I sold my 2014 JK, and now I'm looking at getting another 2 door Jeep. What do you guys think? 2017 Rubicon Recon, or a 2018 ? Should I go with the devil we know, or the devil we don't? Is the JL going to be better by enough to be worth waiting for?

 

Time will tell.

 

Everything I've read leans toward them both being produced at the same time for a stretch. You may get to choose between them side by side. Literally.

 

First year of anything is usually more prone to bugs...

 

Good point. I'm kind of leaning toward the 2017 Rubicon Recon. I don't have a whole lot of confidence in a Fiat designed Jeep after seeing the Renegade and the Cherokee.

I went to a dealer today and looked at their Wranglers. If it is going to be a 2017 it will be that Gobi color. It looks great!

 

Don't be too hard on FCA. They're the reason JK quality improved significantly after 2011. Sure, Jeep quality in general is still a joke, but FCA did everyone a favor not only replacing the powertrain, but getting rid of that garbage interior. And yes, the Renegade is goofy and the Cherokee looks like an Japanese import, but they're incredibly capable for their respective classes. The Cherokee Trailhawk is a seriously awesome offroader given its suspension limitations. However, if neither of those vehicles appeal to you in any way, you're probably not going to like the JL.

The JL is going to inherit much of the technology that goes into the rest of Jeep's modern offerings. It'll still have solid axles, but it's most likely going to have the Selec-Terrain dial, UConnect 8.4 (which the JK should've had years ago), the customizable instrument cluster, a lot of the creature comforts common in the rest of their line-up, ESS, and a shitload of hokey Easter eggs. The Wrangler has always inherited "parts bin" leftovers of the Grand Cherokee after they start to get stale and the JL isn't going to be an exception.

If you're going to lean towards a '17, I wouldn't bother with the Recon, either. It's an overpriced appearance package. You can buy aftermarket bumpers, beef up your axle where it counts, and even slap on whatever hood you want (including the paint) onto a standard Rubicon for less than what that package will run you.

If you're going to lean towards an '18, you'll probably want to wait for Jeep to shake out the bugs because we all know the JL is going to be riddled with them. Given the history of the JK and everything Jeep has had to do to fix flaw after flaw after flaw, it seems like only now are they actually starting to get it right... and this is its last year.

 

^^^^With that being said, I would go with the '17

 

One of my previous JKs had front axle problems, and was fixed after the problems occurred. The next JK had the front axle fixed before problems occurred, and was replaced with a Dynatrac housing, and then had problems afterwards with ABS faults that kept recurring. So when I tried to get around to buying another Jeep, I just kept putting it off, because I didn't want to buy a vehicle that needed the front axle addressed right away. I planned on just waiting and getting a 2018. Even though I have always owned a Jeep for the last 43 years, I had pretty much given up on getting another JK, until, my wife said to me "why don't you check out the new Rubicon Recon, it is supposed to have a stronger front axle". I had never even heard of a Recon. Where does my wife hear this stuff? And since I agree with what Spank said about it usually taking the length of the model run For Jeep to get the bugs fully out of a given model. And because I'm not too excited about being one of the beta testers on the new JL, I checked out the Recon, and that led to this thread.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'll get a Recon.

 

If the known quantity wasn't so damn good, I'd say maybe wait, but I just don't think you can go wrong with a JK. I'd hate to be the guinea pig on a new model.....not only with dealing with a new model in general, but waiting for all the aftermarket mods to catch up with it.

 

For as much as I shit on FCA, Jeep, and Chrysler in general for their lackluster quality, I do have to say my '14 Rubi has been trouble free. 40k miles on it and not a single problem. I had an '07 with a ton of problems and a '12 with not quite so many, but still a lot under the bumper-to-bumper warranty umbrella.

Seems like after the cylinder head debacle, the JK has finally become a relatively reliable vehicle. They certainly weren't in the beginning, but your '17 should be solid. It's a shame it takes Chrysler/FCA a decade to build a single vehicle properly.

This is another important consideration for JL buyers. When the JK first came out, a lot of aftermarket manufacturers were churning out really bad lift kits and poorly designed mods in a rush to be the first to get them on shelves. The JL won't be any different.