TMO84

Looking to buy a JK unlimited sport and trade in my 2007 chevy colorado with Z71.

As I'm comparing the specs, I see that my truck not only has better ground clearance (9.0 v. 8.7) but has a locking differential (while the jeep unlimited sport model does not). Am I buying a vehicle that is inferior to the Z71 offroad package? What makes the JK unlimited superior to my 4x4 truck (aside from engine power).

Thanks.

kh202

That jku will destroy any pickup offroad, stock to stock unless we're talking about a raptor in desert racing. Your jeep has better, approach/ departure Angles, and far better flex

kh202

You truly have to wheel one to understand

jk_sea

Surprisingly, a Colorado Z71 is shockingly good off-road. I owned an '09 and wheeled it quite hard. At the end of the day, it's not a Jeep. Now that I've owned both, I'd absolutely take the Jeep to a trail before I'd take the Colorado. Granted, I own a 2-door Jeep. The much shorter wheelbase requires less ground clearance/ better break-over angle, and the placement of the wheels at essentially the corners of the vehicle is a huge improvement over the Colorado's approach/departure angles. An Unlimited is better at ascending steep hills.

The advantages are in the details. The Colorado has an electronically controlled transfer case. If you've ever tried to shift it into 4-low and got the blinking light, or it clanked and clanked and wouldn't engage, you'd rather you had the part-time manual case from the JK. The t-case in GMT355's are built by Isuzu (not a NP- unit like most other GM 4x4's). I believe the crawl ratio of the JK sport's t-case at 2.72:1 is equal to, or better than the GMT355. The axle ratio's may be better if the sport you are looking at has a 3.73. Base is a 3.21, which is IIRC, very close to the the Colorado's at 3.23.

The G80 locker in the Colorado is nice to have, but it's an inertia-locker and is only good up to about 15mph, and also requires slippage before it engages. It's useful to a point. The JK sport does NOT have a locking diff, but it can come with limited slip, and Jeep also has an electronic program called BLD, "Brake-lock differential" whereby the computer brakes the slipping wheel to transfer power to the other wheel at the other end of the differential. It is QUITE useful, and a huge improvement over an open rear end, and perhaps even the G80 I had in my Colorado. The axles in the GMT are built by American Axle (AAM), the axles in the JK are built by Dana. I'd take the Dana's.

The Colorado's cooling fan is a clutch mechanism driven off the pulley. When it engages, it robs the engine of power and also requires the engine to be spinning fast enough to properly cool the radiator. The JK has an electronically controlled, motorized fan that comes on when conditions require it. You can be wheeling at 1/2mph and the fan will be going full speed, happily cooling away.

Transmission for transmission, the 4LRE in the 4-speed JK's is more robust than the GMT's 4L60E, and the 6-speed NAG1 auto in the newer JK's nails them both. Better yet, opt for the top-loader 6-speed manual trans (please?) and you've got a transmission that's more equipped to wheel than any of those 3 choices. IMO, the Colorado suffers for insufficient trans cooling. If you have the 3.7L, it has a very tiny cooler integrated with the radiator. Remember the discussion about the fan?

The JK is arguably built better than the Colorado. I can't believe I just said that. It's true.

The Colorado has insufficient skid plating even for the front air dam and engine protection. It's plastic on the Z71. JK's come with metal bracing and protection. The JK also has the oil filter not on the bottom of the engine. IIRC, the 3.7's is on the bottom of the engine hanging down?

Miscellaneous -- The JK has plastic fenders, better for trail riding/scratches versus the Z71's which are usually painted except early models. The Z71 has no rocker protection (I stuffed mine at almost 10,000' elevation on a trail). The steering is rack and pinion versus the JK's parallelogram/more robust steering setup. The Z71 uses a torsion bar front suspension, the JK uses a solid axle with springs (better). The JK can go topless, the GMT355 most certainly does not, the aftermarket is better for the JK and it's mostly non-existent for the GMT355 (lift kits, wheels, accessories, tops, offroad gear, bumpers, etc).

I hope that helps! In short, buy the JK.

SPCmario

I also went from a Colorado z71 to a jeep but I ended up with a rubicon 2 door. Surprisingly on the trails and mud holes I used to drive the z71 through I never had to use the lockers on the rubicon (on the truck I had to use the rear locker) My z71 even had a 2" leveling kit and 33x11.5s on it. I think because of the solid axels on a jeep it keeps the tires on the ground more. The brake lock differential feature standard on all jeeps seems to help lot too. I don't know how the small tires on the sport will affect it in the dirt but I'm sure if you put some rubicon take offs on it it would out perform the z71 on any trail.

karls

The best way to understand it is to experience it. Find a local off-road club and see if you can get one of the owners to take you out.

Sent from my DROID4

TMO84

Guys,
Good to hear from people who have the same truck as me. I'd like some advice...

I've always wanted a Jeep - but the Grand Cherokee is too much money and too fancy for me. The Liberty/Patriot/Compass/Cherokee models scream soccer Mom to me and in my opinion, I'd probably want to upgrade if I bought one. That leaves me with the Wrangler.

Now, I'm trying to rationalize this decision to myself - I have NO NEED for a Wrangler, its more of a WANT. I have a 2007 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab, fully-loaded, AT tires, Z71. Never been stuck. Can tow anything I need. But as you both mentioned, its not quite off-road capable as the JK.

However, my truck will be paid off in a couple of months. I'm trying to justify to my wife why its a good idea to get into another five year loan. My truck does everything I need it to do. In fact, I plan on doing very light off-roading with either vehicle, so really the off-road capabilities I suppose is second for me. So why buy a Wrangler?

Well, for starters, if something happens to my Colorado, its very hard to find parts. They are no longer making this model after this year. It feels cheap, has lots minor things go wrong. Albeit the engine is sound, its very underpowered.

Would making the switch to a Wrangler be common sense? I plan on doing some light towing, light off-roading, and like the idea of the open air driving.

Talk me off the ledge - or not!

kh202

Truck probably rides a little nicer, has a bed to throw things in the back, probably slightly higher towing capacity than jk, gas mileage about the same?? However, JK's are awesomely capable, fun to drive, top and doors come off, option of a manual transmisison (assuming colorado is auto) and i'm sure it will convince you to do a little more than light offroading

That's my honest opinion, but go take one out for a long test drive on a nice day, see how you like it!!

Rednroll

A lot of people have already given you the off-road benefits angle information to you which is some great information. However, if you're only going to be using the off-road stuff here and there, then it sounds like that is not going to be a convincing factor.

So let me give you some of the daily driver benefits. I'm 40 sumthing years old. Been buying new cars for awhile now. Like most people every time, you buy a new car at 1st you feel like it's the greatest car you've ever owned. You look forward to driving it everyday. You enjoy cleaning her up. Then a couple years go by of owning that vehicle and eventually the novelty starts to wear off, and your eyes start to wander and you start planning your next new vehicle purchase. It's kind of like being in a relationship, at 1st you're very attentive, look forward to seeing that person, you like that person but then as time passes you realize maybe you rather be else where instead. By the sounds of it, that's where you're at with your truck. You know it is good enough, it has served you well, you like it and you really don't need a new vehicle. However, you're not truly happy with the vehicle and your eyes are wandering.

I bought my JKU in the summer of 2009. This is now our 4th year together. I can truly say, I still look forward to driving my JKU every day when I get into it to drive to work. I still look forward to spending the weekend cleaning her up. When I look at other vehicles, I say to myself, that's a cool vehicle, but it's not a Wrangler. The only consideration I have of buying another vehicle, would be to buy a newer Wrangler. So, you could say I finally found my true love and I'm now married to the Wrangler.

So what do I love about her so much? She is truly the chameleon and Swiss Army knife of vehicles and when I feel a tad bored, I just change her look for the day/week and the honeymoon starts all over for me again. Like you, I live a climate where we get a full 4 seasons which don't last very long and I feel the Jeep Wrangler is the perfect vehicle for all 4 of those seasons. When the warm weather rolls around, I look forward to taking the top off. There are days, where I'm looking at the weather report, just so I can plan on taking the top and doors off for my commute to and from work. There are days, I get out of work and it's a sunny day and am able to either just put the soft top down, or if I have the hard top on, just throw the front freedom panels in the back and enjoy the sunshine and wind in my face for my commute home. When the cold weather hits, I look forward to heavy snow falls by putting the JKU in 4WD and playing in the snow. When the fall and spring rolls around, I look forward to loading up the hunting, fishing or camping gear and going off the beaten path and doing those activities or just playing in the mud with her. It's also capable of towing a small boat, and I can do that also. I have NEVER felt, there was an activity that I can't do with this vehicle.....maybe beside drag racing, and I have no interest in that...but the engine compartment is big enough, that some people have even put a bigger engine in it and done that LOL! There's plenty of space inside for taking family trips and loading up gear, and I can pull a trailer if I need to haul stuff to use her for construction work.

The Wrangler is the ONLY convertible SUV 4WD on the market, and it is the ONLY vehicle with a hard top and soft top option. I have both and highly recommend getting both. I personally feel with the Wrangler, that I've found true love. I can even look at a Ferrari and say to myself, "Wow!!! that's a sweet ride, I bet that car is really fun to drive.......until winter comes along, and then I'm screwed, where I feel I rather have my Wrangler because my Wrangler is fun in the winter and the summer." I even look forward to the day of going off-road and being able to take the top off, all the doors off and fold the windshield down while I'm at it just because I can. Name me another vehicle which is one of the most capable off-road vehicles, and on road vehicles regardless of road conditions and allows you to take the top off, the doors off, and even fold down the windshield. There isn't one, and once you've owned one and gotten used to those conveniences, like most of us on this forum, you're hooked for life and the only other vehicle you will want to own after owning a Wrangler is a bigger and better Wrangler with more mods than your last.

BillyJack

The honest answer is no. It doesn't make common sense in your situation but that's not why you want a Wrangler is it?