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Special order - Sport S the best option?

4K views 67 replies 33 participants last post by  Boldkharma 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

I'm planning to custom order a 2-door 2017 JK, probably from Koons. Is a Sport S the most cost-efficient model I can get if ordering these options?

Auto
3.73 Gears
Trac-Lok Diff
Connectivity Group
Power Convenience Group
Hard Top
Side Air Bags

And it comes with AC, right?

Thanks!
 
#3 ·
I agree that you might be better with a Rubicon especially if ordering from Koons.

Hit up Craig as i posted his information below from Koons.
He is an awesome dude and owns jeep himself. He can help you with anything info you need

Craig Benner
Internet Sales Manager
703-790-0900 EXT. 17638
CBenner1988@gmail.com
570-556-0451 (TEXT ONLY)
•|||||||•
 
#7 ·
Craig and Erica are the best. I got mine from Erica back in march but i been dealing with Craig and that dude always answers me right away. Im a koons customer for life
 
#5 ·
OK, thanks guys.

I priced the Sport S, Willys W and Rubicon with these options on the Jeep site, and the Sport S does come out to be the cheapest. Do the Willys W and Rubicon come with any other standard features that make the increase in price worth it?
 
#6 ·
The biggest thing is honestly what are you looking for in options and what do you plan to do with jeep.

You will get 7% below invoice with the group buy.

Is there a color you want?
 
#11 ·
Ah, the perennial It Depends.

Let me offer a real world example.

My Predator started as a Sport S, was immediately lifted, had its tires replaced, had its bumpers replaced, had rock rails added and got a new hood sticker.

Do I have Rubicon envy? Who doesn't? Rubis are awesome.

On the other hand, today I went wheeling. Granted, it was with a group, and under the watchful eye of an absolutely kickass guide and a kickass gunner, and over fairly mild terrain. We did some climbing, we drove through a river bed, we crawled over some smallish boulders. It was fun, and it was just about as much abuse to which I would subject a vehicle that also happens to be my DD. For what I did today, my setup was perfectly adequate.

I'm fairly certain that in a couple spots, a bone-stock Rubi (with stock tires and no lift) would probably not have gone ass over teakettle or gotten stuck, but would have struggled somewhat. So despite the Rubi envy, I would probably still take my modded Sport S over a stock Rubi.

Why am I telling you this. Predator, with all the mods, weighed in at $40K, all in (taxes, fees, etc.). That is what a stock Rubi would run you (again, all in, provided you do your homework). There are guys around that would say that they got a Rubi for much less, and while I wouldn't accuse them of lying, I suspect they embellish the truth a bit.

If the INITIAL cost is a concern to you and you plan to, at the very least, lift and replace the tires, then Sport S is just about the perfect match. You can black out your own grille, get whatever stickers you want, and get a pair of Smittybilt rock rails for $300 that are just as good as the stock Willys rails.

If you want to run stock for a while and DON'T have $40K, then Willys is an excellent choice.

If you want to run stock for a while and DO have $40K, then go for a Rubi.
 
#13 ·
I been considering the same two vehicles, the Sport S and the Willys Wheeler W. After figuring both and like options several times and looking at what is standard with each, the Willys Wheeler W comes out about $1700 more, but there are several options in the Willys package that are not in the Sport S. I tried to take account for those and figure them in the price difference. Two options I saw were the Slush Mats and the Rock Rails, which I would figure around $500, plus the different tires and wheels. Now the price is somewhere around $1000. I personally like the Willys model much better, for both looks and options and the price is not enough to worry about. I know some say the Rubicon, but figure the Rubicon with the options you want and it will come out $3000-$4000 more, just use the Jeep.com website and use the Build a Jeep button.

trainman
 
#14 ·
The options I'll probably do, eventually, are upgraded stereo and speakers, cat-back exhaust, and a ways down the road, some more aggressive tires on nice, black rims.

On the Sport S, how bad looking/performing are the stock rims and tires?
 
#16 ·
The Sport S will probably be the cheapest for the options you need, but you will also get a bunch of people insisting you should get a Hard Rock or a Rubicon even if you never intend to take it on so much as a dirt road. Some folks seem to believe you need front and rear lockers and a 4:1 T-case to pull into the dirt lot at little Timmy's soccer practice.
 
#18 ·
I went through the same thing thought process you now have when I bought my jeep last september. I started with a Sport S and after I got done adding everything I wanted to it, I was approaching almost 39K and the dealer didn't want to budge much on price since the Sports S fly out the door due to the price point. It was fully loaded and my wife also wanted the auto since she drives it as well.

Adding lockers and maybe a D44 up front right off the bat would have cost me over 4K. The Sport S also didn't have some of the features I wanted such as nav and I honestly prefer leather seats to help with the dog hair from our puppy. I ended up getting a killer deal on a Hard Rock that basically cost me 5K more than the Sport S.

I also don't wheel hard, but also deal with snow before the roads are cleared in the winter supporting an effort to drive bring essential workers (hospital, police, fire, etc) to work when they can't get out on there own. I've had my jeep in a blizzard with 18" of snow in front of me. Without low gears and the 4:1 ratio with front/rear locked i can tell you I would have been looking for a tree to winch myself out.

So - based on your own needs and financial ability, but what you can but don't drop the extra few K if you can and have buyers remorse saying 'I should have gotten .....'. It will cost more to do it twice, upgrade or downgrade.
 
#23 ·
I also don't wheel hard, but also deal with snow before the roads are cleared in the winter supporting an effort to drive bring essential workers (hospital, police, fire, etc) to work when they can't get out on there own. I've had my jeep in a blizzard with 18" of snow in front of me. Without low gears and the 4:1 ratio with front/rear locked i can tell you I would have been looking for a tree to winch myself out.
That's some impressive snow.
 
#19 ·
OP: the Sport S you describe likely already sits in inventory somewhere.

The only item that looks a little difficult to find are the Front Supplemental Airbags; you can fairly easily add an aftermarket Detroit TrueTrac which will outperform and outlast the factory clutch-based LSD.

Unless you want a specific color, your requirements should not be that difficult to find.

Good luck.
 
#20 ·
I did the same thing with my JKU. I knew I was going to lift and get new wheels so I saved the $$$ from the Willy's and put it towards my wheels. The Rubi rock rails need to be supplemented anyway so got the Rock Hard rails to cover the pinch seam. BTW, got mine from Erica at Koons and the process was SUPER smooth!!! Good luck!
 
#24 ·
Just observing what dealers stock and where they are located, this is what I see. The local Ft. Worth Jeep dealers have on their lots a lot of Rubicons, 75th Anniversary, Saharas, but not too many Sports models. Maybe the dealers have 10 Jeep at each dealer total. Yesterday we went SW of Ft. Worth to Grandbury, Texas about 1hr from Ft. Worth. We stopped at Mike Brown's Jeep Dodge dealership and he must have had 25 Wranglers on the lot, a large volume dealer. Now this where the Texas Hill Country starts or close to it and I would think a lot of Jeep sales in the area. The first thing we noticed is the lot was 75% Sport models and not too loaded up with options, ie., jeeps that people actually use and not just ride around and look good in, like the metroplex ones on dealers lots with $45,000-$48,000 price tags. Plus they did not have those additional add-ons sheets stuck on the windshield that add $1000-$2000 in BS useless stuff. I will not buy from a dealer that pushes those add-ons. I have no idea how they will deal, but my wife's brother, and three others we know have purchased vehicles from them, so I guess I will try them first. Anyway we will see what happens, as I'm waiting for the 2017's and wanting to buy in Nov. or Dec. Just what I observed from dealers in general.

trainman
 
#26 ·
Do you guys think I'd make use of 3.73 gears and the traction-lock differential tooling around dirt roads in Florida? If not, that'd save me a grand. When I do go to more aggressive tires and aftermarket rims, I probably won't go up in size significantly. A lift doesn't interest me.
 
#27 ·
I special ordered a Sport (non-S) JK.

The only options I got were the premium soft top (love it). and AC.

I do wish I got the 3.73 gearing. Not because I use or feel required. But for resale.

Skip the Alpine upgrade. Overpriced and takes up space u could use.

I honestly can't think of anything else I wish I got. I replaced the stock audio myself and got what I wanted.
 
#28 ·
I was recently reading the below thread and was encouraged by the number of positive comments about how capable a stock Sport is for off-roading.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/going-off-roading-with-stock-1791417.html

Also, along similar lines as Uncle Uef's reasoning...there is the upfront cost that you will probably finance, and then there's the cost of the mods that you can potentially pay for as you go vs. financing them and paying interest on them. I'm obviously assuming a few things here that may not be relevant to your circumstances.

Good luck!
 
#30 ·
Nothing to haul, no. It will spend 99.9% of its life on-road, unfortunately, as I live in Tampa Bay and there are no close-by off road trails. That's why I would like to put some more aggressive tires on it eventually, but nothing too off road oriented, or too big. I plan to get to the Ocala National Forest once a month or so to play around, but you guys can probably guess how flat that is. I think it's the Green Swamp, too, that a lot of local off roaders go to. Have to check on that.
 
#31 ·
Well now you got all the answers, this is just like the motorcycle dual sport forums, you want a Japanese bike and before it's over they have you feeling if you don't get a KTM you are inferior to them and you have screw-up bigtime. If I lived in Florida I'd want a Sport S too, buy it with the soft top only and never look back. The pic below looks like a Sport S to me.

trainman

 
#50 ·
painted fenders means it's not a Sport or Sport S (it's a Sahara). but it has one of those bumpers you find on European Wranglers that continue up on the sides and fill the gap between the fender flare and bumper. in other words, that pic is of (2) european girls with what i presume to be a diesel wrangler. i'd love to join that 3some :drinks:
 
#33 ·
If you're gonna run in sand, skip the Rubicon. Lockers are useless in sand.
I went the Willy's route. No special order needed.
Comes with almost everything on your list.
Also agree with skip the hardtop. Get the twill soft top.
The freedom panels are a great idea, but you live in Florida where rain storms pop up in seconds. Gonna take them with you?????
 
#35 ·
Twill is the material used in the premium top. It's a heavier more insulated material than the back diamond fabric in the standard top. The freedom top is the two front removable panels over the driver and passenger on the hardtop.

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