Considering a new Wrangler, since everything that I see used is either USED or close to new in price. It'll be used as a counter point to my Miatas, when weather is bad or I want to get to a fishing hole that is inaccessible by lowered Miata. I'm thinking of ordering a base model, with the only option being the locking rear diff.
Do I want to order something higher in the line? No serious rock crawling expected, jsut a complement to the cars that I currently own.
That is exactly what I did when I bought my Wrangler in 2012. I bought a Sport off the lot and the only options are A/C, Connectivity Group and cruise control. If I was ordering one, I'd get a Sport S which comes with the 17" wheels and A/C and then add the 3.73 gears and limited slip. The 5 speed auto works really well with the 3.6L and doesn't suffer a fuel mileage penalty compared to the 6 speed manual. I have the manual and while it is fun to wind the Pentastar up, its far from a precise gearbox. Its quite agricultural actually. Its notchy, vague, and impossible to shift quickly. I wish I should of bought the '13 Commando Green Sport that had the auto that was on the lot but I wanted a 6 speed.
Are you looking at 2 doors or 4 doors? The 4 doors can hold a ton more and you can sleep in the back with the rear seats removed. They also have a higher tow capacity at up to 3500lbs vs. 2000lbs for the 2 door.
Hadn't considered the towing capacity, but if the Unlimited can tow a Miata...
Yeah, I can't tow hardly anything behind my 2 door. I wish I would of done some better research before buying.
Unless you are rockcrawling, a 4 door makes a much better vehicle. There is a reason they out sell the 2 door Wrangler by quite a bit.
If you get bored with it, you can always do this:
First off I have a TJ Rubicon 4 inch lift yada yada and I do some trails. When we got married we traded in my wife's 10 sport which was a pos for a 13 unlimited I wish my jeep had the pentastar. The thing is a beast. She hated the wheels on it as she called them car tires so part of the deal was she wanted the new moab wannabees. Its not like diving a brick at all. I don't know about the new 2 doors, but hell I can fold down the rear seats in hers and fit all the camping stuff inside its great. Here is the other thing I can say. They hold their value. My 03 beater is still worth what I paid for it 3 years ago.
As or upgrades from base I would say get the bigger tires, but that stuff is cheap used and usually puled off within a few hundred miles. I really cant wait until it is paid off in 2 years so I can have fun with it. You want a hardtop.
I keep eyeballing the 2 dr LJs from 05-06. Same towing capacity as the 4drs, but not the premium price. Plus, with no kids less doors is okay by me. With a few extra bucks I'd be all over one, but that's probably not in the cards anytime soon.
mistanfo- I think a base model will fit exactly what you need. I DD a 02 TJ and have had multiple other Jeeps including a 07 JKU. The only thing not stock on mine are the tires, it has 31x10.5s BFG ATs instead of the crappy 30x9.5 Goodyear Wranglers it came with. It has taken me to many fishing, hunting, and camping spots just like you describe.
I thought the tow rating on the JKUs was 5k lbs as opposed to the 3500 lbs for the 2door. Is that not correct?
Also, Stanger-Missle, let me know when you want to get rid of that 2door. I want one just like yours except with 4.10s in the rear and different wheels.
In reply to ultraclyde:
When I bought my JK, the dealership had a 2006 LJ on the lot. It had pretty low miles and was completely stock. I asked how much they wanted. The salesman, who had the inventory sheet in his hand, let me peek. They wanted $15k! He said that it had been there for about 3 months. Even he thought it was priced way too high. I see them occasionally but they are kinda rare.
In reply to octavious:
I put a small lift on my JK just to fit 33s. The original tires were P255/75R16 pizza cutters. I also replaced the shocks since I had the low-pressure shocks (black Sport shocks). The lift I have is a Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit. I bought some take off springs from a JKU. If you look at the number on the tag on the spring, pay attention to the last 4 letter/numbers. That determines the spring rate. My bare bones Sport had 12 front and 55 rear which is just one number up from the softest spring. I put in 18/59s. Just those minor changed made a world of difference.
The JKU tow capacity tops out at 3500lbs with the Max Tow package which has 3.73 gears, tow receiver and trailer wiring. I believe the rear springs also have a higher spring rate. You can order a 2 door with the same options but tow capacity is capped at 2000lbs. I believe it has to do with the short wheelbase of the 2 door.
I'm not sure I will ever sell it haha. Maybe if Jeep comes out with a turbo diesel 4 door truck based off of the Wrangler platform but I'm not holding my breath 
Wrangler would be a good choice, but surely you will enjoy it more compared with your Miata.
You'll need to log in to post.
