In addition to the wife and I having a second child on the way, we also adapted a second (large) dog. We can no longer fit the "whole family" in the 2-door. I've contemplated trading in for a '13 bone-freaking-stock Sport, but even that might be pushing it. I eventually started looking at older (and better equipped) Unlimited's. I found a really nice '08 Rubicon with 48K miles and all the goodies minus leather for $23.9K. My '12 with 7K miles has a KBB trade-in around $21.5K.

I know someone on here got darn-near crucified for wanting to trade for something older (although I think it was mostly the difference in value that earned the scorn). I haven't driven a Jeep with the 3.8 yet, but I figure going from a 3.6 auto to 3.8 6speed with 4.10s might not be TOO bad. Thoughts?

 

Drive it and see how you like it first andif you do and fit in your buget then get it

 

What kind of wheeling do you plan on doing with the Jeep?

The 3.6L really shines with the 5-speed auto and is arguably more enjoyable to drive than the 3.8L with a stick. Although it's never a bad thing to scoop up a good deal on a Rubi, I'd look for a new or used '12 Unlimited Sport so you can keep the warranty and the engine/tranny combo.

 

Maybe look at a Sahara auto with 3.73 or rubi auto with 4.10. You bought the '12 with the auto so it seems you prefer it. Everyone rags on the old powertrain and its true that it isn't as peppy as the new one but its without a doubt still drivable. Most of us on this forum have the old powertrain including myself. Go drive some and see if its for you. If you don't need a rubi, you could keep the cost down by getting a Sahara or sport, just stay away from the 3.21 gears.

 

As a driver of an '08 with the 6 speed, you'll not notice much difference between the 3.6 auto and 3.8 manual. In fact if you drive it right and shift at low RPM's you'll get really good MPG's. I average 21 for my daily driving (30 miles freeway, 12 city) with shifting around 1500-1700. However when I need to give extra oomph, I can run up the RPM's and I have all I need.

Under 50K for an '08 is really good, but I would recommend getting a warranty on it just to cover things.

 

Most of my wheeling will be trails in the GWNF- lots of loose rock, some rock steps, stream crossings, etc. The appeal of a Rubi for me is that it has all the things I'd do to a Sport (plus a few extra) so I wouldn't be spending money on a lift/wheels/tires/locker down the road. I'd end up keeping it pretty much stock.

Yes, there was a slight preference with the auto, but I really don't mind going with a manual (wife's Fusion is a 6-speed). I don't "need" a Rubi, but like I said above, it'd be nice to have all the mods I'd eventually do be part of the package.

 

Well, traded the '12 in today, but it was for a different '08. This one had more miles (70K) but I walked away with it for about $21.7 INCLUDING a lifetime powertrain warranty. Not too shabby considering retail was over $24K! I'll post some pics when I get a chance, but below are the specs:

2008 Flame Red Rubicon Unlimited
6-speed manual, 4.10s, soft top

The first mod's gonna have to be to get a Uconnect module or whatever it takes to be able to use the phone button on the head unit. I was kinda bummed that it had the button but wasn't equipped.

All in all I'm really happy. The power is definitely less, but when I needed to downshift to merge it had plenty of power. On top of all that, I still averaged 22mpg on my way home from the dealership with mostly highway and a few lights thrown-in for good measure.

Oh yeah, it was also equipped with the door dimple mod, haha. Didn't notice that one till after all the paperwork was done, but it wouldn't have made a difference to me either way.

 

Congrats

All you need to get the Uconnect to work is the microphone. Search for Uconnect on here and you should find several threads which should have the part number needed. That's what I had to do, but no software changes are needed, it will detect when the mic is plugged in

 

Wow, that's it? Sounds like good news to me! Thanks a lot!!!

 

Glad tou found something that worked financially and still met your requirements. An unlimited Rubicon is one of the most versatile vehicles around, regardless of the year.