hypractv

I have been shopping for a JKU for a couple weeks. I have narrowed it down to 2.

#1 - 2009 JKUR w/ 67k on the clock. 6Speed, Hard Top. Overall good condition w/ full maintenance doc and minimal wear / tear

#2 - 2012 JKU Sport S w/15k on the clock. 6Speed, Soft Top. Pretty much like new. It does have 3:21s.

When the dust settles the 2012 will run me $2000 more than the '09.

Which ever rig I buy, I plan to lift it and throw 35s or 37s under it. I know the '12 will require a re gear at some point, where as the 4.10 in the JKUR will suffice. I do not plan to do any hard core wheeling, just trails and hitting the beach.

Help me decide.

red2010rubi

I think it comes down to whether you want the new engine or not.

hypractv

Yes, I def would prefer the Pentastar over the 3.8L.

I just figure that for the $2k difference, the newer engine, updated interior and low mileage would be the better choice. This would not be a DD so I figure the '12 will hold a little more resale in a couple years over the '09.

Murder¹

If you'll run 37s go with the rubi less chance of breaking something if your going with 35s go with the 12 also the rubi will hold its resale value better because of the lockers & bigger axles

djbrew

My $.02

'12 with 35's.
If you're going to pull parts and lift, the suspension "bonus" that you'll get with the '09 will be moot.
Most will agree that, especially with it being a dd, the 35's with a 2.5-3.5" lift will be your best overall "fit."
Regear kits aren't that expensive in the scheme of all things.
I had a '12 JK with the 3.6 and now own a '07 JKU with the 3.8. I Love the added room, but miss the better motor. You'll just spend most of your time going from 3rd to 4th, and back to 3rd until you regear.
The '12 will also provide you some warranty for when you need your cylinder replaced.

hypractv

For the most part it really seemed like a no brainer to get the '12. However, when it comes down to it the only bonus to the Rubi is the front D44, lockers and Rock Track xFer case. Since I wont be wheeling the piss out it, I think the sport would hold up just fine over all.

Rednroll

I realize this wasn't in your options, but since you're considering a 2012 JKU Sport with 15K miles, I'll throw this out there, since when I originally purchased my JKU I was considering a 1 year old to save on some costs also. However, after I did my shopping around I decided to go new.

So anyways, the great thing about Wranglers is that they hold their resale value quite well. Always within the top 5 vehicles when it comes to resale value. Which is good if you own one, but not so good if you're trying to save some money by buying a slightly used one. Most cars, you can get a $5K-$8K discount by buying used, low miles 1 year old. Not so with the JKU. If you do your shopping around, you'll find a 1 year JKU with 15K miles on it like you're currently looking at, you will probably save about $2K-$3K when comparing to new.

For me, buying a "used" vehicle and only saving $2K-$3K when comparing to new, is not really worth it, but it goes even further than that.

The other thing to consider in all this is if you're going to have to finance. If you start shopping around for financing, you will find that with "most" banks, for a used vehicle, they will allow you to finance up to 4 years, where a new vehicle they will allow you to finance up to 5 years. On top of that the APR is always lower when financing a new car compared to a used car.

So what does this all mean? It means, you can actually get a lower monthly payment by buying a new JKU Sport, compared to buying a 1 year old 15K miles used JKU Sport due to the payment being spread out an additional year, in addition to the lower APR for a new vehicle.

On top of that, you're getting piece of mind because you're getting the 3yr/36K miles Warranty, which is non transferable if you buy used and you're getting something you know hasn't been drowned in a creek by a previous owner.

Plus, you're still getting the new engine.

So that would be my recommendation if you're really considering a 2012 JKU Sport.

hypractv

All very valid points. I did in fact research purchasing and even ordering a 2013 configured exactly how I wanted, however, the cost was going to run me roughly $4k more than the '12 I have decided on. The '12 I am picking up went into service in June 0f 2012. It is in pristine condition. I was planning on paying cash, however, seeing that rates are ridiculously low right I may not. My 'bank' offers the same rates / terms for 2011 - 2013 models so I am not to terribly concerned there.

Since when are factory warranties non transferable?

Rednroll

Sorry about that....you're right. I was thinking about the previous Lifetime Powertrain Warranty they
used to offer, which was non transferable. I believe the Warranty is transferable but there is still a clause in the power train warranty where there is a transfer fee and it has to go through an authorized dealer transfer process.

hypractv

Makes sense. If I recall correctly, the '09s were the first to offer lifetime powertrain which was not transferable. 2010 kicked off era of 100k powertrain.