Most Difficult Options to Add Later?

[Jeeperjamie]

The Aux switch group option (AM2) is $295 and invoice on it is $266.

If that's all it cost then it's well worth it. I think I could wire it myself but I wonder what the dealership would charge for install

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[tampahoosier]

The Aux switch group option (AM2) is $295 and invoice on it is $266.

Before I decided to special order and I was shopping around I feel like this option was almost always on the window sticker.

 

[bastage]

Ignoring the nanny features a fairly well loaded Rubicon is about 16k more then a nearly Sport S Max Tow (add convenience) both with auto's. Initially you loose the audio, lockers, sway bar disconnect, leather, switch's & heated seats.. To make up for it in the aftermarket your looking at about 2k for the heated & leather seats, 4500 for the audio & switch's (Using the Alpine 9" restyle with the 8 switch module & the Alpine sub/amp/tweeter upgrade kit). Thats leaving a net difference of over 9k that you can put into lockers, suspension, wheels, tires etc..

I think that the only advantage of a Rubicon & the majority of the upgrades is that its already done, but not done as well as you can upg a sport S to for less or the same money. The only feature that I really see as lacking other then the nanny bull shit is a heated steering wheel which I would really like, but not enough for it to be a deal breaker for everything else thats improved.

Edit: One other advantage to the Rubicon that I forgot comes that the upgrades are financed in. That can make a big difference if you dont have the cash flow to drop on the extras afterwards vs just a monthly car payment if your driving with the 5" radio for a long time or going a winter without the heated seats.

 

[tampahoosier]

Ignoring the nanny features a fairly well loaded Rubicon is about 16k more then a nearly Sport S Max Tow (add convenience) both with auto's. Initially you loose the audio, lockers, sway bar disconnect, leather, switch's & heated seats.. To make up for it in the aftermarket your looking at about 2k for the heated & leather seats, 4500 for the audio & switch's (Using the Alpine 9" restyle with the 8 switch module & the Alpine sub/amp/tweeter upgrade kit). Thats leaving a net difference of over 9k that you can put into lockers, suspension, wheels, tires etc..

I think that the only advantage of a Rubicon & the majority of the upgrades is that its already done, but not done as well as you can upg a sport S to for less or the same money. The only feature that I really see as lacking other then the nanny bull shit is a heated steering wheel which I would really like, but not enough for it to be a deal breaker for everything else thats improved.

Edit: One other advantage to the Rubicon that I forgot comes that the upgrades are financed in. That can make a big difference if you dont have the cash flow to drop on the extras afterwards vs just a monthly car payment if your driving with the 5" radio for a long time or going a winter without the heated seats.

They are not 16k apart. Sure the builder site shows employee pricing which makes it deceivingly cheaper. But most of us on here know we can get any model for between 3-8% below invoice, which is WAY better than the employee pricing advertised and excludes the Rubicon. So right off the bat you can exclude the starting price differences that are very deceiving. Best place to really look is at the monthly build sheet with MSRP and invoice prices.

I had a fully loaded Sport S max tow on order and just changed over to a Rubicon last week. I’ve been in the market since last December and I keep an excel build/options sheet going with the MSRP and invoice prices updated. The max tow was going to cost me $51,700 MSRP. The same Rubicon with the same options as the Sport S Max Tow was $58,035. That’s only a $6,300 difference. Worth noting is that difference includes the $1,000 LED package that’s required with certain add ons. So depending on what admins you want you may only have a $5,300 difference.

Also, you do not loose alpine audio (or 8.4” nav package for that matter) switches or heated seats (you mean the cold weather package). All of those options are available on the Sport S. Heck you can even get painted fender flares ($250 extra) even though the Jeep.com builder tool won’t let you add that along with the max tow package. Don’t forget the Max Tow does get you the same axles and gear ratio, bigger rear brakes than the Rubicon and has a Trac-lock differential.

What you get in the rubicon trim is lockers, front e-disco, Offroad + mode, rock sliders on cab and bed, 33” tires, hood, different fenders, and other minor features like red accents, grey trim kit, different dash etc.

What you cannot get on the Sport S that the rubicon can is actually quite limited. Leather, body color matched hard top, proximity keyless entry, LED package (headlights, fogs, fender markers). That’s it.

Food for thought, I just want to see accurate information out there for folks in the market.
If anyone wants my handy dandy excel sheet feel free to PM me.

 

[tampahoosier]

I want to also point out that those prices do not include any rebates or FCA cash. Which if the Sport S gets another rebate, say 2k gain, that would make it $8,300 cheaper.
People say you can build it up your way with rims/tires/lift etc but that’s a moot point because you do it on any trim.

 

[bastage]

They are not 16k apart. Sure the builder site shows employee pricing which makes it deceivingly cheaper. But most of us on here know we can get any model for between 3-8% below invoice, which is WAY better than the employee pricing advertised and excludes the Rubicon. So right off the bat you can exclude the starting price differences that are very deceiving. Best place to really look is at the monthly build sheet with MSRP and invoice prices.

I had a fully loaded Sport S max tow on order and just changed over to a Rubicon last week. I’ve been in the market since last December and I keep an excel build/options sheet going with the MSRP and invoice prices updated. The max tow was going to cost me $51,700 MSRP. The same Rubicon with the same options as the Sport S Max Tow was $58,035. That’s only a $6,300 difference. Worth noting is that difference includes the $1,000 LED package that’s required with certain add ons. So depending on what admins you want you may only have a $5,300 difference.

Also, you do not loose alpine audio (or 8.4” nav package for that matter) switches or heated seats (you mean the cold weather package). All of those options are available on the Sport S. Heck you can even get painted fender flares ($250 extra) even though the Jeep.com builder tool won’t let you add that along with the max tow package. Don’t forget the Max Tow does get you the same axles and gear ratio, bigger rear brakes than the Rubicon and has a Trac-lock differential.

What you get in the rubicon trim is lockers, front e-disco, Offroad + mode, rock sliders on cab and bed, 33” tires, hood, different fenders, and other minor features like red accents, grey trim kit, different dash etc.

What you cannot get on the Sport S that the rubicon can is actually quite limited. Leather, body color matched hard top, proximity keyless entry, LED package (headlights, fogs, fender markers). That’s it.

Food for thought, I just want to see accurate information out there for folks in the market.
If anyone wants my handy dandy excel sheet feel free to PM me.

I was not talking about a Loaded Sport S Max Tow vs a Loaded Rubicon... I was talking about as basic as you can get Sport S Max Tow (exception of adding the convenience package for the remote start as its cheaper then any aftermarket options i've seen) vs a Loaded Rubicon (minus the nanny shit). If your loading them both up then as you pointed out the cost will be much much closer. 6,300 for the better shocks, elockers & LED package I would definitely say is not a bad upgrade at all.

Also the Sport S can somehow be ordered with leather. There is a dealer at the other end of the state from me with a few Sport S max tow's with it. Shows as "Black Stitched Leather Upgrade by Mopar® $1,750" on the monroney.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Ignoring the nanny features a fairly well loaded Rubicon is about 16k more then a nearly Sport S Max Tow (add convenience) both with auto's. Initially you loose the audio, lockers, sway bar disconnect, leather, switch's & heated seats.. To make up for it in the aftermarket your looking at about 2k for the heated & leather seats, 4500 for the audio & switch's (Using the Alpine 9" restyle with the 8 switch module & the Alpine sub/amp/tweeter upgrade kit). Thats leaving a net difference of over 9k that you can put into lockers, suspension, wheels, tires etc..

I think that the only advantage of a Rubicon & the majority of the upgrades is that its already done, but not done as well as you can upg a sport S to for less or the same money. The only feature that I really see as lacking other then the nanny bull shit is a heated steering wheel which I would really like, but not enough for it to be a deal breaker for everything else thats improved.

Edit: One other advantage to the Rubicon that I forgot comes that the upgrades are financed in. That can make a big difference if you dont have the cash flow to drop on the extras afterwards vs just a monthly car payment if your driving with the 5" radio for a long time or going a winter without the heated seats.

You also forgot that all those upgrades are also under warranty, too... You break the other parts on your own, your just SOL when it comes to new parts and labor costs.

 

[bastage]

You also forgot that all those upgrades are also under warranty, too... You break the other parts on your own, your just SOL when it comes to new parts and labor costs.

Very very valid point. There is definitely a good amount of value in having repairs done on someone else's dime.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Very very valid point. There is definitely a good amount of value in having repairs done on someone else's dime.

Trust me, I'm all about building my own trucks, been doing it for nearly 2 decades... But when it comes to buying a brand new vehicle, I do so because it has a warranty. And all those upgrades are available and covered under that warranty, I'm going to get that package that covers that, so I'm not out more money on a brand new vehicle that I'm making payments on. Plus, roadside assistance. Plus all the other perks of a new vehicle with all that stuff covered under warranty. Just food for thought. That's why I went with a simple spacer lift for now, until my lease is up, and I buy outright from the bank...Then she'll get a proper lift under it, and maybe a 6.4 Hemi swap...Once it actually belongs to me. But while it's still a lease, I want to void as little of the warranty as possible while still making it my own, since I DO have to drive it for the next 3.5 years.

 

[bastage]

Trust me, I'm all about building my own trucks, been doing it for nearly 2 decades... But when it comes to buying a brand new vehicle, I do so because it has a warranty. And all those upgrades are available and covered under that warranty, I'm going to get that package that covers that, so I'm not out more money on a brand new vehicle that I'm making payments on. Plus, roadside assistance. Plus all the other perks of a new vehicle with all that stuff covered under warranty. Just food for thought. That's why I went with a simple spacer lift for now, until my lease is up, and I buy outright from the bank...Then she'll get a proper lift under it, and maybe a 6.4 Hemi swap.

Honestly until my JT I have never had a rig with a warranty before. I am used to just figuring it out (one of my best friends is a full time mechanic so I enjoy free labor, but I still gotta buy the parts). If there was an option to buy a used JT a few years old with reasonably low miles I probably would have.

 

[tampahoosier]

I was not talking about a Loaded Sport S Max Tow vs a Loaded Rubicon... I was talking about as basic as you can get Sport S Max Tow (exception of adding the convenience package for the remote start as its cheaper then any aftermarket options i've seen) vs a Loaded Rubicon (minus the nanny shit). If your loading them both up then as you pointed out the cost will be much much closer. 6,300 for the better shocks, elockers & LED package I would definitely say is not a bad upgrade at all.

Also the Sport S can somehow be ordered with leather. There is a dealer at the other end of the state from me with a few Sport S max tow's with it. Shows as "Black Stitched Leather Upgrade by Mopar® $1,750" on the monroney.

Yeah it’s the mopar leather. I have not seen it in person and I don’t understand why it’s more.

I was not talking about a Loaded Sport S Max Tow vs a Loaded Rubicon... I was talking about as basic as you can get Sport S Max Tow (exception of adding the convenience package for the remote start as its cheaper then any aftermarket options i've seen) vs a Loaded Rubicon (minus the nanny shit). If your loading them both up then as you pointed out the cost will be much much closer. 6,300 for the better shocks, elockers & LED package I would definitely say is not a bad upgrade at all.

Also the Sport S can somehow be ordered with leather. There is a dealer at the other end of the state from me with a few Sport S max tow's with it. Shows as "Black Stitched Leather Upgrade by Mopar® $1,750" on the monroney.

Yezzir I did see that mopar leather option. Just didn’t put it on there as it’s not one of the factory Lester options. I actually haven’t seen it so I’ve been wondering if the center armrest and rear seat armrest are the same.

To your other point, I understand what your getting at now. Sorry if I came accross as a numbers nerd.

 

[bastage]

Yeah it’s the mopar leather. I have not seen it in person and I don’t understand why it’s more.

Yezzir I did see that mopar leather option. Just didn’t put it on there as it’s not one of the factory Lester options. I actually haven’t seen it so I’ve been wondering if the center armrest and rear seat armrest are the same.

To your other point, I understand what your getting at now. Sorry if I came accross as a numbers nerd.

I am a numbers nerd so I completely get it. I typically have a spreadsheet for every purchase over about a hundred bucks to break down what I am paying & what I am getting out of it. Sounds like you have one for the JT more detailed then what I made. I just looked at what I wanted & compared the cost of up front vs aftermarket. Seats got their own sheet as the JT I was looking at (but coudlnt come to an agreement with the dealer on) had the ugly ass tan cloth seats so I wasnt sure if I was going to recover them myself, have the dealer do it or pay an upholstery shop to do it with the Katzkin kit or do the bartact seat covers & then which katzkin kit if it was going to be either me or the shop. In the end I went with a different JT at another dealer without seat heaters & got the black cloth which is what I actually wanted & will do the seat heaters myself for 70 bucks isntead of the seats which would of been 750 minimum. And if I screw it up then I will pay the upholstery shop to do leather & add seat heaters & I just wasted an extra 70 bucks.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Honestly until my JT I have never had a rig with a warranty before. I am used to just figuring it out (one of my best friends is a full time mechanic so I enjoy free labor, but I still gotta buy the parts). If there was an option to buy a used JT a few years old with reasonably low miles I probably would have.

I've always done my own wrenching, and until I bought my 2007 Ram 2500 Cummins, I had never owned a brand new vehicle before. I bought that one brand new off the lot, and immediately started voiding warranties... Lift, tires, wheels, full-deletes, 5" turbo-back straight pipe, aftermarket intake manifold, cold air intake, grid-heater delete, tuner testing, custom ECM tunings, etc... But, prior to doing anything, I have a reference file with Chrysler stating that I could modify those things without voiding the rest of my vehicles warranty. Back then, that was a VERY common thing to have happening at dealerships across the country, thanks to Obama's nazi-level EPA regime. It gave the dealer BS power trips to decide "who lived and who died" when it came to killing the warranty on new trucks over ANYTHING they deemed violation. That whole fiasco ended up putting a bunch of good people with good products out of business permanently... Damn shame.

Since then, I've only bought 1 used truck (2011 Chevy Z71), and it was a damn dumpster-fire nightmare piece of shit! Just a complete lemon from the ground, up. In the short time I had it, I replaced motor mounts, transmission mounts, shifter cable, linkages, front end parts, the engine started using oil (before 100K miles) and eventually started knocking, and it only got 12 MPG on average everywhere I went, no matter how I drove...Foot to the floor, or cruising easy. The dealership just said, "Well, everything checks out on it...Not sure why it's getting such bad fuel mileage...Half of them seem to be that way, the other half get good mileage..." What a bullshit logic excuse. Burned me on ever buying another GM vehicle.

Other than that 1 vehicle, I've always bought new since 2007.

 

[bastage]

I've always done my own wrenching, and until I bought my 2007 Ram 2500 Cummins, I had never owned a brand new vehicle before. I bought that one brand new off the lot, and immediately started voiding warranties... Lift, tires, wheels, full-deletes, 5" turbo-back straight pipe, aftermarket intake manifold, cold air intake, grid-heater delete, tuner testing, custom ECM tunings, etc... But, prior to doing anything, I have a reference file with Chrysler stating that I could modify those things without voiding the rest of my vehicles warranty. Back then, that was a VERY common thing to have happening at dealerships across the country, thanks to Obama's nazi-level EPA regime. It gave the dealer BS power trips to decide "who lived and who died" when it came to killing the warranty on new trucks over ANYTHING they deemed violation. That whole fiasco ended up putting a bunch of good people with good products out of business permanently... Damn shame.

Since then, I've only bought 1 used truck (2011 Chevy Z71), and it was a damn dumpster-fire nightmare piece of shit! Just a complete lemon from the ground, up. In the short time I had it, I replaced motor mounts, transmission mounts, shifter cable, linkages, front end parts, the engine started using oil (before 100K miles) and eventually started knocking, and it only got 12 MPG on average everywhere I went, no matter how I drove...Foot to the floor, or cruising easy. The dealership just said, "Well, everything checks out on it...Not sure why it's getting such bad fuel mileage...Half of them seem to be that way, the other half get good mileage..." What a bullshit logic excuse. Burned me on ever buying another GM vehicle.

Other than that 1 vehicle, I've always bought new since 2007.

The one & only GM product that didn't leave me burned was a Saturn. Every other one I have ever had would have the stupidest shit go wrong & then nobody could figure it out until I eventually traded them in.

I talked to the dealer about the warranty before I signed for this about mods & what I was told was completely fine by me. I dont expect anything I do to be warrantied which is why I am avoiding reading anything at all that has to do with forced induction for a few years. All the other mods I am looking at are stand alone with their own warranties or completely bolt on. Also thats the biggest reason why I didnt want any of the nanny shit. Its expensive to repair & I dont understand enough to do it myself.

 

[tampahoosier]

I am a numbers nerd so I completely get it. I typically have a spreadsheet for every purchase over about a hundred bucks to break down what I am paying & what I am getting out of it. Sounds like you have one for the JT more detailed then what I made. I just looked at what I wanted & compared the cost of up front vs aftermarket. Seats got their own sheet as the JT I was looking at (but coudlnt come to an agreement with the dealer on) had the ugly ass tan cloth seats so I wasnt sure if I was going to recover them myself, have the dealer do it or pay an upholstery shop to do it with the Katzkin kit or do the bartact seat covers & then which katzkin kit if it was going to be either me or the shop. In the end I went with a different JT at another dealer without seat heaters & got the black cloth which is what I actually wanted & will do the seat heaters myself for 70 bucks isntead of the seats which would of been 750 minimum. And if I screw it up then I will pay the upholstery shop to do leather & add seat heaters & I just wasted an extra 70 bucks.

That’s great, it sounds like you’re in the conundrum I was in. I will keep this truck for 15+ years, so ultimately I decided I’d just do the bartact seat covers because I thought the leather would end up cracking and looking like shit. Especially down here in the heat of Tampa, FL.
Go figure once I went with the Rubi I ended up with the saddle brown leather lol. I personally am not a fan of the red dash and red stitching and I DO really like the saddle brown leather so I said fuck it I’m doing the leather!

My sheet is definitely detailed, as it’s not an easy comparison between the two. @Alabama Mud Machine knows from another post I was really on the fence.
I think I’ll setup a new post on the forums for others to use when they are in the market. It lets you see the total out the door cost with tax/tag/title and monthly payments based off XX months and XX apr.

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