Picked up my 4dr Rubicon yesterday, drove 160 miles home thru a nice snowstorm and LOVE IT SO FAR! Our other vehicles are a 95 Powerstroke, and an 04 Suburban with the big 8.1L motor in it, just to give you guys an idea of what I'm used to. I've got my CDL and drive all kinds of trucks and equipment and have been around 4WD's for almost 30 years. BUT I'VE NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE WITH A JEEP OTHER THAN MY OLD 1941 MILITARY.

1) This Rubicon is something else!!!!! I've never driven anything that soaks up offroad bumps so well. Tested going DOWN some really steep dropoffs and was amazed at how well it handled them. It is super greasy out here right now with about 1" of slush on top of shallow frozen dirt. I'm working up my courage to go UP a few super steep hills but am going slow and LEARNING the capablilities of this vehicle rather than doing something STUPID and regretting it.

2) On the 160 miles home, all in 4WD the computer said 18.5 mpg average economy.

3) I elected to purchase the AUTO TRANS and so far have no regrets. I grew up a manual trans guy and certainly drive a lot of them in class 8 trucks on down but I love the AT in my Rubicon.

4) We live mountainous country and I use the OVERDRIVE ON/OFF button a lot trying to make it easier to stay in the optimal torque band climbing mountain passes.

5) I had heard that the low beams + foglights were great but the high beams are not and I agree.

6) Personally I was very satisfied with the visibility out of the windshield. I was very happy with the defrost and especially with the windshield wiper performance. My old 96 YUKON had no defrost coverage on the wiper blades when they were NOT in use and then you'd go to use them and they would be all ICED UP. The Rubicons worked to perfection.

7) I love lots of power and TRUE ENOUGH my Rubicon could use more. But it is NOT TOO GLARINGLY GUTLESS AT ALL. It just barely has enough power to keep me HAPPY AND I AM VERY HAPPY to have this sweet rig.

8) I can hardly believe how QUIET the JK is!!!!!! Turn off the heater motor and you can hardly hear a thing!

9) I like firm riding suspensions and am used to all 3/4 ton pickups etc..... So at first I thought the Rubicon ride was a little how should I say it, maybe STICKY or maybe on the soft side. BUT after taking it off road I can see what that suspension is MADE FOR. I've never driven a vehicle over rough road that just soaks up all the bumps so well, I am IMPRESSED!!!!!!!!

10) This says a lot, so far I love my Rubicon more the MORE THAT I DRIVE IT. The more situations I see it perform in the more respect I have for this vehicle.

11) I love the DEEP center console box.

12) Somebody else I read said the door pockets should be deeper and they are so right, the door pockets are pretty useless.

13) I am a CRUISE CONTROL FANATIC and I am very impressed with the quickness of response to setting my cruise. Excellent system.

14) My flame red paint is PERFECT, no flaws that I can find, and the paint is fine behind the door hinges.

15) It has done nothing but rain and snow since I picked up my Rubicon and I have NO LEAKS WHAT SO EVER!!!

16) Driving 160 miles in greasy snow I was ELATED to discover how stable my Rubicon was on the road. I passed every vehicle in sight and felt so stable myself that I wondered why the other cars were going so slow! Those special MUD TERRAIN tires might have something to do with this.

17) I need to figure out a way to keep the foglights on in conjunction with my highbeams.

18) I took my sweet wife for a ride this afternoon and she LOVES IT!!!!! She couldn't believe some of the places we went.

19) The sound system in my Rubicon is AWESOME at least to me. It is certainly the nicest sound system I've ever had in any of my vehicles. Of course this is only the 3rd brand new vehicle my wife and I have ever purchased.

20) To sum up my new Rubicon I'd have to just say it is TOTALLY FUN. It will make the most mundane trip FUN and that makes life have a lot more zest to it!!!

I don't know the hoops to jump thru to get pictures posted. Everyone has seen FLAME RED RUBICONS either here or the video at Jeep.com any way. Well I'm ECSTATIC with my Rubicon so far, just wanted to tell you all. I can see why people get addicted to JEEPS!!!!!!!!

I ordered a Rubicon back in August 2006. Never got movement on my order. Finally found a dealership that found me mine and organized a dealer trade to get it. Really appreciate their efforts. The only thing I ordered on mine that I didn't get on this one is SIDE AIR BAGS. Geez I hope I don't regret that sometime!!!!!!

LOADSTAR

 

Cool. I am still waiting on mine. I waa on vacation this week in the Rockies and saw a blue 4 door and it had a crowd of people around it. I wanted to join them but we had to get back to the slopes for dinner.

Enjoy.

Jeff

 

Thanks for the list of positive attributes! It's great to hear all the problems others have had with their jeeps are being worked out on the newer production vehicles. Ordered mine before I found this site and then found out about the unbelieveable wait. Thinking about it now maybe it was a good thing. Ordered 12/10/06. Tentative build date 3/19. Might see it in April. I can't wait. Looking forward to four wheelin" again after 20 years.

 

Same thoughts here. I found this forum right after placing my order and wondered if I had made a mistake (but hoped I hadn't, since I'm a big jeep fan).

The tone of the posts seems to have taken a positive turn. Seems like DCX is pulling it together.