Im about to buy my first Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Im in Med School and really cant afford that much, but I found a 2012 base (manual mirrors, cloth seats, etc.) with auto trans for 27k. I was hoping to find a 2011 with some miles on it, but honestly, the prices arent that much better. My questions is, is there an option i should really really get? I would like to eventually take it on trails and go adventuring with it, so I would like to put a lift, wheels, and new gears on it sometime in the near future. Any advice? Anyone advise against a base model?

 

Dont get the 11' the new engine is better and If you want to end up with 35s and not much bigger but want to have a good trail rig then i would get the rubi the extra money is worth it. If you plan on building it up extrem ( 40s ) get the sport.

 

I lucked out and found an 07 X with lift and tires on it that was a repo... So that is something to check. also look online and find a dealer that is willing to search out of state to find what you want. an I agree with the above. Rubicon is a good way to go if your going to be a long time or mild with mods. If starting quick on mods or planing to go EXTREME then get an x or sport and build away. Good luck finding a JK and good luck in school.

 

Get at least the 373 gears too and i love my 12 JKU

 

x2 on the 3.73 gearing, don't forget the 3pc hardtop or if you can swing it the dual tops (soft & hardtop)...

 

Hard top, auto trans, 3.73 gears, power windows, and the Infinity sound syst. are some big items that are expensive/or pain to add later. You can always piece it together gradually, but the ones above would be nice to be covered by warranty if you can't live without them. Most of that stuff comes in packages so you can't really pick/choose unless you special order.

I regret not getting the 3.73 gears

 

I would say figure out what you plan on doing with the jeep. Do you want to do some serious rock crawling or something a little more mild and then decide from there on what you need. The rubi is nice if you need those upgrades as it will cost much more later down the road to upgrade a sport to dana 44's and lockers. If your gonna build it up like crazy and swap out axles to dana 60's and huge tires then the sport it going to be cheaper in the long run. Just all depends on your purpose of use for the jeep. I went with the sahara since I wanted the infinity stero and leather and I like the look of color matched fenders and since its my first jeep I knew I wouldn't go to crazy offroading right off the bat and where I am in NC there isn't much serious rock crawling so I felt like I didnt need the rubi right now and the sahara would perform well enough for my current needs. I may upgrade to a rubi years from now if I get into more serious off roading but since Im new to offroading I felt as the sahara was a better fit for me to learn and see how serious I will get into it.

 

I always say, just go with your gut. you are going to eventually mod it how you like and make it yours. those other things are nice but definitely not needed. look at what you are going to be doing with it actually 90 percent of the time. most of us are not out on trails or rock crawling everyday. good luck with the jk.

 

I had one (must have) option and that was it had to be a rubicon, especially if you are ever going to run big tires, lift, etc. bc it comes with stock 4.10s and front and rear lockers, that said.. u probly wont find a 2012 unlimited rubicon for that price, also i have a 2011,,you are right in going new for similar price but the HUGE upswing is that 2012 has more power, wish i had the pentastar engine. like one other poster said make sure u have 3.73s if its not gonna be a rubicon, i think some are 3.21s?? theyre fine until u lift and run bigger tires and with the d30 the max u can regear is 5.13s..other things that i like..connectivity group. but just get the jeep i dont think youll regret it, hands down the coolest vehicle out there and name me another 2012 vehicle that comes with solid front and rear axles besides a Ford 350 superduty(i think) and thats a made-for-work beast. for that price for a brand new jku, u may be option deficient but you are saving a ton on the front end which will leave you room to go visit MOD CITY

 

When I bought my 11' Rubi. Unl. about a year ago the used ones were too high priced so I went new; so you probably will have to also, + the 12' motor and trans. is much better.
If you're in school are you going to have time to mod it? Modding can get expensive and can take a lot of your time. My advice is either buy a Rubi. and pretty much leave it alone; it's a great wheeler stock; or buy the inexpensive model and just replace the tires w/ some good off road tires.
The basic traction control in the JK's I have found to be excellent; 2wd will take you a lot of places; then 4 lo w/ some good tires will get you thru almost everything else.
If you're doing moderate wheeling the base model with some good tires will do very well.