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IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, PURCHASE DECISION

ZTMAN

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Question is, when you purchased your Gladiator is there anything that you did not know then, that you know now, that would have change your purchase decision or equipment options.

I have owned seven Wranglers (CJ, YJ, JK, JKU) Looking at a JT. When I speck out a Sport S with the equipment I want, it is basically the close to a price of a stripped down Rubicon.

I use my jeep as a weekend driver, mild trails at our camp. Currently have a 2016 JKU WW with ten thousand miles. Headed to the dealerships this weekend..

Debating betweend a Sport S with auto tran, trac-lok, cold weather group, trailer tow (I would then add larger tires.wheels and rock rails) or a Rubicon with auto tran and cold weather group.

Any feed back would be appreciated.
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WXman

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When I spec'd out a Sport S and Rubicon, both equipped as similarly as I could get them to how I wanted my truck, the difference was thousands of dollars. Like, several thousand dollars. The two are not nearly as close as people think, apples to apples.

If I was doing over again today, I'd still strongly consider a Rubicon simply because I've wanted one since 2003 and I have never owned one, and because you can get body color fenders on the Rubicon. But, that 33% reduction in payload is just a massive issue for me, and it's what pushed me back to the Sport when it was time to lay down the money.
 

Ichthus

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Question is, when you purchased your Gladiator is there anything that you did not know then, that you know now, that would have change your purchase decision or equipment options.

I have owned seven Wranglers (CJ, YJ, JK, JKU) Looking at a JT. When I speck out a Sport S with the equipment I want, it is basically the close to a price of a stripped down Rubicon.

I use my jeep as a weekend driver, mild trails at our camp. Currently have a 2016 JKU WW with ten thousand miles. Headed to the dealerships this weekend..

Debating betweend a Sport S with auto tran, trac-lok, convenience group, trailer tow or a Rubicon with auto tran and convenience group.

Any feed back would be appreciated.
I came down to the same realization: equipped Sport S was almost the same price as the Rubicon I wanted. Got the Rubi. As you have them optioned, I’d get the Rubicon just for CarPlay and Lockers. Depending on how you mod (or don’t), you have the added advantage of the 33” tires, rock-rails, and steel rear bumper...all of which will either save you $ in mods, or sell easily and help fund their replacements.

Honestly, the 2 things I find myself wishing for now are the proximity entry and hard top. I haven’t locked the doors on my Jeeps EVER. 97 TJ, 08 JK, 14 JKU...I kept nothing in them and never locked them. Would literally leave them parked at the airport for days, or longer, unlocked. Now, for whatever reason, I feel compelled to lock this thing...and between the key-fob that is larger than my last flip-phone, push-button start, and the single, rear plastic window, I wish I had prox-entry.

Also, I wish I’d traded my JKU for a JL as soon as the 19’s were available. In that case, I’d probably have gotten the truck with an automatic, cold wx package, and kept the JL as a third vehicle instead of finding myself buying a JLU Willys now for my wife...but that doesn’t help you at all
 

Hootbro

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If you are the razors edge between the two, get the Rubicon. I was in the same boat when online building out what I wanted and came to within spitting distance of a Rubicon with the Sport S I had built out. Making the leap and getting the Rubicon was a no brainer even if it meant finding a few more dollars to pay for it.

I think FCA/Jeep actually planned it out that way if you started adding options on to a Sport and even an Overland, it pushed into Rubicon price territory pretty quick and by default pushed buyers into getting a Rubicon more than a Sport or Overland.
 

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What I found was that there were options NOT available on the Sport S, that I wanted and I've always wanted a Rubicon, Rubicon it is! The price difference is negligible, especially if your even thinking about lockers. I spent a ton of money on my JKU, and it still wasn't a Rubicon! Buy once, cry once!!!
 

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furrymurray

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I have been looking at and pricing Sport S since the release of the Gladiator. For shits and giggles I priced a Rubicon to see how far off the price would be. I am just gonna say that I will have my JT Rubicon in Sting Gray in a week or so. Once I looked at it on paper it just made sense to go with the Rubicon considering the price I was getting it for. I hope you do what is right for you, either way I think you will be happy.
 

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If I had known the 7” display that comes standard on the Rubicon turned into a 5” display as soon as you start up CarPlay, I would have gotten the 8.4” option.
 
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ZTMAN

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Thanks for the feedback so far. Sport S would be nice in the Pa winter with Trac Loc. Every now and then you get dry/icy patches on the road. That is the only real reason I would consider the Sport S.

Never had a Jeep with a hard top, all have been the soft top. Appreciate the comments about that.

I saw some conflicting info on this site regarding comments about the lockers on the Rubicon. One fellow said they can only be used in 4L, someone else commented you could use the lockers in 4H???? I am under the impression the axles can only be locked in 4L???
 

SleepyJeep

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I have a selfish motive to understand this as well as I hopefully plan to buy a second one in Gator and Diesel down the line and build it up - so I want to understand these feature differences.

I wonder if there is anyone in this forum who is an Excel expert can really spec out the differences in an easily readable spreadsheet format and we can figure out the reasoning as to what features makes sense and give you the best ROI would be amazing :)
 

PyrPatriot

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Question is, when you purchased your Gladiator is there anything that you did not know then, that you know now, that would have change your purchase decision or equipment options.

I have owned seven Wranglers (CJ, YJ, JK, JKU) Looking at a JT. When I speck out a Sport S with the equipment I want, it is basically the close to a price of a stripped down Rubicon.

I use my jeep as a weekend driver, mild trails at our camp. Currently have a 2016 JKU WW with ten thousand miles. Headed to the dealerships this weekend..

Debating betweend a Sport S with auto tran, trac-lok, cold weather group, trailer tow (I would then add larger tires.wheels and rock rails) or a Rubicon with auto tran and cold weather group.

Any feed back would be appreciated.
I didn't know about invoice or employee pricing options. I may have sprung for a Rubucon (auto transmission hard top and trailer tow group) instead of a Sport S with Max Tow and some other features. I most likely would not have, as there are no such configured Rubicons in my area and all the JT Rubicons are 15-20k more than a near well-loaded Sport S
 

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PyrPatriot

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I have a selfish motive to understand this as well as I hopefully plan to buy a second one in Gator and Diesel down the line and build it up - so I want to understand these feature differences.

I wonder if there is anyone in this forum who is an Excel expert can really spec out the differences in an easily readable spreadsheet format and we can figure out the reasoning as to what features makes sense and give you the best ROI would be amazing :)
The sticky up top has the spreadsheet. Basically here is my example:

I could get a Sport S, automatic transmission, hard top, Max Tow package, cold weather group, 7" U-connect, Alpine radio, Auxillary group, cargo management group, and Convenience Group for about the same cost as a Rubicon with just an automatic transmission, hard top, and trailer tow package.
 

BLK HOLE

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So I ordered mine...and I'm usually a bare bones Rubicon buyer because I know I'll mod it.

So I only added Aux switches, bed liner, hard top and an Auto. All of which I'd definitely do again.

I opted out of the 8.4 system because Chrysler radios have been junk historically....but this generation is better, but not without its problems. I SORT OF wish I had gone with it. But this one is just marginal.

Proximity key system - opting out of that sort of defeated the purpose of a button ignition. Sort of wish I had that.

The cruise control system is cool and all but I still wouldn't pay for it.

There's zero need for a Rubicon if you don't plan to wheel it hard enough to need to he lockers.
 

maxpower220

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I thought I wanted a hard top, but the wife said "why get a Jeep without a soft top". So, I got the soft top and I'm very happy.

I got cloth because I wanted a design/ color choice other than factory. Plus katzkin and heated are cheaper than just leather from factory.
Got safety pack, blind side blis and really do like, especially with the small side mirrors (last truck was f150). Led rail light looks cools but no added value.

Did not want adapt cruise, hate it in wife's car and turn it off. Didn't see the cost for the following: Led, cargo management, wheels, 8.4 radio, tonneau, cold wx. I live in Fl and these things are not worth the price for me.
Rubicon was about $3k more than like equipped max tow. Adding wheels tires and a nerf/slider to max tow made the price difference too little, so I got the jtr.
 

CarolinaGladiator

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The only option that I really wish I had is the lockers. That option is only available with the Rubicon. The Rubicon however is not available with Max Tow and that was a must have. I DD my JT and I wheel it moderately too. I probably didn't save enough to cover the cost of adding lockers to my truck but I couldn't increase the tow capacity of the Rubicon. I'm very pleased with what I have and I am glad I went the route I did.
 

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I purchased a Sport S max tow with only 7” radio group, aux group, and convenience group.

Only other feature I wish I had with daily use is proximity entry... wifes car has this feature and you don’t realize how convenient it is until you don’t have it lol
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