Looking at 2012 Wranglers

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:38 pm

My wife is applying for a job transfer which means that she will be driving 80 miles per day on average. I asked her to start thinking about a vehicle that she feels comfortable commuting to work in. After a few weeks of thinking about it, she finally said today that she would like a 2 door Jeep Wrangler. She’s never really forgiven me for selling her 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ, so I think she’s eager to get back into a Wrangler again. :mrgreen:

Anyway, I started our quest into looking at the 2012 Wrangler models. I was surprised to see the different Wrangler models at a vast price point. :shock:

Wrangler Sport $22,045
Wrangler Sport S $24,290
Wrangler Sahara $27,970
Wrangler Rubicon $29,995
Wrangler Arctic $32,254
Wrangler MW3 Edition $36.880

We are definitely not in a hurry to buy since her Job won’t start until August. We’ll be spending some time at the dealerships to see what prices and promotions are available. Since this Jeep will remain stock and primarily a commuter, we will be looking at the lower to mid-range models.

Since the 2013 models will be coming out sometime in the early Fall, I was curious what changes will be made? She could drive the KJ until we could buy a 2013 model.

cgass · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:56 pm

Not going to hold out for the CRD Grand Cherokee? Who knows, you might see a diesel Wrangler in 2013 too, but I think that's a long shot

kskj · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:46 pm

I looked at a Black Rubicon today at the dodge exhibit at the Nascar race. Hard top,410's, auto with a few more extras.
35,000 Really nice but I need to make the Liberty last 5 more years, Then I will get one. Glad Sarah Is going to get her wrangler. :JEEPIN:

Are you keeping the Liberty?

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:06 pm

cgass wrote:

Not going to hold out for the CRD Grand Cherokee? Who knows, you might see a diesel Wrangler in 2013 too, but I think that's a long shot

Neither Sarah nor I really like the styling of the Grand Cherokee. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty sweet vehicle, but it’s not our gig. I’m a sucker for a diesel, but the price for a CRD Cherokee would be more than what I would want to pay.

I would love a diesel Wrangler; I just don’t know when they will be available.

The 2012 Wrangler has the 3.6L Pentastar V6 which has 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. I think it will be a good engine for her needs.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:17 pm

kskj wrote:

I looked at a Black Rubicon today at the dodge exhibit at the Nascar race. Hard top,410's, auto with a few more extras. 35,000 Really nice but I need to make the Liberty last 5 more years, Then I will get one.

That's funny, my Dad was at the Nascar race today also. I would love a Rubicon, but for right now, we just need a commuter.

kskj wrote:

Glad Sarah Is going to get her wrangler. :JEEPIN:

Are you keeping the Liberty?

We have no plans to ever sell or trade the KJ. It's a good jeep and I'm almost finished building it the way I want it.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:56 pm

According to the Wrangler website, it says, “There are two Trail Rated® 4WD systems to choose from: the tough-as-nails Command-Trac® and made-for-mountains Rock-Trac®.” Is there no Selec-Trac?

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:08 am

dieselenthusiast wrote:

According to the Wrangler website, it says, “There are two Trail Rated® 4WD systems to choose from: the tough-as-nails Command-Trac® and made-for-mountains Rock-Trac®.” Is there no Selec-Trac?

Nope. the 242 has NEVER been an option in the wrangler lineup.

Pretty sure command trac means 231....and rock track 241....I wish they would just tell me the fugging model number.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:15 am

Sir Sam wrote:

Nope. the 242 has NEVER been an option in the wrangler lineup.

Pretty sure command trac means 231....and rock track 241....I wish they would just tell me the fugging model number.

Bummer, I like the 242 for dry payment with intermitted snow/ice patches. I'm surprised the Wrangler doesn't have that option.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:13 pm

I found this to be interesting:

"New Process 241 OR "RockTrac" Transfer Case

Jeep introduced the NP 241OR RockTrac transfer case in the Rubicon package in the TJ (and continued it in JK) Jeep Wrangler. The NP241OR has a 4:1 low gear ratio acheived through planetary reduction.

The NP241OR is only available with the Rubicon trim level in the Wrangler TJ and Wrangler JK.

The transfer case was originally designed to withstand the torque output of the Cummins Diesel, and is one of the strongest transmissions factory installed in a Jeep."

http://jeep.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Jeep_transfer_cases

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:45 pm

I was comparing the two door model to the 4 door. The towing capacity is 2,000 lbs for the two door and 3,500 lbs for the 4 door. They share the same drivetrain; the only qualifying difference is the longer wheelbase to accept the bigger load. I assume that Jeep is trying to avoid the tail wagging the dog effect in the two door model.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:29 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

I found this to be interesting:

"New Process 241 OR "RockTrac" Transfer Case

Jeep introduced the NP 241OR RockTrac transfer case in the Rubicon package in the TJ (and continued it in JK) Jeep Wrangler. The NP241OR has a 4:1 low gear ratio acheived through planetary reduction.

The NP241OR is only available with the Rubicon trim level in the Wrangler TJ and Wrangler JK.

The transfer case was originally designed to withstand the torque output of the Cummins Diesel, and is one of the strongest transmissions factory installed in a Jeep."

http://jeep.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Jeep_transfer_cases

Yes, not to be confused with the 241HD in the KJ.

If you really wanted to you could swap in a 242 if you felt the urge...........

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:11 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

If you really wanted to you could swap in a 242 if you felt the urge...........

The 231 will be fine; I just like the flexibility of the 242. We have such major temperature extremes that it's sometimes hard to tell when the roads are turning from wet to frozen. We also have a lot of shady areas that create slippery patches. The back and forth dry to ice driving conditions makes the 231 shifting process a little cumbersome over time. :dizzy:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:44 am

We’ve been in Santa Fe the last few days so we decided to check out the Jeep dealer. The Wranglers are selling pretty well here in Santa Fe. All my favorite 2012 colors except for two were gone. The dealer said that the Rubicon’s are typically sold within 2 days of hitting the lot. The Crush, Dozer and Gecko colors have been far, few and in-between shipments. Those 3 colors in particular are typically sold within a week of getting them. They dealer had several of the Sport, Sport S and Unlimited models in the Black, Black Forest Green Pearl, Bright White, Bright Silver, Deep Cherry and Red Crystal Pearl. They had one Unlimited in Flame Red. All the Sahara’s, Arctic’s and Rubicon’s were sold. There was a MW3 Edition just offloaded from a shipping truck and not even on the lot for sale, but it didn’t stop me from sneaking over there to check it out. The Rock Rails and front and rear bumper were nice on the MW3 Edition.

Since this really wont be my Jeep to drive, I wanted Sarah to take a good look and decide which model and features she wanted. Just for the record, she’s much more fiscally conservative than I am. :oops:

I was happy with the MW3 Edition and would have stopped there. :mrgreen:

She, on the other hand, was the most happy with the Sport S model. The Sport S models have the nicer wheels, tinted windows, power windows and keyless entry. She really doesn’t care about the power windows, but the rest was important. Her other requirement was the 5 speed automatic. Overall, she loves the 2 door model but questions whether the cargo space will be sufficient for our needs as compared to the 4 door model. We both agreed that the 2012 JK cloth seats are much more comfortable than our 2007 KJ leather seats.

Anyway, without haggling, the dealer was pretty much ready to come down off the MSRP right off the bat, so that was a good sign.

cgass · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:58 am

That MW3 version is nice. Just saw one yesterday for the first time. It is expensive though.
Did you end up purchasing the sport s model, or were you just pricing them out?

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:50 am

cgass wrote:

Did you end up purchasing the sport s model, or were you just pricing them out?

No, we were just pricing them out and basically narrowing down the options. Our favorite color for 2012 is Crush, and Santa Fe didn’t have any left on the lot. The Crush and Gecko sell really fast. We’ll be in Albuquerque in two weeks. There are two large Jeep dealerships in Albuquerque, so I expect a much better color selection and a wider range of models in stock.

ABQKJ · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:24 pm

You are probably already aware of it, but Tread Lightly member get Chrysler preferred pricing (1% below factory invoice) .

http://www.treadlightly.org/page.php/chrysler_discount

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:52 pm

ABQKJ wrote:

You are probably already aware of it, but Tread Lightly member get Chrysler preferred pricing (1% below factory invoice) .

http://www.treadlightly.org/page.php/chrysler_discount

Actually, I wasn't aware of the Tread Lightly/Chrysler partnership. Thanks for posting. Does it work only if you’re buying at MSRP or can you stack it on top of other Chrysler incentives and other discounts?

ABQKJ · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:46 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Actually, I wasn't aware of the Tread Lightly/Chrysler partnership. Thanks for posting. Does it work only if you’re buying at MSRP or can you stack it on top of other Chrysler incentives and other discounts?

I doubt you can stack them but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Boomerang · **Joined:** Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:46 pm **Posts:** 184

I do believe anyone driving the MW2 or MW3 Wranglers should get their asses kicked by a huge group of actual war veterans.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:03 pm

Kind of funny there are 3 MW3s that I see on a regular basis here in Toledo area and all 3 are driven by younger women
Of course come to think of it, 85% of the JKs are driven by women it seems
at least around here

Looking at 2012 Wranglers

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