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Liberty vs JKU

815 views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  avatr 
#1 ·
I'm looking to reduce my vehicles by one.... I have a 2012 Liberty and a 2008 JK Rubicon.

I went to my local dealer yesterday, expecting to trade the Liberty for a 2016 JKU Rubicon. I was sorely disappointed in the rear seat/cargo area. first, the rear seat headrests don't come off, they fold back. when the rear seat is folded down, the seat backs don't fold flat and there is a giant gap between the rear seat and the cargo area.

I know, doesn't sound like much... but I use the Liberty for road trips and expect the JKU to take it's place. I also expect the JKU to take the JK's place for those off-road experiences, which I know it will.

am I asking too much for a $40,000+ vehicle? what do you guys do about the cargo area?
 
#2 ·
i have a 2djkr and can pack it for over 7 days of wheeling camping and do at least 1 or 2 times a year to destination trail IE Rubicon/Dusy etc that take at min of 2-4 days no issues to run. have issue might add days since there is no easy rescue . For 2 people and a **** hound. That is food , water, tent and bags tools gas parts....so it seems that perhaps people bring to much stuff. I think they call it "glam camping". last year on my summer adventure exploring the Dinky creek now for 3 years, trails there are the Dusy and Swamp i was to lead a guy up Dusy and T hill. he had a better jeep than I. 37s Mc sixpack shocks and lift a super charged motor. you could not want more seriously it was like a 90k jeep. PACKED down like Jed Clampit was driving it and a off road trailer that was the size of the jeep. Its just HIM< packed to support a battalion. at 10 miles in it was DONE. i had him dump his freeking 60 gallon water tank. not enough still to heavy to pull over huge rocks up steep mountains. i told him to leave that trailer and go recon light.. he did not make it.
 
#3 ·
I understand 222Doc. unfortunately, because of my better half, I need more space than the JK has. we just got back from a 3000 mile trip to the Black Hills.... with the exception of my small suitcase, she filled up the back of the Liberty.
 
#4 ·
I have gone canyoneering/camping several times with 2 other people and two dogs. Both canyoneering and camping require a LOT of gear. It's tight, but it works. I'm going to build an adventure/teardrop trailer in the very near future, partially because I commonly bring my motorcycle along, but the JKU does pretty good. A lot of my friends have regular JK, and they all have pulled out the back seat.
 
#8 ·
LOL.... I'm very familiar with that buying concept, having bought 65 vehicles over the past 53 years and never feeling like I was 'taken' by a dealer.

the issue isn't the purchase price - it's the piss poor engineering of the rear seat/cargo area.
 
#10 ·
so that's the answer - cover up their blunder? what do you do with that cover when you're out, seat down & cover in place, and decide you need the rear seat in it's upright position?

it's not like the jeep engineers were confused about the gap, look at all the other models they got right.
 
#12 ·
cool product. jeep should make this standard on all JKUs, one shouldn't have to buy parts to cover up jeep's engineering screw-up.

nevertheless - this has become a moot point to me. I will NOT be trading the Liberty for a JKU, mainly because of this engineering shortcoming. we'll keep the JK and get a SRX for our travel needs.
 
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