A bit of a rant on the JKU.... Note this was literally a DD review.
This was my second fairly long JK/U test.
A few interesting takeaways for me
Positives:
1.Even with the SWAMP (not mall) rated tires this thing was quiet. I still don't get who complains about wind/road noise in this vehicle it is perfectly acceptable.
2. The removable roof is epic even if you just do the front it is still great and provides a great open air experience
3. LED lights are excellent
4. Steering/ride quality are fine, don't get the complaints here, it is a tall SUV with giant tires, it is amazing how great it handles considering all that
5. Seats are very comfortable
6. It feels special in its utter simplicity, everything is replaceable for not much money and nothing costs an arm and a leg. Powertrain is proven etc. Fucking up a bumper etc is a super simple lego like replacement which literally is NOT available on any other vehicle on the market today.
7. Quality is good, paint all the interior plastics etc are very durable pieces, they make look cheapish but you can tell they will last longer than your interest in the vehicle
8. The size makes it a perfect vehicle for 4 ppl and or two ppl and crotchfruit
Negatives including some things that didn't bother me prior.
1. This thing feels BIG, it is roughly the same size as my 3 series, but every turn is a 3 point turn in tighter spaces, the lack of power really accentuates the size.
2. See above turning radius is atrocious
3. Brakes... well this is a given but you get "used" to it (fixed on JLU)
4. SLOWNESS, ok this was surprising, as this is the 4th JKU I have driven and the first one with 3.73s. I really hated the lack of low end power. This thing is an absolute pig below 3000rpm, you basically have to wind it out to keep up with traffic and you're rewarded with a harsh and
engine note. On paper it is supposed to go 0-60 in around 7, but boy does it feel slower than that during normal driving. (fixed on JLU mostly)
5. Brick like Aero really taxes the engine at speed, and generally going above 75 just feels
with excessive windnoise near single digit mpg and a screaming engine. On the flipside you likely won't ever get speeding tickets.
6. Not a huge fan of the swing out rear door, as it makes loading the trunk more of a chore than the average vehicle since you have to operate the glass+door to load most items.
7. Base stereo is absolute garbage even with the "8 speakers" that sound like 1.5 (fixed on JLU or with stereo upgrade)
The diesel powered JLU will be epic even though it'll lick 60k
All that said it is still a wonderful vehicle. As with almost anything plenty of ups and down but the "jeep special sauce" is truly wonderful. There simply aren't other vehicles with this much character on the market today. See nissan rogue/rav 4
I really would love to have one at some point in the future. My local
is throwing 4000-5000 on the hoods already of new "JLUs" however we're at $4 a gallon now... and likely only going to get more expensive from here. The 15mpg makes it a really tough selling point.