I decided to buy a WK2 (and started hanging around here) over a year ago. I've since talked myself out of a diesel in favor of the 3.6L, and now I'm just waiting for the 2016 order banks to open before I put my name on a loaded Max Steel 3.6L 4x4 Limited. (Why not an Overland? Because I hate the part-wood steering wheel and the stitching on the dash, and I like the black carpet on the Limited's frost interior. Different strokes.) In the meantime I found myself vacationing for two weeks in the Yellowstone area and thought hmmm, maybe I should drive one for a while and make sure. So I rented a 2015 3.6L 4x4 Limited (not loaded) from Avis in Bozeman.
After the first week, the good news is I like it even more than I thought I would. The bad news ... well, there really isn't any. Yes I hate the shifter, but my 2016 will have a different one. The sound system is just OK, not sure whether it's the Alpine or not, but I can live with it.
Now, my recent vehicles are a 2004 Yukon XL that's pushing 200k, my wife's 2013 Altima, the aged Mercedes wagon that preceded it and a 1987 911, so some of my glee is probably due to nothing more than a Rip van Winkle technology dislocation - but, on the other hand, my buddy here has a late model Acura MDX that I drive a fair amount, so I have something that's at least in the same universe for comparison.
The upshot - overall the Jeep is simply wonderful, both on and off road.
The main thing I want to tell you is that I find the much-maligned 8-speed transmission to be a delight, whether I have it in D (Econ? I don't know, how do you tell?), Sport or Manual modes. Smooth but reasonably crisp, and it pretty much seems to know which gear I want it to be in at any given moment. After dropping off one of my sons (who said, "nice Audi you rented") at the Bozeman Airport, coming back south through Gallatin Canyon I had nobody in front of me all the way (how often does that happen?), and I gave the paddle shifters a good workout. Good fun. I wished for just a little less body lean, but in general it was fine and I really enjoyed it (probably more than I should have).
The motor is lovely too. Hardly neck-snapping (I'm way over 30 and don't need that anymore) but plenty energetic coming out of the turns, and it sounds really nice. Decent, i.e., adequate, passing power, to the extent that if you can't safely pass with this setup, then you're probably not in a safe passing situation anyway. It hit 90 passing a big rig readily enough, and I don't need any more than that.
I'm not a big off-roader (see current vehicles above), but I've taken it on a couple of "Jeep roads" that my buddy who lives out here declines to take his MDX on, and it handled them with aplomb, even keeping the complaints from the back seat to a minimum.
All this - some highway miles, a little canyon carving, puttering among the bison in the park, and a wee bit of "off-roading" - and it's giving me an indicated 27+ mpg on regular gas.
Bottom line - I like it (even if some hacker will probably remotely seize control of it and run me into a ditch). I will update after the second week if there's anything more to report.
After the first week, the good news is I like it even more than I thought I would. The bad news ... well, there really isn't any. Yes I hate the shifter, but my 2016 will have a different one. The sound system is just OK, not sure whether it's the Alpine or not, but I can live with it.
Now, my recent vehicles are a 2004 Yukon XL that's pushing 200k, my wife's 2013 Altima, the aged Mercedes wagon that preceded it and a 1987 911, so some of my glee is probably due to nothing more than a Rip van Winkle technology dislocation - but, on the other hand, my buddy here has a late model Acura MDX that I drive a fair amount, so I have something that's at least in the same universe for comparison.
The upshot - overall the Jeep is simply wonderful, both on and off road.
The main thing I want to tell you is that I find the much-maligned 8-speed transmission to be a delight, whether I have it in D (Econ? I don't know, how do you tell?), Sport or Manual modes. Smooth but reasonably crisp, and it pretty much seems to know which gear I want it to be in at any given moment. After dropping off one of my sons (who said, "nice Audi you rented") at the Bozeman Airport, coming back south through Gallatin Canyon I had nobody in front of me all the way (how often does that happen?), and I gave the paddle shifters a good workout. Good fun. I wished for just a little less body lean, but in general it was fine and I really enjoyed it (probably more than I should have).
The motor is lovely too. Hardly neck-snapping (I'm way over 30 and don't need that anymore) but plenty energetic coming out of the turns, and it sounds really nice. Decent, i.e., adequate, passing power, to the extent that if you can't safely pass with this setup, then you're probably not in a safe passing situation anyway. It hit 90 passing a big rig readily enough, and I don't need any more than that.
I'm not a big off-roader (see current vehicles above), but I've taken it on a couple of "Jeep roads" that my buddy who lives out here declines to take his MDX on, and it handled them with aplomb, even keeping the complaints from the back seat to a minimum.
All this - some highway miles, a little canyon carving, puttering among the bison in the park, and a wee bit of "off-roading" - and it's giving me an indicated 27+ mpg on regular gas.
Bottom line - I like it (even if some hacker will probably remotely seize control of it and run me into a ditch). I will update after the second week if there's anything more to report.