I'm About To Spend THOUSANDS On My "Cheap" Jeep Wrangler... But Do I Need To? 

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52k for a 2 door base wrangler?! Holy shit

Jeep: LISTEN HERE. Make a BARE BONES Wrangler with a rear locker for 35k or less. It should be fairly simple. Sincerely, everyone.

Think about it, $52K for a 'base' Wrangler. While Ford Ranger Raptor - fully loaded, lockers, adjustable suspension, 400hp etc is $57K. Stellantis' pricing is insulting.

52k plus 35s, a lift, a new top, and installation. Probably 60 grand into wrangler that doesn't even have a locker. Should have had Tommy help you find your "cheap" Jeep.

Charging $4,500 for automatic transmission as an add-on is insane considering automatic is the standard and manual would be the rare choice.

Alex, see if the company will buy you some BFG KO3 tires to test. It's a new tire that a lot of us KO2 owners are curious about. As part of a series with your Jeep it would be great to know how the tires handle different situations. It could be an ongoing series. Test MPG, mud, rock, and snow. I think this would be a popular series. Just a thought.

People keep referring to this as a base Jeep. It’s not. With the options, it’s essentially filling in for the absence of a 2 Door Sahara that is no longer available on the JL. With that said, the price is bonkers. I love Jeeps, but I can’t fathom spending that with the other options that are on the market.

Just got my “Cheap Jeep”, 2007 Rubicon loaded, low miles, mint condition, for $15,000. Plenty of $$$ left over to make it a beast! Couldn’t be happier and I didn’t have to sell my soul to the devil! lol

Im blown away at the 2024 costs, I bought a 23 JL Sport and paid $33K OTD with an automatic. If Jeep was smart, they'd keep the costs lower on the base Wrangler. $52k is entry level lux money IMO.

That price tag is bonkers!

Love Jeep Wrangler. I have been a Jeep Wrangler owner most of my life. But to be honest, Jeep has priced them selves out of peoples garage. That is the only reason they would see their sales drop. The price. Everything else about Wrangler is perfect.

52K?.... Ridiculous... But go with KO3s

I’m 48 years old and I remember going to car lots with my dad when I was 18 and you could get new 4x4 vehicles for 18,000 dollars now the 18,000 4x4 vehicles are almost 50,000 dollars. Good lord .

Too bad you didn't buy the one from Tommy, you know, the one he said he wanted because it was basic. I think he kept it three months.

My 2020 Wrangler S 2 door went everywhere stock. It was like a mountain goat. People modify these things when they generally don't need to. Just put more protection on it line rock rails and go have fun.

Thanks for being transparent. 👍 With that being said, with all those options, you could have got the rear locker with a Willy's for less than that at certain dealerships. I've been looking at a 2024 2 door manual in Anvil or that siege green color. 🤓

All I can say is good luck. The 5 door wrangler here costs almost as much as a top spec of the Landcruiser you get in the US. Nuts. My experience with Wranglers isn't great. Had a 2017 1 year old with max 20k miles. Electronic safety aids periodically disconnected off road when you needed them. The roof leaked. The front axle literally almost fell off while driving on the road. The rear main oil seal failed just outside of warranty and that was the final straw. Based on industry data my experience is not unique. On a mopar "factory" lift, the ride of the Jeep was poor but liveable for me but, was painful for some others and even led to some falling sick. The interior noise was on the louder side but liveable. Again, the main thing that killed was the atrocious reliability for something that was effectively brand new.

Great Jeep, but unfortunately that’s what is wrong with Jeep. My 2021 2 door JL Rubicon was ordered during COVID and listed 55k (I had affiliate pricing through my work so I got it significantly cheaper). Mine has pretty much everything except leather and the automatic. I thought that was too much for a Jeep then, and now 52k for a non-lockered Jeep is crazy. This is where Jeep is going wrong… especially since I just bought an old Jeep (and I’m remembering how great they were).

Honestly I respect you decision Alex because at the end of the day it’s your money so spend it the way you want. On another note you could have gotten so many more better vehicles for $52,000-$60,000! The Colorado ZR2 MSRP’s as $48,000 so you could probably get it for $52,000. It already comes with great suspension, lockers, good tires, plenty of skid plates, and a whole lot luxurious interior. Also for $52,000-$60,00 I’m sure you could get a Bronco Sasquatch edition. I need not saying that the Bronco is ten times better than the Jeep unless you put 40s on it. This is a head scratcher 😅.

$52k for a Sport S is insane. Hence why at least here in the Phoenix valley dealerships are overstocked with Jeep Wranglers!

Hold up. The automatic is a $4500 OPTION NOW?! 🤯 In all seriousness, I'm excited to see this series continue. There's something about a stock Jeep off-road that's a lot of fun to watch! Speaking of which, it looked like the Jeep traction control system did a nice job despite not having lockers available. 🤙

No wonder Jeep sales are so bad! To charge $50k + on a base 2-door is criminal! That being typed, congrats Alex! Glad you got out from under that Land Rover mistake!

As for the clank... When you park your Jeep, put it in neutral, apply the parking brake, and take your foot of the brake to let out any tension in the drivetrain, THEN put it in park. The clank could just be because it was parked under tension and when that tension is released some gears somewhere in the drivetrain and banging together.

Some type of front sway bar disconnect would be money well spent. The typical quick disconnects are the cheapest but also can be kind of a pain. I’ve ran both tires and prefer the Toyo Open country AT3.

Paid $42k for a 2door Rubicon in 2021. Kept it a year and upgraded to a 4Runner. My TRD Off road premium 4Runner was $48k. You got hosed !

I had a 2021 Rubicon and I beat it off road hard! It was bulletproof! Now I have a 2024 Rubicon XR and it’s amazing!! Congratulations!

People are crying over $45k TRD offroad tacomas with a locker and a sway disconnect, but they totally forget $50,000 2 door Wranglers and Broncos exist.

I don't think Jeep should be charging extra for transmission options no one else does... Or certainly not 4500 dollar difference. Also just too much for a jeep no locker. Like it's not the same but to put it into perspective my buddy bought an 89 Jeep Cherokee used that has the 4.0, manual 5 speed, with an off-road winch bumper and winch, plenty of lights, tow lights and tow bar, and really aggressive mud tires for 2200 dollars. It can go anywhere that Wrangler could and for about 600 bucks if not less my buddy can put in a touch screen radio with a backup camera. And it might have lockers I don't quite know we've never been in a situation it couldn't go as is. It went thru 8 inches of hard snow in rwd no problem while me and my other friend had to put out rigs in 4hi to get thru it. But yeah his brake caliper has already seized but for 400 bucks he's replaced both front brakes and completely flushed his brake fluid system. Basically I just wouldn't spend 52k on a brand new jeep when a used one can be made to match or exceed a newer one off road anyways but they aren't too uncomfortable on the road either. And with enough knowhow you can put new tech into an older jeep for way cheaper than a new one evidently. Like an 8th of the price cheaper. And the cost of ownership would be way lower vs brand new. Just no warranty really.

I would really like to see fuel economy, acceleration and braking numbers before and after your lift and tire mods.

I never understood spending a ton of money on a brand new vehicle, then take it off road to bash it around. Buy a used one from some girl who decided she didn't like her base Jeep as much as she thought.

Nice 2 Door. Looking forward to seeing the upgrades and testing. Try the new KO3 tires. I am waiting to see some reviews on them. I picked up a 2024 2 door Willys so I received the rear lockers, rock sliders and 33-inch KO2 tires

Cheapest upgrade that improves things is a manual anti-swaybar disconnect. Keep your wheels on the ground and you won't regret not having a locker.

Please compare this jeep to TFL's 1944 Jeep. On road and off road.

Congratulations on the New 2024' Jeep!! Right On Alex!!! Looking forward to the modifications later on. Awesome video

Looking forward to seeing the modifications coming up. I did use Granger when buying an extended warranty for my Ranger Tremor. Very easy and simple to do online. Saved lots of money.

I put a Clayton Off-road Overland 1.5” lift with the heavy duty springs and “regular” Fox shocks on my wife’s Gladiator. It rides pretty well. I think you will be satisfied.

Should have started with a Willys or Rubicon. I built them on jeeps website for around 49 and 56 grand respectively

Wildpeaks are good, but since you’ve got them on your Ram perhaps go for something else so you can compare. I’ve had great luck with Nitto Ridge Grapplers on both a JK and 4th gen 4Runner.

You're on drugs with that $52K. Definitely could have found a Rubicon for that price.

I started with a 2018 Stock Sahara JL and modded it for off-road. I later just got a 2024 Rubicon X with it all prepared for off-road from the factory. Not cheaper exactly, but you know how it’ll perform with all the mods by doing a test drive and it’s all covered under warranty.

I paid a good amount less than that for my 2024 Willys 4xe. Those rebates here in the springs really helped.

Unbolt your sway bar dude it only takes a second.

My 2 door bronco cost me 64. But it came from the dealer with 35s, suspension upgrade, front and rear lockers, and a sway bar disconnect. I think going “cheap” might actually be way more expensive and painful to add those capabilities in the aftermarket. Just getting a rubicon might make more sense.

Very nice Wrangler! Looking forward to the upgrades and future videos. I’m Stoked, I scored a YJ recently (4 inch lift, 33’s, sliders, light bars, etc.) for a fraction of this cost. Less than 1/5 actually.

Keep this series going! Cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Lift kits? Done on a weekend with a couple of cold ones!! $52K for a 2 door sport… 😮 As for tires, look into the Baja Boss from Micky thompson! Great video and hoping you guys are going to film this entire build and as each new mod is added you take it out to see the changes??

I have the same Jeep Wrangler and I have been able to do very difficult trials with it. It's been a great vehicle. You really don't need a rubicon.

Add some sway bar diconnects. They will help quite a bit with articulation. The tractiom control did netter than I thought it would with a wheel up. That price point is crazy. Good luck with your build.

Congrats on the new Jeep! But I’m curious how much is TFL paying this guy to be able to afford a brand new 2500 ram diesel and a $50k wrangler 😂

Makes you realize you don’t need all the lockers and stuff. Just skid plates and a good traction control mapping system

Congratulations on the new Jeep. Look forward to watching it's progress. Maybe do an MPG before and after the modifications to see what influence they have.

The craziest inflation gripe I will give is this. I bought a 22 2dr Rubicon, loaded except for the plastic bumpers (which I knew I was replacing), and cloth seats (which was preferences). Bro I paid $53k 2 years ago!

Total guess on the clanking noise given the limited info, but I'd have the dealer start with the drive side upper/lower ball joints... might just need to snug up on one. Love the ride and your plans for the future. 2 door with a slight lift on 35's... perfection!

Looks good. Rock sliders and all terrain tires were a must when I got my Wrangler Sport. Have fun.

Those Landrover Discovery's sure came and went fast. Never got to see those build up videos/series as mentioned.

Had a front end noise when my 2dr was new. The dealer tech had me stand outside the passenger door and rock the car while he looked at the front end. It was very easy to see what was causing the clanking noise. It was the stock, non-disconnecting swaybar I think. It got loose after some light off-roading. He tightened it up and I was back on the road quickly. That was as near (I’m guessing) your home town of Philly. Later I replaced it with JKS disconnect so never had that clanking again.

In 2018, you could get a brand new base model 2 door wrangler for less than 35k after tax…. Today, you can’t find any off-road vehicles (new) for less than 50k. That’s seriously insane.

Luv it great video, and you two guys are great together keep up the videos!!!!😊

I heard tire selection. Cooper's have served me well, and good year duratracs. Currently have the cooper's on the jeep, and good year territory (bronco-trx stock tires) on my f150. Super happy with both

Their heads bobbing in unison while talking about solid axles reminds me of the Bohemian Rhapsody scene from Wayne’s World!

So does Tommy still have his Willys? You could test them against one another after you lift yours and see how they do

Disconnecting your swaybar is extremely helpful and free :)

I got a 22 2 door rubicon for 48k back in 2022, I guess I bought at a good time. You should do front bumper with winch and front sway bar quick disconnects.

Tires!!! Nitto Recon Grappler. Size 295/70/18 in the SL load range. This is going to be one of the lightest and durable tire you can get that's around the 35" mark. For the way your talking about using your jeep they would be great. You don't need the very heavy E load range tires on your jeep. This is only going to kill your fuel economy and the power of your jeep. If your street driving and some trails you shouldn't have to give up the drivability of your vehicle. The fuel economy hit that is taken when going to larger offroad tires is NOT effected as much by size as it is weight. This is the exact tire I'm running on my 2023 F150 Tremor ecoboost. I haven't lost any measurable fuel economy at all from factory tires. Infact I have been able to get over the epa rated fuel economy with this tire. Ride and traction in all conditions has been great. I also tow heavy and often. Heavy towing had dropped the factory general grabber ats by 45% in only 4k miles. I have just over 7k miles on the Recons without any notice of treadwell or cupping. Even if you don't pick this tire please look at the specs and weigh of the tires you choose. The closer to the weight of your factory tire the more stock like your fuel economy and on road feel will be. Looking forward to seeing more.

At 69 years of life, I have seen a lot of price and merchandise changes. The big difference is the gadgets and toys people feel compelled to have. My first Jeep was a '63 Willey's Wagoneer with a 389 Pontiac. That Jeep was bottom of the line and well used in 1982. In the present time I have 2 Jeeps. A '96 ZJ project vehicle, and a '23 JLU Sport S. The ZJ was free, and the JLU had a sticker of $50k. Vehicles of any type are expensive! But Jeep Wranglers tend to be more to buy, and could end up costing double the purchase price, or more. I bought the Wrangler to tow behind our '18 Ram 2500 4wd 6.7L and camper, as a touring vehicle. The out the door price was $1k more than the truck. But just adding step sliders and a Roadmaster All-terrain tow bar with brakes. Cost about 12% of the cost of the Wrangler. So just be real, Jeeps are fun, but very expensive at any vintage!

Welcome to the family, rock sliders are a worthwhile investment

You should definitely document and share the build of your wrangler! Looking forward to seeing the transformation. Great video guys!

I got a Rubicon 2.0 turbo 8 speed with the Xtreme recon package (lifted on 35 from factory) for 58k and it had no discount as it was custom ordered. I added all the goodies like steel bumper, hard top, etc You are paying almost the same for a 2 door base? I would have custom ordered rather than getting overpriced options. As you up the trim, the options are included for “free”

Excited to see this build!

Get sway bar disconnects and rocker protection first! I am a big fan of Goodyear Duratracs. Nice multipurpose tires. Good luck. Excited for future updates.

Wow rear and front lockers and sway bar disconnect are so useful - glad I opted for a Rubicon in 2016 ($42 for a 2 door back then!)

Nice looking Jeep, looking forward to seeing the mods and the review of them.

Bought a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimted for 12500$ 167k miles. Doesn't look like its ever been off road. Had aftermarket Rims and off road recon grappler tires with a rough country lift kid. Had a mechanic look at it. Only thing it needed after purchase was new rear hubs. Everything works. Body has some light scratching. Everything else seems good to go so far. Been driving for a month now. So, question is....did I get a good deal? How long can I expect this jeep to last me? Anything I should do to it other than regular maintenance like oil changes?

Good thing you never got the manual , the torque less 3.6 does not play well . They need to be re geared first, i recommend 4:56 spicer gears and while you are at it, a set of Tru Trac diffs . And a sway bar disconnect .

Get rubicon take off axles. Beefier axles, better gearing for your 35 and lockers all in one. Easy to do when you out in the lift. For tires, looks like you want commuter/hybrid. Check out nitto ridge grapplers

Another good upgrade would be quick disconnects for your swaybar links. As l am sure you know, disconnecting that front swaybar for better articulation makes a huge difference. I disconnect for every trail l run.

the clanking noise might be due to improperly torqued nuts on the the ball joints, you could probably hear it more when reversing and the front flexes a little bit. You could test this by removing the pin and seeing if they are torqued properly or the dealership might know right away if you take it in.

I paid 67k out the door for a 24 Gladiator Rubicon X, sticker MSRP WAS $72k it came with Rockside engineering rocksliders, half doors a Warn Zeon 12-S winch, and of course pretty much every option available. A 3.5" Clayton lift, AEV rims, 37's and a regear is happening soon. I love the truck it's extremely comfortable.

The clank is normal. My Gladiator has the same noise at about 7mph, every time I drive it. Something is engaging, I heard it may be the ABS.

$52k is nuts for a sport s. My custom ordered '20 2 door ss was only $34k with lots of upgrades! 2.0t (auto), leather seats, led package, lsd rear end, hard top, granite wheels and upgraded sound system. As for tires, I've been running Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT's for two years in the NV desert and they are bullet proof beasts. And get the Apex AutoLYNX quick disconnects. They're a bit pricy, but they beat the hell out of trying to stick a pin back in while laying in the dirt/mud.

I really want a jeep but I feel like I should just go and get a 10k nearly 20 year old JK and put some new shocks on it. Jeep knows what they got, apparently.

I had Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATs in a 255 85 17 (35 10.50 17) they incredible it drove like it was still stock!

That’s crazy. My parents just bought a gladiator rubicon with lockers and everything for $48k

As far as the clank in the front end, do a bolt check. One of y'all shake it while the other is under it and listen for noise. Its almost certainly something silly like an under-torqued sway bar end link or shock or something like that. Also, when it comes to tires, _do not go E load rated._ They're super tough off road but not meant for a vehicle that light and will jar your teeth out after about 15k miles. For a 2 door, I'd go with something C load rated. Toyo makes an excellent AT3 in a 315/70r17 in a C load rating (also 3 peak mountain snow rated). Source: on Wrangler JLU with 35s, on E rated Ridge Grapplers. Have 22k miles on them and they ride _rough._

The ride quality might suffer because of the lift, and the bigger tires. You are adding a lot of extra weight to the unsprung mass of the vehicle while the sprung weight remains essentially the same. Even if the lift kit is designed to give a softer ride, the extra mass of the bigger wheel & tire combination will end up causing a harsher ride. Unless, of course, you choose the lightest wheels and the lightest tires for the size you want to keep it as close as possible to the original mass of the OEM wheels and tires. Personally, I would also look into a ring & pinion set for both the front and rear axles to offset the rpm change caused by the larger tires. This will help keep the engine in its OEM power band, and also not affect the speedometer as well (unless it is electronically compensated). Just my opinion, though.

Yes, that's a bit more than would like to hear for that jeep, tfl needs to make a video on what fca side needs to do to be morr successful again in the US.

Discount tire has the GoodYear Territory MT in a 315/70/17 on sale right now for 186 a tire. They’re the OEM Sasquatch package tire. Great deal. Also, I just picked up a 2024 Willys 4xe from Mark Dodge for 38,281. Shop around next time. Unless you got that jeep for 33k, not worth it.

lol if that’s cheap. Man U rolling in cash. 😂

I would have told Alex@tfl go get the lockers first!!! That keep is very capable out of the box! I would day lockers are a must if you are planning on going off roading alot, then everything else as far as tires go a set of km3 work just fine! Also get a sway bar disconnect kit that will help on the articulation part of the Jeep!!

I bought a 2020 JLU Willys for 33k used, only 30K miles. Yes it’s missing some safety tech but it’s more capable than this new 2-door, still feels pretty darn new, and has an LSD at least.

I’m sorry if I missed it in the video, which trail is this? Looking to take our new-to-us Sport JL out on some trails. Thanks!

Nitto trail grappler is a awesome tire in my opinion. Nokian outpost at is a good tire also. They are made in Dayton Tennessee.

The traction control is working pretty decent. As you teeter totter the jeep with the left front wheel dangling over a foot in the air and drives right through the dangle. But $52k for a Sport S? That’s some serious ouch money for the cheap Jeep!

I'm pretty happy with the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail tires on my Bronco. I got a D load rating for a little extra puncture resistance than the C that came with it, but not as stiff as an E rated tire.

I have a 2 door '21 JL, if it sounds like a loud "tick" it could be the lower crown nut on the lower ball joint....I had that issue early in ownership and it just needed to be tightened up a bit.

KO3 tires or AT4W

I know Wildpeaks are great tires, but I think it would be cool to see you guys use a less expensive tire, maybe even not everyone knows the brand tire, and do review on them. Not everyone has money for expensive tires and you guys have done lots of stuff with really good name brand tires.

For the clank noise check that your sway bar end link nuts are tightened correctly. You can look up the torque specs online or hand tighten with some common sense. Don’t over-tighten or you can damage them.

Not even a locker at that price lol 😂..you should of got the gladiators that they couldn't sell and put over 30% off .. could of got a loaded gladiator for the same price. Or with the money your putting into it a ranger raptor lol