How To Choose The Right Jeep For Off-Roading - Wrangler JK 2 Door vs 4 Door Off-Road Comparison
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Ryan puts the 2 Door Jeep Wrangler JK and the 4 Door JK to the test in this episode on Throttle Out. You will see how the different models perform off-road in various scenarios allowing us to compare and contrast the two. Which one do you prefer? 2 Door or 4 Door?
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2 door or 4 door? Which Jeep Wrangler do you prefer and why?
ExtremeTerrain.com I love this vid
4 door. love the space! :)
ExtremeTerrain.com I would rather have the 4 door and put armor on it cause I would like to go off Roading with my buddies . And if I have and children there would be room for them .
ExtremeTerrain.com but honesty if I could I would have both
I love my 2 door. That being said, after wheeling with many many 4 doors, I want one. The extra room is great and if properly built with a good driver they'll go anywhere a 2 door will and even up some taller obstacles as that wheel base helps from tipping. My next jeep will probably be a 4 door.
Most of people driving the 4 dr. would do just as well in the 2 dr. 99% of the time . I picked the 2 dr. , it is so much easier to park in a big city and easier to get through rough narrow trails. 2 dr. is less expensive , sucks less gas and has an original Jeep look. I give two thumbs up to the 2 door legend.
I love my two door! And you're 100% correct, for most people 99% of the time a four door would do just fine off-roading with a lift and some nice tires. That break-over angle is a godsend when needed though. -Zach
You could sleep in the 4 door camping
2 thumbs for 2 doors eh I see what you did there
The 4 doors can climb better because of the wheelbase
I've had my 2 door JK for almost 6 years now, and when wheeling side by side next to a buddy's 4 door, it definitely does better on the trail. However, with my Jeep also being my daily driver, there are MANY times I wish I had the 4 door to haul people and cargo better. So my two cents is buy the 4 door if you do more daily driving, and buy the 2 door if you do more off-roading
I'm am just the opposite. Because of my off road use I needed the 4 door. Just water for 4-5 days would fill the back of the 2 door. Add food, camping kit, photography gear, the rifle and dog I'm maxing out the JKU! :)
You get on some bigger rocks an steeper inclines, you will see that the 4 door does better then the 2 door. It's all in what obstacle/terrain you have
Buy a pickup trick for DD, buya two door jeep for off-pavement.
Nope. THAT'S what the 4WD pickup trucks are for. Jeeps should be two-door, for lighter camping scenarios in harder to reach places. ACTUAL hard core camping is rucking it in anyway, so...
@@HeartAE86 Exactly, the higher height & short length of the 2-door, especially with a lift/bigger tires has an increased flip over rate compared to the 4-door.
Two door. I didn't realize that was even something anyone questioned...
Now this is a real put to the test. I hate those reviews where they claim off road but all they do is drive through mud and flat surface off road. You guys really know how to do a review off road keep up the good work.
The correct answer is TJ.
Definitely hard to knock a TJ! -Zach
I clicked on the video only to comment this
Lol no
I'm only 18 seconds into this but ya'll are literally Extreme Terrain, how does that 2 door not have rock sliders lol.
How to decide which Jeep to buy for off-road..... buy a tj
They both have their + & - but I've always liked the 2 door and I can add things like a roof rack and so on. I don't do anything like this alone so there are other vehicles we can use for hauling more stuff. If you've got a ton of stuff you're not camping your moving. If you need that much stuff to camp try a 4×4 pickup. But because it's long you might just need to find an easier trail to camp. Or lift kits for all.
Good job slamming both hardtops on that tree.Yur a good driver
go easy on him😏😏he's terrible..but he got the heart...we all the same man
I love my jk 2 door. It's stock, but I have bfg at tires. I get the gas mileage I wanted, and the off road capability I wanted. Perfect.
The gas tank on the 4 door is bigger. The 2 door's gas mileage is almost the same. The 4 door has a better ride. Way better for traveling.
I recently bought a 2008 jeep rubicon 3.8l V6 manual 2 door and watching this really makes me feel better about my purchase. Thank you guys for making me feel like I don't have buyer's remorse.
I own a 2 door my dad a 4 door. Love my classic look and the way it looks. But his 4 door drives WAYYY better on the road which is where we drive most of the time.
Very helpful video. Everyone else talks about the difference, you demonstrated it.
I think both have some advantages over each other in different ways but part of being out on the trails is going to be picking the right line that best suits your rig. As for me 4 doors for the extra room and the usage that I get for myself is the way to go
At 5:20 in this video you show why I never wheel with my hardtop on my Jeep. Too easy to destroy offroad. I just use a cheap Bestop Bikini top to keep the rain and snow off of me... I usually leave the full doors at home as well and run some cheap half doors that I don't care too much about damaging.
I also think what tire size/ how extreme you plan to build is a huge factor. That 2 door looked great with 35s but they looked small on the 4 door. So 35s or under I would go with the 2 door, but if I was doing something like swapping axles to D60s and running 40s and a taller lift... 4 door all the way. just my $.02
Awesome video! great camerawork your point is well noted!!
Thank you for the love! -Zach
Great SxS comparison! I think the answer would be that all of us should have both😊 Solo Jeepin’ or family Jeepin’ whichever situation applies. Driveway full of Jeeps?... I see no problem😀
The most beneficial video about this subject
Thanks for the kind words and for watching! We appreciate it! -Zach
2 door for sure, for the added capability, (especially out here in the woods of the Northeast). I'm sure the 4 door is a nice luxury on road for the extra space / passenger room / ride comfort, but that's not why I bought a Jeep - (in my experience, and the vid shows that difference pretty well). Wheel what u got though - and have fun ;)
I bought a Jeep more for overlanding vice day trips. The 2 door wouldn't work for me.
Rick & Zack Explore Offroad - Hey Rick. I checked out a few of your vids, (very well done, by the way - looks pro. I'm lucky to remember to stick the GoPro to the windshield most of the time!). Actually brings back memories.....I spent about a decade living in NV and enjoyed the off road experience there. Miles and miles of overland trails......what freedom - just pick a direction, (I kinda used the Zach method - not much planning, lol). I now live back where I grew up, in New England, where IMHO, the 2 door edges out the 4 door, (my wife and I have no issues with packing enough gear for weekend camping trips, (first thing I did was to remove the rear seat, lol), and I've been thankful of the tight wheelbase and break over angle advantage quite a few times on tight trails). Gotta admit.....it's not all utilitarian....some % of my desire to own the 2 door is nostalgic as well. The look / feel is iconic......everything I remember my Jeeps being in the past, but better. Enjoy - and be safe...
Thanks for the compliment, and Zack is telling me "I told you so" :) I had a navy buddy from MA, spent some time up there back in the day. Beautiful country. I am planning on removing the 60 part of the 60/40 split rear seat. Plan on some sort of box to hold water containers, low and centered. Even the JKU rapidly runs out of space.
I think I'll be trying a 4 door despite the break-over angle. I need the extra space. My old 2 door was not great for camping, even for two people it was a tight squeeze.
God, those ending shots were sick.
2 doors are feel authentic and natural, look beautiful especially if it opened top. and You know that breakover-angle is.... very important
thats some sweet off road driving, could you tell me what you think of the ford ranger wildtrak off road , i know its not going to be a wrangler but just any info and your opinion on the land rover defender. cheers
In my experience i seen CJ 5 similar set up go places i couldn't go with my JKU. And seen place I went he couldn't. I don't think there's the perfect set up for everything. Nice comparison and the importance of armor is well demonstrated. But i do enjoy my TJ in tight spots
Great job on this video. Were any cameras damaged?
I’ve had both, ended up sticking with my JKUR. Just overall better than my TJ. More space, better ride feel, still performs on the trail
That off-road park is awesome. It's name is Rausch Creek for those of you who are wondering.
For wheeling.. 2 door. Sleeping inside.. 4 door! I've been trying to improve my JK 2 dr 2 person elevated sleeper which works pretty good and I'm 6-2. The sleeping height is only 20" thanks to the sound bar. My remaining challenge.. modify it for more interior height.. better yet, get it right out of the way as in saw the effing thing off!
It really depends on the obstacle. A 4 Door will sometimes have the advantage due to its longer wheel base but a 2 Door more often than not has the advantage.
I agree generally speaking that the maneuverability of the JK is better. However there are situations where the longer wheelbase of the JKU is an advantage. To me it was down to how I intended to use it. I could not carry enough supplies in the 2 door for even a short trip of 3-4 days. The Unlimited had to be the choice.
Are you packing your house? In my two door I just pop out the back seat and there is enough room for almost a weeks worth of stuff (if packed correctly) and I can still use my center rear mirror. Looking to get a roof rack though so I don’t have to strategically place every single little thing. It’s also worth it to know that I only pack for myself, the other people I camp with carry their own stuff. I will agree though that for multiple people the 2 door will not work, it’s simply too small. But even then though on a roof rack and you can add one more persons worth of stuff to the vehicle.
I did a lot of off road exploring in a 1975 GMC Sierra K-15 2-door pickup with a short bed, in the High Desert and the Eastern Sierra in California. (I never heard the term overlanding back then, but that is what it seems to be called now.) The wheelbase was 115 inches, much shorter than a modern 4 door pickup, and 3 inches shorter than a current Jeep Wrangler 4-door and 18 inches longer than the Jeep 2-door. So it was perhaps comparable to off roading the 4-door Jeep in some ways, but of course due to the narrower width it would have been easier with the 4-door Jeep in spots where I could barely fit the Sierra between the trees. But the Jeep 2-door would been good in situations where it was necessary to turn around on a tight trail. I don’t have a spec for the turning radius of the Sierra, but it was very short for a full size pickup. I would assume the Jeep 2-door is a much tighter turning radius, and perhaps the Jeep 4-door is shorter also. As for the Jeep Gladiator, it’s wheelbase is 22 inches longer than the Sierra was, so what advantage it’s narrower width offered over the Sierra would be more than offset by the long wheelbase.
I love my 2 door, being only ever me and rarely a passenger. It's really all the size I need, that being said I want to get into overlanding. It would be nicer having more space for storage and Id love an ersa minor camper top if only they made one for the 2 door. But I do want to make my 2 door into an awesome little overland rig.
Your 2 door should hold a roof rack & a roof top tent with a low profile plastic shell. If that's not in your budget buy a regular dome tent or a tent that ties to a few trees to keep you off the ground & out of the mud if it rains.
It's fantastic that you guys are willing to show real world use scenarios in explaining the functionality or ability of a product. I've purchased items for my Jeep in the passed based on your videos. Thanx!
Incredibly biased review. I’ve had both vehicles, and you completely ignored the many virtues of a longer wheelbase offering. You fail to report the many custom 4x4 two doors that have had their wheelbase extended. Try going over a steep ledge and watch yourself endo!! Try the same thing going up, and watch yourself loop it! Now try it over a whooped out two track, or long rugged trail. There are many other advantages, but these are among the many reasons the 4 door, long wheelbase, was created and why it out sells all the Jeep from the past. Short wheelbases have advantages, and they’re great in some places, but this video is not objective, or completely honest. The sad part is you should know better, and you do a disservice to budding enthusiasts!!
I didn’t realize you would/could delete a response that you didn’t like? Mine was posted last night and now it’s gone. Do you have guidelines, and conditions? You overlooked the many reasons for a longer wheelbase, be they on a Jeep, UTV, etc. My response was professional, and honest. Be interesting to see if this if you delete this as well.
Did the 2 door have lockers? Looked like a stick to me. Stock 3:21 gearing?? Lmk please this vid is rad
I like the look of the 2 door better, and is definitely better off road, but I need a 4 door as a traveling musician. It’s still pretty capable though, and still looks great with a lift and tires.
I've had a 2dr Jk, a 4dr JKUR, and now a 97 TJ Sahara ... the 4dr rubicon was the most difficult to wheel and you have to lift it higher to do the same obstacles ... wheel base benefit on east coat isn't worth it imo from a strictly wheeling perspective
Would like to have seen an example of how a longer wheelbase of the 4 door can actually benefit you sometimes.
Jeremy McLerran Teraflex has a good example watch there how to choose a lift or something like that
4 doors have an easier time climbing up a 6 foot ledge then a 2 door.
When are we gonna start seeing the JL’s?
Hi, one question please, you're wearing nice pair of shoes, would you please mind to say which brand and model it is
I have a 08 2dr JK every vehicle I’ve ever owned has only had 2doors but change is good, now I have a 18 JLU Rubicon on the way and I don’t feel like it’s in anyway less capable, to each his own.
I prefer the 2 door. I have a 1995 YJ Rio and a 2014 Rubicon both 2 door. Test drove a Rubicon unlimited when I bought the 2 door, 4 door felt like a floating work truck. Currently building a 1982 K10 long bed for long wheelbase.
Not sure about these new fangled Jeep’s but I think they need some lower crawl ratio transfer cases and gears. My old CJ would walk up rocks in low range, 1st gear. Definitely want a short wheel base any day. 👍🏼
In my opinion, the 2 door will be the best if it is really ment to take it on the trails all day because it is shorter and more easy to turn, and 4 door will be the best if it is ment to take it on the roads and sometimes on the trails because it has a longer space inside for passengers
Why are you wheeling with swaybar connected?
Nice video! Just a heads up, the "4 door JK" is actually called the JKU for "JK Unlimited".
“Just Kidding”
I agree that a 4door has less of a break over angle but I think you fail to show the 2dr weakness on steep inclines. They both have there pluses and minuses.
Albert Ortiz exactly , the obstacles they chose are very 2 door biased. They are at rausch creek off-road park. I can think of a couple obstacles on some of the red trails wear the four door shines an the 2 doors fail
HeartAE86 I live out West and at a place like Moab or the Rubicon Trail on steep inclines 2dr Jeeps will roll back because they lack the wheel base. With a 4dr I can always lift it more to increase the break over angle. Don’t get me wrong I like both but prefer the 4dr for all the other advantages it gives you. There’s a reason the 4dr Out sells the 2dr.
Albert Ortiz probably because a lot of people that buy them don't even off road them and they want the extra space?
Brandon Bouchez no not really you look at the guys from WAYALIFE and the majority have 4drs. And most of the wheeling I see with Jeeps is in a 4dr.
Albert Ortiz ehhh, to each their own! I personally can't bring myself to get a 4d, jeeps are and always will be 2 doors to me. If I needed a longer wheelbase id prefer a truck
Anyone else notice the rub bars on the JKU seemed loose? They flexed a lot. Is that normal? Or a word about the strength of their products?
Having installed multiple sets of sliders/running boards, they aren’t supposed to flex like that unless it’s a design built into these specific sliders. Not saying these shouldn’t but I’ve never seen any that do because of how they mount to the vehicle
Can you tell us what skid plate you have on that JKU?
how hard would this course be in a jkur with 33s?
what rear bumper/tire carrier is on the 2 door?
I have a question!! I am planning to buy the 2018 keep wrangler unlimited recon in June or July and I heard the jk will be discontinued. Can I still get that exact model at that time when that is when the jl takes over??? Please help!!!
Until Dawn doubt you would be able to order a new jk in June or July. Probably the order banks for the jks will be closed soon, since the jls will replace the jk. If you are looking for a specific jk at that time probably would need to use cars or autotrader type sites
I have an xj front an rear locker 4.5 lift 37s blagh blagh work great half the price
Great jeeps
Hey, is this 4door a Sahara with Locks option? O_o
Where was this filmed, like what offroad place is this?
2 door since 1941 always
Vernon Miller 👍
Couldn’t agree more
do you camp / sleep in a 2 doors? I wang the 2 door but for overnights the 4 door ist so much bretter or?
2 dr looks better for sure, also i like the color.
You guys should do a vid illustrating the differences between wheeling a standard vs an automatic, I'm guessing the 2 door was a standard since it looks just like when I wheel mine.
TheBoxAssembler Excellent suggestion :)
Auto does better has for long time . Ironically is Many manual guys claim to have more Control auto actually gives more control off road. There's a reason most rock crawlers and rock bouncers run Auto.
What are the gear ratios in those?
Hardest disply. Nicest effort. 👍
Thank you for watching! -Zach
Sweet ! You running the standard front axle on the maroon 2-door or is it upgraded to the 44 ? Couldn't quite tell. I'm in the market and wondering if the smaller one is OK for 35's for mild-moderate trail use.. nothing too wild.
Both are on stock axles! So the 2-Door has a 30 in the front and 35 in the, I beleive. The 4-Door Sahara has a 44 in the rear. Honestly if all you're planning on is daily driving and mild trails, off-road paths or overlanding I wouldn't worry about swapping axles. Once you start doing more moderate trails and rock crawling though, you do want to consider beefing up your axles to help with the larger tires. -Zach
@@extremeterrain Sweet. Thanks..and I may even just do 33's on it.. to keep it simple and not lose too much power. I def dont want to spend to regear. thx!
I have a 05 and 06 LJ Rubicon s Best of both worlds . I don’t know why Jeep stopped building them. Does anyone know ?
What fenders on the 2 door?
Great video. Always wondered if 2 door could out perform the 4 door.
Thanks for watching! -Zach
It can't
@toddkewatt8998 Well, when you start by being an asshole you should probably f**k all the way off.
@@josephigillis seeing you had to watch the video. You questioned it yourself
2 doors
What snorkel is on that 2 door?
I went 2dr for mostly economic reasons, but I also like the maneuverability. If the 4dr was the same price, I would probably have a 4dr. However, my goal is to have one of each. Even solo camping, I run out of space in the 2dr with the back seat removed. :(
I just completed an 8 thousand mile camping trip around Australia in my 2 door jk Rubicon and felt there was plenty of space for all my gear. No roof racks either
i think i choose the two cause if you have friends you can use the four door and if you just you offroading you can use the two door a state my case:)
the 2 door did it have a locker?
2 door is just more nimble. Plus, if a trail ends up being blocked you can make an easy turn almost in place in a 2 door.
2 door looks better has a smaller turning radius shorter wheel base.in some cases off road the 4 doors model works better because of its longer wheel base.and if u have passengers the 4 doors hands down easier access to the back seats for passengers and gear and more room for storage. So it your own preference. There's nothing like a jeep period.
Not a bad way to put it, Jack. Thanks for watching! -Zach
I know you were just demonstrating the differences, but lower tire pressure 4 low and better line. 2 door always better either way though. But the 4 door look cool with a lift too lol.
This may be a silly question, but what year or model is the best for the 2 door? Does it matter? I'm looking to buy one to go off roading and haul my camper ( 2,500 lbs) cross country, so I would need it to be automatic, but I know that's not standard for quite a few years. Thanks!!
I don’t think it matters what year but the 4 door would do better towing cross country. I think the two door tops out at 2500 towing for stability reasons. The JL (newest wrangler model) which came out in 2018 has an 8 speed automatic which may be beneficial for towing.
I have both, trails favor the 2 door overlanding favors my 4 door. I also have 6 dogs, so i need space .
For the people that are new to Jeeps watching this I wanted to add that the "Rubicon" version of these Jeeps would do even better than what you see in the videos, and the reason for that is that the "Rubicon" has what's called "lockers". These "lockers" will get all 4 of your wheels turning simoutinausly which will get you over those obstacles with a bit more ease and less effort.
Zdenek I ended up putting ARB air lockers on my Sahara JKU. Money well spent.
I agree, however it probably wouldn't have gotten that 4dr up that last obstacle ... I turtled hard and lockers didn't get me up
Sway bar disconnects too.
Lol buy sport build it better . My 14jk sport is lot stronger than a rubi . Rj44 Detroit locker . D44 toraon lsd carbon chromoly shafts and 488 gears.
@@tonepatron2155 no sway bars np quicker than rubi .
There is only 1 choice. 2 doors. The other is just another SUV
Guess lockers would have been helpful too.
You included short climbs that cater to a SWB and their better breakover angle, but You skipped longer steep climbs. The JKU wheelbase is damn close to being perfect.
I agree that the JKU's wheelbase is damn close to being perfect, it is the JK that has the perfect wheelbase. But the JKU is still better than a Toyota, so it's got that going for it.
How is that a fair comparison without the same lift height and wheel tire combo?
I actually brought my Jeep out wheeling over the weekend, I've never been so impressed with what a vehicle can do right off the bat. Video will be live on my channel this Thursday. Also stop by and enter a FREE no purchase necessary contest to win a 125000lb winch.
What are the fenders on the 2 door? They are more slanted then the red rock flat fenders.
Those are just cut factory fenders.
After the 2 door dug two deep holes to make it more difficult for the 4 door on that last obstacle.
I will always favor the 2 door. it looks way better, its amazing, if set up well itll drive down the highway just fine too. Hell of a vehicle.
You really can't beat the looks of a 2-Door, thats for sure! Thanks for watching! -Zach
@extremeterrain not true at all. 4 door looks waaayyyyyy better than ol stubby
And the 2 door sits higher... both have the 3.5 rk lift but the 4 door is heavier
It’s so subjective. 2 door is slightly better for off-roading, but are you really gonna be doing things that are extreme enough to matter? Four door is a better ride, but that only matters if the 2 door ride actually bothers you. Do you need the extra space? Some do, some don’t. People complain about the “daily driver” qualities of Jeeps in general. I’ve had a TJ, a JK, and now a JL and I’ve never really had any complaints about any aside from when my kids were in the back of the TJ 2 door, you couldn’t really put much of anything back there. Is the ride quality as good as an suv? No, but I don’t care about that. It’s fine for me.
I have a ram 1500 hemi looking to trade for a 2 door jeep i kinda like how the 2 door looks than 4 door and im kinda of a loner so dont really need a 4 door my only issue is that im a tall guy 6ft tall to be exact and im a bit heavy lmao big gut mostly i wonder if ill be comfy in a jk 2 door i like 4 door as well for like family but im not gonna lie i doubt ill fill up the seats anyways
I recommend you test drive both! Interior room from side-to-side doesn't change much between models, in all honesty. The four-doors are just longer! -Zach
Lockers are a must!!
This is why I drive a 2 door
Do you recommend a manual or automatic transmission on the 2020 wrangler?
All comes down to personal preference! I recommend test driving both to see which you prefer better, honestly. The automatics come with a "manual mode" too, where you can control what gear your Jeep stays in if you want more control. If you plan on installing larger tires down the line, the automatic transmission will be able to handle them better without needed to re-gear right away FYI. Hope this helps! -Zach
In the old days I say standards but the automatics today are much better.
Nothing but a 2 door!!
looks like jku would not have contacted if not for the rock sliders haha.
What color jeep is that 4 door? My jeep is the same color but I've never found a single other one with the same color.
The color on our 2014 JKU is "Dune"! Thanks for watching!
@@extremeterrain Thank you so much!
Here's a thought, pick a different route
Viva the 2 door The timeless Jeep 👍🏽
Would have been a better comparison stock or stock with slightly oversize tires. 4 doors are much worse closer to stock. That driver is bad with a manual lol.
I think the real lesson to be learned here is how important lockers are... My 4 door Rubicon would crawl right up that last obstacle with barely any throttle..
Absolutely! Lockers are an essential item if you're doing a decent amount of wheeling. Thanks for watching!
Are you able to put 35" tires on a jeep with just a 3" lift?
Trent Long yes
Jk fits 35's no lift . i run 2" spacer and lots room no fenders .
Then a Samurai is more Jeep than all late model Jeeps after CJ3B? What about the longer wheelbase being more stable on short steep climbs? Y'all's experience of off-road vehicles shows in this video...
"Extreme Terain" more like the KKK of the Jeep world.
The JKU could not even get up the steep obstacle to get back down it. Guess they will have to have the trail in reverse next time lol.