2011 Wrangler Interior Overhaul - Good or Bad?

What do you guys think of the 2011 Wrangler's interior refresh? Some think it's a much-needed step forward, but some see it as a creeping "softening" of Jeep's remaining hard-core off-roader into something cushier. What do you think?  

I like it.  Overall, it's a nice step up from the older JK interior.  It flows a lot better then the old.  The dash is supposed to be modular but it doesn't have to look the part.  As for 'softening' that's been happening since the introduction of the YJ and sales jumped significantly with each new generation.  The buying market as a whole has gone soft.  They want A/C, sat-nav, power-windows, power-locks, etc...  Gotta have everything safe too.  Crumple-zones, air-bags, and horizontal door beams, ABS, traction-control, ESP, etc...

I remember when I bought my YJ from the Dealer.  It was an 'S' model and all I got was PS as the only option.  No radio, speakers, carpet, rear seat, rear bumpers not even bumperettes, no pass. mirror, A/C, ABS, Airbags...  I doubt we'll ever see a Jeep that stripped down.  Not to mention cheap.  It was something like $12,995 with the Dealers markup.  

I like it too. The door panels alone are a big improvement. Navigation is now by Garmin, so we can hope that topo maps can be downloaded (that's probably a dream as Jeep doesn't think off-road anymore). On some models. there's now an included inverter, another nice touch.  
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At minimum, Topo and being able to make POI and share .gpx files would be nice. Also being able to use Garmin's MapSource.  That's basically what any Garmin GPS can do.  

Yeah, the Wrangler is just too expensive.  With a base price of $21,165, it's starting off on a slippery slope so to speak.  I doubt we'll ever see a Wrangler sell new for $12,995 again.  On the other end of the spectrum, 40K is a lot of money.  Definitely more then the average Jeeper wants to spend.  It used to be you would top out a Wrangler at around $33K with all the options.  Unfortunately, for $40K, I'd probably shop elsewhere.

I'd like to see a simpler model in the Wrangler line-up.  Sort of like the X or maybe an A-la-carte model.  

I think jeep is going after the wrong market softening up the Wrangler, look what happened to the pick-up trucks you can't use them as a true work truck any more, not like my 1979 Chevy Scots dale 20 4X4, if you bring some of the newer trucks onto my work sites their stuck or broken which now turns into down time on the site. Jeep should offer a stripped down version with a lower price point to keep the off roaders in there product. But a lot of the stuff like ABS, Air Bags & the like are mandated by the federal government, so there's no way around that.  

Manufacturers stopped building pickup trucks in 1980. they've been building big utility cars ever since. i know that some would say that Jeeps ceased being Jeeps when AMC sold. but I like what they are still. just takes a bit more massaging to build them how you like. besides, soccer moms are a darn good market to harness and Jeep is selling a boatload of these "softened" Wranglers to consumers who will never venture off the pavement. best part about this is in 10 years there will be a fresh crop of gently used Wranglers on craigs list just waiting to take a beating.  

Now that I've owned a 2011 for  while, I can report that the interior is a giant improvement. The Wrangler can still 'wheel with the best of them, yet is comfortable for the long drive to and from the trail. You can't download topo maps into the Garmin nav, which is a shame, but the 2011 Wrangler interior makes the JK Wrangler an even better Jeep than it was.  
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Well, that begs the question, do we really need everything that modern comfort brings?  

I'm not so sure I agree with that comment about trucks from 4wdtech.  I purchased a 2010 Ram 3500 ST Crew Cab Dually last year, and it is very much a "truck".  I had to order it in the ST trim package, because no dealers stocked them.  The ST package is very much a "truck", complete with the manual shift lever on the transmission tunnel for four wheel drive engagement.  The ST sells for $5000 less than an SLT truck does, so Dodge dealers make less profit, and they don't order them in.  Real trucks are still there though, and the good news is they even cost less money.  

I like the interior of my 2011 Jeep.  Whether it is "softer" or not I don't think is the point, at least not for me.  It looks nice, and it is comfortable, but the best part is that all of the materials used are much better quality than prior model year JKs.  That is especially the case with the seats.  I think the seats are better quality (more durable) than the seats in any of my prior Jeeps, including our Grand Cherokee.  

yes, the new Rams are very nice trucks and I do agree that they are tough trucks. Dodge has done a great job with the Ram in recent years. but i still  feel like i'm inside a minivan sometimes with all the seat heaters and gadgets and DVD and screens in each headrest.it's pure comfort, yes. but that's not necessarily what i look for in a work truck. my comment about trucks not being built since 1980 (1979 actually) comes from an experience I had working on an alfalfa ranch outside Paisley, Oregon, one summer in the 1980s. my friend who owned the ranch had just gotten a new 1980 Ford F250 single cab to use as his ranch rig. it replaced a hard-working 1970 Ford that got dumped to second string. within a year my friend switched back to the 1970 Ford because the 1980 had simply fallen to pieces. it couldn't handle daily travel on ranch roads and hauling bales and such. the drivers window shattered one day when the door  slammed shut. the fenders were falling off. the paint was peeling off. the interior was destroyed. since then these trucks have been massaged and massaged to a point that if you wanted to actually use it on a working ranch you'd be buying a new truck every year or so. by the way, that same 1970 Ford is still in use today on that same ranch and it actually still looks pretty darn good. my friend bought a new truck for driving to town and such but he parks it at the shop and climbs in the '70 when he needs to get any work done.