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What should I buy? 2 door or unlimited?

28K views 50 replies 30 participants last post by  radtype 
#1 ·
OK, here's the thing, I have my eye on a 2008 Black X unlimited ($23,500)or 2008 black Sahara freedom hardtop with soft top.($22900). I assume the 2-door Sahara will get me SLIGHTLY better gas mileage (less weight) and have more get up and go. The only reason I'm thinking about the unlimited b/c of the price and extra room. I have no kids, or pets so getting the 2-door would make more sense but you guys/gals might have a different opinion. BTW is it cheaper to insure a four door Jeep than the two?

My next issue is should I be concerned about 2008 (2-door or unlimited) like major recalls, leaking hardtops b/c of defective or cheap seals, or anything else? I've been reading the threads for a couple of months and the main complaint is the hard top leaking. I really don't want to worry about water leaking b/c I'm going to install an aftermarket sound system if I buy one. Thanks for the input and opinions.
 
#3 ·
I assume the 2-door Sahara will get me SLIGHTLY better gas mileage (less weight) and have more get up and go...I have no kids, or pets so getting the 2-door would make more sense
You just answered your own question. Get a 2-door Jeep. Then remove the back seat and cut the weight down even further. The only reason I'd even consider a 4-door is if I had a family or absolutely needed the extra space.

Can't answer your question about hard top leaks on the 2008, but I've had zero issues with the hard top on my 2010.

We'd need to know more info to decide between the two Jeeps you mentioned. How many miles are on each of the them? What are the options? Any aftermarket parts?
 
#4 ·
I know the 2-door Sahara is stock(seen in person) but I'm not sure about the X unlimited(seen on the dealer's website) They're both under 30,000 miles. Funny thing is the one brother is selling the X (Mike Riehl Jeep) and the other is selling the Sahara (Jim Riehl Jeep). I assume they're were lease returns.

I was thinking the Sahara would be a better buy b/c they have both tops but just in case an Unlimited owner had a REAL good argument for getting 4-doors besides needing more room for ppl,pets, and other things. Thanks again ppl. I just want to make the right decision before I take the leap.
 
#6 ·
I haven't had the privilege of driving a 4 door...YET I got to test drive the 2-door at the dealership and I found the ride to be tolerable. The extra room is a plus but I just hear from this forum and other websites (like edmunds.com) that say the engine is lacking hp.Yes, I know they use the same powertrain for the 2-door and unlimited. That's one of the reasons why I'm of leaning toward the 2 door but I'm open to hear what 4 door owners have to say. I'll have to check out the unlimited in person. Maybe it has some cool mods or upgraded equipment in the X model. Thanks again for ALL your opinions/facts/stories.
 
#7 ·
Oh, I forgot to mention I NEED to trade in my current car to get one of these fine Wranglers. From experience which one can I get a better deal on? I seen the Sahara in person, and it's been on their website for 1month (maybe longer) The X unlimited is pretty recent. I'm going to go to my bank and talking about getting a loan but I want to be prepared and "wheel and deal" with the dealership but I just wanted to know which one is going to be the easier one to get a lower price than listed. I know Wranglers hold value but with the $4 gas prices I assume I might be able to negotiate with either model but you experienced jeepers guide us newbies in the right direction. Thanks again
 
#8 ·
I shopped around for a JK off and on for a year before I finally got my 2010 Unlimited Sport. Besides the extra room, the power and handling seem just as good to me as the 2 door. Also, I think the resale is higher because the appeal to a wider market. I hailed mine down to $22,000 and it was a certified with 16k miles. You will have more room to negotiate if you have financing lined up like I did but with summer coming up, nobody is giving these Jeeps away right now.

My advice, get the 4 door...if you EVER might need the extra room, its there.
 
#9 ·
I figured if I did the financing myself I could get a better interest rate and negotiate a lower price. Thank you for the feedback on the 4 door characteristics when it comes to driving. Like I said, a lot of ppl complain or it's somewhat of a pet peeve that they don't have the extra hp. I assumed with the extra weight it was going to be slower than the 2 door. Extra cargo space is a plus. I'll have to talk to the bank and see what they advise (resale value, and other bank jargon), make sure the payments are within reason, and to see if either dealership has those models. A lot happens in a couple of days.
 
#10 ·
I love my 2010 2 door and I have a kid and a dog! It is tight sometimes but ya know you get used to it and its not a big deal. I love the Wrangler in it's traditional form with only the 2 doors. There is some sacrificing but it doesn't bother me one bit. :thumb:

Oh and I picked up mine brand new out the door for $21,500 with a hardtop and AC. It is a manual tranny and with no power options at all. Very stripped down to a bare minimum. I like the old school roll your own windows down. You may want to see what kind of price you can get with them on a new model with no miles on it. However, both you mentioned have very little mileage and will no doubt be ok for a long time. Good luck with witch ever you choose!
 
#11 ·
While I do have 3 kids under 12 and a huge dog/moose/horse... my Hubby tells me every day that he would never own a 2 door.

Just yesterday he said he wanted to go buy our 2009 JKU back from the dealer (because he wants to have his own... that he does not have to wash every time he takes it through so much as a mud puddle LOL) and I suggested an older 2 door for his fun and he said NFW.

He is dreaming about a 4 door pickup, he LOVES the 2012 Gladiator, but the teeny back doors might keep him from buying it. And the kids and I rarely ride in his Dodge Ram Crew Cab.. so it is not for that.

So to each their own, I suggest definitely taking one and then the other for a test drive and get a real feel for what the differences are. Only YOU will know the answer to that :)

PS: I paid $37K for my 2009 JKU and traded it in for a 2011 last month. My 2009 is sitting on the lot with a price tag of $29K on it. With 25K miles on it. So they really do hold their value like no other.
 
#12 ·
i dont think the weight difference betw the 2 and 4 door is that great. i also believe that the EPA rated mpg are the same for either model. the ride and resale value should both be better on the 4 door. Your gas mileage will depend more on your driving habits than anything else. Two different people driving the same car in different ways can get wildly different mpg. The Trailblazer SS i just sold for me i was getting over 14mpg(city) and i have a couple friends that were getting 9-10mpg(city), same car. It is also nice to have both tops if possible.

what it comes down to though is get what you like, the condition to me has more bearing, than the miles. the price is close enough between the two
 
#14 ·
We drove both the 4 door and 2 door (2010). The 2 door felt more like what a Jeep should feel like to us. We have one kid and a dog. We went home with the 2 door and love it. If you NEED the space go for the 4 door otherwise it's 2 door all the way in my opinion. We are currently getting 18.5 MPG around town (auto tranny). I should also note I'm a former CJ owner and the 2 door felt MUCH better to me. My wife had never driven a Jeep and was not sure she would like it ...in retrospect she said she is glad we got the 2 door as it is fun to drive. My 8 year old did not dig the 4 door with the hardtop but wanted the 2 door with softop for the cool factor LOL.
 
#16 ·
The 2 door from what you said is right for you. It has both tops which is nice too. If you are planning on kids tho Id get the 4 door. It's just easier with a car seat. I don't have a family either but as soon as I do I might have to trade in my 2 door for a 4 door. Now that you can put an aftermarket 3rd row in the unlimited there will never be a reason for a minivan in my driveway
 
#19 ·
Towing capacity on unlimited is rated double the 2 door, and I believe they somehow tune more power into the unlimited to make up for its size. I vote 2 door if you offroad, and 4 door if you will tow.(people or trailer) Still getting used to the short wheelbase coming from quad cab p/u.
 
#21 ·
Towing capacity on unlimited is rated double the 2 door, and I believe they somehow tune more power into the unlimited to make up for its size.
You're right that the 4 door is better for towing, but that's solely due to the unlimited's longer wheel base. There is no difference in tuning.

However, with either the 2 door or the 4 door, a factory installed tow package will also come with 3.73 gearing (rather than 3.21). That will result in more torque at the wheels for whatever model it's in. (Except for a Rubicon, which comes with 4.10 gearing regardless of whether a tow package is installed.)

Notably, when you ask a dealer for a Jeep with a tow package, he inevitably shows you one without it and claims he can install it for you. He is almost never suggesting that he'll actually do a regear, but rather only that he'll put on a trailer hitch.
 
#22 ·
Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm going to go to the bank and look at ALL options (new, used, 2-door vs. Unlimited). I would like to get a new 2 door but the one was test drove was $27,900 (Sport- 17 inch wheels vs. 16 inch Freedom hardtop power equipment group) After reading the forums for a couple of months I just want to get into a Wrangler for the fun factor BUT I want to make sure I do it right. I just hope the bank is flexible with me considering my current car loan is with them and I've been in excellent standing with them. I'll keep you posted on the results. Once again thanks to all the contributed.
 
#23 ·
Dude get the 4 door, have you seen it with the top and doors off? They look BAD A$$!!! and like some other people have said if you ever need the room you have it! A lot of people don't realize how little room is in a 2 door wrangler... They really are quite small and that sounds like a pretty good price.
 
#24 ·
BTW I'm pretty sure both were auto transmissions but I'm not sure on the gearing. As of right now I don't have any toys to tow so that's not a big factor. The Jeep would be my toy but I needed a daily driver. So the Wrangler (either in 2-door or 4) fit the billing b/c of you ppl and I miss the topless driving experience. I used to own a Mustang GT convertible but I only drove it on the weekends and it was my summer car. It never saw winter.
 
#25 ·
Breaking news alert! I called the dealership to make sure his inventory was up to date and he told me it was and they have a 2008 black Rubicon with 48,000 miles on it (give or take) for about $23,000 Now I REALLY hope I can get a loan within reason b/c now I can have 3 choices.
 
#26 ·
towing capacity is higher in 4dr due to wheel base length, also factory tow package in addition to changes mentioned above include the trailer lights with factory mounting and connection points(much cleaner than aftermarket,including mopar), i think automatics w/ tow package will also include a trans-cooler, and not sure what yr the trailer sway control was added but only available w/ factory tow package
 
#30 ·
Yep, that's one solution, and it sounds like the 2 door suits his needs. To be clear though: If he were to spend $1500 to regear an otherwise stock auto transmission Wrangler (whether 2 door or 4 door) from 3.21 to 5.38 he would more or less double the horsepower at the wheels at highway speeds.
 
#28 ·
Good luck, Jeff. I really think it just comes down to your personal preference. It sounds like you don't need the 4 door, but if you would like the ability to be able to carry extra passengers and/or stuff then go for it. For me it was really no choice...I have 3 kids...however I honestly prefer the looks of the 4 door with the longer wheel base (gasp!).

I really don't think power and MPG should be a big factor- but drive them both and decide for yourself if you can tell a difference. According to the specs, they get the same MPG. Both the 2 door and 4 door are slow gas guzzlers. ;).
 
#29 ·
Well I love my 09 unlimited. Weighed the pros and cons and 4 door won. I travel a lot and have lots of experience with my jeep. Mountains, desert, hills, snow, mud, dirt, etc. I have never had any "power" problems and never found a obstacle my jeep couldn't climb over. And its completely stock with 33 tires. But its also a jeep and can do what a jeep does, climb.

If you don't need a 4 door, don't bother with one. And visa versa.
 
#31 ·
If this is the only vehicle you own, you'll appreciate the times you have extra room with the 4 door.

I loved the TJ I drove, but it was very limited in what I could carry around in it. The JKU has been a great improvement in that area.

Plus, as someone already said, it looks really bad ass with 4 doors removed and no top.
 
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