Haven't given up hope. Stuck on trim level

[JT1]

I don't plan on too much horrible terrain. Im in alabama so its mostly dirt l
Roads logging trails hunting mud ect. 37s would be overkill i think for me. 35s with a Mopar 2inch lift will probably be where I go. Don't plan on taking an expensive truck anywhere that it might be a piece of scrap when im done with it

Local terrain makes a huge difference.. our trails aren't super tight, but tons of rocks. I need all the belly clearance I can get..

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[BAT]

Just my take and coming from buying mine in July after waiting quite some time to get one. I got the most based on what I could afford not putting me in a bind and being able to do mostly what I plan to do with the truck. That being said if I could have afforded the Rubicon I would have likely gotten it just for the fact that it offered a lot of stuff to shall we say future proof the truck. I went Sport S Max Tow and left myself $5000 to put things on and in the truck (I blew through that in no time LOL). If there are a lot of odds and ends you want to put on and into the truck and can't go much more past your rubicon budget then you might want to go Sport S and have some dollars to do additional but if the Rubicon offers you everything you need then your good to go.

 

[Rex3rd]

Just my take and coming from buying mine in July after waiting quite some time to get one. I got the most based on what I could afford not putting me in a bind and being able to do mostly what I plan to do with the truck. That being said if I could have afforded the Rubicon I would have likely gotten it just for the fact that it offered a lot of stuff to shall we say future proof the truck. I went Sport S Max Tow and left myself $5000 to put things on and in the truck (I blew through that in no time LOL). If there are a lot of odds and ends you want to put on and into the truck and can't go much more past your rubicon budget then you might want to go Sport S and have some dollars to do additional but if the Rubicon offers you everything you need then your good to go.

If I got rubicon I'd want 35s deal without a lift until I saved up bumpers winch eventually led headlights and leave it at that. Im sure ill find other things to add but don't see myself adding 5k to it, maybe 20 years from now ?

 

[Frank...]

I test dove a 6 speed Willys and really liked it, however payload sticker on the door jam was listed at only 1052 lbs. I Have no idea why it was so low????

 

[BAT]

If I got rubicon I'd want 35s deal without a lift until I saved up bumpers winch eventually led headlights and leave it at that. Im sure ill find other things to add but don't see myself adding 5k to it, maybe 20 years from now ?

Well I had to buy a soft top cause for me it was all about being able to put top up or down quickly otherwise I could have just stayed in my ram. I needed a Tri Fold Cover for more secure storage on my kayaking trips. Also pick up some Rubi Take off tires and rims cause the Stock one's were just blehhh. So I blew through the $5K pretty quick

 

[Rex3rd]

I test dove a 6 speed Willys and really liked it, however payload sticker on the door jam was listed at only 1052 lbs. I Have no idea why it was so low????

I've been watching to see what payload towing numbers are for willys trim. That sucks

 

[Rex3rd]

Well I had to buy a soft top cause for me it was all about being able to put top up or down quickly otherwise I could have just stayed in my ram. I needed a Tri Fold Cover for more secure storage on my kayaking trips. Also pick up some Rubi Take off tires and rims cause the Stock one's were just blehhh. So I blew through the $5K pretty quick

Standard soft top will be a must. Only options im wanting are aux switches and tow package

 

[Frank...]

I was stuck on trim levels for a while and finally decided on a 6 speed sport s. Just sent Travis from Tri-City my specs and waiting for a quote.
Firecracker Red
Tan Seats
8.4" Radio
Rear Differential
Aux switch
Trail Rails
Cold weather
LED's
Pop Equip
Roll-up Tonneau
Active Safety
Bedliner

 

[EstoJTR]

Have you considered setting up alerts on the used market? Cars.com for example has 2000+ used Gladiators listed right now across the US, and though I fully understand the appeal of the new car smell, being the first owner, and the various under-invoice deals going around, if you're good with a 2020 model you could possibly land a CPO for a nice discount with some patience. Save more money for the inevitable mods (once you start you can't stop). Just my $.02

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

Base Sport!
Wouldn't do anything different if I had to do all over again. $34,600 with everything listed below. Special ordered. Didn't break the bank and lots of $ left for upgrades when it's right.
- Max Tow
- Bed liner
- Axillary switches
- Bed liner
- Hard top
- Slush mats
- Engine block heater
- Tonneau cover

Added Rubicon take offs:
- Wheels
- Rock rails
- Shocks

Also added 35x10.5 tires
1.5 spacer lift front
.75 spacer lift rear
Adjustable lower control arms
Adjustable front sway bar
Sunrider top
Red line hood struts

And this is my last truck. My dream for years. Will keep it forever as I do most things.

It's all about what's important to you. The S package had nothing I wanted. The Rubicon is cool but I didn't buy this to hard core wheel. Plus I hate the graphics and red accents. Also not a fan of hood vents. I was trying to keep it clean and simple. To each their own. There all awesome but there's only one that's right for you. Good luck and have fun figuring it out. Keep us posted on your decision. Just look down the road as well. We all get older. What will you want in a truck 5, 10, 20 years later? You said your keeping it for ever so think about that.

 

[Terry]

As some know I've been on the forums for awhile and I've been watching the gladiator ever since it came to life. I've spent the last two years slowly killing my debt where my finances will be In order to buy a gladiator sometime next year but im stuck. I've built probably 1000 vehicles from different trims on the build website. What I do want is manual transmission. I can go as base as it goes and go to the willys package which looks nice but 3 73 gears less towing but more payload and with manual windows I constantly see myself having issues because I like to roll down windows in bad rain ect so I can see clearly before I drive off so that will be a pain. I can upgrade to the willys sport s manual but rubicon is just 5k away and ill have 410 gears and have alot more to go with it. Only want aux switches and tow package regardless of trim. Would you jump to the rubicon manual and call it a day or go sport s willys manual. Im tired of going back and forth and making myself aggravated. Yes I can regear sport s but by the time I do that I might as well buy the rubicon. Someone point me in the right direction before my head explodes. Don't plan on any major rock crawling but would like to overland and camp through trails

I have the Rubicon and couldn't be happier. Mine is an automatic but after trail driving with two other Jeeps and several KTM Dual Sports I found none of the Jeeps could out perform me; however, the KTM Dual Sports ate my lunch and then threw the sack in my face, but then they're Austrian. I also took apart a Toyota 4Runner on open dirt trails running 55 mph plus with no oversteer or traction problems noted. Simply said, i have had a plethora of 4X4 Toyota's and none of them can out perform my JT Rubicon. Buy the Rubicon, you won't be sorry.....

 

[TrainMan]

I understand. I was on that builder site everyday configuring Jeeps. I thought I settled on an Overland until the last few days leading up. I did the Sport S Max Tow specifically for the 35s. I had mine custom ordered because nobody had exactly what I wanted.

 

[LordEnzo]

Sport s max tow sounds like ur best bet. With the right tires and lift, lockers won't be necessary. Trac lok has served me very well in Florida sand/mud. Even submerged up to headlights in muddy water with muck on the bottom. Granted, im on 3.5 lift and 37s. Real sticky situations may require 4 lo, but most the time im in 4 hi. After u option it out how u want, itll still be cheaper than a rubi and nearly as capable. The money saved could net u the majority of the upgrades u want and put u on pay with a rubi. Also, sport s max tow can tow 650 lb more than rubi, on paper and in auto. Not sure bout manual. Max tow gives u the track lok rear and 4.10 gears. Beat think to do is just go on jeep site and build both the way u want, print, and then compare. Love my sport s and wouldnt think twice bout the rubi.

 

[eaglerugby04]

Standard soft top will be a must. Only options im wanting are aux switches and tow package

The premium soft top is worth the money, I only have that and it has been great.

It looks like you are going down a similar path that I did. I was going back and forth for the longest time, but I got a relatively low feature rubicon with just aux, auto tran, bed liner, tow, cargo, and my one splurge the 8.4 radio lol. Really glad I went with it, having all the extras is a pretty good value overall. Honestly I am happy with the stock 33s with it, vs would have trashed the stock tires before it got home on the sport

Putting in Oracle headlights a year later now for half what the LED package would have been. Did my own winch and bumper for less than the cost of mopar bumper itself.

My only advice make sure you are ok with the limitations of the manual and test drive it. I wanted to go manual but the towing killed it for me. The less than stelar reviews compared to the auto made me feel better about the auto overall.

 

[rvillano8188]

I went Rubi because I was able to get a 2% deal on financing (at that rate you gotta use the banks money instead of your own), plus was able to get good money for my take-offs so I could limit the pain when upgrading wheels and rock rails, etc. the big thing was the gears, as I planned to go bigger tires and didn’t want to regear. I’m at 37’s and while some will tell you it’s not optimal at 4.10’s, I’m having zero issues with running this setup on a 2” lift, as are many others here. 35’s at 4.10 will be a dream.

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