Hi everyone, I'm trying to become a JK owner and am looking for advice. Is it a reasonable idea to get a older model used Rubicon and then start modifying it to my liking? Is it necessary to start with a Rubicon if I'm going to modify it excessively?

I don't want to buy new and suck up the depreciation.

What would be the best way to get started?

Dave

 

Depends what you mean by excessively how far you are gonna mod it and the time frame of it. If you are gonna swap out your engine within the first three years might as well just buy a used one. If you are gonna keep your 3.8 forever then buy the new one so you have the warranty.

Thats just one reason to go for an older one over new.

Theres lots of ways you can look at this situation. If you can fix your own Jeep, like something in the engine goes bad, or you know how to work with the drivetrain then buy an older one. If your a mechanic than you should just buy an older Jeep because the warranty wouldn't mean anything to you in my eyes.

Are you gonna slowly build it up or are you gonna do everything at once very quickly. How much lift you looking at, what size tires, what type of wheeling lots of questions to help you decide what to buy.

If your upgrading the axles to like a Dana 60s then go with an X.

Welcome to the forum!

 

if you plan on doing some modifying right off the bat then i would say go for the sport or x model and save yourself the money towards upgrades, but it also depends on what types of MOD's you are planning

 

Very few people buy a Rubicon and then decide to sell it. If you find a used one, check it over well for use and abuse.

With my budget my options were a new 2010 Sport or a used 2009 Rubicon for the same price. I went for the Sport. I would love to have a Rubicon but decided that it was more important to have a new Jeep that I would know the history of. Best case scenerio is being able to buy a new Rubicon.....but if you can't, there is a lot of fun in adding your own mods to an X or Sport.

 

welcome to the show! if you are gonna mod heavy then all you need is the skeleton

 

I agree with this--lots of questions. But, the most important is are you planning to wheel it, and what kind of wheeling will you do? If you're not going to wheel it, then there is little point in a Rubi for you. If you're more into overlanding than rock crawling, then you may prefer the savings an X offers over a Rubi, even though there are a couple features on the Rubi you might want (but can add after-market). Also, if you do wheel it, and do mod it, then the parts of the warranty do come into question. And, I don't believe that there's a lifetime powertrain warranty any longer (but that was just to the original purchaser). Finally: Have you priced used Jeeps, yet? Even when gas prices were soaring out of sight and no one wanted a low-mileage vehicle, used Jeeps still commanded some of the very highest resale values. Always have, and always will.

 

I bought a 2009 "X" and ended up putting over 10K into it to get it where I wanted it. I lucked out when I sold it as a friend of mine wanted it for his wife, and was willing to pay what I needed to get out of it. This time, I purchased a 2011 Rubicon Unlimited, and yes, I am still doing some mods, but not near as extensive as I had to on the "X".

 

Thanks everyone. I am a Navy aircraft mechanic so I'm pretty good with maintenance. What I'm not good with is having lots of money. I plan on growing into rock crawling but I know it's going to take some time to learn. I guess while I'm learning, I'll be modding.
I guess the decision now is between an X and a Rubi. Now I need to focus on a year. Used will have to work because I can't afford new. I wish I could get a 2011 Rubi fully loaded but I haven't fallen into a money pile yet. I did find a used auto broker that some of my family knows and he said he can get me some at broker prices, so I just have to decide on the year and X or Rubi. Man this is hard.

Thanks again.
Dave

 

Buy the newest Jeep you can afford, I would rather buy say a 2010 Sport versus a 2008-7 Rubi. Then again, I'm no Aircraft mechanic, so I bit the bullet and bought a new 2010 Sport.

Thanks for your service.

 

I am an Aircraft Mechanic and an AirLine Pilot. I was torn as many others I see on what to buy. I am a newby here. I was told very strongly that the Rubicon is the best buy overall by a good friend of mine that has one. It is highly modified in good taste. There are a few items on the Rubicon that are very nice, especially the electric disconnect on the sway bar, the 410 gears and the 44 dana's. If you go off roading as I just saw last weekend in San Diego, Ca. you will want all three of those items. You end up paying a bunch out of pocket to modify your jeep just to get to the level of a Rubicon. Why not spend it up front. I did and am very happy so far. Of course there will be several more thousands of dollars going into it, but I'm that much further ahead of the game stock. 2009 Rubi