Still trying to decide between a sport and a willys (haven't driven the willys). Does the willys ride quite a bit stiffer than the sport? And does it sit any higher. I've located a willys in the color I like (tank) about 2 hours away. However it doesn't have the power convenience option. Any opinions would be appreciated.
I test drove a Willys auto a while back and it rode the same as my sport and didn't sit any higher at all compared to mine when I was stock height. My sport has 3.73 gears so other than mine being manual and it being automatic that was the only difference in ride.
I only test drove one Sport so I can't really recall if it drove much different than the Willys I eventually purchased. The Willys does have bigger wheels than the base Sport so it's going to sit slightly higher just because of that, plus the performance suspension may sit a little higher and probably rides a little stiffer. I don't find the ride rough or objectionable at all though. You might try driving a Sport and a Willys back to back for comparison.
No just an old school key and no my knee doesn't sit against the window roll handle.
I might add it was my desire to get manual windows and locks as my last 2 vehicles gave me nothing but problems with those power features that the dealerships could never work out. I also had the Moab wheels and BFG mud terrains on my Jeep when I bought it new so there was absolutely no difference between the two in height or ride that I could feel when i took the Willys out other than it being an auto. I do suggest however if you get a sport then get the 3.73 gears they make a world of difference in performance which has been discussed a great deal on other threads here.
I actually found an old pic from 2012 of the day I brought my Jeep home. Other than the running boards vs Rubi rails the Willys had they pretty much look the same. Everyone is different and if the thought of manual windows and door locks bothers you then get what you want as you'll have the vehicle for a long time and you'll want to be happy.
Yeah the 3.73 is the problem. I can't find it on any of the sports I've been able to find. They're all 3.21. Infuriating. The sport is what I wanted so I could do the mods at my own pace. The Willys are a couple of grand more.
Be patient and order what you want then. I was about to order mine then I finally found what I was looking for as I only planned on stepping up to 33's and wanted 3.73 gears. Back in 12 it was I believe a $75 option and is more now but still far less then what a shop wants to regear these days. If you plan on going to 35's or larger at some point then you'll need to regear anyway as imo 3.73's are perfect for 33's but less then desirable for 35's and larger so 3.21's would be good if you had to swap them out for say 4.56's anyway.
As far as the window crank position. I didn't like where mine hit my knee, so I got a cheap tool from an auto store and turned the crank knob up when it was closed.
I chose the Willys because it came stock with some of the features I wanted...3.73's and the "Rubicon Suspension". The Rubi suspension is really just different shocks and tires. The Willys has (I believe) the same skid plates as a Sport, and a couple of appearance things that are not available on the Sport. I ordered mine with the Premium Soft Top, which is stock on the Willys ($500 to order on the Sport) no power anything, and the basic radio, a 130 I believe. It was everything I wanted all rolled up in one package. It cost just a few bucks more than a comparable Sport, but I like that it says "Willys" on the side, and the fact that not everyone has one. Additionally, the only way to get Hydro Blue in 2014 was to get a Special Edition.
Are you sure the premium soft top is standard on the Willys? I special ordered mine and it was an added option. Maybe you are referring to the standard tinted windows?
If I had a 2 door, I would get crank windows all day long. My power windows are getting so slow it's like watching ice melt in a glass of Buffalo Trace.
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