Couple of questions before I make a buying decision

[Pedalmasher]

I love the looks of the Rubicon, but in that I have no plans to either tow or use it off-road, I'm trying to decide if it is worth it just for the looks. Three important questions: 1) I see a lot of comments in reviews about the loose steering at highway speeds. Does the various Gladiator packages handle the same on the highway? I would think that with a car more dedicated to off-road, the the handling might not be as good as the Sport S. 2) Is the ride of the Rubicon as good as that of the Sport S on the highway? And 3) I would assume that gas mileage in the city would be worse with the Rubicon versus the Sport - is that true?

Oh and yes, there is a white Sport S in transit to my local dealer, and probably the only thing I don't particularly like about it is that it has the white versus the black grill. Would it be a big deal to ask for a swap out? I know with the current conditions, it is pretty difficult to deal, something I am not used to having been an owner of over 40 cars in my driving life, but I wonder if a try might be something like asking for a Mopar fold up tonneau cover prior to committing to the truck?

I'm excited about the prospect of finally owning my first Jeep - I have always wanted one and the time has finally come!!

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[Alans17]

If you’re mainly interested in a Rubicon for the looks, have you considered a Mojave? They’ve got way better suspension for a smoother ride and it tall enough to fit 35” tires without modifications.

 

[NachoRuby]

May I suggest splitting the difference between the Rubicon and Sport S? Get a Willys. It'll have some of the looks you're after, for less cost. You might be able to work in a tonneau cover, But I doubt they'll do a grille swap . Either build/find one with the black grille, or just buy a black grille yourself.

No matter which trim you get, you should offroad at least once. You might like it!

 

[kevman65]

Throw all the trims out when it comes to mileage or handling. It is basically the same truck.
The Rubicon and the Mojave come with better shocks than the rest, Mojave being better than the Rubicon.

Rubicon, Mojave, and Sport S Max Tow come with the wider axles.

With that said, you just need to decide what options or packages you want. What color you want. What transmission you want. And finally how much you want to spend.

 

[NachoRuby]

Throw all the trims out when it comes to mileage or handling. It is basically the same truck.
The Rubicon and the Mojave come with better shocks than the rest, Mojave being better than the Rubicon.

Rubicon, Mojave, and Sport S Max Tow come with the wider axles.

With that said, you just need to decide what options or packages you want. What color you want. What transmission you want. And finally how much you want to spend.

True, and most of the other Rubicon stuff is pointless if you don't want to off-road. You'd be paying for lockers, swaybar disconnected, and at least the rear bumper. @Pedalmasher, coming
from a Rubicon owner, I would not do it if you're only going to see pavement.

 

[ezekio3160]

You mention you like the looks of the rubicon? I’m assuming you mean the interior look of the rubicon which is the red theme dash and red stitching on the seats? If so I’d recommend getting a sport Gladiator and going to a body shop to paint the dash red and put on seat covers with red stitching to give it the rubicon look to save all that money instead of trying to buy a rubicon and not take it off road. That’s my .2cents.

 

[mdyucca]

Two reasons to get the Rubicon. 1, Off road capability with Rubicon factory lockers front/back and front sway bar disconnect. 2. Resale value.

Gladiators do not get good gas mileage and mileage goes down as tire size increases.

If you buy a non Rubicon then decide you want the off road capabilities of a Rubicon you will end up spending more with the add ons and modifications on the non Rubicon than if you would have just bought the Rubicon in the first place. However, in either case as a Jeep owner you probably will spend lots of $$$ on modifications and after market products. Its a Jeep thing.

In stock form the Rubicon and non Rubicons are both very stable on the road and ride quality is very good. I would think that a stock Sport S with 3:73 gears, M/S rated tires would give the best overall on road ride quality, stability and gas mileage.

Most owners enjoy the comfort, capability and versatility of the Gladiator as a daily driver no matter the model.

Let us know what you end up with!

 

[MoDean]

If the grill color is really an issue, it is an extremely simple job to swap it yourself.

 

[Garemlin]

This is practical and thrifty me talking. There is almost a $7k difference between a Sport S and a Rubicon. You already said towing and off-roading are not an interest. So you are essentially paying that extra money for a hood, decals, red dash and wheels.

My advice is order a Sport S with the creature comforts you want and get the satin black grille for $195. You will have exactly what you want and nothing you don't need. Paint your dash panels, buy an aftermarket or Rubicon take-off hood and wheels and tires of your choice.

 

[Pedalmasher]

If you’re mainly interested in a Rubicon for the looks, have you considered a Mojave? They’ve got way better suspension for a smoother ride and it tall enough to fit 35” tires without modifications.

I have, I love the looks of both and see that the Mojave is considered superior according to videos I have viewed.

 

[Pedalmasher]

May I suggest splitting the difference between the Rubicon and Sport S? Get a Willys. It'll have some of the looks you're after, for less cost. You might be able to work in a tonneau cover, But I doubt they'll do a grille swap . Either build/find one with the black grille, or just buy a black grille yourself.

No matter which trim you get, you should offroad at least once. You might like it!

Thanks, that sounds like a potential plan for sure!

 

[Pedalmasher]

Throw all the trims out when it comes to mileage or handling. It is basically the same truck.
The Rubicon and the Mojave come with better shocks than the rest, Mojave being better than the Rubicon.

Rubicon, Mojave, and Sport S Max Tow come with the wider axles.

With that said, you just need to decide what options or packages you want. What color you want. What transmission you want. And finally how much you want to spend.

 

[Pedalmasher]

Thanks for the input!

 

[Pedalmasher]

Two reasons to get the Rubicon. 1, Off road capability with Rubicon factory lockers front/back and front sway bar disconnect. 2. Resale value.

Gladiators do not get good gas mileage and mileage goes down as tire size increases.

If you buy a non Rubicon then decide you want the off road capabilities of a Rubicon you will end up spending more with the add ons and modifications on the non Rubicon than if you would have just bought the Rubicon in the first place. However, in either case as a Jeep owner you probably will spend lots of $$$ on modifications and after market products. Its a Jeep thing.

In stock form the Rubicon and non Rubicons are both very stable on the road and ride quality is very good. I would think that a stock Sport S with 3:73 gears, M/S rated tires would give the best overall on road ride quality, stability and gas mileage.

Most owners enjoy the comfort, capability and versatility of the Gladiator as a daily driver no matter the model.

Let us know what you end up with!

Thanks, will do, there is a good chance I will wind up with the Sport S that is currently in transit to my dealer and might be here as early as next week.

 

[Alans17]

A word of warning… accessorizing and upgradingcan become an addiction. Set budget.

Also, the tires will almost certainly start to feel small on whatever you buy. This is doubly true for the Sport S, though. I do like the Willy’s suggestion, though. Nice medium ground, but it’s mostly an appearance package so you not paying extra for all the fancy parts on the Rubicon and Mojave you’ll never see or use.

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