Two Week Review - 2019 Jep JLU Rubicon

So I have about 2 weeks worth of experience with my JL and wanted to provide my view of it so far. Just as a refresher, this comparison is based on my 2014 JKU Sport S since that was the last Jeep that I had driven.

The Good:

1. The 2.0-Liter I4 DOHC DI Turbo eTorque Engine has been pretty awesome. I am averaging about 19 miles per gallon (2nd tank of gas) when compared to about 14 on my JK both running 33 inch tires and 4.10 gears. I do not drive fast so the Start/Stop function does not bother me at all. It took a few days to get used to it but now I barely notice it. Passengers still do notice it so there is definitely a lag/delay but nothing that bothers me. Power seems pretty smooth throughout normal driving speeds and I have no problem passing someone on the highway when I need to or accelerating onto a road. The first week of February, I will be driving down to NC so I will get some real world data on a longer trip. Still have not had it off-road but my club has a trip coming up mid-January so I can hopefully make that one.
2. The 8-Speed Automatic Transmission seems to be fitted up very well to this new engine and shifts very smoothly.
3. The Uconnect® 4C NAV with 8.4-Inch Display is pretty awesome. One of my biggest issues with the JK was how poor the radio sounded (I had the base system but had upgraded the speakers twice). This one works really well and sounds great. Even the Navigation works great when compared to my wife's 2015 Grand Cherokee or my portable Garmin. Also really happy with how easy it is to pair multiple cell phones and choose between them.
4. Heritage Tan Leather Seats - Very comfortable and look great! The heated seat function gives you 3 settings to choose from and all are more than enough. The big winner is the heated steering wheel, that is just amazing!
5. Trailer Towing Option - I love the 4 Auxiliary Switches and they are very convenient to utilize. I connected my rock lights up to one and plan to use another for my CB and GMRS radios. 2 of the switches are 40 amp and always available and the other 2 are 15 amp but require the engine to be running. I also love that you can customize how they function (momentary verse on/off). Have not pulled the trailer with the Jeep yet but will try it out in the spring.
6. Overall fit and finish is way ahead of what my 2014 JK had.

The Bad:

1. Huge level of complexity in an off-road vehicle but I have not had (knock on wood) any issues. I did purchase an extended warranty as the 2nd battery system scares me a bit.

Last bit of commentary and some background...

My original plan was to keep my JK until the Gladiator launched but as the date continued to slip out, I started to really want the JL. I really liked the changes I was seeing and I wanted to upgrade to the Rubicon model. I had jokingly told my wife on many occasions that we would trade her Grand Cherokee in for the Gladiator and this way I could have both! She would use the Gladiator for her daily commuter but this plan really never went over well and was a "pipe dream" of mine. Fast forward to about a week ago and her first time driving the JL, she really liked it to the point where she mentioned that she might not mind driving it for her daily driver! This has got to be one of the best "compliments" for the JL Rubicon engineers when you consider the fit, finish, and on-road manners the new JL has. Today she asked to drive it to work and when she got there, I got an IM that said "Jeep drives really nice"... GLADIATOR here I come!!!

 The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!