Thinking of a Jeep Wrangler

[David 82nd 0]

Well I got the fever for one of these , it's getting to me lol , currently drive a Toyota 4Runner 4x4 trail edition , runs good, looks fine , great off road and on the trails , great in snow , firs all my gear very nice , so Why think of somthing else ? I know right ? The damn things just look fun, and cool I've wanted one since I got out of the service , I've had numerous Tacomas trucks, several 4 runners I guess I want somthing different , anybody here have a Late model Jeep. Have questions that I'd rather ask guys here and not a car dealer lol

[mikechell 0]

I do not have one, but two of my co-workers DO have them.

Both of them agree that their Wranglers are great off road vehicles.

They also agree that it should be a recreational vehicle only.

Driving it on the road, in traffic or on the highway, is not the best experience behind a wheel.

[David 82nd 0]

Thanks mike, that's kind of what I was wondering about highway driving . Thanks

[essequamvideri 0]

Good evening Dave,

I have had three so far. I had a YJ (1987-1995). I had a TJ (1997-2006) and I now have a a JK (2007-2017). The YJ (1988) was a 4 cylinder soft top. Really got the fever with this one. Had to left it go because I took a job traveling. Gas milage was making me broke. My JK (1999) was a 6 cylinder soft top and a hardtop. I made this into my project Jeep. Ended up selling this two months ago with 210000 mile on it. I had a Body Armor rack on it and went every where with a canoe on top. I also duck hunt as much as possible. My new one is a JK 2007. I suspect I will make this into a project it also. I have put a Body Armor rack on this one too. Everything I have owned so far has been a two door.

 

First the bad. They all LEAK when it rains! If you purchase one and find it doesn't leak WAHOO!!!! My first one leaked where the steering column came through the fire wall. My second one leaked where the heater/fan was and the new one I just figured out and fixed it was leaking around the door frame. The biggest draw back/difficulty is the lack of interior room. However there is many Molle racks for the interior to help with it.

 

As for driving them on the road, I have never had an issue traveling 65-70 down the interstate. The largest tires I have had on them was 31". When you test drive one you will find they feel very different from anything you have driven. The reason for this is because you are a mere 12" from sitting on top of the rear axel.

 

Lastly, If I can add my two cents, It is very easy to get caught up in everything you can do to a Jeep to make it yours. I think the onIy other vehicle that has as many add ons, might be a Harley Davidson. I found my wife mentioning the budget quite often.

 

I have told many people, "It is more fun to drive than legally should be allowed"

 

Michael

[Dave G. 0]

To me it's a Chrysler, so that's that. But they are cute in a manly sort of way. Now and then I get an itch to own one and I think Chrysler again. If something can be done different Chrysler probably did it.

 

So one day my wife and I were traveling on the highway and we got into this huge traffic back up. About 30 minutes into this we got to the source, a 100% burned out Jeep Wrangler 4 door, even the tires were burned off. The family of about 4 people were standing back a ways,they had managed to get a couple of bikes off the bike rack on the back. And I thought, that figures, there is a Chrysler for ya.

[Peterjay 0]

I had one for a few years that I bought with only 12,000 miles on it, in immaculate condition. I only sold it (in 2013) because my wife needed a cargo van for her work, and we didn't really have room or a need for three vehicles. (we also had moved to the South, where the 4wd was not necessary) It never leaked, (although most soft tops of any kind will leak over time) and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Just one caveat: it's not built for highway travel per se, although I drove it on a couple of 1,000-mile round trips; it was not uncomfortable at all, and I had no problem keeping up with traffic. We had a 500-foot driveway in Connecticut, and I was always able to get out and travel the roads during heavy snowstorms, no sweat. No mechanical problems whatsoever. The long and the short of it is that as long as you understand what it is and what it's designed for, you'll probably enjoy it. It's a utilitarian vehicle, not a luxury SUV. I loved the damned thing and I miss it, but it made more sense to trade it in and keep our Toyota Sienna. One thing I would never do is even consider one with high mileage; some people just beat the hell out of 4wd vehicles, (or run them on the beaches) and there's no way to tell how it's been treated unless you know the previous owner. As long as you keep up on regular maintenance, the Wrangler is a sweet little machine.

[ihang10 0]

I have a CJ hard top and YJ soft top. Can't speak for the new ones aside from a guy I fish with has one and I spend a lot of time in his. The size, ride and comfort levels between his '14 and my '83 is negligible. Road noise is about the same. And then one costs a whole lot less to own when compared to the other. Oh, he has cruise control and AC, so he's got me there. But I can replace every component on my mine in my garage.

 

If it was a daily driver for me I would have floored it right through the nearest jeep dealer's front window.

 

If Ford decides to put a diesel in their next edition of the Ranger I'll be looking in that direction when my F150 needs replacing.

[Poopdeck 0]

I've seen plenty of car accidents in my life, probably thousands. Worst one I ever seen was a Jeep Wrangler that was rear ended. The child in the car seat in the back seat was obliterated. When you have a vehicle where the back seat is sitting on the bumper, there really should be no rear seat. No way in hell would I ever put the ones I love in a jeep. Not my wife, my kids, my friends, me or even my worst enemy. I guess they look fun but they are highway death traps.

[notenuftoys 0]

I have a 2009 Unlimited with a 2.5" Teraflex lift and 35" tires. It'll go anywhere I ever want to go offroad.

 

But on road it gets old. We've driven it to Colorado twice (from Texas, about 800 miles one way) to take up on the trails in San Juan county, and it was worth it. But going across I-40 with a 25mph south wind go old pretty fast.

 

My oldest got his license recently, so now he's driving the Jeep. I picked up a GMC Sierra for 2 reasons: I wanted a pickup again, and I wanted to go farther from home exploring fishing holes in something that didn't wear me out.

 

PS: I've never had a leak except from leaving windows open in the rain and spilling a jug of water in the back.

 

PPS: In 2012 (I think) Jeep swapped out the 3.8L minivan motor for the 3.6L Pentastar. I've never driven the Pentastar in the Jeep, but it's in my wife's 2012 Durango and it's a much better motor than the old 3.8L. So if you keep it stock and get a 2012 and newer, you'll probably enjoy the Wrangler just fine. Just know the wind likes to blow it around the road.

[David 82nd 0]

Great points , thank you