14Sport

I too would go with the '13 because you stated long distance driving which is not the Rubi's strong point and the better engine. You can add the Rubi parts you actually need yourself.

jlocker

I'm surprised to see all the recommendations for the 3.6. My brother in law has one and I wasn't that impressed with it over my 08 3.8. That being said the op didn't sound like he had any plans to do a full on build so I think it would be cheaper and easier in the long run to throw a quality 2.5" lift and 35's on the 2011 and be done with it. But if he did plan on doing a full build axles and all then by all means get the 3.6, but also in that scenario it would be silly to spend money on 44's when one tons can be had for about the same price. As far as resale value goes there is a reason the 2011 Rubicon is the same price still as the newer sport Just my .2

rob_engineer

A coworker of mine had a 2008 rubi. His was manual trans. He made a few long highway trips. He got tired of needing to shift from 6th to 5th on gradual hills on the highway due to lack of power at highway speeds. As soon as the 3.6 engine came out he traded his 08 for a 12 and was very satisfied with his decision.

texascodmw3

IMHO, the '13 is the better match for you. The 3.6 is better. I bought my rubi in '12 and had lots of equally equipped (gears and tires) '11s and '12s to test. The 3.6 was a clear winner to me. Since you mentioned mild trails, I wouldn't think a rubi is necessary. The Wrangler is plenty capable without the rubi axles and t-case. You can beef up or swap axles if you find you need to in the future. That's easier than an engine swap, and cheaper.

I love my jkur and like having that extra bit of capability available, but I must admit that I can't say that it "saved me". Mine is a DD and it has been on some moderate (more than just mild) trails in Colorado. Everywhere I went, my brother was either leading or following in his non-rubie TJ.

Based on on your original post, the engineer in me says get the '13 and don't look back. Either way, I hope you have lots of fun. I certainly have.

Joe_B

The jeep won't be a DD so the lack of power shouldn't be an issue. Why buy a sport and then spend money on a front 44, rear locker and a low range t-case (if needed). The rubi is good to go out of the box. No need to wait on parts & spend time wrenching. Take a Saturday to throw on a lift & 35s and go wheel it.

If the OP was doing 100 miles of driving each day & hauling a trailer then sure the extra HP is nice. But for the odd long trip I am sure he'll be fine.

The extra money he'll spend on gears, lockers & axles can get him a supercharger if he needs more power.

jedg

Well heck, I didn't catch the 'won't be a DD' part... yeah, I recant my original statement and flip-flop (hey, it's voting season right?) to say that I would then get the Rubi if it's not a DD.

Jonathan_JK

If he owns a shop doing work on it is a non issue. Shoot I don't have a lift and I still did all my work. I'm pretty sure since he has the space he could get a Junkyard D44 and slap it in no problems.

Rubicon's are out of the box capable. It all depends on how much time you want to spend on it and what features are important to you.

Some people buy a Rubicon have other people bolt and install all the stuff.
or they buy the Rubicon and do minimal work on it like slapping on bumpers.
Some people buy a Sport put the wrench time in themselves and have the stories of busted knuckles blood sweat and tears from having to do it all your self.

Nothing worse than going to your Jeep club seeing a nice built Jeep asking the owner how he worked out putting on a certain part only to hear back "Yeah I had the guys at "ABC" shop put it on they said it was a pain."

But thats my opinion.

rob_engineer

he said not a DD but will use it a lot and will go long distances. I stand by my vote for the 2013. I would only change my mind in case he really could justify the need for Dana 44 up front and the lower crawl ratio. If you can't justify that, go with the 13.

RubiKing

So basically it comes down to is the new engine with no lockers better than the older engine with lockers? The new engine is way better. You can always get lockers and regear much cheaper than changing the engine. Besides if your putting 35s on either one your probably going to regear anyway, while your there you can add lockers. The front sway bar disconnects on the Rubicon isn't such a big deal because you can add sway bar disconnects to any Jeep cheaply. The front axle on the Rubicon is beefier but it still has the same weak C gussets.

I had an 2008 2dr rubicon with 35s, 4.10 gears and it was sluggish. I traded it in for a 2015 JKU and the new engine and it performs so much better. I decided that I didn't really need lockers for the terrain that I live in, and I don't regret my decision. Plus old 2dr burned a quart of oil every thousand miles.

whistler

Thanks everybody, this is what I was looking for, honest feedback and no bashing. I am leaning toward the 13 sport for several reasons most of them have been stated in the feedback. The few times a will be driving long distances the extra power would be nice and yes I'd much rather drop in axles than another motor. Besides changing motors to a newer year doesn't always work as well as they show it on TV shows, unless you want to drop a ton of money into it. Computers wiring and a lot of luck. Will let you know the final outcome.