Dilemma -JKU Sport or Willy?

S

Samlautranger

New member
Getting ready to order my new Jeep. Have the deal all set with the dealer, regarding price and trade in values, etc. Just deciding on final color choice.

Be my first 4 door Jeep JKU. 4th Jeep have owned though.

Plan was to get a Sport JKU with only upgrades being Automatic transmission, 3.73 gears and premium soft top. Then put on after market wheels (Black quadratec Moab?), 255/80R17 tires, add a 2.5" lift kit (RK, OME, TF, AEV - still debating a bit). Few other things like grab handles and rubber mats. Was not going to add the LSD. Figure with 4x4 and the Brake system, OK?

Well, now thinking maybe best to go for a Willy's Edition. Just buy and leave stock. Price would be very similar. At best, maybe just do a budget boost, put on the 255/80r17 tires sell the stock Willy's tires.

Price would be very similar when all said and done. Maybe the Willys being $1,000 more if I swap out the tires and add a budget boost.

So trying to decide if I should just go that route.

With Trade in Difference and the mods, looking at around $6K for the JKU Sport. About the same $6K if do the Willys. $6k is the absolute maximum pretty much for my budget for over the next year or so.
 
What platform is the Willy's based off of? Is it the Sahara? Sorry I don't recall. My thoughts would be though the Willy's graphics are pretty cool I'm not sure if the price tag warrants it. I'd go with your sport plan but see if you can get 4:10 gearing and build it how you want. Go to your local sticker shop and have them make you some Willy's decals for 20-30 bucks..;)
 
Just get a sport. From what I understand a Willys has the rubicon suspension (shocks/springs) and rockers but sport axles and transfer case save the $1000 and get a better set of sliders and a budget boost.
 
I got the Willys because I don't plan on making a bunch of upgrades. I like the rubicon tires, suspension, 3.73s, sliders and black wheels. It's plenty capable for what I plan to do so it was the right choice for me. I guess what all my rambling sums up to is that the right choice for one person isn't the right choice for everyone, you have to evaluate your needs and pick what suits you.
 
CarolinaJK said:
The willys also comes with a rear lsd.
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Hearing if really needed or not? If have 4x4 and the way the brakes work, that the LSD is really kind of mute? About 80% driving on roads and highway, and about 20% on back country dirt and gravel roads, occasionally going off roads to a few areas I go to for hunting/camping, etc.

The last two Jeeps I had were Rubicons. Decided to not go that way this time, for pretty much two reasons - don't have enough coin and the last two Rubicons I had, never really needed or used any of the Rubicon features. Though the 4.1 gears would be nice. Had to do it all over again, would have just gotten sport and fixed them for what I needed.
 
You can get a Sport with rear LSD as well, TracLoc option. The only way I could see getting a Willys over Sport is if you are not planning to upgrade tires and suspension on the Willys. Otherwise, if you plan upgrades your basically just getting a couple stickers for the added price. I think you have a good plan of buying Sport then building to suit your needs. Good luck!
 
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If this isn't the last jeep you're going to buy, I would think the Willy's would have a better resale value than a sport. Just my 2 cents.
 
I got a willys after a JKU sport. Granted i lifted the JKU and all.. however with the trulok LSD in my willys.... its night and day different.

Now in my case i had to get the willys for other financial reasons.... so obviously the sport plus upgrades is best unless you wanna stay stock.... but even then you can buy rubi tale off EVERYTHING for way less than the willys package costs.

But i do love my willys and dont regret it. Like it more than my JKU
 
White_JKU said:
I got a willys after a JKU sport. Granted i lifted the JKU and all.. however with the trulok LSD in my willys.... its night and day different.

Now in my case i had to get the willys for other financial reasons.... so obviously the sport plus upgrades is best unless you wanna stay stock.... but even then you can buy rubi tale off EVERYTHING for way less than the willys package costs.

But i do love my willys and dont regret it. Like it more than my JKU
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I just want to clarify that Truloc is a electronic locking differential in the Rubicon. TracLoc is the LSD available in Sport and Willys.
 
I debated this same issue a few months ago. I had a 2014 2 door sport but needed/wanted a 4 door due to a baby on the way and other kids in the mix. I ended up going with the sport over the willy's as I knew I would be lifting and modifying either way and didn't want to pay extra for willy's items that i'd be taking off (rubicon shocks & tires). I did opt for the Trac Loc LSD and max tow pkg, which gives you the 3.73 gearing that the willy's comes with standard. Other than that with a Willy's you get slush mats, rock rails, connectivity group, willy's decals and black grille & wheels. None of those extras were worth the additional cost of the willys to me. I plasti-dipped my grill flat black (cost me ~$8). Bought rubcion rock rails off craigslist for $50 and bed-lined them so they look brand new.

MSRP on the willy's I was looking at was $33,985. On the sport I had built MSRP was $30,975. Those prices are based on a standard willy's JKU with hardtop option vs. a JKU sport with hardtop, max tow pkg and trac loc rear (both are manual trans). I decided I'd rather use the ~$3k price difference towards wheels, tires, lift on a sport over getting a willy's.

I would agree that a willy's would most likely have a better resale value if you ever planned on selling but I sold my 2014 2 door sport on craigslist in 1 day for what I was asking for it. Sold it for $1k under it's original MSRP (I paid less than MSRP of course) with 33k miles. It did have a 3.5" lift, 35's and Rubicon take off wheels on it though.
 
Jeepfan30 said:
I just want to clarify that Truloc is a electronic locking differential in the Rubicon. TracLoc is the LSD available in Sport and Willys.
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Yes!! thats my bad... however still LSD over the open diff. Is NIGHT and DAY difference on a trail....in my opinion. Sure, a locker is even better but ive been blown away by my current LSD vs my old open diff JKU. Had i have known how much better it was back when i got my JKU.... it would have been a deal breaker to not have one.

Now for the OP... i am a State Trooper so having a rubicon is pretty much out of the question lol..... we got to start small and build up.
 
If a stock Willys is going to meet your needs then go for it.

Personally, I got a Willys wheeler, and all that's left of the Willys package 2 years later are the decals on the hood and tailgate.

They are pretty sweet decals though.
 
KingCopperhead said:
If a stock Willys is going to meet your needs then go for it.

Personally, I got a Willys wheeler, and all that's left of the Willys package 2 years later are the decals on the hood and tailgate.

They are pretty sweet decals though.
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Don't forget that you still have all the added horsepower from them, I've been told it's as much as 200 extra HP!
 
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