Sport (Not S) ordered days before Max Tow not an option. Questions for basic Sport owners.

[Willys2Gladiator]

Ordered a basic Sport with Max Tow on Feb 12th. A few days later Max Tow not an option on Sport non S models. Dealer confirms it will be built as ordered.

I have a few questions for the basic model (non S) owners.
1. Do you love the basic Jeep? At least as basic as you can order. Wish I could do a touch screen delete!
2. Do you have to use the fob key to unlock Jeep. Bad Ass if so in my opinion. Also what does it look like? A big black box?
3. Assuming you ruin max Max tow swapping in Rubicon springs. Or is it just payload that's affected?
4. Steel wheels. How cool is that throw back. Anyone keeping them? What width are they?
5. Any programmer out that will remove all the government regulated safety features. I know what's coming. Just humour me.
6. Also I have heard no dealer order available for non S model. Is this true? If so how many will there be of us ordering the base model?
7. How long did it take from ordering to delivery?

Appreciate any insight and can't wait to join the ranks of the Gladiator club. I've had several Willy's trucks and Wagons and love the have that basic feeling again. At least as basic as the Government will let us have.

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[jebiruph]

Ordered a basic Sport with Max Tow on Feb 12th. A few days later Max Tow not an option on Sport non S models. Dealer confirms it will be built as ordered.

I have a few questions for the basic model (non S) owners.
1. Do you love the basic Jeep? At least as basic as you can order. Wish I could do a touch screen delete!
2. Do you have to use the fob key to unlock Jeep. Bad Ass if so in my opinion. Also what does it look like? A big black box?
3. Assuming you ruin max Max tow swapping in Rubicon springs. Or is it just payload that's affected?
4. Steel wheels. How cool is that throw back. Anyone keeping them? What width are they?
5. Any programmer out that will remove all the government regulated safety features. I know what's coming. Just humour me.
6. Also I have heard no dealer order available for non S model. Is this true? If so how many will there be of us ordering the base model?

Appreciate any insight and can't wait to join the ranks of the Gladiator club. I've had several Willy's trucks and Wagons and love the have that basic feeling again. At least as basic as the Government will let us have.

1. I've had the base sport JLU for almost 2 years and didn't hesitate to get a base sport JT.
2. Not having power locks is a thing, but because my JLU is a soft top, I usually don't even lock the doors. My JT is a hard top which will be locked more often and I'll have to use the key to unlock it.
4. I like the steel wheels, they are the same size as the sport s wheels. They might get replaced.
6. I think there are some dealer ordered sports available around here. Mine was a custom order that wasn't accepted by the original customer.

 

[Jake]

I have a base Sport model. And I ordered it from the factory with just 3 options that I wanted: a hard top, rubber floor mats and a factory trailer hitch. If anyone tells you that you can’t order a base Sport truck then that’s total BS. Takes 2 to 3 months to get it but Jeep will build it.

I got mine with the black wheels that you are talking about and were ok with them. Then a member with a Sport S had a set of 5 Sport S wheels for sale for just $200 so that was a deal I could not refuse. I gave him $250 to cover the gas he had to pay to meet me in Nashville,Tn. Was going there anyway to see my Doctor daughter who works at Vanderbilt.

Anyway if you order a base Sport then you can’t get the trail rail system. I wanted to put a hard tonneau cover on my truck. Did lots of checking and found out I didn’t need that trail rail system to install my tonneau. And I think that some here have said they are not happy with the trail rail system, that it may be junk, not totally certain. Suggest you check into that if it interests you.

I got zero problems with manual mirrors. After they are set I never have to adjust them. No clue why Jeep does not put blind spot mirrors inside the side mirrors. But I put them on my side mirrors and am super glad I did that. Highly recommend everyone does that to their mirrors.

Manual windows are easy peasy for me. As far as the manual locks are concerned I highly recommend that you go to any Gladiator, open the drivers door and then reach into the back seat with your hand and see how difficult or easy it is for you to unlock that truck. Do the same thing with the passenger side. If it really is a pain in the rear end for you then you should know that most car stereo shops can install power locks on all 4 doors for about $500 parts and labor included. I may do this.

Having problems adding pictures this morning. See next post for the pictures.

 

[Jake]

Pictures now working.

 

[20HBPJT]

Here’s mine

 

[WXman]

1.) Never again. Ever. I had a base Sport Wrangler and it'll never happen again. What a pain. Having to reach around the B-pillar to lock/unlock the doors? Having to use the key to lock/unlock the tailgate? Having to stop and pull over when the young child wants the window down a little? Nope... that was fine in 1985. There is zero point in that for 2020. And since manual everything is so rare, parts for those will be harder to find and more expensive in the future. Not to mention, good luck if you ever try to resell it.

4.) The steel wheels are more narrow at 7.0" and they are heavier at around 30 lbs. each. Also, the paint will eventually start to flake off of them if you live in a harsh climate.

 

[MDMorrison]

Ordered a basic Sport with Max Tow on Feb 12th. A few days later Max Tow not an option on Sport non S models. Dealer confirms it will be built as ordered.

I have a few questions for the basic model (non S) owners.
1. Do you love the basic Jeep? At least as basic as you can order. Wish I could do a touch screen delete!
2. Do you have to use the fob key to unlock Jeep. Bad Ass if so in my opinion. Also what does it look like? A big black box?
3. Assuming you ruin max Max tow swapping in Rubicon springs. Or is it just payload that's affected?
4. Steel wheels. How cool is that throw back. Anyone keeping them? What width are they?
5. Any programmer out that will remove all the government regulated safety features. I know what's coming. Just humour me.
6. Also I have heard no dealer order available for non S model. Is this true? If so how many will there be of us ordering the base model?
7. How long did it take from ordering to delivery?

Appreciate any insight and can't wait to join the ranks of the Gladiator club. I've had several Willy's trucks and Wagons and love the have that basic feeling again. At least as basic as the Government will let us have.

I've got a "plain jane"/base model JT Sport, with manual doors, windows, mirrors, etc. It's not my daily driver, and thus I didn't need all the bells-n-whistles that came on other versions.

 

[jebiruph]

1.) Never again. Ever. I had a base Sport Wrangler and it'll never happen again. What a pain. Having to reach around the B-pillar to lock/unlock the doors? Having to use the key to lock/unlock the tailgate? Having to stop and pull over when the young child wants the window down a little? Nope... that was fine in 1985. There is zero point in that for 2020. And since manual everything is so rare, parts for those will be harder to find and more expensive in the future. Not to mention, good luck if you ever try to resell it.

4.) The steel wheels are more narrow at 7.0" and they are heavier at around 30 lbs. each. Also, the paint will eventually start to flake off of them if you live in a harsh climate.

I agree that if you are a regular transporter of young children, the lack of power locks and windows may have a negative impact on your quality of life.

Regarding the wheel size, here's the spec's from Jeep.

 

[jalbrecht55]

Good feedback. I’m really interested in the base model as well, heck it’s better optioned than my all options 2006 rubicon... (aside from the rubicon bits and the leather steering wheel).

The main concern I have is locking the back doors, which seems that can be overcome by installing power locks and and adding a remote.

Gladiator Sport add Keyless Entry

Up until my latest one, I’ve always had basic jeeps, my 2006 is the first one to even have doors, or a functional heater.

It seems like a Jeep and all its quirks (the wind noises, the bare fiberglass hard top, the way the rain dribbles on the floor when you open the doors, the handling, the “experience”) makes more sense as a basic vehicle than an expensive and feature loaded one.

What else do you love or hate about the base model? I would hate to get this and a year later say I wish I had spent the $3k more and gotten the basic power stuff...

 

[Hootbro]

My advice for any potential buyer is to actually sit in a base model either JL or JT and check the ergonomics of your left knee at rest. For me, the window crank of a base model was in the way of where my knee likes to rest. Sounds trivial but for long haul riding, it may be of an annoyance.

 

[Gatorized]

My advice for any potential buyer is to actually sit in a base model either JL or JT and check the ergonomics of your left knee at rest. For me, the window crank of a base model was in the way of where my knee likes to rest. Sounds trivial but for long haul riding, it may be of an annoyance.

You can usually pop the crank off and reinstall in a different position so it does not interfere.

 

[piroman683]

Take a look at my profile pick, got the base and love it. Talked them down in price to $500 over employee price with hard top, spray in bed liner, and tow package. Total around 34,500 which included destination ($1,200ish). I’ve only added the rubicon 2in loft and new rims for my 35’s. At the time the granite crystal metallic was a free paint option but now they are charging for it. Already had driveshaft replaces at 3,000 miles, warranty covered that and a sway bar link that sheared off. But they wouldn’t cover my bent track bar....I cannot confirm or deny if that got bent while on or off-roading

 

[Hootbro]

You can usually pop the crank off and reinstall in a different position so it does not interfere.

For me, it would not have made a difference how it was keyed as my knee still rested up against the center shaft section of the base JL I sat in and tested before ordering my Gladiator. I am 6'4" with a long inseam.

I am not making a right/wrong argument over it, just putting out the info for others to consider when shopping a base model so there is no surprises.

 

[REDDAWG]

ordered base sport gator only limited slip bed liner mats tow hitch xm radio love it don't like bells and whistles installed softtopper camper and running boards love it

 

[Ryan...]

1.) Never again. Ever. I had a base Sport Wrangler and it'll never happen again. What a pain. Having to reach around the B-pillar to lock/unlock the doors? Having to use the key to lock/unlock the tailgate? Having to stop and pull over when the young child wants the window down a little? Nope... that was fine in 1985. There is zero point in that for 2020. And since manual everything is so rare, parts for those will be harder to find and more expensive in the future. Not to mention, good luck if you ever try to resell it.

+1, I love base model vehicles because I typically end up modifying everything from wheels to exterior bits, to fit my personal wants/needs.

However, not having power windows/locks is an absolute no-go for me. I don't have kids, but even having a dog in the back it's nice to open the window when they start panting, or god forbid my 85lb bear cub farts, I don't want to have to pull over in my brand new truck to roll down a back window.

And like you said, the simplicity is also going to make things harder to replace in the future (if they fail, which seems unlikely, but not impossible), and I imagine resale would be very tough.

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