Hey Heep drivers
- Thread starter Sandwich
- Start date
240 wagons are awesome. You can fit a ton of stuff in them, and they'll last damn near forever.You want cheap + reliable + functional?
So let me get this straight. You want to trade your old S6 which is quick, handles good, and can hold two bikes plus lots of other stuff inside for a Wrangler which is slow, handles poor on road, and can barely fit anything inside let alone bikes? Also I have never been to a trailhead or riding place in the east that required a Jeep to get to, and your S6 already has AWD...not sure if I follow your logic on this one. 
And you're wanting to 4-wheel when you get there? Just checking to see if something less $hitty than a Jeep will serve...
no...So let me get this straight. You want to trade your old S6 which is quick, handles good, and can hold two bikes plus lots of other stuff inside for a Wrangler which is slow, handles poor on road, and can barely fit anything inside let alone bikes? Also I have never been to a trailhead or riding place in the east that required a Jeep to get to, and your S6 already has AWD...not sure if I follow your logic on this one.
I want to trade my S6 which is manual (the wife can't drive stick well enough to drive it on her own), expensive to insure, expensive to maintain, expensive to repair, requires special, hard to find parts and service, is lower than any other car parked on the street, has constant problems caused by who knows what (kraus at the factory was having a bad day that day and only double-twisted the wiring on the cruise control...oh wait, that's vacuum driven), gets poor mileage for what it is, and has large collector value, still.
for
a [car] that is taller, cheaper, more rugged, cheaper to maintain and insure, less sensitive to maintenance and lack thereof, that has a small overall length/wheelbase, has little value either by collector or theft, and won't make me lose sleep while it's parked on the street.
yeah, something less ****ty than a cheap would be fine...I know what I should get is probably some crappy hyundai accent or something...but the wife already has an elantra which gets good mileage, hauls adequately, and is cheap to repair...I want a vehicle for myself that I never have to worry about it getting damaged, where scratches will make it look prettier, and where I can throw a hitch rack on it and not worry about how much it can haul.And you're wanting to 4-wheel when you get there? Just checking to see if something less $hitty than a Jeep will serve...
Honestly, a wrangler has all the storage/capacity I need. My gear bag, tools, tent/sleeping bag, and seating for 1, maybe 2.
the wrangler does not fit your criteria, they have some of the highest resale value of any other vehicle on the market. In my experience you will OVER pay for a wrangler for what you get. You are better off in a cherokee for your expectations.
If a wrangler is what you must have get a 97 or newer 4.0 with a 5 speed, the early 5 speeds are subject to synchro failure which can make for grinding on shifts, the earlier models both xj and TJ (wrangler) are subject to ****ty exhaust manifolds. Otherwise in general they are both very reliable fairly rugged (in stock form) vehicles. Once you start offroading them seriously they are about as limited as any other vehicle, however with slight mods very capable, but the drivetrains (specifically the dana 35 rear end) are not well suited to tires about 31" tall if you off road them regularly and hard. (most people are fine up to 33-35" tires because they do not off road "hard")
FOr a "nice" TJ in my area you will spend about 7k
Stock parts are available for a dime a dozen everywhere. I've purchased damn near every drivetrain compenent i've destroyed for less than $200 (t-cases, complete rear axles, front axle shafts, etc)
If a wrangler is what you must have get a 97 or newer 4.0 with a 5 speed, the early 5 speeds are subject to synchro failure which can make for grinding on shifts, the earlier models both xj and TJ (wrangler) are subject to ****ty exhaust manifolds. Otherwise in general they are both very reliable fairly rugged (in stock form) vehicles. Once you start offroading them seriously they are about as limited as any other vehicle, however with slight mods very capable, but the drivetrains (specifically the dana 35 rear end) are not well suited to tires about 31" tall if you off road them regularly and hard. (most people are fine up to 33-35" tires because they do not off road "hard")
FOr a "nice" TJ in my area you will spend about 7k
Stock parts are available for a dime a dozen everywhere. I've purchased damn near every drivetrain compenent i've destroyed for less than $200 (t-cases, complete rear axles, front axle shafts, etc)
That's what I'm discovering...but the cherokee is suprisingly affordable and offers almost everything I want besides the compactness of the strangler.
thanks for the tips...I'll try to narrow my search to post 97. Did they ever offer the wrangler with a 4 speed auto, or was it always 3 speed until the current model?
Wranglers were all 3 speed auto until they were new enough to be way out of your price range. Some guys did take the aw4 out of the XJ and put it into wranglers, but it required a lot of complicated computer and wiring bull****.
the 95 and older wranglers aren't bad, just that the 97 and newer are that much nicer. Same in my opinion with the 97 newer xj and the 97 and older xj's.
The compactness of a wrangler compared to that of a cherokee is almost negligible on all but the tightest of trails and situations. I think the wheelbase of a wrangler was like 94-97" and the cherokee was like 100-103ish. width is the same, so its pretty un-noticeable.
Keep in mind they also make the 2 door cherokee.
I am hoping to get another jeep soon if I can sell my grand prix for a reasonable amount. I thought about a wrangler, but the practicality of the cherokee which I have only owned 2 of, comapred to 5 or 6 wranglers has me leaning towards the cherokee again.
the 95 and older wranglers aren't bad, just that the 97 and newer are that much nicer. Same in my opinion with the 97 newer xj and the 97 and older xj's.
The compactness of a wrangler compared to that of a cherokee is almost negligible on all but the tightest of trails and situations. I think the wheelbase of a wrangler was like 94-97" and the cherokee was like 100-103ish. width is the same, so its pretty un-noticeable.
Keep in mind they also make the 2 door cherokee.
I am hoping to get another jeep soon if I can sell my grand prix for a reasonable amount. I thought about a wrangler, but the practicality of the cherokee which I have only owned 2 of, comapred to 5 or 6 wranglers has me leaning towards the cherokee again.
Hey Sandwich, instead of a Jeep, why not look into a small pickup like an extended cab s10 or ranger.... something maybe with 4x4. Gonna be cheaper than a Jeep to repair, anc cheaper to get.
Just sayin maybe look into other options over the jeep that might fit your criteria better, seems cost is a big factor.
Just sayin maybe look into other options over the jeep that might fit your criteria better, seems cost is a big factor.
I've considered that...and that would be much more easily justifiable if I had a place to park it...but then you're talking a rather long vehicle, and since I don't want to do a single cab, the overall length is around 200in, longer than my audi and 50 some odd inches longer than a wrangler.
I had a s10 blazer which I liked and hated before, but the massive downfall with that one was that the tank was like 15 gallons and the mileage sucked (it was lifted, had big tires, and was complete garbage start to finish)....I ended up having to fill the tank up twice on a trip to western MA...
I would also vote XJ cherokee....They are also lighter than wranglers.
Oh how I miss mine.
Oh how I miss mine.
Yeah those s10 blazers were a bad idea from the start.
Well since a pickup is also out, still thinking to keep the cost down..... What about a Samurai? They can be had for cheap, parts are readily available, good milage, lifts, racks, engine parts, performance parts, gears.... everything is available for them. They actually do end up being quite a nice 4wheel drive.
Mid '90s F-150? I see the entended cab, 4x4 versions regularly for about $3000.
If you don't regularly carry 4 people, they are the ultimate second car for running errands and getting your crap to the mountains. They aren't as big as you think in the city either. You get used to it.
If you don't regularly carry 4 people, they are the ultimate second car for running errands and getting your crap to the mountains. They aren't as big as you think in the city either. You get used to it.
Jeep wrangler YJ 1994 Curb Weight: 3085 lbs.
1994 Jeep Cherokee 2 door curb weight 3042 lbs
1994 jeep cherokee 4 door curb weight 3090 lbs
Jeep Cheroke 1998 4 door 3379
Jeep Wrangler 1998 3092
obviously different options and factors come into play, but I would say they are pretty much the same weight.
Samurais are great, if you never plan to actually drive them on the road.
i ALWAYS wanted one like in Jurassic park...
but hey thats just me..
You want cheap + reliable + functional?
If you don't get something like that^^^^, then get a minivan. Tons of room for gear, killer mileage, low price, cheap insurance, and they ride smooth. I love minivans. My dream car is a honda odyssey or the new Toyota Sienna, lowered a tad with 18's or 19's on it.
I just got me some 19's not too long ago for my minivan. Just painted them satin black, but now i'm thinking I might redo them in satin white. Can't decide though.
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My mom dives a Jeep and loves it - its 4 cylinder about 3 or 4 years old and has not had any issues. She bought it because its easy to tow behind the motor home.
Edit: and she could get it in yellow, that was the other reason.
Edit: and she could get it in yellow, that was the other reason.
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I've had a couple wranglers in my time.
One when I lived in New Orleans, the other living in Reno.
LOVED it in NOLA. Same thing. Rhinolined the entire thing, took out the plugs and drove with wild abandon. Best New Orleans vehicle ever made.
Wasn't so fond in Reno. ****ty in the snow, no room for a bike, or sex, or sometimes even a slurpee, but it did hammer all when we played in the dirt.
Both of mine were on 37" tires. Wouldn't have had it any other way. I loved them for some stuff, but snow sucked and road trips were out of the question if you wanted to get there before next week.
One when I lived in New Orleans, the other living in Reno.
LOVED it in NOLA. Same thing. Rhinolined the entire thing, took out the plugs and drove with wild abandon. Best New Orleans vehicle ever made.
Wasn't so fond in Reno. ****ty in the snow, no room for a bike, or sex, or sometimes even a slurpee, but it did hammer all when we played in the dirt.
Both of mine were on 37" tires. Wouldn't have had it any other way. I loved them for some stuff, but snow sucked and road trips were out of the question if you wanted to get there before next week.
There's no way I'm buying a car while I'm still in school, just not worth it. So yeah, I'll keep mooching.
Cherokee is still the answer. They are only a little longer than a wrangler and shorter than most in their class. For that you get gobs and gobs of more usable interior space.
while I appreciate the "think outside the box" mentality, I'm not giving up my turbocharged AWD wagon with awkward reliability and hard to find parts for a turbocharged RWD wagon with awkward reliability and hard to find parts.
And I'm not getting a minivan. I know they are probably the smartest cars for dh-bike-commuters, but I still have a wiener, and I want to hold onto for as long as possible until it's inevitable with 2.5 drooling kids.
And no 19s....one word, potholes.
Bad in the snow? You mean because you had huge wide tires on it and a short wheel base it was a little twitchy?
Road trips were a bear, I had most of my wranglers in college, and it never bothered me at the time, but I would NOT want to do that 6 hour drive to school in a wrangler in my old age.
Its been a couple years since I checked, and I have no reason to believe its changed drastically, but when I first bought it I was getting 15-17 in the city, maybe 18-21 on the highway. Also don't be fooled by the soft top/hard top winter argument. I have a soft top and its great. When I was in Portland (OR) when we had ice storms you just made a fist and knocked off the ice, and here in CO I'm still toasty warm even when the temps dip well below zero. The heater is a blast furnace, I've never been cold in mine after it reaches normal operating temp. Soft top does make road trips kind of painful though. It can get really noisy in the cab and it wears after a couple hours.
It is true that the short wheel base makes a wrangler a little twitchy. I think I spun mine twice the first 6 months I owned it, but it was mostly an issue of being young/single/stupid and being unfamiliar with the vehicle. I love my jeep. In 105k miles the only unscheduled maintenance Ive done to it has been the front sway bar links that the swivel joints blew out on. If you decide to get one I recommend a North Shore Rack although you can not haul road bikes with it, but then again, why would you want to? I'll see if I can find a picture when I get home. If you decide to not buy a Jeep I second the recommendation of the 240 wagon. Id love to have one of those.
Get a Honda Element. They have room in them. You can get them in AWD, and they're reliable as hell.
I still have my wiener, can't remember where it is though. The funny thing is I bought my minivan when i was with my ex. I never had kids and never planned on it. I married into them this time around and actually use the space now.
Potholes, Utah is the king for sh!tty roads with potholes. You just learn to watch the road and pay attention when you're driving.
This is the second post you have made in this thread suggesting a gay gay gay vehicle....further did you miss the part where he said he would like the option to go "off road"
for you sir, I recommend you stop looking for your penis and just accept that it has inverted into a mangina
Yup, wrecked 2 rims, and the whole driver side of the jeep the first week I owned my very first wrangler. I learned very quickly after spinning it out again farking around in the snow that the short wheelbase could bite me if I didn't pay attention. After that I was good to go, my last few were locked or spooled in the rear and made for a jamming drifting good time in the snow or wet.
This is the most fail crammed into one post I've ever seen.
I don't necessarily want to go "wheeling", as much as up the ****ty roads by highland, plattekill, and parts elsewhere. Trailheads are rarely suitable for a lowered car. I mostly just want something that's rugged....just this morning I walk out to see that yet another a-hole has parked 5 inches from my bumper...he has 4 feet in front of his car to the end of the curb, and he still parked on top of my car. It's insane.
Get a Euclid
the fu-?
Da Peach drove one of those for a summer......similar anyway
So what you're saying is that he is manlier than you?
You keep pointing out that a cherokee is the perfect buy for you
I know what you mean, and even getting to trail heads a lowered car or even a stock height car or minivan is mostly fail as they just won't handle the beating.
Consider a older single cab truck? Like a Tacoma or Ranger?
I just sold my $hit box VW TDI and got a single cab Ram 1500. It is freaking great for biking and all that crap. I have a cap on it which can hold tons of stuff, stays dry, can be locked and doubles as sleeping space if need be. Fuel economy is pretty crappy but I only drive 18 miles round trip to work each day. Parts are about 1/2 price of what they were for my TDI, it is not a VW/Audi so $hit does not break as often and it is easy to work on.
I just sold my $hit box VW TDI and got a single cab Ram 1500. It is freaking great for biking and all that crap. I have a cap on it which can hold tons of stuff, stays dry, can be locked and doubles as sleeping space if need be. Fuel economy is pretty crappy but I only drive 18 miles round trip to work each day. Parts are about 1/2 price of what they were for my TDI, it is not a VW/Audi so $hit does not break as often and it is easy to work on.
It might be! I like the shorter wheelbase of the wrangl0r but a churkee might be sufficient....and more tolerable for long distances.You keep pointing out that a cherokee is the perfect buy for you
I know what you mean, and even getting to trail heads a lowered car or even a stock height car or minivan is mostly fail as they just won't handle the beating.
I think I remember you from plattekill now. Silver VW Golf diesel? I would consider a truck but parking is the issue. I really would want an ex-cab for the space and interior security (so I could lock things in-cab) but then you're talking a much longer car.
Anyways, I appreciate everybody's help. I just need to work on seeing what I can get for the Audi and then go from there. We aren't necessarily in a hurry to buy a house but having just bought a ring, I'm in the poor house for a downpayment.