Overland or Sport S with Max Tow at same price?

[JustinWPI11]

I also went with the Sport S with Max Tow. I’m really happy with it so far. Keep in mind there is a large difference in payload between the Max Tow and Overland. Family with camping gear and towing tongue weight adds up fast.

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[BAT]

Speaking about family. Did you see how your three kids fit in the Gladiator? My fiancée and I are planning on having 3 kids and I’ve been back and forth on a full size pick up or Gladiator. I’m almost sold in the Gladiator, but the only thing is fitting 3 kids and maybe our dog in the back will be tough.

Dang I have one kid and a dog and they can take up the whole back of my Ram 1500 Crew Cab which is huge. I told my daughter when I move over to the JT she is losing a lot of space.

 

[TheHime]

Dang I have one kid and a dog and they can take up the whole back of my Ram 1500 Crew Cab which is huge. I told my daughter when I move over to the JT she is losing a lot of space.

Hopefully she isn’t taking it too hard?

 

[MrKnowitall]

Thank you so much! This is awesome and good to know it can be done!

We fit 3 across in a JKU, but I wouldn't recommend doing that every day. We're in boosters now, and you have to get the kids into their seats in order. Unbuckling requires assistance. I'm a firm advocate of doing more with less, but in the long run, that back seat is too narrow for 3 kids.

 

[kelkolb]

I have a max tow so in my opinion it's a no brainer if you're going to tow. Better cooling, bigger battery, wider axles, lower gearing. As others have said, you can't easily change those things later like you can with the creature comforts from the Overland.

The only thing I'd recommend is that the max tow has the 7" radio. I would never get one without that.

 

[Slyboots2313]

I think you (people in general) need to be honest about what you will do versus what you could do. Some advice seems to be extreme. The JT in general has beefier (and wider) axles than the JL and even moreso than the JK. You’ll have no issues fitting any tires with the standard axles, so that’s mostly nonsense. And, unless you’re doing some serious rock crawling, you likely aren’t at risk with either axle setup (and I believe I saw somewhere that they have the same thickness). If you plan on going with a lift then who cares about the Overland’s soft ride because you’ll be swapping those parts out. I was in the market for a Sport S w Max Tow but I got a great deal on fully loaded Overland for just a bit more than the Sport S. Overlands can come equipped with the Tow Package that upgrades many of the same components as the Max Tow, including the alternator and cooling system. Absolutely no regrets on my end, especially knowing I got all the creature comforts and capability that should be standard on a $40k truck.

 

[whiteglad]

the max tow, rubicon, and Mojave have wider axles than the others. I don't know whether they are otherwise beefed up compared to the regular axles, but check that you are getting the M210 front and M220 rear if not getting a max tow. The label has that on the bottom corner, and the label is usually on the top of a diff tube. As others have noted, you can change the effective load capacity with springs, etc. but the door sticker will remain the same and that is what police, insurance, and dealers go by.
Overall the JT is sort of a quarter ton truck in standard form, but nudges into half ton territory with the max tow package. Just decide what you want and need now, and might need in the future.

 

[JkJT84]

I was in a similar position, they were offing a little more off the Overland making the price about the same. Having had a JK on 35s I knew the benefits of going with the 4.10s so for me the decision to go with the max tow was easy and I just added leather.’I’ll eventually get the rubicon fenders with LED and have the options I wanted from Overland. Keeping in mind not all the Overlands come with the led and leather I wanted anyway.

 

[BAT]

Hopefully she isn’t taking it too hard?

Nope she is thrilled that I am going to get something that the top can come off

 

[DirkG]

OP, also keep in mind the Overland has features standard to where the Sport S has them optional. I wanted the 7" Uconnect / CarPay / Android Auto, painted fenders, dual USB ports for charging (must for kids), etc. Luckily I found a loaded Sport S in Gator, but the Overland is stacked out of the box.

But if you tow a lot (I don't), I'd go Max Tow and make sure the Sport S is loaded as you wish.

And props for those prices ($36K), here in SoCal, I couldn't touch that price (inquiries for 2 weeks). Not even close.

 

[whiteglad]

I got a plug for the cigar lighter socket which has a radar detector lead, and two USB ports.

 

[Slyboots2313]

I was in a similar position, they were offing a little more off the Overland making the price about the same. Having had a JK on 35s I knew the benefits of going with the 4.10s so for me the decision to go with the max tow was easy and I just added leather.’I’ll eventually get the rubicon fenders with LED and have the options I wanted from Overland. Keeping in mind not all the Overlands come with the led and leather I wanted anyway.

As a former owner of A JKU on 35s, the two cannot be compared. The need for 4.10’s on the JK doesn’t translate to the JL/JT, at least for the automatic (don’t have the manual so I’ll defer to someone else’s experience). The 8-speed in my JT Overland seems to always find the right power bands to keep things moving, and efficiently at that. Getting 21-22 mpg with city/rural/highway about equal.

I’m not stirring the pot or saying that 4.10s might not be a great option, but don’t apply lessons from the JK to the JL/JT. Different powertrain.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

8 speed with 4.10 vs 3.73, I drove both stock and you would probably be fine with either if you plan on keeping it stock but a few guys local to me with 3.73 gears and 35's can't seem to get 17 MPGs out of theirs. I have a Max tow and have never been below 17.7 MPGs in mine and normally stay in the 18.7-19 range on 35's. You will lose 8th gear on 35's with 3.73 gears.

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