Removing the top and the doors quickly loses its romance as soon as something stops working and you have to deal with one of Jeep’s many terrible dealers.

Anyway, I think the OP got enough feedback to make up his mind.

 

I love my Rubicon for the mountains, but for road trips I take my Porsche Macan. There is simply no comparison. The Porsche is so much quieter, more stable, more fuel efficient, and just humms along at 70 or 80 miles per hour effortlessly here in Colorado or over in Utah. I don't like to get the Wrangler much above 70. With its short wheelbase and high center of gravity, it just feels a little too tenuous.

 

Thanks for all the feedback..... very mixed opinions... I work remotely so drive sparingly (2-3k miles), must have a convertible, must be able to cary bike/kayak, dogs and maybe another person. So Jeep seems to be it. My local dealer is either Cape Coral Chrysler or Galeana Chrysler Dodge Jeep

 

While I have not had the opportunity to drive a new Bronco, it would seem to me that the independent front suspension along with the rack and pinion steering would be a much nicer highway vehicle. Might be worth driving both the Wrangler and Bronco extensively before deciding.

 

I recently finished a 10 month long road trip with my 2013 Wrangler JKU that was at 100k miles. We drove from Florida, all the way across the country, up the Oregon coast, as far north as the Northern Cascades in Washington, the Minnesota Lakes, and all points in between. Currently sitting at 137k miles. And we did it all towing a teardrop camper, fully loaded with gear and a Yakima rooftop rocket box and two mountain bikes. I got routine oil changes on the road, and rotated my tires in campgrounds. The only mishap I had was a failed oil cooler in Tennessee, and that was it. I again have a possible oil cooler leak and now a small radiator leak. Going to get them fixed tomorrow. But the Jeep held up well. We off-loaded in Capitol Reef NP, Moab, Idaho, and Georgia. It's actually not that bad comfort level wise. I got less fatigued driving than I did in my wife's Cadillac! We even managed get 15.1 MPG average while towing the trailer, which was right at the max capacity of the Wrangler.

 

Oh...and the Jeep has a 2.5" lift and 35's.

 

Rubi 392! Woot! Go big or go home they say

I've driven my 2 door all over the Northwest and have no problem doing long drive in it at 70-75mph but can't imagine doing 85 all day long without getting multiple ticket

 

Max speeds by state.
Maximum posted speed limits (iihs.org)

 

22 day road trip, mostly all dirt, 4x4 and mountain roads. Trans American Trail and the Jeep preformed and functioned like a champ. Deserts were never a problem, water crossing, and mountain passes were fine. Rain storms and and dark nights, all good.

 

Maybe I'm just the weirdo here (OK, no "maybe" about it), but I am fully as comfortable in my 2-door Willys Sport on the highway as I have been in any other vehicle I've ever owned. Not just in terms of seating comfort, but in terms of driving as well. I honestly don't understand why some rag so heavily on the 2-door Jeeps, although to be fair I have only briefly ever driven a 4-door.

Granted, though, I don't drive much over 60 mph, so that may have something to do with it. But then again, I never drove much faster than that in any of my other vehicles, either. And my previous vehicle, which I have owned for 27 years, is a 3/4 ton Dodge Ram full-size pickup, which rides, and has always ridden, pretty much like a tank, so even a Jeep Wrangler is a noticeable step up from that.

 

My longest road trip so far with my JK was SW Missouri to Lake City, Colorado (16 hours). Doesn't matter the vehicle, 8 hours is the most I can stand driving. I stopped in Dodge City Kansas on the way out and on the way back.

I frequently visit my sister in Grand Haven Michigan which is about a 12 hour drive. I'll stop at a nice Holiday Inn Express in Indiana and then drive the next 4 hours the following day. The Jeep isn't horrible on the highway. I can easily keep up with traffic and get around to the front of the pack when necessary.

Given the choice though, I'd rather take my F150 on long road trips. I took it down to Cape Coral, Florida last month. About 3 x 8 hour days on the road. The Jeep would've been fun but it just wasn't practical for this trip. Especially with all the stuff we brought with us.

 

My longest road trip so far with my JK was SW Missouri to Lake City, Colorado (16 hours). Doesn't matter the vehicle, 8 hours is the most I can stand driving. I stopped in Dodge City Kansas on the way out and on the way back.

I frequently visit my sister in Grand Haven Michigan which is about a 12 hour drive. I'll stop at a nice Holiday Inn Express in Indiana and then drive the next 4 hours the following day. The Jeep isn't horrible on the highway. I can easily keep up with traffic and get around to the front of the pack when necessary.

Given the choice though, I'd rather take my F150 on long road trips. I took it down to Cape Coral, Florida last month. About 3 x 8 hour days on the road. The Jeep would've been fun but it just wasn't practical for this trip. Especially with all the stuff we brought with us.

I'd rather take my GMC crewcab, instead of the Jeep 4dr, on any road trip over a couple hours, unless I need the jeep on the other end. The truck is much quieter, tracks like a locomotive on rails and rides much better. There's just no comparison.

But to the OPs quandary, a Jeep will do what he wants. I get it, a jeep has a rugged image that is unmatched, and in the tropics, a jeep with no top has a happy-go-lucky image of Herbie the love bug. The real question is; can he live with a jeep?

 

My two most comfortable vehicles to drive long distances today are my Jeep 2dr Rubi and my F350 Lariat Dually pickup. My WRX isn't nearly as comfortable but sure is faster LOL

I too don't understand the issue but maybe I'm just OLD lol! After all, I grew up driving and riding in pretty uncomfortable cars. However, the Jeep just cruises along all day at 70-75 without issue

 

"but can't imagine doing 85 all day long without getting multiple ticket " Don't know where you drive, but 80 - 85 mph is what I see on the highway for most cars. I generally lock my cruise in from 9 to 14 mph over. No tickets ever.

When I was young I could do 12-16 hours behind the wheel. Now it would be 8 hours max.

jeep has a rugged image that is unmatched, and in the tropics, a jeep with no top has a happy-go-lucky image of Herbie the love bug. The real question is; can he live with a jeep?

Not trying for rugged image, I just want more room, back seat (for me, a passenger and two dogs), a vehicle that can carry my bike or kayak and that is a convertible.

Yes I know something else would be more comfortable.

The real question is; can he live with a jeep? I owned this but never went on a long road trip:

 

"but can't imagine doing 85 all day long without getting multiple ticket " Don't know where you drive, but 80 - 85 mph is what I see on the highway for most cars. I generally lock my cruise in from 9 to 14 mph over. No tickets ever.

Driving that recklessly fast is just insane to me. Outright insane.

Why the F does anyone feel the need to drive that stupidly fast? One wrong move and you are DEAD at those speeds!

 

Ya I could drive long distances in my 30's not problem! Did coast to coast in the US in 3 days and even drove a Mini Cooper (the real one not the BMW version) across the US in 2001 when I was 35. That was a Vintage racecar even -- 2 windows down, 75mph all day long, day in, day out.

Today, I try not to do more than six hours in a stretch but can still do around 8 if I am comfortable which I am in the jeep and the truck. I've even done it in the WRX but it's a little less comfy.

 

I could add this: My WRX could drive 90mph all day long without batting an eye but a Jeep is NOT a sports car. The WRX is/was one of the best rally cars ever made and in it's cililian form it's quite capable of safely driving like that all day for days on end, however, a Jeep is NOT.

I would NEVER attempt that in a jeep even if it were legal. My jeep is made to crawl along jeep trails where my Subaru can't even dream of going. Heck, the first attempt to get ONTO a Jeep trail would be it's last. My jeep? Hell no I wouldn't dream of driving it at 80+ all day long.

Two very different vehicles for very different purposes.

 

My 4 door Rubicon with OEM tires and suspension would cruise at near 80 mph comfortably on straight sections of road, after the steering was sorted. It's still pretty loud. So, some earplugs would help for long trips. My ears ring for hours after driving my Jeep at those speeds for long periods. I don't know about a 2 door Jeep as to whether it is as stable at highway speeds as the 4 door. I suspect a 2 door Jeep is more twitchy.

 

I don't know about a 2 door Jeep as to whether it is as stable at highway speeds as the 4 door. I suspect a 2 door Jeep is more twitchy.

I would suspect that as well, but having very little driving experience with a 4-door Jeep, I can't really say.

I will say, though, that driving my 2-door Willys Sport on the highway is hardly, if any, more difficult to handle or keep tracking straight than my full-size pickup. Which comes as a pleasant surprise to me.

 

My wife has the JKUR and we often drive it to the cabin instead of my JKR -- the 4 door definitely makes a difference in hiway stability and comfort. The longer wheelbase makes a difference no doubt.

 

Interesting to read all this, since my wife is looking for a new vehicle herself. She's in a 2013 Ford Flex and I figured she'd be up for another well kept, low mileage Flex and even suggested it, because she liked her Flex that much. But she's wide open on ideas...except for a Jeep. On the big end, she's looking at Chevy Tahoes and on the other end, she's down to the little Mazda CX-5 sized stuff.

 

I try to limit my highway speeding to 4mph to 9mph over the limit but will speed up to pass packs. Florida vacations - make that 14mph over on their insane highways.

This past month was my 4th vacation in SW Florida and the 1st time that I didn't get flipped off while driving.

 

Driving that recklessly fast is just insane to me. Outright insane. Why the F does anyone feel the need to drive that stupidly fast? One wrong move and you are DEAD at those speeds!

I suspect that you do not have much highway driving experience. emcvay was correct when he stated, " Still, when traffic is doing 80mph someone doing 85 isn't a hazard. IN fact, the person doing 65 when everyone else is doing 80, is more of a hazard and has recently resulted in various states implementing traffic fines for driving too slow on interstates. "

I would only do a 4 door jeep with hardtop.

 

I drive mainly in the southwest, with some trips in the past up to the Dakotas, Wash, Idaho, Oregon, etc. Some of the interstates in the west are long, straight and wide roads. The I-10 between LA and Phoenix is one I travel a half dozen times a year. In places, the traffic will run around 80-83 mph, even with the posted limit of 75. On I-15 up in Utah, north of Cedar City, the posted limit is 80 mph and traffic will sometimes run a bit faster. In my Jeep, I don't feel comfortable running that fast and try to keep it 70-75 mph, especially now that it's lifted and on 37s. It just takes too much focus as the speed goes up. But in my crewcab truck, I feel comfortable up to about the low 80s on certain highways.

 

To be clear I would not be driving a lifted Jeep and would be running on road tires. If the speed limit is 75 mph, most cars will be going 80 - 85 mph if light traffic.

 

You'll find your comfort speed with whatever vehicle you have and how it's loaded at the time, along with road conditions. Sometimes it's a bit over the limit, sometimes it can be well below the limit.

 

With fuel prices being as high as they are (and likely to go higher), I have to wonder how all the speed demons who insist on recklessly driving 80 or 85 mph cannot realize how much extra gas they are wasting by driving that fast --- particularly in a very un-aerodynamic Jeep.

 

Ended up buying a used 2023 Wrangler Sahara 4xe. Drove on highway, it was very stable at 80 mph, but noisy. It has the one touch roof that adds some noise.

 

Earplugs....