Which JKU to buy???

[TheLoneWrangler]

Hey,

So, I'm looking to buy a JKU (My First Jeep). I've got $25000 to spend and am looking for some advice as to what would be be the best thing to buy?
I'm looking to get into off roading, not rock crawling or anything just the beach fishing trips and bush camping north and south WA.
Do I go
Petrol or diesel?
Manual or Auto?
And what to look out for when viewing them?

Any help guys would be really appreciated!

Cheers Will

[NTRubicon]

If you can get away with it, try to grab a hold of the 2012+ 3.6L V6 in petrol (there is one on carsales at 25k at the moment), if going for diesel I think anything from 2007+ but 2011 late if you want the more recent interior setup.

Manual if you want that level of control, I've gone auto with mine (2013) and I think its great off road, but I would probably prefer the manual for sand driving

check the underneath for scratches and damage - the diff covers are one location, the skid plates, the lower control arm chassis mounts, the lower shock absorber mounts.

Do you really need four door? they are great for the extra space, but the 2 door the back seat can be removed for times when you need the extra storage space - 4 door is much better if carrying passengers regularly.

[TheLoneWrangler]

NTRubicon, seriously great advice. Exactly the kind i was hoping for, that has answered everything. The 4 door is to keep the Mrs happy and potentially ad an addition to the two us!!! (could be a really short lived off roading career!!)
So it really does have to be the 4 Door.

Thanks again for the advice, really has helped a lot.

[Stevil]

Yeah Ive had the 2dr CRD and manual and it was a great car, but the 4dr V6 Auto is just so much nicer on and offroad, sure it does have the stump pulling torque when I tow the boat but Its quiet and the handling is streets ahead of the SWB.

I paid $36K for a 2013 12mths ago, had only 7,000km.

It will be tight but youre coming up to alot of early 3.6 V6s coming to the end of 3 and 4 yr leases. I know things arent great financially in WA so you should be able to get 1 to fit ur budget

good luck and stick to something that hasnt been too modified if you want to keep the misses happy

[bretto88]

Hi mate. I bought mine about a year ago and the thing I wish I knew about was the diff ratio.

I got a 3.8 manual 2010, but the manual had a 3.21 diff ratio. Autos have a 3.73 and the Rubicon a 4.11. This means it's harder for a manual to turn bigger tyres.

The 3.8 manual is capable enough, but for a few extra dollars the 3.6 has an extra 50kW.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Aussie Jeep Offroad mobile app

[Wazza D]

Originally Posted by bretto88

Hi mate. I bought mine about a year ago and the thing I wish I knew about was the diff ratio.

I got a 3.8 manual 2010, but the manual had a 3.21 diff ratio. Autos have a 3.73 and the Rubicon a 4.11. This means it's harder for a manual to turn bigger tyres.

The 3.8 manual is capable enough, but for a few extra dollars the 3.6 has an extra 50kW.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Aussie Jeep Offroad mobile app

When I bought my 2010 JKU, I was looking at a manual.
When availability become a factor, I made a last minute decision to grab the available auto.
I consider that to be one of my rare lucky days as I wasn't aware of the diff ratios either.
It's another issue when it comes to fitting a locker or changing ratios on the D30 3.21 as well.

[chris0375]

The newer 3.6 petrol is leagues better than the 3.8 petrol. Might struggle to get a 3.6 unlimited for 25k. Diesel is obviously your other option.