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Not yet another Sport VS Rubicon thread!

27K views 382 replies 75 participants last post by  new to jeep 
#1 ·
I am a newbie to the forums (Although I have been lurking for a few weeks).
I currently have a 2013 F150 FX2 (Ecoboost) with leveling kit, wheels & tires, and some other mods including programmer that brought the power to life.

I have a 16 year old son, and he will need a vehicle soon, but I rather have him use my truck and being safer than having him drive a car. This being said, I always liked the idea of a Jeep to go off-roading on trails, mud, etc.

This would also serve as my daily driver. I am new to Jeep and the capabilities of each model, so I am still in the learning curve on which one to get based on my needs. I would be off-roading, mostly trails, mud and creeks. This being said, I would assume that a non-Rubicon would still be able to crawl some rocks, just not as efficient as a Rubicon? (Hey, you never know when you might need to right?)

There are some "luxuries" that I certainly want in my vehicle, but it seems like those can be added as options or as aftermarket upgrades:

1) Technology: uConnect, Alpine, 730N, remote start, etc. (You get the idea)
2) Would like Upgrades: Lockers, Discos, Gearing
3) MUST Upgrades: 35s, 2.5" lift, winch, lights, snorkel , hard top, re-programming to help with the S.L.O.W issue.

I somewhat agree with the 4Lo-4Hi debate, but I guess unless in an extreme-off-road situation or snow scenarios, there are not really huge advantages. I could be wrong, but that's just the way I see it, so further explanations are welcome.

Financially, I could stretch for a Rubicon, no problem. But it will take me a little longer than expected (ad want to) to add my MUST upgrades. With a Sport S or Sahara, I could add a few of them right away (Depending on price difference, if any)

This being said I don't want to stir the VS debate (plenty of drama already), but I would love to hear suggestions as I plan to buy/order pretty soon.

Thanks,
 
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#2 ·
Easy. Based on what you outlined - get a Rubicon and check off 4.10 gears as an option (if AT).

There, aren't ya glad you asked? :)

Now, If you wanna know "Why" I said that.... well people pay good money to hear why I think the things I think.
Just "trust me"..... Uncle Sam did and he seemed happy with the results.
 
#4 ·
Go read my thread about making a big, expensive mistake and don't make the same mistake. I can't stress this enough. Buy the Jeep you want from the start. If a Rubicon is on your radar then make it so and don't look back.
 
#6 ·
I don't know. Up the the air between a Sport and a Rubicon or up in the air between a JK and JKU...... kinda different don't you think?

at the end of the day, the Sport and Rubi are the same exact vehicle with different options. I can easily see someone buying a sport and slowing turning it into something that surpasses the Rubi in features

However, you can put all the lipstick you want on that JK, it will never be a JKU
 
#5 ·
Don't forget about the front axle. If you get a Rubicon, it comes with two Dana 44 axles (front and rear).

The Dana 30 on the other models is worth looking into whether it will be your ideal axle size in the long run. I've read Dana 30s can be used for 35s but they may not be intended for that large of tire. There are other ways to beef up the Dana 30s though as well.

If I were thinking about 35s, I'd give the Rubicon and good hard look just because of the goodies that come with it and they are all warrantied. My $0.02

Do LOTS of research and ask questions. Which is what you are doing so good job. Keep it up!
 
#7 ·
If your kid is going to drive it, I would get the sport S with the 17" wheels with max tow package (gives you 3.73 gears) and if your going to order it get the limited slip if your going to see snow in the winter. Dont bother with the fancy stereo. IF it gets wet, your screwed plus you have to pay for the updates for the nav. I use my iphone with TomTom that gets free updates. Get the basic one (res130) with the connectivity package and U connect/sat radio with alpine speakers. That way WHEN the jeep does get damaged you can upgrade the parts :D
 
#10 ·
Bought a JK Sport as a second vehicle a year and a half ago. Wife and I trimmed back to one vehicle, plus my company truck, so went with a JKU Rubi. We have yet to do anything other than unimproved mountain roads/trails. However, I wanted to upgrade my 3.21 gears and add lockers to my Sport for the off chance I got to get western in the Jeep.

That said, it was easier to buy the Rubi and upgrade cosmetics or other things that I would have had to do to the sport anyway. With factory 4.10s and factory lockers my Rubi will do more than I will need it for and I got it all in one lump sum. Otherwise, I would have had to wait and save and find a reputable shop to install lockers and gears.... And shift through all the options on what is best.
 
#11 ·
I went with the sport because I knew I'd be changing pretty much everything. Just installed a rubicon case for $1000 and there's definitely benefits to it. Front axle, gears and lockers would be worth it if you knew you wouldn't be changing em'. I went into mine knowing I was gonna gut the thing which is why I went with Sport.
 
#12 · (Edited)
IMO a Rubi is for rocks....that is where the advantage of the lowering gearing in the TC shows the most.

Lockers can be added as well to any Jeep. As well as Discos. The same with most of the other options.

Bottom line, if you are not Rock crawling, it is PROBABLY going to be less costly to upgrade a Sport or Sahara to what you need.

What you want is a different story.....GOOD LUCK!!
 
#29 ·
^^^^ this. ish. I'd say either rocks or technical trails. When I think of tight climbs or descending with turns, ruts, roots and off camber scenarios I find myself wishing I had the 4:1 TC cuz my 4.56 gears aren't cutting it for how much control I want.

IMO...
Rubi if: you are going technical, you are ok with 4.10 gears, you would have added lockers and are going to reinforce axles

Sport if: your off road is less technical, you'd want 4.56/4.88/5.13 gears for DD, you may just add an LSD in the rear (factory) and a locker up front (aftermarket)
 
#14 ·
1) My son will never (Hopefully) drive my Jeep! - We live in Houston, Texas. :p
Local off-road for me will be back country, trails, mud, creeks. I don't foresee "rocks" in my future, but who knows what will we face in a SHTF scenario! LOL
2) Stereo - I live music, so I must have a decent sound
3) At this point in my life, I have no interest/desire to spend any amount of my time with heavy mods. I have had my share of race cars, even RC, and I am done. I just want to enjoy life with the wife and sons from now on! The normal cosmetic stuff is OK. Therefore, I could either have it all in one lump sum (Rubi) or just get the lockers, discos installed from dealership (If this is even possible)

Q1) If I decide for 35s, do I need 4.10?
Q2) I would like a 2.5" - 3.0" lift Would I need any additional beefier parts to correct any issues this may bring?
Q3) Does re-programming / tuner increase performance noticeably to make up for the lack of low-end grunt of this engine? I test drove a Rubi with 35s and although I was expecting a rough drive, I was impressed with ride quality, but for the love of GOD, I could not stand how S.L.O.W it was leaving a stop. There were 5 people in it, so it may have helped feeling sluggish, but would be nice in a tuner can take care of that a little bit.

Decisions, decisions
 
#15 ·
1) My son will never (Hopefully) drive my Jeep! - We live in Houston, Texas. :p
2) Stereo - I live music, so I must have a decent sound
3) At this point in my life, I have no interest/desire to spend any amount of my time with heavy mods. I have had my share of race cars, even RC, and I am done. I just want to enjoy life with the wife and sons from now on! The normal cosmetic stuff is OK. Therefore, I could either have it all in one lump sum (Rubi) or just get the lockers, discos installed from dealership (If this is even possible)

Q1) If I decide for 35s, do I need 4.10?
Q2) I would like a 2.5" - 3.0" lift Would I need any additional beefier parts to correct any issues this may bring?
Q3) Does re-programming / tuner increase performance noticeably to make up for the lack of low-end grunt of this engine? I test drove a Rubi with 35s and although I was expecting a rough drive, I was impressed with ride quality, but for the love of GOD, I could not stand how S.L.O.W it was leaving a stop. There were 5 people in it, so it may have helped feeling sluggish, but would be nice in a tuner can take care of that a little bit.

Decisions, decisions
In that case, go rubicon. It'll be more enjoyable as stock. 4.10 would be great for 35's and you wouldn't really have to upgrade to a 4.56 or 4.88 unless you go bigger. Keeping it as stock as possible, go with a 2.5" lift and 35's. Rubicon is the way to go for your wants though.
 
#17 ·
The JK is one of the few vehicles that has a very strong resale value. So if the top-of-the-line Rubi is within your budget without over extending yourself and IF you plan on keeping the options that make it a Rubi then it is to your benefit to get the Rubi. Aftermarket options do not hold their value as well as those from the factory. The more Rubi options you remove including the front diff, the more sense the Sport becomes.
 
#18 ·
I bought the Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock with all the extra packages because I wanted a JK with all the bells and whistles. So I went balls to the wall. Don't regret it one bit.
 
#20 ·
Stick with the 2.5" lift. Larger lifts often require exhaust mods. Consider the Mopar lift with Fox shocks installed by your dealer if keeping the full warranty on the suspension is important to you.
 
#23 ·
We have a 2013 Sport with a 2.5 lift and 33s and a good bit of armor. It is incredibly capable off road, have followed Rubi's through some very serious terrain, things we never had a clue it could do. We have high centered it several times but never failed a climb because of traction.

We also have a 2015 Rubi with 3.5 lift and 35s. We have done some testing, as the lift is fairly recent. If you took ground clearance out of the equation, we have done nothing to date with the Rubi that we could not have done with the Sport. (YET).

We seriously love them both.

Both the D30 and the D44 need gussets as a minimum to help save the Cs. along with careful movements through rocks.

This is a statement that will get me in trouble. I'm really glad we spent 2.5 years learning to wheel without lockers and only 33s. We successfully ran level 7 trails with that Sport, trails that had a locked and six pack Metalclock packing Rubi stuck for over half an hour.

These shots do not even begin to show how steep these runs are and we did all of them in a Sport, 2.5 and 33s. with 15lbs of air.
 

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#24 ·
Sounds like you want the Rubi, the but need comfermation. I have a sport with 6 spd and 3.73 and love everything about it. But if you want to be able to go hard core without doing a lot of aftermarket up grades, go with the Rubi and get everything you need from the get go without the added expense. Either way you're goiing to make it what you want (that the fun of it) and love it!
 
#25 ·
Starbrite is in Texas and she has a freedom edition. basically in between a sport and sahara. she is constantly taking her wrangler off roading in the texas area.

Point blank if your thinking of starting with a rubicon, then get one. keep in mind it's definitely not worth it if you plan on upgrading everything mechancial eventually. if you want something straight from the dealer that is a tad more capable then the sport or sahara then jump on the rubicon.

Every single member on here is brought to that point where they have to decide which trim level is for me?

it also depends what's your financial situation and how will you be REALLY using it. i originally wanted the rubicon because according to everyone on here " It's the only way to go. " i ended up learning that thats completely untrue. i ended up going with a JKU Sport and it suits my needs of a weekend toy just fine...

keep us updated on your purchase and what you decide to do.
 
#26 ·
This has been said in many places before:

If you plan on an end product well beyond what a Rubi has stock, then buy the Sport.... Plan on spending serious cash.. but you will save over starting with a Rubi.

If you plan to end up at Rubi levels or thereabouts -- i.e. Rubi with small lift and 35" tires... skip the building and just get the Rubi... You will spend a small fortune -- much more than the difference -- bringing a Sport to Rubi levels... that money is better spent elsewhere.

Regardless of which way you go, DO NOT waste a dime on either the 430 or 730. DO get the Alpine speakers if you like good sound. All the OEM head units sound the same.. the magic is in the speakers. The 430 and 730 are absolute garbage compared to what you can get aftermarket for less money. I have the base 130 with SiriusXM and Alpine. I do everything else (on/off road nav, engine monitoring, etc..) with a $250 tablet on a Gorilla mount. If you want an all in-dash solution, look at Insane Audio, which is an Android-based head unit with full tablet capabilities costing barely what the 430 costs.
 
#30 ·
This has been said in many places before:

If you plan on an end product well beyond what a Rubi has stock, then buy the Sport.... Plan on spending serious cash.. but you will save over starting with a Rubi.

If you plan to end up at Rubi levels or thereabouts -- i.e. Rubi with small lift and 35" tires... skip the building and just get the Rubi... You will spend a small fortune -- much more than the difference -- bringing a Sport to Rubi levels... that money is better spent elsewhere.

Regardless of which way you go, DO NOT waste a dime on either the 430 or 730. DO get the Alpine speakers if you like good sound. All the OEM head units sound the same.. the magic is in the speakers. The 430 and 730 are absolute garbage compared to what you can get aftermarket for less money. I have the base 130 with SiriusXM and Alpine. I do everything else (on/off road nav, engine monitoring, etc..) with a $250 tablet on a Gorilla mount. If you want an all in-dash solution, look at Insane Audio, which is an Android-based head unit with full tablet capabilities costing barely what the 430 costs.
I had to keep re-reading this - I agreed with your post ;)
(I hope I'm not coming down with something)
 
#42 ·
Easy answer. You can take a Sport, Sahara or Rubicon straight off the lot and wheel the crap out of it. (okay street tires will quickly become an issue)

Get the one you desire and don't look back.
 
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