I'm wondering if any of you have spent a decent amount of time in a new JL and how you felt about it.
Did a 10 day trip in Colorado. Rental car company couldn't guarantee me a 4Runner (may have gotten an explorer) but they had a special on jeeps that was 1/2 the cost of a midsize SUV rental so I went that route.

The jeep was a newish JL Sport "S" with ~20k miles. It was a 4cyl turbo, hardtop but everything else was base model type stuff (cloth seats, cheapest stereo, etc) The MSRP on this thing is the same as my 2019 TRD OR Premium, right around $41k. I can't see how anyone could drive this and a 4runner and choose the jeep. When I bought my 4runner it came down to the Offroad premium or a JL Rubicon with equivalent options (Nav, leather, etc) and the Rubicon was $55k. I paid $38.5k + TT&L and boy am I glad I didn't pony up all that extra money for a jeep just to get a solid front axle.

Negatives. I keep hearing people say this is the most refined Wrangler but in all reality I didn't find the noise, handling, or anything else to be better than my old 1997 TJ on 33s.
Noise - This is the biggest complaint. This thing was very noisy, especially on the hwy above 60mph. The hardtop just doesn't insulate anything at all. The door seals leak so badly they whistle. You could actually feel a little air blowing it at highway speeds. I fussed at my kids numerous times to roll up the window only to find out the windows were closed, its just that noisy
Ride/handling - Ride was better than my old TJ, mostly because of the longer wheelbase but still not nearly as nice as my 4runner. It bounced and shook over every pothole. Handling is bad, it sways and understeers on the highway.
A/C - The A/C couldn't keep up and this was in Colorado where it was only ~85. I had to keep the fan midway up to keep the cabin moving and at that level there was significant fan noise. The poorly insulated cab and top just didn't keep the temperature stable. When you parked, even for a short period of time, it got extremely hot in the cab. The ceiling was very hot to the touch.
Seats- These base model cloth seats are horrible, no support.
Radio.- Everyone complains about Entune but this radio sucked. A pain to work the menus and to pair up a phone. Sound was decent for a stock system but that's about the only plus.
Cargo area- Roll bar turns the cargo area into a small space. Our luggage for 5 easily fit in my 4runner behind the back seat, in the JL it was to the ceiling and was like playing Tetris.
Fit/Finish - My kids, who pushed me to get a jeep, commented that everything felt cheap. Door gaps, rattles, squeaks, hard plastics, cheap control knobs and stalks on the steering wheel, etc.

Positives
Jeep Wave - Everyone in a Jeep waved to us. No less than a dozen other jeep owners stopped to talk to us. One caught up to us on a dirt trail and wanted to see if we wanted to hit up some other trails they knew about. Also had a few offer their advise on mods we should do to our jeep. I was kind of impressed by this "community" of jeep owners.

4 cyl Turbo power - When I was looking at them I said I'd buy the 3.6 V6 but the 4cyl is a powerful little motor. It was unaffected by the altitude. Under 3k rpms its kind of slow but the 8 speed auto lets it rev and so above 3k rpms when the turbo is going it has a ton of power. Felt as strong as my T4R and probably better than the 4.0 at altitude. I'd still be worried about reliability with this engine given Jeeps track record but it did impress me. I'd probably still want the V6 since I'd buy a manual but if I was in the market for an auto I'd choose this

Fuel Economy This little motor sips gas. My instant readout was pegged at 30 most of the time cruising around. For the 1,029 miles I put on it, it averaged 28.6 mpg. (verified by hand calcs) This was about 100 miles of light trail riding and a lot of freeway driving 75-85mph. I did not baby this thing. I go easy on my T4R and get 22 in normal driving and I bet I could easily get 30+ with this thing.

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Oh and unless they are decked out Rubicons, these things are ugly IMO

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I don't get why 99% of anyone would get a four door JK or JL over a 4Runner. Yeah, there's a small amount of difference that would make a Jeep a better pick for 1% of people out there, but for the other 99% the 4Runner is clearly the better choice.

4Runner versus modern 2 door Jeeps are a somewhat more difficult comparison, but then again I'd take a Kia Rio over a 2 door Jeep.

I wonder how the TJ-era LJ would have compared to a 4Runner in its day, but those days are long gone.

It's funny how your kids thought the JL was cheap feeling. Totally not worth the price. I'd love a cheap feeling but reliable vehicle, but it's got to be priced appropriately.

I wonder how my 2004 2 door TJ would have held up over the years if it didn't get wrecked 4 years in.

The reliability factor is a huge reason to choose the 4Runner over the Jeep, all day long. You’re going to pay more for the Jeep, and no way will it last as long. Maybe in the days of the old Jeep 4.0 it was a closer race, but no longer.


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