Jeep plans 2011-2014

[6Pins]

What? are you nuts?
What other vehicle can you purchase today legaly and have a 7/70warrenty
that has frt and rear dana44'S with push button lockers frt and rear.
a 4:1 Transfercase that is manualy shifted a swaybar that disconnects
at the push of a button.
I have had my 03 Rubicon for 7 years. I have never had a mechanical issue and its not for the of rough trails. The week I pourchased it I went on the Rubicon and it was driven 3 years stock with only a roll cage and a winch that was added.
I think Crysler did a great job considering what they had to get by the lawyers. When it comes to milage my 14mpg is alot better then my sons
Discovery.
I dont blame you for your comments. Most people who have never owned a
bob tail jeep normaly hates them.
but compaired to my last 7 jeeps this is by far the best I have ever owned
both in reliabilty and capability

x2. I've got an 08 Rubicon and it's fine. I've had more jeeps than I care to count and this really is one of the best ones I've had. I don't find the V6 underpowered, and I spend alot of time going up and down the Appalachians. I also factory ordered the 6 speed manual so maybe that has something to do with it. I don't see why folks keep insisting on calling it a minivan V6. Guess what, engines are used across multiple platforms now. I don't see anyone pointing out that the Disco uses essentially a Buick engine.

As for what's on the lot, who cares. Order the Jeep from the factory, that's what I did. I have no use for a soft-top and couldn't get a dealer to sell me one without it, so I ordered it. It took a few months, but I got what I wanted, with exactly what I wanted and minimal dealing with the dealer.

 

[Pskhaat]

...you might want to consider driving lessons.

Keep it cool and collected guys...

 

[Metcalf]

Oh boy did this thread get going....

I have to share a story and some thoughts. This year, on my yearly Moab pre-easter jeep spring trip there was so much snow in Durango I couldn't get my trailer out to take my ol' Willys to Moab. I decided to rent a new JK wrangler in Moab for the 3 day trip since all my friends where bringing there locked, lifted, very built jeeps....

The silver jeep on the right has a Nth long arm, 10" stroke 2.5" shocks, ,bumps, alloy Rubicon axles, 5.13s, 5.3 GM v8, 4l65e trans, and 35" krawlers on rockmonsters along with winch, bumpers, etc. The green jeep on the right is a real sleeper. 5.3 gm v8, nv4500, 231 crawler box, flipped D300, arb lockers at both ends, flat belly, bumpers, winch, 35" KM2s with staun beadlocks, etc. Then there is my little rental jeep in the middle. It's basically a STOCK rubicon JK two door automatic with some goodyear kevlar tires that where about 50% tread.

We ended up doing Metal Masher and Hells Revenge. Both of these trails are nice because the main trail is medium hard with optional HARD obstacles. The point is, I ran both trails right next to some VERY well built jeeps. EVERYONE, including myself, was constantly impressed with the little red rental. It did everything I asked it to without any issue, It was driven like it was my own vehicle, not beat on like a rental! It was actually an amazing little jeep. I never thought I would like the JK platform that much. While it is far from perfect its a great little jeep. The soul of the jeep is very intact!

I think people are taking it for granted that you can go order a jeep off the lot with a locking front and rear differentials, a 4:1 transfer case, heavier axles, etc. This alone is amazing.

I would love to see jeep offer the diesel engine. I think people are mis-remembering the sales of the diesel engine in the Liberty. They sold MANY more units than they originally planned! They would have continued to sell if they where offered. The sales of the diesel in the grand Cherokee haven't been stellar, but I believe the cost difference is MUCH more in the grand vs the liberty.

I think at least some people at Chrysler know what we want. Did you see the concept vehicles at EJS this year. The J7 and the Nukizer where both great ideas of what we want. Will they see production...most likely not. Could you make your own J7, sure! Take a Rubicon and strip out all the carpet, throw a little lift and some tires on it, add some simple bumpers.....

Jeep vehicles have the LARGEST aftermarket support of any vehicle. Build them how ever you want, don't let the dealership stop you from that!

Things I think that need addressing from jeep....

-More engine choices from the factory. I would like to see the diesel, and I know lots of people would like to see the Hemi. The diesel development is done, its basically just california emissions and a few other states that is ruining it for the rest of us. The hemi can be done, AEV has a kit if you really want one. They even offer a manual or automatic option along with VVT now. I hear the VVT hemi with a manual 6-speed is a GREAT package. Personally I would love to see the 2.8 diesel with the 545 automatic. Does anyone even buy a 4cyl jeep anymore? Take that off the plate and give us the Hemi and the diesel!

-Long wheelbase 3-door like the J8. I really dig the J8 platform and I think it would sell really well world wide if offered, but I think we are going to be stuck with the AEV option on that one. Even if the J8 3-door body was offered on a regular coil suspension frame it would do well. The additional storage space and LARGE flat rear floor would be great! Add an option for a half cab like the old scrambler and you would make a TON of people happy. That vehicle would be a great two-person mid sized truck with the flexibility to change it back to a SUV with just a top change.


Personally. I will continue to lust after a J8 3-door diesel. For me, I think that is the best starting point.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Silly thought...

So what if we cordoned off an area around say...The rubicon, and chopped and pushed the rest of cali and its emission laws into the ocean? Would that help?:elkgrin:

 

[Metcalf]

Don't forget the Dusy-Ershim, Fordyce, and the Hammers too.

 

[DesertJK]

Luxury items in a Rubicon? Wouldn't have it any other way.

My wife and I share our Rubicon Unlimited. We sold my built Disco, my f450 fire crew truck, and her Freelander to buy it. We also have 7 late model motorcycles and about 15 vintage ones, so we try to use those more than the Jeep.

I specifically wanted power windows, and they are very handy even off road. For instance, it's winter and cold. You are out on a trail and get hung up. There is a spotter on the passenger side saying something and pointing, but you ca not hear because the window is up. Your Jeep feels like it's going to roll, you can not lean over and roll the window down, so, what are you going to do? I just hit the button and my window is down. It is also handy with the dogs in the back, dog farts, window down, simple.

I had power mirrors on the Disco. They were handy too. I was able to adjust the passenger side when backing up on the trail to see my entire right rear tire. Handy when getting around rocks and such.

I had 3 inches of lift. 33's. OME springs, great basin steering stuff, some expensive drive shafts, and all the armor I could need on the disco. It was a great truck that I wheeled the crap out of. But, it couldn't do 70 all day with a trailer full of dirt bikes, and it was becoming a maintenance trap. The new Jeep goes anywhere the Disco did off road, is decent on the highway, and has a warranty. I'm happy.
I looked at plenty of straight 6 4.0 Jeeps, and none could be as versatile as the new Unlimited. I still like rovers, and considered a defender, but for the money, you would have a hard time beating a stock Rubicon Unlimited as a daily driver Expo truck.

 

[winkosmosis]

We wanted to buy a Jeep - we really did. Went to the dealer and test drove an unlimited. It sort of looked like a jeep from the outside. But it was totally soulless. The whole experience of going to the dealer was painful. The sales people could tell you how many cup holders were in the minivan, but they didn't have a clue as to what diff was in the Jeep - or anything else about it, for that matter. The sales literature was all rugged pictures of Jeeps airlifted to the tops of mountains in the middle of Mars, but the real message was that you could look cool doing the grocery shopping with the optional elastic 'cargo' net. It was a laundry list of features that were meant to make the Jeep look like value for money when you compared it to something else. "Oh look dear, the Jeep has 6 cup holders and the Toyota only has 4."

The bottom line for us was that the gas mileage sucked; the interior was clautrophobic (who designed that stupid roll bar?); it drove like a 6 ton minivan; and it cost a fortune. Plus, you had to spend an additional fortune building it into something you'd feel comfortable overlanding in.

It's the "lowest common denominator" mentality the MBAs use to worship the bottom line. Chrysler deserves to go belly up. They have taken a noble mark and turned it into 4x4 pablum.

No thanks. Saving up for a Landy 110 Defender Tdi.

Sorry if this offends anyone. I just feel very disappointed and a bit betrayed that part of my cultural heritage has been emasculated and served up fast food style.

Current Jeeps are better than anything they ever built.

You know they used to sell Wranglers and Cherokees without so much as recovery points right? Think about that for a second. Every FWD econobox has hooks of some kind, but not Jeeps. Not to mention the tiny 27" tires, weak axles like the Dana 35C, minivan ground clearance, etc. That's why people used to say "Jeeps are built, not bought", because you went to the dealer and bought some corporate focus group marketing driven facsimile of a Jeep. Jeep was a pathetic joke until Hummer came along and embarrassed Chrysler.

 

[haven]

"The diesel development is done, its basically just california emissions and a few other states that is ruining it for the rest of us."

Not true. Diesels equipped with modern emissions systems (typically urea-injection, a selective catalytic converter and a particulate emissions trap) are legal for sale in all 50 states. VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes sell the same diesel vehicles everywhere in 2010.

 

[Mudpro]

Keep it cool and collected guys...

My apologies, it wasn't my intent to be rude.

But anyone who has ever driven a stock rig then built it into a high performance vehicle knows, you sorta miss the challenge, and some times trails that use to challenge your driving skills, are, well, sorta boring.

The JK Rubicon comes off the showroom floor with Dana 44s, locking diff's front and rear, all the torque you could ever need, and even an automatic sway bar disconnects. To say you need to spend a wheelbarrow full of cash to modify one so you can do any serious wheeling is a little ridiculous.

As for Land Rovers, ask Bill B. how his stock D90 drove before he modified the suspension.

 

[Metcalf]

The current wrangler CRD meets emissions in Europe without any urea injection or particulate filters......why can't we just have that diesel here?

 

[winkosmosis]

The current wrangler CRD meets emissions in Europe without any urea injection or particulate filters......why can't we just have that diesel here?

Well I think the European emissions standards revolve around carbon dioxide, not smog like ours.

 

[jingram]

Yeah, there is a bigger focus on smog and particulate matter here than Euro5. The whole thing ends up being a joke though. In all honesty, EDM/JDM/USDM Markets should come together and hash out consistent emissions regulations and safety targets in those markets. It would make it much cheaper and easier for vehicle manufacturers and potentially a boon to us.