Back story - I'm looking to buy a motorhome and Jeep toad in the next 6 months. Jeep will not be a daily driver but mostly used as a toad and weekend toy. Plan to take lots of trips to state parks, national parks, and enjoy the great outdoors with our three young kids. I want to go down dirt roads and explore away from the "home base" of the motorhome. No plans to do any serious rock climbing, etc. Not going to go crazy with modifications - plan to change out front bumper for a RockHard bumper to fit tow brackets and run electrical harness for towing, then head down the road.
What Jeep to buy? According to the Jeep website there are 13 different models - really? I went and looked on the lot today just to poke around and the guy helping me was pretty helpful. Showed me the differences between some of the different models on the lot (Sport/Sahara/Rubicon), basically confirming that a Sahara is just a Sport with more aesthetic badging (color match top/fenders/bumpers, etc) and not worth the extra money - I agreed. Also looked at a Rubicon but you obviously can't see most of the differences (suspension, etc).
Price comparison - Using the cars.com app for vehicles in Houston area (rather than the MSRP sticker), it appears the comparison is roughly Sport for $34.5k, Willys for $36.5k, Big Bear for $37.5k, and Rubicon for $40k. Looks like the real difference is the suspension and 4WD system. Sport is normal suspension, Big Bear has heavy duty suspension with gas shocks, and Willys/Rubicon have performance suspension. Rubicon also has the RockTrac 4WD system upgrade.
What is the best bang for the buck? How are the different suspensions compared for normal highway riding vs. dirt road exploring? Any recommendations from Jeep owners out there? Just starting my research so any tips are welcome!
What Jeep to buy? According to the Jeep website there are 13 different models - really? I went and looked on the lot today just to poke around and the guy helping me was pretty helpful. Showed me the differences between some of the different models on the lot (Sport/Sahara/Rubicon), basically confirming that a Sahara is just a Sport with more aesthetic badging (color match top/fenders/bumpers, etc) and not worth the extra money - I agreed. Also looked at a Rubicon but you obviously can't see most of the differences (suspension, etc).
Price comparison - Using the cars.com app for vehicles in Houston area (rather than the MSRP sticker), it appears the comparison is roughly Sport for $34.5k, Willys for $36.5k, Big Bear for $37.5k, and Rubicon for $40k. Looks like the real difference is the suspension and 4WD system. Sport is normal suspension, Big Bear has heavy duty suspension with gas shocks, and Willys/Rubicon have performance suspension. Rubicon also has the RockTrac 4WD system upgrade.
What is the best bang for the buck? How are the different suspensions compared for normal highway riding vs. dirt road exploring? Any recommendations from Jeep owners out there? Just starting my research so any tips are welcome!