Buying a gladiator in two weeks, still cant decide on the trim package ... Thoughts?

[John Hursh]

I havent owned a Jeep before and to be truthful, I havent owned a car in 10 years. Cost is not a concern. I will seldom take it off road and probably wont haul anything but my road bikes. That said, I like the slightly bigger tires (not the huge mudders), love the vented hood, and the coated bed ... but feel like the way it drives on the Highway is going to be the biggest factor to my satisfaction. That said. I would welcome any advice and comments?
- Configurations
- Negotiation (even though cost isnt a concern, I dont want to pay too much)
- Things to ask as part of the deal ????


THanks in advance!

I replaced my 17 JKU with a JT Three weeks ago. Test drove an Overland & a Mojave. They handle very differently. I ended up with the Overland. So glad I tested both before I bought and after 2,500 miles know I made the right choice. Drive several before choosing.

Sponsored

 

[Phljeeper]

If you want to blow an extra $23k get the rubicon. You'll get some generic yet "upgraded" steel wheels and a sweet looking hood. Basically the sport and rubicon are the same jeep, minus the 4.10 gears, which you'll only need if you are towing your aunt flossy's mobile home. So for an extra $23,000 you get to have the prada of car badges "rubicon". After much research I just couldn't justify paying $63k for a loaded tits out rubicon. Paid 41k for an overland and tricked it out and it's a fraction of the price of a rubicon which does not have anything special in the engine department or body mods. WHY people insist on the rubicon and overpaying boggles the mind when 98% of jeep owners don't offroad. Waste of money and an ego circle jerk if u ask me

So this is completely inaccurate. While the rubicon isn’t for every use case it is not $23k more. Similar equipped overland or sport will make it closer to a $5k upgrade. For that you get parts that are very valuable for those taking it off road including a 4:1 transfer case, front and rear lockers, sway bar disconnect, 4.10 gearing and wide track axles (gears and axles are also available on the max tow). Yes these are not needed for many people but it is much more than a hood and decal. Everyone should buy the model that fits their needs and the original poster probably doesn’t need the Rubicon.

 

[unsocbl]

The Mojave would be my choice just from an off the lot 'looks' perspective AND the upgraded suspension/shocks designed for washboard type offroading. I'm in Middle TN and the biggest rocks here are driveways, so no need for a rock crawler.

On must haves, The Aux switch group, heated seats/steering wheel, 7" radio were on my Sport S and wouldn't get one without those. I WISH it had the LED group (already replaced headlights/fog lights with aftermarket Quake LED's) and the premium radio group (there's just no depth to the 7" sound, although it too can be upgraded aftermarket)

 

[Blknblu]

The Overland is perfect for Mall crawling, so I took that route.

Bruce

 

[SandSurfer]

So this is completely inaccurate. While the rubicon isn’t for every use case it is not $23k more. Similar equipped overland or sport will make it closer to a $5k upgrade. For that you get parts that are very valuable for those taking it off road including a 4:1 transfer case, front and rear lockers, sway bar disconnect, 4.10 gearing and wide track axles (gears and axles are also available on the max tow). Yes these are not needed for many people but it is much more than a hood and decal. Everyone should buy the model that fits their needs and the original poster probably doesn’t need the Rubicon.

Thank You for clarifying , I was looking for the right way, without being harsh!

I bought, should I say ordered, my Rubicon a year ago and got it exactly the way "I" wanted it, it's "YOUR" Jeep, build it the way "YOU" want it, "YOU" are paying for it!

Oh yeah, it's a year later and 14,000 miles and I am still loving my Rubicon !!!

Picture is from 2 - 3 days after I got it!

 

[rhinomanj]

The Mojave would be my choice just from an off the lot 'looks' perspective AND the upgraded suspension/shocks designed for washboard type offroading. I'm in Middle TN and the biggest rocks here are driveways, so no need for a rock crawler.

On must haves, The Aux switch group, heated seats/steering wheel, 7" radio were on my Sport S and wouldn't get one without those. I WISH it had the LED group (already replaced headlights/fog lights with aftermarket Quake LED's) and the premium radio group (there's just no depth to the 7" sound, although it too can be upgraded aftermarket)

I too am in middle TN, I do have a slight hill in my driveway I appreciate the post.

 

[BAT]

Thank You for clarifying , I was looking for the right way, without being harsh!

I bought, should I say ordered, my Rubicon a year ago and got it exactly the way "I" wanted it, it's "YOUR" Jeep, build it the way "YOU" want it, "YOU" are paying for it!

Oh yeah, it's a year later and 14,000 miles and I am still loving my Rubicon !!!

Picture is from 2 - 3 days after I got it!

Your out by Nasa

 

[wannajeep]

If you want to blow an extra $23k get the rubicon. You'll get some generic yet "upgraded" steel wheels and a sweet looking hood. Basically the sport and rubicon are the same jeep, minus the 4.10 gears, which you'll only need if you are towing your aunt flossy's mobile home. So for an extra $23,000 you get to have the prada of car badges "rubicon". After much research I just couldn't justify paying $63k for a loaded tits out rubicon. Paid 41k for an overland and tricked it out and it's a fraction of the price of a rubicon which does not have anything special in the engine department or body mods. WHY people insist on the rubicon and overpaying boggles the mind when 98% of jeep owners don't offroad. Waste of money and an ego circle jerk if u ask me

Correctly stated, for base configurations / no options, Sport vs Rubi, currently on jeep site:

- price diff is $12k
- Sport 3.73 vs rubi 4.10 axle gear ratio
- Sport steel wheels vs rubi alloys
- rubi 1.5 inches more clearance
- rubi rock rails
- Sport Uconnect 3 sound system vs Rubi 4
- Sport 31 inch tires vs Rubi 33
- Sport Trac-Loc vs Rubi Tru-lock diffs front/rear
- Rubi front electronic sway bar disconnect
- Sport 4,000 vs Rubi 4,500 lb towing capacity
- oh yeah, and those super cool Rubi decals

Whether or not you need/want all that is up to you.

 

[GrubbyBaja]

I wanted a Rubicon or Mojave from the beginning. My profile: weekend truck to haul my mountain bike, kayak, and pull a small trailer (less than 3000 lbs); occasional light off-roading; trips to the local lumber yard for supplies, mulch, etc. I planned to order a Mojave, but after really thinking about it, I wanted a Jeep for the ease of modification. The Mojave suspension is purpose built and any mods (lifts, larger tires, etc.) would likely degrade things. Plus, I didn't need front lockers and swaybar disconnect, but thought it would be nice...just in case. I also preferred the 4:1 transfer case for off roading since I was getting the 6-speed. Pulled a stump out the other day...full lockers came in handy. Good luck. As others have said, order exactly what you want and wait the 6-8 weeks. There are dealers listed on this forum that will give you a quote anywhere from 5%-8% below invoice on a custom order.

 

[TJRjeepn]

I went with a Sport S Max Tow because I do plan to tow and haul things at times. I don’t plan to off road my Gladiator much ( I have an 03 TJR for that). My JT is my daily and it rides great. Eventually I do plan on the Mopar 2” lift and 35”s because I do prefer that look on the JT. I’ve heard the Mopar lift fox shocks actually improve the ride over stock. I do recommend getting the comforts you like. We wanted the cold weather group, 8.4 screen with premium sound and love it. The rear locking seats and under seat cargo box is nice to have also if you plan to remove doors or top and afraid of leaving your JT in public.
I’m with you tho I do love the Rubicon look but just wasn’t in the budget nor would I need the lockers since I’m not rock crawling this thing.

 

[TJRjeepn]

- Sport 4,000 vs Rubi 4,500 lb towing capacity

According to my dealership and VIN my sport S max w auto trans can tow 8,000 lbs as it sits.

 

[rhinomanj]

Thank You for clarifying , I was looking for the right way, without being harsh!

I bought, should I say ordered, my Rubicon a year ago and got it exactly the way "I" wanted it, it's "YOUR" Jeep, build it the way "YOU" want it, "YOU" are paying for it!

Oh yeah, it's a year later and 14,000 miles and I am still loving my Rubicon !!!

Picture is from 2 - 3 days after I got it!

A true object of beauty

 

[wannajeep]

According to my dealership and VIN my sport S max w auto trans can tow 8,000 lbs as it sits.

8,000 lb is a mighty tall order for a 3.6L Pentastar. However yes your Sport would likely tow more than the 4,500 I quoted, as I was going from base configuration on both rigs on jeep.com without any options/upgrades, just for a fair comparison.

 

[Tall Mike]

I could have got into a stripped down Rubicon for less money than I paid for my Overland North Edition. The Overland is pretty well loaded up and the North Edition goodies will be nice in our upstate NY winters. At this point in my life I could care less about the fancy hood and decal that the Rubicon's have. The cools kids can have all that.

 

[wannajeep]

Forget everything I said about the 3.6L tow/haul capacity - your pic shows the JT hauling the space shuttle

Sponsored