Trim Advice for First Time Jeep Owner

[Ohio JKU]

I have a similar “use case” and got the Willys. Agree with a lot of the advice above, for me the biggest thing is get the top you want on the truck, soft top / hard top. Soft tops are difficult to get after the fact unlike wranglers.

the tow group on any trim is a must ($350) is nothing for what it adds if it doesn’t already have the larger fan and alternator... even then you are not far off an aftermarket hitch.

for me the willys got me blacked out rims and aggressive tires with rear lsd, It also got the Options I wanted (cold weather) and it didn’t have the ones I didn’t want (adaptive cruise)

really only you can sort this out. Much depends on how bad you do / don’t want specific things.... be sure to post what you decide on

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[JasonThor]

Big fan of my Willys. Good balance between off-road and on-road. A good bit less expensive then a Rubicon. I would definitely recommend you look more into them.

 

[Levi.Butler]

I will only say this...

If you don't get something with the premium interior upgrades and you ride in a Gladiator that has it... you'll be pissed you didn't get it. So, 2 choices, get something that has it or don't ride in anything that does.

I had a stripper JKU that I ended up building up pretty decently, it was great offroad and I truly enjoyed it..... BUT...... if I had to go back and do that build over again, I would have spent the extra money up front and get a fully loaded Rubicon to start my build with. And, before anyone starts spouting off about 'It's a Jeep thing.'... if it's going to have that solid front axle/light weight vehicle feel, have wind noise like it's a brick ripping through the air at highway speeds, and get the MPGs that it does... being in a nice interior with some decent tunes is OK. HAHA!

 

[MNWillys]

I'm glad I got the Willys edition. Max tow for me was second place. i love the Blacked out wheels and the stock suspension is great. 32" Mud-terrain tires is sufficient enough for me my needs. 8.4 inch radio group is a great option to have- the bigger screen the better for me, personal opinion of course. I also got the cold weather package, auto trans, and of course tow package. I lived in AZ for several years and drove a 97' TJ, took it just about everywhere and was my daily driver, never got stuck or comprimised, it went through just about anything. I've gotten older now and needed something more utility. My only advice to you is shop around and get the best price, my JT was $8,000 off sticker- most dealers in my area had Rubicon's and Mojave's 10-12K more than what i got mine for, I'll never need nor use the full capabilities of either.

 

[Clv22p]

Its hard to beat the ride of a Mojave, especially if you live in an area with rough roads. Tennessee isnt bad compared to alot of other places, but some of these potholes and bridge transitions are rough! The Mojave is super comfortable on the road. It has the best seats by far!

I narrowed down my options to two trucks on the lot. The Mojave I ended up buying and a well equipped Max Tow. The Mojave was within $1000, but I knew that as soon as I drove the sport off the lot it would have to go directly to the tire store for new wheels/tires and a lift. Which adds $4000ish to the price.

I paid $42k for my Mojave with Selec-Trac BTW. Id say there are many Max Tows here that were purchased for a higher dollar amount.

 

[mortalsphere]

Its hard to beat the ride of a Mojave, especially if you live in an area with rough roads. Tennessee isnt bad compared to alot of other places, but some of these potholes and bridge transitions are rough! The Mojave is super comfortable on the road. It has the best seats by far!

I narrowed down my options to two trucks on the lot. The Mojave I ended up buying and a well equipped Max Tow. The Mojave was within $1000, but I knew that as soon as I drove the sport off the lot it would have to go directly to the tire store for new wheels/tires and a lift. Which adds $4000ish to the price.

I paid $42k for my Mojave with Selec-Trac BTW. Id say there are many Max Tows here that were purchased for a higher dollar amount.

Holy hell, how did you get a Mojave with Selec-Trac for $42k?? The problem is, NONE of the dealerships in my area have Rubicons or Mojaves will all the options I want, and there is literally one Sport S models on the lot, with aftermarket wheels and a lift that I don't like. No Willys models. There's one Rubicon that comes close, but no cigar. So I feel I'm stuck with ordering, and I doubt I can get a Mojave or Rubicon for $42k when ordering.

 

[mortalsphere]

It would really help if Jeep's website allowed you to search nationwide, or if a website like cars.com or autotrader.com allowed you to laser in on all the options. Tall order, I know!

 

[Orange01z28]

Go Mojave

If you're not rock crawling it will do everything you want and looks good enough stock. Rubicon will need tires and a leveling kit, and all the money you've saved with a Max Tow will get blown out with a lift, wheels and tires.

Also a CAI is a waste of money, but a steel aftermarket bumper instead

 

[aceisback]

It is better to have and not need than need and not have.
RUBICON for the win.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Test drive a few and see what you like best. I bet I drove 25 Gladiators before ordering mine. And consider ordering if you don't find one with the options you want on it (and options you don't want to pay for not) plus you can choose any color being made currently. Mine arrived at the dealership 16 days after placing my order, including 2 weekends. That's a record for this forum as far as I'm aware, but you shouldn't be waiting terribly long at any rate if in the US.

 

[Wageslave]

My vote goes for an Overland. If your primary goal is a daily driver, with some weekend off-roading, having a nicer interior may matter more to you than maximum off-road ability.

That aside, it seems like it is a LOT easier to get a dealer to come off the price of an Overland or Willy's than a Mojave or Rubicon.

 

[Terry]

So I am getting my first ever Jeep! The Gladiator is perfect for my family and I, and I'm extremely excited! I am a little bit stumped about which trim to pick, however, because I've never owned a Jeep before. Could anyone give advice? I'll try to keep the pitch short.

I'll be honest, I'm not that interested (nor do I have the time) in going to off-road parks or trying to climb the craziest line possible. I'm familiar with 4WD and I want a functional vehicle that I can use to go anywhere (within reason) to camp, hike, explore, stay unstuck, and not see people for several days. And also because my job will someday, sometimes require me to go to remote places, sometimes as "quickly" as possible (I know the JT is not a racer, I like that). I want a dependable, capable, and flexible JT that will get me "anywhere" I need to go. The only mods I really want to make are adding a winch, extra lights, snow/ice tires, some stuff in the bed, and maybe a roof rack if I have to. I don't want to mess with lifting or suspension if I don't have to (sacrilege! ). This will be my daily driver, so roads and off-road are both important. The only creature comforts I need are cold weather group, the hardtop headliner, and connecting my phone (GPS and such). More is nice, but not necessary. I'd love manual windows and locks, but you can't get the cold weather group or Selec-Trac with the base Sport.

Here's what I'm considering:

- Sport S - with Max Tow Package, Trac-Lok Anti-Spin Rear Differential, Selec-Trac full-time 4WD, Cold Air Intake, (no steel bumper available)
- Rubicon - with winch ready steel bumper, Trac-Lok, Rock-Trac full-time 4WD, Cold air intake, etc.
-Mojave - Selec-Trac full-time 4WD (no Trac-lok , steel bumper, or cold air intake available)

Is the Rubicon/Mojave worth the price jump? I know the Mojave has a beefier frame and such and is made to go faster over rough terrain. And the Rubicon is made to go slow over very rough terrain. But with the Max Tow Package and decked out, I can have every single thing I'd like with the Sport S and still save $3,000-7,000. Is the suspension, sway bar DC, lockers, off road plus, etc. of the Rubicon/Mojave worth the extra price? Also, is there a significant difference in ride comfort between the Mojave and the Rubicon? I test drove a Mojave and loved it, then an Overland and it was nice too. I liked the suspension of the Mojave marginally better, but it could have been in my head.

What do you recommend? THANK YOU for anyone willing to give advice on this. I can't wait to own a JT, no matter which trim it is!

I was looking for the same in my first Jeep. I swapped plastic for a Mopar steel front bumper and warn winch with Mopar lights to the front, added an ARE cap on the rear and installed Molle panels to handle the gear in the rear. Dog likes it in the bed, and mommy and I are safe and comfortable in the front. Rubicon is the best way to go if you want the same.

 

[mortalsphere]

I was looking for the same in my first Jeep. I swapped plastic for a Mopar steel front bumper and warn winch with Mopar lights to the front, added an ARE cap on the rear and installed Molle panels to handle the gear in the rear. Dog likes it in the bed, and mommy and I are safe and comfortable in the front. Rubicon is the best way to go if you want the same.

Nice setup!

 

[mortalsphere]

Test drive a few and see what you like best. I bet I drove 25 Gladiators before ordering mine. And consider ordering if you don't find one with the options you want on it (and options you don't want to pay for not) plus you can choose any color being made currently. Mine arrived at the dealership 16 days after placing my order, including 2 weekends. That's a record for this forum as far as I'm aware, but you shouldn't be waiting terribly long at any rate if in the US.

I've test driven an Overland and a Mojave. I liked the Mojave better. I have to go over an hour away to test drive a Willys, which I'll do next weekend, and I'll drive a Rubicon while I'm at it.

I think I'm going to have to order. Everything I've seen comes with things I don't want and are missing the things I want! Such a first world problem, right?

Receiving an ordered truck in 16 days is incredible, honestly. I don't mind waiting, assuming it takes longer than that. All I care about is that they get it right.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Receiving an ordered truck in 16 days is incredible, honestly. I don't mind waiting, assuming it takes longer than that. All I care about is that they get it right.

Agree, I was kind of baffled. I got mine pretty well-optioned and got the spray-in bed liner which I'd read often causes a wait. Made me wonder if they didn't have one started already and optioned it out to be mine or something. But plenty of people here have gotten theirs well inside of 30 days, so my guess is it's mostly timing. At any rate, US orders seem to come pretty quick.

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