My Review: One week and a '09 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

[outdoors]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for this great story. I am interested in this car. My gut feeling tells that I need shor wheelbase:
(1) Short turning radius;
(2) Better looks (personal view only!)

However I heard many comments in favor of long wheelbase:
(a) More luggage space;
(b) more comfort in driving;
(c) Seets for more passengers.

The most difficult judgment for me is about Comment (b) regarding the difference of comfort between the long and short versions. This is my major point for the choice.

Could you give some further comments and experiences regarding this point?

Thanks!

I'll add a comment here, and a very nice review by the way Mike..!
Seriousman,
fwiw, I've went through the following..
I went through more Jeeps since 06' then I ever should have, All of them were great just needed to come full circle I guess.. lol

The start::

I fell in love with the 2dr unlimited 103" wb.. bought it in 06' used with 18K.. Perfect balance of room and a nice turning radius plus cargo carrying ability... I still believe this.
Moving forward..08'
I thought my hardcore trails were coming to an end I was looking for something to haul more people and cargo since I became a grandpa since buying the LJ in 06'...

Next came the Jk 4dr Unlimited... 08'
A great platform of off road function and carrying people and gear bar anything I had before... A little underpowered when loaded, but hey it was a Jeep with out a hemi.. I didn't buy it to just fly down the freeway
anyways, but I'll say this with a 116" wb when up to speed it handled better then any Wrangler on the freeway.

Moving forward.. 09'
Oh no not again, well not enough interest to everyone wanting to ride in the same vehicle here... I did take it out on the trails 1-5 rating, Usually being a 2 rating. I noticed the turning radius on the trails was becoming a two or three point turn where in the past it was not.. Another concern were the obstacles in tight trails and also the increased possibility of carnage. Due to the extended length and high center possibilities. Now the 116 wb made inclines usually "much" easier for sure, so I'll say this the 4dr wheels excellent, and it's only short coming is on tighter trails.. Btw, every vehicle off road has it's cons...

I decided after driving a few 2dr JK's that I wanted to give up my larger advantages of the 4dr for a 2dr.. I was originally looking at another 2dr Unlimited 103' wb, but after driving a 2dr Jk I found out that it actually went down the road nicer then my 2dr unlimited did.. I guess the wider cabin width and seats help along with the longer factory control arms.. Also the departure angle on an unlimited 2dr is it's biggest con... Especially compared to the JK platforms.

I have owned the 2dr Jk since FEB' 09'.. and it works very well for me, but I must say after owning these three vehicles, any of the above platforms are great choices imho.

Conclusion: For me I love the short turning radius now and the ride and width is a great combination of what works for me...
OK, here's the con..
Owning the 2dr is pushing me faster to get a rear bumper carrier and cargo rack though, and sleeping in the 2dr is no where "near" as comfortable as the 4dr was lol. Other sleeping options are in order..

Take care all..!

 

[maximumrob]

Nice review. To add some experiences of others that I've wheeled with, I must only call out one drawback to the JK. The plastic fender flares are harder and stronger than the metal they mount to. If you bump them in to a tree or rock, they will not give, rather, they'll dent your sheetmetal.

Heads up on that one! I've witnessed the damage to the metal and seen the plastic come out unharmed. Enjoy the truck.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

Something else that surprised me was the Goodyear MT/R tires, standard on the Rubicon, were not nearly as loud as I feared they might be. There is a little noise from them but nothing that felt tiring over time. Offroad they worked great. We never had any traction issues and being that a lot of the area is sharp, volcanic rock, they just seemed to take everything with strides. I am not sure I would have felt as comfortable on some of the trails, had the tires been the lower models they put on the non Rubicon editions. I do have to note that on road, in the wet, the MT/R's did not give me the same confidence of other tires.

Actually only the TJ Rubicons used the MT/R's. The JK version utilizes a variation of the BFG MT KM.

How was the power from the engine? If they would put a hemi or even the 4.7 in one of these from the factory I'd be beating down the door at the dealership to get one.

 

[ExpoMike]

Hi guys, sorry for not getting back to this post sooner. Been busy getting things ready for the now completed Death Valley trip.

As for comfort of the 2 door versus 4 door, like stated above. the 2 door rides very nice, especially if you compare it to previous Wranger versions. I think the longer arms in the front contribute to this greatly. If you never plan on towing anything and don't need the extra people/cargo room, a 2 door would be a great rig. For myself, I have to consider my Kamparoo trailer, which does not have internal storage for a fridge, food, clothing, etc. (it does hold all the cooking gear). Since these items tend to swallow up room quickly inside the rig, the extra space is very welcomed.

Also, with towing, the longer wheelbase just makes it nicer and safer. Short rigs can get "pushed" around at times.

As for power, this is very subjective. I did not find either one lacking for power but I also have driven many rigs with very low HP ratings. You're not going to win any races but it's not like you're going to be holding up traffic either. The power band is very different, requiring you to rev is more than the old tried and true 4.0L six from Jeep. Those are just torque monsters. If you drive it with a more sportiness style, it really doesn't do bad.

I think towing will be the biggest downfall with the current engine offering. I think if you start getting a 1500+ lbs trailer behind you, in mountain areas you will really feel it uphill. You'll be down at least one gear and reving it more than normal. Since I haven't done this, I am only speculating based on my Cherokee and other vehicle experiences.

Well, those are my opinions.

 

[IceCap4runnerORP]

A fantastic read, thank you for posting this! :Wow1: