If you're thinking about a lift, do it as soon as possible. I did a lift when my JK was approaching 100k on the mileage so all my other components were worn and old. Had to spend a bit more to get it all back up working well. Still spending $$$ to get all the kinks out.

If you want a good off road stance but retain the daily driver aspect, I would suggest a Teraflex leveling kit, or the 2.5 coil lift and some 33 inch tires. 35 inch tires and a lift above 3 inches you start getting into some expensive work being done and you're losing the daily driver bit because it can be expensive to maintain.

However the stock Jeep is already a capable off road vehicle if you only wheel part time. If it's not something you see yourself doing a lot, you can just work on some of the cosmetic stuff like wheels and tires or a bumper.

 

Trust me, if you buy it upgraded from the dealer, you are going to pay big time for it. Take some time and decide where you want to go with the build and do your research. You will save a ton of money if you do the mods yourself.

 

If I could do it over again I would have gotten manual instead of auto and full cloth interior instead of the cloth/leather combo in my freedom edition. The leather gets way too hot in the summer with the top down and I learned that the hard way.

If you plan on building your JK with aftermarket bumpers, rock sliders, wheels, etc. I would skip the Sahara and go with a Sport S instead.

 

I've heard that the automatic will outperform the manual. Is there a reason why you would go with a manual?

 

Outperform?

 

I had a manual jk now an automatic. Don't miss the manual at all. It is fun in a sports car, but gets tiring in the jk in traffic. A manual is typically more durable than an automatic, but modern automatics are pretty durable compared to the old days. It also gives you one less thing to worry about on the trail (clutch, rolling backwards, etc) when you are getting over technical obstacles, etc. the automatic also allows my wife and kids to drive the jeep off-road as well.

I used to insist on manuals in my other jeeps, but no longer. I guess I am getting soft as I get older!

Either way is a personal preference. Get what you want and be happy with it! Good luck.


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Not sure what you mean by outperform?

One of the reasons I favor the manual is b/c you have six gears instead of five which helps out with highway driving.

The other is mainly just personal preference, all my vehicles prior to my JK were manual so sometimes I miss having a third pedal.

 

I greatly enjoy the manual on technical stuff.

 

Here is the jeep I ended up buying. 2014 JKU Freedom Special Edition. Manual 6 speed

 

Congratulations,, looks great!!