Posted on 12/06/2016 5:18:25 PM PST by Chickensoup
Jeep Fans?
Freeper Husbands!
I am Thinking of Buying a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I like the vehicle, it is big for me, I am moving from my Golf Diesel. Although I have had Xterras and Mazda MPV (Before they ruined its design) previously.
I looked at many new cars and SUV crosses and they all are poorly designed, have lousy visibility and have metal that is so thin it needs to be serviced every few months. I also discovered I need a more butch looking vehicle. All the Suv crossovers look like they were made for Oprah. Teardrop shapes and curves.
I liked the used Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. It looks durable, I have found a couple of them. Seems as though I am having a difficult time getting the price down below 30K
I cannot quite figure out the Jeep Wrangler choices. Is there a Jeep Wrangler as high and tall as the unlimited but only with 2 doors? All the Wranglers I see with 2 doors are short and look like they belong in a suburb.
Any advice from Freeper Jeep owners appreciated.
Am I making another dumb move here?
Buy what you have your heart set on. If you have the budget just get it. You want it and you won’t regret it.
Bought my first Jeep Wrangler 2013 Unlimited Sport Brand New, both hardtop and soft top. Best vehicle I have ever owned, the most fun for sure. I was looking at used too, but they were so close to the price of new, I went for new. Put some wheels and shocks on, no lift, taken it off road and have racked up 94k mostly highway miles. Soft top is a little work, not for lazy people. Yeah its a little noisy, but it doesn’t matter, you’re in a Wrangler! Other Wranglers wave to you, put the top down and enjoy. Don’t listen to the ones that trash them on here. Very reliable, I also have a lifetime warranty that I got through one of the many Wrangler forums. Tons of aftermarket choices, the list goes on and on!
Whatever you get, don’t get the 4 cylinder.
Jeep has historically poor ratings for reliability. I am are that they have improved, but other brands have improved more.
Jeep is at the bottom of my list for an SUV.
Now, the bottom line is that a jeep is a fun vehicle. Take off the top or remove the panels and go for a ride on a nice sunny day... then find some off road place to drive it. Do that and you will own nothing else.
The aforementioned reasons are why jeeps have one of the highest resale values. According to Kelly Blue Book a jeep maintains 70% of its value after 3 years.
Yes! The Rubicon!
Bought my wife a used Ford Freestyle several years ago. Hasn't been in the shop one day.
What about the four door vs two doors.. Do they have high four doors. Is there a special sub name for them. Like Mostly Unlimited?
My friends, just last night, says stay away from Jeep. Serious reliability problems.
The only additional comments on the Wrangler:
I completely agree with the poster who suggested “get the hard top”.
Completely. 100%. Yes. That is critical.
The other thing to be aware of is, the Wrangler (at least the last I know) has less than a perfect security issue, in that the hood can be popped open simply by releasing the attachments on the sides of the trunk.
You may want to get an actual lock for the hood. That is in my view (at least it was) an after-market add-on, but it keeps the engine secure, when you are parked somewhere less than completely secure.
You might also want to add some after-market grill which fills in the large openings in the front, with a finer more traditional type grill, which mounts (under) the grill but fills in that area, again just to make the engine area secure.
Both of those add-ons are only if you park somewhere with less than good security, but both are worth considering.
The Jeep is a four wheel drive too.
I tried the FJ a few years ago. The ones that weren’t colored like a school bus except brighter were colored electric blue.
I did like it a lot though.
We are hard on our vehicles (30k + miles a year) lots of 4wd and towing, but keep it maintained. Never had an issue with our Jeep (had more with my Chevy), never breakdown and we feel quite comfortable and safe.
For what it’s worth, Consumer Reports gives Jeep products a poor rating.
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I wonder why.
Of course those were the people who recommended the XTerra strongly and that was a mess on wheels.
What is a following bot?
Jeep is a good buy, but you have to know what you want In the vehicle.
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That is what I am trying to determine. I don’t really need anything quite so big but I like it tall.
Both that I am looking at have hardtops
I wanted the 4x4 capability with the option to drop the top (remove the doors, etc) and enjoy an open ride like a bike, without having the weather limiting aspects of a bike. I also advise going with the hard top. I got both hard and soft tops and have sold my soft top. The hard top just gives a little more peace of mind security-wise. However, I highly recommend taking off the top and doors whenever you can. There are fairly cheap bikini tops that are easy to install during summer months.
Maintenance-wise the only issue I have had is the rear wheel hubs. One developed a leak while under warranty (repaired at no cost), and I just replaced the other a few weeks ago. Neither was a hazard or an immediate danger for damage, but I did expect a little more durability considering that I don't off-road often. Other than that, I have been pleased with my purchase.
Hindsight being 20/20, I'd buy the base model (with the 16" wheels) and not worry about frills. Jeeps are easily and readily customizable. You'll probably save money on the base model that you spend on upgrades and customizing.
I hope this was helpful.
Good luck (and it is pretty cool waving at other Wrangler/CJ owners).
Just for driving on the road. If your daily commute includes climbing over boulders, there are few, if any, comparable vehicles at that price point!
A Golf Diesel will, however, probably seem extraordinarily luxurious compared to a Jeep Wrangler.
Truecar-dot-com says a *new* 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara goes for $34,100 in my zip code.
I have actually considered buying a Wrangler since I drive down to the beach daily to jog, but it's only a 12 minute drive. They do look cool and you can still buy them with manual transmissions. I'm not sure that I'd want to tackle a daily commute much longer than 12 minutes in one. But at least Wranglers don't depreciate too much if the rough edges drive you crazy.
Really? My SIL had one and it spent more time in the shop than on the road.
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