driven them all, and driven the same trim level/options several times for comparison. There is a certain amount of variance between the same exact models pertaining to wheel responsiveness and wandering, which has been covered in other threads. IMO they all ride pretty much the same until you get to the Rubicon it is noticeably different due to the lift, suspension, and more aggressive tires. It does feel higher, stiffer shock travel over large obstructions, and more weighted steering. The Rubicon has the additional hardware to tackle off-road situations and you can tell the difference while driving in the set up. The Overland with HT tires is different due to the tires, but the ones I have driven with AT tires on drive the same as the Sport S.

 

[WXman]

I drove an Overland before ordering my Sport Max Tow. The Overland has super soft coil springs on it which make it ride very good, but, that's also the reason it has miserable payload and that miserable payload would prevent it from being used as a truck in my situation because I have a family who rides with me on camping trips. By the time we all got in the truck, we'd only have 200 lbs. of payload OR 2,000 lbs. of towing capacity remaining. That just won't work.

But, if you're single and all you are looking for is a great riding truck to commute in daily, the Overland sure was nice with its leather seats and 8.4" UConnect system.

 

[Digger70]

I drove an Overland before ordering my Sport Max Tow. The Overland has super soft coil springs on it which make it ride very good, but, that's also the reason it has miserable payload and that miserable payload would prevent it from being used as a truck in my situation because I have a family who rides with me on camping trips. By the time we all got in the truck, we'd only have 200 lbs. of payload OR 2,000 lbs. of towing capacity remaining. That just won't work.

But, if you're single and all you are looking for is a great riding truck to commute in daily, the Overland sure was nice with its leather seats and 8.4" UConnect system.

I wonder why they didn't offer the max tow with the Overland. What towing capacity do you have left after everyone is in your truck?

 

[WXman]

I wonder why they didn't offer the max tow with the Overland. What towing capacity do you have left after everyone is in your truck?

Since trailers typically put 10% or slightly more of their weight on the tongue, and tongue weight subtracts from payload, it's easy to have a situation where payload is what restricts towing capacity.

The Overland I drove had a payload of 1,053 lbs. My Sport Max Tow has a payload of 1,511 lbs. In my case, the entire family weighs about 825 lbs. combined. That would have left me with around 228 lbs. of payload or 2280 lbs of trailer towing. By contrast, the Max Tow leaves me with 686 lbs. of payload or 6,860 lbs of trailer towing. HUGE difference and that's why the Max Towing package opens up so many more possibilities.

I'm not exactly sure why they didn't offer this package on other trim levels but it has something to do with marketing probably.

 

[Lou3.6]

I have driven them all, and driven the same trim level/options several times for comparison. There is a certain amount of variance between the same exact models pertaining to wheel responsiveness and wandering, which has been covered in other threads. IMO they all ride pretty much the same until you get to the Rubicon it is noticeably different due to the lift, suspension, and more aggressive tires. It does feel higher, stiffer shock travel over large obstructions, and more weighted steering. The Rubicon has the additional hardware to tackle off-road situations and you can tell the difference while driving in the set up. The Overland with HT tires is different due to the tires, but the ones I have driven with AT tires on drive the same as the Sport S.

YUP, pretty much spot on . . . I suppose it depends on some things like that pesky tire pressure or at the factory perhaps what day it was built . . . which encompasses a slew of thoughts ! Nothing your local mechanic can't "handle" to tweet it "just right" ? ASS-uming there are no "real issues mechanically or defectively with parts .

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