[Sandwich]

Got a ride in a wrangler last night, pretty cool vehicle. I figured it might not be a bad ride for me either, as it's cheap, short, and can haul some stuff. It's also fine off-road, so trips to various dirty mountain bike resorts from the city (where I live) would be perfect.

So why should or shouldn't I buy a wrangler? And which version/engine? MPG?

 

[BurlyShirley]

Had one for a few years when I was in the service.

Not particularly comfortable, and very little room for anything... but good offroad and easy to park in the city for sure. I had the 4 banger in mine, but pretty good size wheels, so I only got around 19mpg.
I ended up taking out my back seat and rhino-lining the whole interior...which was awesome. I lived in Hawaii at the time, so I didn't ever use the top I had for it, just removed the floor plugs when it rained.
4 cyl. engines tend to die prematurely I've heard, but hasn't been my experience. The 4.0 6 cyl that comes in them, and some cherokees is a tough mother though.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

Had one for a few years when I was in the service.

Not particularly comfortable, and very little room for anything... but good offroad and easy to park in the city for sure. I had the 4 banger in mine, but pretty good size wheels, so I only got around 19mpg.
I ended up taking out my back seat and rhino-lining the whole interior...which was awesome. I lived in Hawaii at the time, so I didn't ever use the top I had for it, just removed the floor plugs when it rained.
4 cyl. engines tend to die prematurely I've heard, but hasn't been my experience. The 4.0 6 cyl that comes in them, and some cherokees is a tough mother though.

True that. I'm on my 3rd I6 4.0 Jeep (92 XJ, 96 ZJ, now 04 WJ), and have maybe 200k combined miles between the 3 and only had to replace the water pump on my XJ at about 190k miles. I was thinking about getting a TJ to mod/wheel with, but I think I'm going to wind up modding my WJ and buying a small, fuel-efficient sedan/wagon, rather than having 2 Jeeps that both get under 20mpg.

All in all I would say Wranglers are nice, but not very practical in a lot of ways. You can get a much more comfortable ride in something like a WJ, with a lot more storage and passenger friendly. I've been surprised with the offroad capabilities of my stock WJ as well. Stock tires and open diffs and all, I can still get through most stuff friends in Wranglers and Cherokees can go through. I would recommend looking for a WJ with the 4.0 I6 and 242 (Selec-Trac) transfer case.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Oh, by the way, if you're talking about these new pseudo-wranglers with like 4 doors, and ISS, and that are too nice to ever be taken off-road... I have no idea about those. Mine was a 93 I think that still had leaf springs and solid axles all the way around.

 

[sanjuro]

I owned a Wrangler when I lived in New Orleans. While it never saw dirt, the road conditions were so bad that it was like driving offroad.

But mine was an 1989 and the wipers were attached to the window frame. Eventually, the thin frame cracked and the wipers stopped working.

But besides that it was loads of fun.

 

[buildyourown]

So why should or shouldn't I buy a wrangler?

Crappy MPG
Gutless
Noisy
No storage room for gear or people
Cold in the winter


I'm not really sure why people buy these except as rock crawlers.

 

[j.les]

Crappy MPG
Gutless
Noisy
No storage room for gear or people
Cold in the winter

This.

 

[sanjuro]

Crappy MPG
Gutless
Noisy
No storage room for gear or people
Cold in the winter


I'm not really sure why people buy these except as rock crawlers.

All your reasons did not apply to New Orleans.

 

[BurlyShirley]

... or Hawaii.

 

[knittingfiend]

.........nor are they particularly good at crawling rocks......



If you're going for stock and cheap, try an XJ

 

[sneakysnake]

.........nor are they particularly good at crawling rocks......

They excel with a bit of work done to them...but any vehicle will need work done to it to crawl decent.

I'd drive one, even though I'm more of a first/second gen 4runner guy. I do love that just about everything comes off super easy; there is a ton of aftermarket support for them, so you can just about find anything you want for them. The fact that they are short makes them super good for trails(or city). Although unless you get a hardtop for it you might want to consider a bolt down lock box as it is horribly easy to get into(I would think in the city this would be especially crucial).

Really unless you plan on doing some trails every now and again I would look in a different direction, because while these are fun to drive and awesome you could find a older corolla for a bit cheaper that gets about double the gas mileage.

Just my thoughts

 

[Sandwich]

yeah, good points about the mileage. I don't really know how bad they get, but I just thought how small and ****ty they were, it would be a good fit for the city where things are going to get broken into and broken no matter where you are or what they are. Plus, you're up just a little bit higher, which is nice with all the stupid pickups and SUVs around here (people, we live in a city).

i guess the search continues.

 

[CRoss]

I love my Wrangler. As long as you have a hardtop they are not cold. The heaters work very well and make things very hot even in the cold. I was never cold driving to work this past winter in -20 temps.

Mileage is not great I get around 15-16mpg with a lift and 33" tires.

Upkeep costs are very little. Wranglers are very easy to work on and you can get replacement parts for every part on the vehicle.

If you look into getting one you want a 1991 or newer. 1991 is when they switched to fuel injection. Older Wranglers have a carb and have less reliable transmissions.

 

[knittingfiend]

They excel with a bit of work done to them...but any vehicle will need work done to it to crawl decent.

THIS bad boy, is for climbing rocks....

 

[thebornotaku]

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket


nuff said.
The only Jeep I was in was ****ty.

 

[BurlyShirley]

The only Jeep I was in was ****ty.

So you've been in one jeep, and seen 3 breasts in your life.

You'd do better getting people to follow your "advice" if you didn't clue people in to how little you've actually experienced firsthand .

 

[CRoss]

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

Yes Jeep owners say that, but you empty every pocket voluntarily. If it was not for "upgrades" you would spend hardly any money on a Jeep.

 

[moose99ps]

only people that really love those vehicals tend to enjoy them.. i own a cj(pre wrangler) and i love it. its lifted and locked and can crawl over a small honda. i daily drove it for 2 years after i did my resto and LOVED it. even when its chill throw on a sweatshirt turn the heater up with the top down and you still stay pretty warm. its a jeep thing.. were a diffrent breed of people i guess.

 

[thebornotaku]

Yes Jeep owners say that, but you empty every pocket voluntarily. If it was not for "upgrades" you would spend hardly any money on a Jeep.

My dad rented a Jeep Commander for a trip to LA and back.

In the 1000mi total trip, it broke four times.

It had 13kmi on it prior.

I will never buy ANYTHING made by GM, ESPECIALLY jeeps. they're so ****ty.

 

[moose99ps]

My dad rented a Jeep Commander for a trip to LA and back.

In the 1000mi total trip, it broke four times.

It had 13kmi on it prior.

I will never buy ANYTHING made by GM, ESPECIALLY jeeps. they're so ****ty.

hey genius... jeep is owned by chrysler but ok...

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

My dad rented a Jeep Commander for a trip to LA and back.

In the 1000mi total trip, it broke four times.

It had 13kmi on it prior.

I will never buy ANYTHING made by GM, ESPECIALLY jeeps. they're so ****ty.

Commander /= Jeep


At least that's what any true Jeep enthusiast will tell you.

 

[Sandwich]

My dad rented a Jeep Commander for a trip to LA and back.

In the 1000mi total trip, it broke four times.

It had 13kmi on it prior.

I will never buy ANYTHING made by GM, ESPECIALLY jeeps. they're so ****ty.

 

[stevew]

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket


nuff said.
The only Jeep I was in was ****ty.

go away.

 

[Kntr]

The new Wranglers ride real nice and still have a straight axle. I love mine. I still get 19-20mpg on the hwy with 37" tires and 5.13 gears if I keep it under 60mpg. Im loving mine.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

I love how the new Wranglers come stock with 32s (right?) and make them look small.

Kanter, do the Rubicons still have Dana 44s and f/r lockers from the factory?

 

[Kntr]

Ya, the Rubicons come with dana 44s front and rear, lockers front and rear, and a electric swaybar disconnect. They do lack on the power but its not that bad. When mine gets tired Im having AEV do a hemi swap.

before with 32s

after with 37s

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

That thing is beautiful. My friend got a Sahara earlier this year and has been loving it (although he also complained about the slight underpower).

 

[MMike]

My biggest complaint about the new Wrangler is that it only comes with the 3.7L Liberty engine......which is unbe-LIEV-ably gutless. A huge step down from the old 4.0 I6.

My WJ Overland has the 4.7 HO....horrible on gas....nice ride though.

 

[Da Peach]

I dated a chick a while ago who had a YJ Sahara. Probably a 93 or so. As cool as it was, it had virtually no room for anything (includng hanky panky), let alone luggage. Emotional or otherwise.

As for highway driving (which or course it's not made for, but most people need to do to get anywhere...hence it's inherent impracticality), it sucks ass. The Sahara had the 4.0L and it would top out at 120km/hr (73 mph?) making a horrible racket and barely going in a straight line all the while.

If you're going to toodle around some island paradise or redneck backwater armpit in the middle of nowhere, full time, go for it. Otherwise, lump it and get a Mazda 3 hatch. Like me.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

I dated a chick a while ago who had a YJ Sahara. Probably a 93 or so. As cool as it was, it had virtually no room for anything (includng hanky panky), let alone luggage. Emotional or otherwise.

As for highway driving (which or course it's not made for, but most people need to do to get anywhere...hence it's inherent impracticality), it sucks ass. The Sahara had the 4.0L and it would top out at 120km/hr (73 mph?) making a horrible racket and barely going in a straight line all the while.

If you're going to toodle around some island paradise or redneck backwater armpit in the middle of nowhere, full time, go for it. Otherwise, lump it and get a Mazda 3 hatch. Like me.

Something was wrong......

 

[Da Peach]

Something was wrong......

Yeah, we broke up.

 

[Sandwich]

I'm bamping this for more input. I'm thinking of selling my audi to pocket some cash and save up for a down payment on a house...and likewise moving to a one and a half-ish car family, hopefully by getting a junker for less than 4gs and putting the rest towards a house. So, I only really need something for getting to mountains and no other driving at all...anybody else have experiences?

 

[MMike]

you jerks leave me out of this....

 

[kickstand]

Sandwich I have owned 9 or so jeeps, mostly 4.0 liter wranglers, a couple 4.0 liter Cherokee sports/xj's, one 2.5 liter wrangler, one 4.2 liter wrangler, and a 4.0 wj.

The 4.0 drivetrain is pretty solid. For 4 grand you aren't gonna find much on the wrangler platform that is not beat to ****, a million miles, or rusted out. An XJ or WJ in very nice shape can be found around 100-125k miles for 5k or so, but your results may vary

my wranglers all averaged about 15 mpg, whether stock or lifted and riding on 35-36" tires. My cherokees one was lifted, the other stock, 17-21 mpg.

I've absolutely abused all of my jeeps, the motors held up fine, i have ruined every other drivetrain component, but it was self inflicted.

 

[Al C. Oholic]

me and my ol lady have an 04 6 cyl. As has been said, no room for anything, in fact if we're going anywhere out of town, unless it's to 4 wheel, we take my truck. but the jeep romps off road, on real serious stuff it definitely helps to have sway bar disconnects. her dad's a mechanic, and he played with the gearing ratio in the 4L setting as well, so it's a beast. If anyone knows Potato Salad in Moab (they shut it down, i'm pissed), this jeep had no troubles.
Overall, wouldn't recommend unless you have something else too. Nothing about it is terrible, lots of things are fantastic, it's just got too many minor inconveniences to be an all around kinda car.

 

[OGRipper]

My 2000 Cherokee Classic is the best car I've ever owned. For car camping, hauling bikes, and long road trips I think the Cherokee platform makes a lot more sense than the Wrangler, it's got more capacity and is way more comfortable on the road and is just more versatile overall.

 

[w00dy]

Civic hatchback

 

[duck]

Toyota!

 

[Pesqueeb]

Sandwich I have owned 9 or so jeeps, mostly 4.0 liter wranglers, a couple 4.0 liter Cherokee sports/xj's, one 2.5 liter wrangler, one 4.2 liter wrangler, and a 4.0 wj.

The 4.0 drivetrain is pretty solid. For 4 grand you aren't gonna find much on the wrangler platform that is not beat to ****, a million miles, or rusted out. An XJ or WJ in very nice shape can be found around 100-125k miles for 5k or so, but your results may vary

my wranglers all averaged about 15 mpg, whether stock or lifted and riding on 35-36" tires. My cherokees one was lifted, the other stock, 17-21 mpg.

I've absolutely abused all of my jeeps, the motors held up fine, i have ruined every other drivetrain component, but it was self inflicted.

Bone stock (except for the stereo) 98 4.0L here. Reliable as a Swiss watch. Mileage is crappy on a good day, zero cargo room unless your by yourself. 105k miles. Offer me 5K and its yours. Your chances of getting anything thats not a rust bucket for < 4 grand are zero.

 

[Sandwich]

My 2000 Cherokee Classic is the best car I've ever owned. For car camping, hauling bikes, and long road trips I think the Cherokee platform makes a lot more sense than the Wrangler, it's got more capacity and is way more comfortable on the road and is just more versatile overall.

that's cool. I'd really prefer the short length of the wrangler but the cherokee has lower resale and might proof to be a viable option

Civic hatchback

zip it. we have an econobox. don't need two.

Bone stock (except for the stereo) 98 4.0L here. Reliable as a Swiss watch. Mileage is crappy on a good day, zero cargo room unless your by yourself. 105k miles. Offer me 5K and its yours. Your chances of getting anything thats not a rust bucket for < 4 grand are zero.

you talking about a wrangler? ever measure your MPG number? I wonder because "crappy" is all relative...13-14 is bad, 19 is not.