Rubicons: new 2012 VS new 2013
09-24-2012, 02:49 PM
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Rubicons: new 2012 VS new 2013
I'm the proud new owner of a new silver 2012 Rubicon after having very nearly bought a 2013. Here's my story of getting from A to Z this weekend.
I'm not the patient type to order a vehicle and wait for it. I applaud those that do, as it must be painful to wait. I usually wake up one day and realize I need to trade and then must execute said action within 48 hours. This Saturday was one of those days. I woke up and realized that the longer I wait to get out of my 3.8 2011 the more I will lose when I eventually get the 3.6. What this means is, of course, is that I will_buy something off the dealer's lot as long as they have several Rubicons to choose from in acceptable colors. I knew my dealer of choice had at least three color choices that would work for me, so I arrived about noon to get the ball rolling.
For the first time in my life (having been married almost 20 years) the wife and I agreed that I would find and choose the vehicle, sign the papers, then just bring her up to sign as a joint buyer. During the afternoon I would text her photos and impressions on the vehicles I was test driving and get her feedback. This worked so much better for both of us. The dealship experience is already stressful, and this made such a huge difference for me and her both. It's always an 8 hour ordeal from landing on the lot to leaving with the new vehicle. Inevitably there is at least one skipped meal and anxiety is multiplied by two instead of being divided between us.
In the running for the job of my next vehicle were three choices - all Rubicon. A triple-silver 2012 with black leather, a black 2013 with saddle leather and interior, and a Dozer 2013 with black cloth and saddle interior. After test driving all of them, I ruled out the Dozer. I like the color, but the wife and I recently got rid of an old leather recliner from our living room that was the exact same color. Weird, I know. Every time I looked at the Dozer I thought about that stupid chair.
So the real choice came down to the silver 2012 and the black 2013. The 2012 MSRP was $42K and the 2013 was $40K. The difference in price came from: body colored tops and fenders, max tow package, and auto temp control – all on the 2012. Both had the 730 Nav and leather. The 2012 had 4:10 axle ratio and the 2013 had the standard 3:73.
Coming out of a 2011, my main goal was getting the new engine and trans, so no difference there. The 2013 had the new wheels, which I first hated when I saw them online, but I thought they looked better and darker in person. I also thought they went nicely with the black exterior. After test driving both, the 2013 stood out due to the new features, the fact that it was "newer", and also because the 3:73 gears put the stock Rubicon in the sweet spot for driving - an absolutely perfect pairing if kept stock. So I got my Tread Lightly 1% below invoice price, signed the papers, took a huge rape on my 2011 trade in, and drove away in the new 2013 black Rubicon.
So over the weekend, the wife and I were able to evaluate the new 2013 more carefully. Since she still had to sign the paperwork, we had the option to change our minds. It seemed the more we drove it, the more we started getting nervous that it was not the right choice for us. Here are the reasons the 2013 didn't sit right with us in the end:
Even though the 3:73 gears are brilliant with the stock tires, the thought of getting that exact same powerband with the 4:10s after moving to 35-inch tires was a powerful pursuader.
Secondly, the new 2013 seats that I thought were so comfortable started to bother me. Sure, they're softer and more contoured, but for me they were too contoured. The backs of the front seats sort of wrap around you, which is great for driving a sports car, but not a Jeep. I love the relatively flat-backed 2011-12 seats because I could shift around my driving positions VS being held in one place. I'm 6' tall, broad-shouldered, but pretty skinny otherwise, and even on me I thought the seat back on the 2013 was a bit tight through the ribcage.
(small observations) We liked the 2013 interior lighing in the cup holder area. The lighting in the footwells was almost useless as it is very dim. The new map lights on the rear-view mirror were excellent. The auto-dimming feature seemed to work better than others I've had in the past. However the big dissappointment about the new mirror (and this was my fault for not realizing) was it didn't have a Home-link type garage door opener built in. Why wire up the mirror and not provide this? I was looking forward to ditching my manual opener that always had to be hidden in the roll bar padding when the doors or tops were off.
So Sunday afternoon, the 2013 started making what I could only describe as a "chorus of crickets" noise at low speeds and at certain RPMs. Most likely a lose heat sheild, but I loathed having to get this trouble-shot at the service dept right out of the gate. At about this time, "4:10 regret" was creeping up on me as was the chance to get the look of the triple-silver with the now-classic 2007-2012 wheels.
As a side note, I should insert here I was informed that Chrysler dealerships were recently informed in writing that selling a vehicle below the affiliate price is no longer allowed. This doesn't mean you can't negotiate below the 1% below invoice - it just means it can't be written up as the vehicle price. For example, you can get more for your trade, lower the APR, get some freebie parts or service, etc., but not the cost of the vehicle. I saw the Chrysler letter briefly - it could be this was a dealer's smoke and mirrors BS, but it also could have been real. Either way, my dealer wouldn't sell below 1% below on either vehicle. This meant I was not getting any extra discounts directly on the price of the 2012 should I decided to get it instead. In the end I got them to buy down the APR as a consolation prize. Also being in the Dallas area, Rubicons sell for MSRP all day long, so even without this supposed letter from Chrysler, I wasn't going to get better than 1% below invoice.
So come Sunday night it was decided. It had to be the 2012. Our dealer was gracious enough to redo all the paperwork and get us set up in the 2012 this morning. I have to say I love the silver 2012. The black with saddle interior just felt too "fancy pants." Reminded me of the 1980's leather boat shoes without socks. Yeah, I'm weird! It's a nice combo, just not for me. My 2011 had the saddle interior, and when I had the doors off I always felt self-conscious leaving it unattended. It felt like the saddle leather really drew attantion to itself and potential vandals. The black leather and interior look just like cloth from a distance and seem more inconspicuous. Before the JK I owned Land Rovers, so the triple silver feels like the closest thing one can buy in the US to a Defender - I freakin' love that!
As for the Pentastar head issue on the 2012 – I'm going into this eyes wide open. My 2012 was made in June, so maybe it has the AB revised head and maybe not. Who cares. I'll get it replaced under warranty. The jury's still out on the 2013 anyway. For all we know the current AC head revision might not be the last. At least when and if the head goes on mine, I won't stress about it. I'll just have the dealer fix it and move on. My 2011 had the driver's side head replaced for ticking, too, so I know my dealer is good about fixing things and not giving me the run-around.
In summary, you can't go wrong with either 2012 or 2013. The Pentastar and new 5-speed transmission combination is brilliant. For me, I can't put a price on being able to go up an overpass on flat terrain and not have to push the gas pedal down hard to force a downshift. And driving into a strong headwind absolutely crushes the 3.8 auto. I drove from Dallas to Brownsville into a headwind with my 2011 and got 11 mpg. Yes, you read that right – 11 mpg on a stock Rubicon. That meant I had to fill up the tank three times over 550 miles instead of two. My 3.8 auto never got more than 16 mpg, and that was driving at 60 mph, with a tailwind, and downhill
So here are some photos of both the 2012 and 13 I debated. And next time you see my new silver 2012 it will be in the dirt. Promise.
I'm not the patient type to order a vehicle and wait for it. I applaud those that do, as it must be painful to wait. I usually wake up one day and realize I need to trade and then must execute said action within 48 hours. This Saturday was one of those days. I woke up and realized that the longer I wait to get out of my 3.8 2011 the more I will lose when I eventually get the 3.6. What this means is, of course, is that I will_buy something off the dealer's lot as long as they have several Rubicons to choose from in acceptable colors. I knew my dealer of choice had at least three color choices that would work for me, so I arrived about noon to get the ball rolling.
For the first time in my life (having been married almost 20 years) the wife and I agreed that I would find and choose the vehicle, sign the papers, then just bring her up to sign as a joint buyer. During the afternoon I would text her photos and impressions on the vehicles I was test driving and get her feedback. This worked so much better for both of us. The dealship experience is already stressful, and this made such a huge difference for me and her both. It's always an 8 hour ordeal from landing on the lot to leaving with the new vehicle. Inevitably there is at least one skipped meal and anxiety is multiplied by two instead of being divided between us.
In the running for the job of my next vehicle were three choices - all Rubicon. A triple-silver 2012 with black leather, a black 2013 with saddle leather and interior, and a Dozer 2013 with black cloth and saddle interior. After test driving all of them, I ruled out the Dozer. I like the color, but the wife and I recently got rid of an old leather recliner from our living room that was the exact same color. Weird, I know. Every time I looked at the Dozer I thought about that stupid chair.
So the real choice came down to the silver 2012 and the black 2013. The 2012 MSRP was $42K and the 2013 was $40K. The difference in price came from: body colored tops and fenders, max tow package, and auto temp control – all on the 2012. Both had the 730 Nav and leather. The 2012 had 4:10 axle ratio and the 2013 had the standard 3:73.
Coming out of a 2011, my main goal was getting the new engine and trans, so no difference there. The 2013 had the new wheels, which I first hated when I saw them online, but I thought they looked better and darker in person. I also thought they went nicely with the black exterior. After test driving both, the 2013 stood out due to the new features, the fact that it was "newer", and also because the 3:73 gears put the stock Rubicon in the sweet spot for driving - an absolutely perfect pairing if kept stock. So I got my Tread Lightly 1% below invoice price, signed the papers, took a huge rape on my 2011 trade in, and drove away in the new 2013 black Rubicon.
So over the weekend, the wife and I were able to evaluate the new 2013 more carefully. Since she still had to sign the paperwork, we had the option to change our minds. It seemed the more we drove it, the more we started getting nervous that it was not the right choice for us. Here are the reasons the 2013 didn't sit right with us in the end:
Even though the 3:73 gears are brilliant with the stock tires, the thought of getting that exact same powerband with the 4:10s after moving to 35-inch tires was a powerful pursuader.
Secondly, the new 2013 seats that I thought were so comfortable started to bother me. Sure, they're softer and more contoured, but for me they were too contoured. The backs of the front seats sort of wrap around you, which is great for driving a sports car, but not a Jeep. I love the relatively flat-backed 2011-12 seats because I could shift around my driving positions VS being held in one place. I'm 6' tall, broad-shouldered, but pretty skinny otherwise, and even on me I thought the seat back on the 2013 was a bit tight through the ribcage.
(small observations) We liked the 2013 interior lighing in the cup holder area. The lighting in the footwells was almost useless as it is very dim. The new map lights on the rear-view mirror were excellent. The auto-dimming feature seemed to work better than others I've had in the past. However the big dissappointment about the new mirror (and this was my fault for not realizing) was it didn't have a Home-link type garage door opener built in. Why wire up the mirror and not provide this? I was looking forward to ditching my manual opener that always had to be hidden in the roll bar padding when the doors or tops were off.
So Sunday afternoon, the 2013 started making what I could only describe as a "chorus of crickets" noise at low speeds and at certain RPMs. Most likely a lose heat sheild, but I loathed having to get this trouble-shot at the service dept right out of the gate. At about this time, "4:10 regret" was creeping up on me as was the chance to get the look of the triple-silver with the now-classic 2007-2012 wheels.
As a side note, I should insert here I was informed that Chrysler dealerships were recently informed in writing that selling a vehicle below the affiliate price is no longer allowed. This doesn't mean you can't negotiate below the 1% below invoice - it just means it can't be written up as the vehicle price. For example, you can get more for your trade, lower the APR, get some freebie parts or service, etc., but not the cost of the vehicle. I saw the Chrysler letter briefly - it could be this was a dealer's smoke and mirrors BS, but it also could have been real. Either way, my dealer wouldn't sell below 1% below on either vehicle. This meant I was not getting any extra discounts directly on the price of the 2012 should I decided to get it instead. In the end I got them to buy down the APR as a consolation prize. Also being in the Dallas area, Rubicons sell for MSRP all day long, so even without this supposed letter from Chrysler, I wasn't going to get better than 1% below invoice.
So come Sunday night it was decided. It had to be the 2012. Our dealer was gracious enough to redo all the paperwork and get us set up in the 2012 this morning. I have to say I love the silver 2012. The black with saddle interior just felt too "fancy pants." Reminded me of the 1980's leather boat shoes without socks. Yeah, I'm weird! It's a nice combo, just not for me. My 2011 had the saddle interior, and when I had the doors off I always felt self-conscious leaving it unattended. It felt like the saddle leather really drew attantion to itself and potential vandals. The black leather and interior look just like cloth from a distance and seem more inconspicuous. Before the JK I owned Land Rovers, so the triple silver feels like the closest thing one can buy in the US to a Defender - I freakin' love that!
As for the Pentastar head issue on the 2012 – I'm going into this eyes wide open. My 2012 was made in June, so maybe it has the AB revised head and maybe not. Who cares. I'll get it replaced under warranty. The jury's still out on the 2013 anyway. For all we know the current AC head revision might not be the last. At least when and if the head goes on mine, I won't stress about it. I'll just have the dealer fix it and move on. My 2011 had the driver's side head replaced for ticking, too, so I know my dealer is good about fixing things and not giving me the run-around.
In summary, you can't go wrong with either 2012 or 2013. The Pentastar and new 5-speed transmission combination is brilliant. For me, I can't put a price on being able to go up an overpass on flat terrain and not have to push the gas pedal down hard to force a downshift. And driving into a strong headwind absolutely crushes the 3.8 auto. I drove from Dallas to Brownsville into a headwind with my 2011 and got 11 mpg. Yes, you read that right – 11 mpg on a stock Rubicon. That meant I had to fill up the tank three times over 550 miles instead of two. My 3.8 auto never got more than 16 mpg, and that was driving at 60 mph, with a tailwind, and downhill
So here are some photos of both the 2012 and 13 I debated. And next time you see my new silver 2012 it will be in the dirt. Promise.
09-24-2012, 03:17 PM
#4
JK Enthusiast
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You couldn't have made a better choice. But then again, I may be a bit biased because what you purchased is identical to mine. 
Except for the gears -- I wanted a 4.10, but couldn't find one so I settled for the 3.73s. So I guess that would make it almost identical, not exactly identical. Regardless, good choice.
Except for the gears -- I wanted a 4.10, but couldn't find one so I settled for the 3.73s. So I guess that would make it almost identical, not exactly identical. Regardless, good choice.
Last edited by Gort; 09-24-2012 at 03:26 PM.
09-24-2012, 03:21 PM
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Nice write-up. I can tell you've been doing your homework on the Pentastar issue. And you came to the same conclusion as the rest of us: you'll cross that bridge when you come to it.
09-24-2012, 03:32 PM
#6
JK Junkie
Great write up! Interesting read and fun too!
My 3.8 gets just under 15 mpg at 70 mph on the freeway but I have a manual tranny with 38" tires and 5.13 gears. I've heard I could add 2 mpg just by moving up to the better motor you have.
I've always liked the silver/black combo.
My 3.8 gets just under 15 mpg at 70 mph on the freeway but I have a manual tranny with 38" tires and 5.13 gears. I've heard I could add 2 mpg just by moving up to the better motor you have.
I've always liked the silver/black combo.
09-24-2012, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by pwain
I applaud anyone with the attention span to read all that.
Congrats on the upgrade!
Congrats on the upgrade!
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09-24-2012, 05:01 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by Wendy.Jeepchick
Nice write-up. I can tell you've been doing your homework on the Pentastar issue. And you came to the same conclusion as the rest of us: you'll cross that bridge when you come to it.
09-24-2012, 05:09 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by Gort
You couldn't have made a better choice. But then again, I may be a bit biased because what you purchased is identical to mine.
Except for the gears -- I wanted a 4.10, but couldn't find one so I settled for the 3.73s. So I guess that would make it almost identical, not exactly identical. Regardless, good choice.
Except for the gears -- I wanted a 4.10, but couldn't find one so I settled for the 3.73s. So I guess that would make it almost identical, not exactly identical. Regardless, good choice.
I'll tell you, I tossed and turned over the 3:73 VS 4:10 issue. I really did lose sleep because of it. The 3:73 was actually more fun to drive. The 4:10s let you feel a lot of low end torque but the 3:73s really let the engine light up at the speeds where I like to punch it. The 3:73 also felt like it coasted better when letting off the gas. But in the end I figured it was a Jeep, and I preferred the "tank-like" wind up of the 4:10s.
