Lol, i had a C63 & got rid of it for the exact same reason!

How hard easy are those fenders to pull off?

My father in law really really likes his 2011 unlimited.

It's really nice. I like it too. He commutes daily in it and loves it and during the summer it pulls his boat and is awesome for the lake. He can afford to pay to fill it up and he likes to blare music so the wind doesn't bother him.

Unless your situation is similar to the above I wouldn't get it.

A few screws it looks like.         If you put about 30-40 lbs of mud on them and drive over rough ground they will remove themselves.

Thanks. Will be one of the first things I "fix".

35' s?

As someone who recently went to 35s on my TJ rubi, I will say that they handle soft ground better than my 33s. I usually run my tires at roughly 15 psi if we're going to hit wet trails like we did this weekend.  Our local trail butts up to the Obion River so they help quite a bit in the sand too.  Although the wife hates the rocks, what little I've done demonstrated that a slightly aired down 35 performed better than my old 33s.

Are they worth the additional headaches? (stronger axle shafts, better rotors/pads, regear, more tranny heat) That's up to you.  

I do think 33s are sufficient enough to get you through most trails and plenty of trouble, but 35s do have some advantages (albeit slight for the total cost).

Helped a friend build an 03 with 6" Superlift on 35s,  ran 4.88s in it   After all was said and done, it really didn't ride bad at all on the highway  ( hell it rode allot better than his SIL's liberty on the same portion of highway)   This was 6 or so years ago, he is still running it around as his daily driver.    
Back then I ran a 98 with 2" spacers and 32x9.5 mud terrains..   The killer on it was it had 3.07s It got worse mileage than the 03 I mentioned above.  
ETA.  JKs look great on 37s





 

 

We just rented a Grand Cherokee to go from Chicago to Savannah, GA and back and it was awesome.

Won't have a third row but it's not a bad vehicle at all.

Commanders aren't a bad choice either, though the 3rd row is strictly for kids.

Why would one do that to begin with?





 

Don't you drive a Miata?

Jeeps are way too expensive for what they are. If you want a Jeep get a CJ-7 or something

ETA: Also there is a reason that the area where aftermarket 3rd row seats go is empty. Thats where the car likes to fold up when rear ended.

Here's the cool thing about Jeep. You slap on a set of Bushwacker Flat Fenders and hit the trails. If you crush one on a rock or tree you just bolt on a new one, costs about $100.

Try crushing a fender on your 4-Runner, Land Cruiser or other metal skinned vehicle and see what is costs for a repair.

This, I would get the rubicon, 4" long arm lift and go up to 33" , it will bring that stock 4.11 down a little and make highway driving a little better.
I've had 3 and will be getting another one soon.
Had a rubicon 2-door and wanted a 4 door so I ended up with this

Guys, for what it's worth.. coming from a Jeep owner.  I would buy an older model and spend whatever money it costs to fix it to your liking.  Parts are inexpensive (check JC Whitney) and the things are really easy to work on.  The newer models have a bunch of computerized stuff that could go bad.. you wouldn't have to deal with that on an older one.  Jeeps are a lot of fun and they have an incredible after market.  I think you'd be better served getting one where all of the depreciation has occurred.

Yes, I know no action pics but I have not driven my FJ in 6 months. The most contact i've had with it is when my smart start app texted me my battery was going dead

My TJ  Rubicon rarely had the rear seat in it!





However, a couple decades of wearing a Sam Browne is hard on the lower back as was the TJ.





My 12 Rubicon JKU has been great!  A LOT easier on the back too!





 

What year do you own?

I have a 2012 with the new engine.  Plenty of power and if you drive reasonable the mileage is about 19 mixed for me.  

I also have the soft top, and the noise really isn't that bad.  It isn't a caddy, but it's not bad.  The new Wranglers are really excellent.  The 2013 has a new soft top that is even thicker so it'll be more quite.

Of course, it's not a speed machine, and it doesn't handle great, but one would have to realize that before buying.  As far as ride, I don't mind it.  It's better than the corvette.  

All in all, I'd never get rid of mine.  Nothing beats no doors no top in the summer.  Nothing.

They hold their re-sale value better than most vehicles.

THey new ones are not  that loud anymore, and if you spend the coin, they come nicely equiped.

I have a 2011 with the old style engine absolutly no complaints . Opps I forgot I had to put in a heavy duty 4x4 shift cable the stupid plastic clip kept breaking ( a 100.00 item ) some guys just McGyver it themselves for real cheap
edit :The cable replacement was 100 :00 the plastic clip is cheap

No, that's the old ones.

Mine is 10 months old and I have 17,000 miles on it.  Love it.

I've heard the FJ's have horrible blind spots. Any truth to that?

Already answered. Sorry.

The one I test drove did plus they go through windshields at a alarming rate -- the windshield is almost 90 degrees  up from the body and they are stone catchers , the jeep is the same but for some unknown reason I haven't had issues with stone chips

Love my 2013 JKU - 33's no lift - drive 80 miles a day - pulled a heavy trailer with a 500 pound 4 wheeler for 4 hours and I didn't even feel it. Two kids in back seat - got a hitch basket for extra gear - even with 33" mudders I can talk over my blue tooth - don't know why everyone is being a girl. Get the Jeep, you'll like it.

^^^ Listen to this guy.

I'll interject here a little:  If you live where there's snow on the ground, get the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs.  They've got sipes, stud pilots if you need them, and the central rib is more like an A/T tire with M/T tread on the outboard circumference where you need it.  Best of both worlds combined in any tire so far.  Sidewall claws, even.  I personally think 'Pizza Cutter' dimensions (narrow width, taller height, lower weight/rotating mass) is the way to go these days for both mileage, longetivity, and appearance.   Only people who live where there's lots of natural mud bogs will find any use for balloony M/T mudders.  In a desert, that would be totally the wrong tire to mount.  Just my opinion; YMMV.

As far as the OP's question (to stay on topic), the Wrangler Unlimited is a very good vehicle, 'death wobble' and all.   It's a thoroughy capable Jeep, and you honestly need nothing more than the 'Sport S' trim model, if even that.  As another guy said here, 'Real Jeeps are made, not born'.  Quite so.  Some people don't like Jeeps with four doors, but then again some people think a Jeep that's not CJ-heritage isn't a Jeep.  Then there's old beaverbeards that think any military Jeep that's not WWII vintage isn't a Jeep, and then there's purists who won't refer to anything that's not specifically a Willy's M38A1 as a Jeep.  I respect them all.

Me, I did my research and bought last year's Toyota FJ with the manual 6-speed trans and rear locker w/A-TRAC.  It is a war beast and mountain goat rolled into one, and I live not far from the Rubicon trail.  Only thing from Jeep that surpasses it off-road in stock form is a Rubicon with the solid front Dana 44 axle and auto-disconnector, and that's just overkill (but undeniably nice) because there's scarcely any point to rock crawling in my opinion.  You really want an 'expedition' vehicle (another poster here called it 'overland') instead for when the zombies come and the welfare finally cupboard runs bare.  FJs are no joke, even if butchy lesbian women have adopted them as the official lesbian vehicle of choice.  Otherwise, either the Jeep Wrangler or Toyota FJ are suitably evenly matched as to not make any difference to competent/experienced wheelers.

There, now I will shut up.

Best looking Sahara I've seen yet.  Great paint, and I like the wheels and KM2s you chose.  

Thanks - I like it simple and not all dolled up. Half the jeeps I see in DFW prob never see dirt. The KM2 is the quietest mud terain I have ever ridden on. Only complaint is the high beams are a little high and don't spot the close stuff.

What about buying something that was designed well enough that it doesn't have shit sticking out the sides?  

Dodge. Imported from Detroit.

I think of a new jeep as more of a starter kit, than a complete vehicle.  

If you drive off-road you can crumple a fender on a rock or tree, doesn't matter if it sticks out or not.

F250 with mud tires


J/k.


I currently own a 2008 F250 King Ranch Edition, 4x4 Off road with a 6.4L in it. 35 inch duratracs on it... I've had my combined vehicle weight (truck + trailer) over 30,000lbs before. Spartan tuner, S&B air box, etc.

Also, Detroit TruTrac locker... makes a huuuugeee difference off roading it. I was in a plowed corn field at a farm this past weekend, axle deep in mud and crawled right through it.


But, I plan on getting either a 2013 Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition or wait till 2014 to get a diesel Jeep. Mostly as a daily driver, as my truck has nearly 100k on it right now. But also has a trip vehicle / fun vehicle... Go to the Jeep trail fests (that you can only take a JEEP to), travel around - I know some great trails in Colorado and such from hunting. (I know, I know, Colorado, but I have property there and can't exactly sell it.)

Seems to me, plastic flares sticking out makes it more likely to hit stuff. Guess I'm more into expo stuff than whacking into stuff.

The law requires that the fenders cover the width of your tires, big off road tires require big fenders. Trucks have to add flares when they run wide tires too.

You guys are really making me think about selling my 06 LJ and looking at a new JK Unlimited.

My '09 JK rides like shit, has no balls power wise, and jack shit for storage space.








But I am driving it until the wheels fall off and then for a few weeks after I love it that much.

I miss my 07 Wrangler badly, but not that gutless motor it had in it. As far as handling I had a 2.5 inch Teraflex suspension kit on it and it rode awesome on the road and off. Next time if I get another JK I'm doing the Hemi swap or putting a supercharger on it.

I've owned many Jeeps, and I agree with you.



They're toys, but lousy commuters or family vehicles. And, they're money-pit toys that break a lot.



I love them, but I know what they are too.



 

Very nice!

I put 50k on mine and two round trips from Cali to Nc. Only got a chip in the windshield at 45k. Depends on your freeways. I have 3 now and their all from the same freeway.

How well does a Fiat handle, anyways?  

I have been in my fair share of the new ones from the basic model to the COD ones, unlimited and regular.  My wife's, $15k trailblazer rides and drives 4 times better than a jeep.  jeeps are not comparable to a regular 4wd SUV.

I'd hang on to it.  Not a lot of LJs made and they're high on the desirability scale for Jeep folks.

TJs are bringing crazy money in private and dealer sales.  I've added a long arm suspension, bumpers, winch, seats, etc. which should hurt resale value considerably, but car dealers fell all over themselves trying to get me to trade it in or sell it to them.

LJs are even more desirable.


I'd think long and hard before I ditched an LJ for a JK.

i test drove one, the offroad body width means you loose a ton of interior room compared to my grand cherokee. If you want a family hauler, the GC has been fine for me for the last 10 years. If your quest is based upon mudd'in and crawl'in then open your wallet.

What are you talking about????

I have a 2010 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (bone stock) with a hard top and it's great as a daily driver.

I didn't even consider getting a softop, didn't want to have to deal with the wind noise, security issues and fading plastic windows.

My only complaint is the poor gas mileage, but I knew about that before I bought it.

LOL, even some other Jeep Wrangler owners apparently can't read either or don't know the difference between a Jeep Wrangler vs. a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

I'm with you. I love my daily driver Jeep, no complaints at all.

That's what I love about Jeeps. Cheap to replace and you can do it yourself w/o going to a mechanic. I love working on vehicles and my health has prevented me from doing once of the things I love and that's mechanical work. A Jeep could get me back into it compared to what I own know and can only do minor things with it.

There we go. It's a model kit we get to build.

I agree, my Jeep is easy to modify and maintain and there are thousands of after market parts and accessories.

My Jeep is pretty moded, lift, bumpers, winch, snorkel, lights, shocks, skids, rock rails, etc, etc. All work was done by me in my driveway. Saved a ton of money doing it myself.