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I am considering getting a Jeep Wrangler.

B

BigPrince

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 27, 2006
2,053
111
I am considering a Jeep wrangler, 4 door.

Is there anything I need to consider.

Should I definitely get it in manual?

I love how the Jeep looks and will be driving with the top down anytime I can. I however do not plan to do much off roading, but once I have it, I may do a lot more.

People are telling me to avoid it. Its not a comfortable ride, eats up gas, and worthless if I am not going to do a lot of off roading.

For some reason I am like obsessed with it, any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
I don't like wranglers mainly because it seems like everyone has one.


but I do like how Jeep adds popped up below your post
 

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I am sure that the 4 door version rides a bit better then the 2 door, in that it has a longer wheel base, but its not going to ride like a mercedes. It's not going to be very agile either. Not all cars have to be comfortable though, if its fun to drive then there's a pretty good reason to get the car.

What's the fuel economy in those- 18mpg?

I would suggest the manual transmission because the chrysler autos simply put are complete pieces of junk. It'll be dead before you know it. I dunno if they've improved on this but my friend has an 04 Grand Cherokee and the dealer can't figure out the tranny issues. We have an 01 that had issues. My friends mom had a Dodge Caravan that spend thousands getting their transmission fixed 3 times. It broke again and so they got rid of it. My cousin has a jeep and had to have the tranny rebuilt. Who else can I think of... lol

Does this car come with the Chrysler unlimited milage powertrain coverage? If so, I suppose then get whatever you want- manual and auto. In the long run the manual will probably be less of a hassle.

If you're buying this car you are not buying it to have a nice highway riding car or to have something sporty and agile. The reason one would buy this car is because it's fun to drive.
 
Never been in a (modern) jeep product that was worth a damn. Give me a CJ-2 any day, at least it knew what it was supposed to be.

Had an '07 Wrangler last summer in Oklahoma, probably the WORST vehicle I've driven in the last 20 years. The only thing it's honestly good for is the one thing the OP says they weren't going to do much of--go off road.

Bad on gas, stability (seriously bad!), comfort, noise, etc., etc. Not a good daily driver, but a great beater in the boonies.
 
BigPrince said:
...I want to pose...

For some reason I am like obsessed with it, any feedback would be appreciated.
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JK about posing ;) If you want to look better with the top down and feel like being obsessed with a short wheel base truck, get a Defender. Here's mine when I had it. The only problems you will have are clearing all the panties off the windshield that get thrown at you.

FWIW the 4 door wrangler looks pretty cool to me, too.
 

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I had an '01 Wrangler and loved it. Loved it.

I recommend a manual for the fun factor. A Jeep is a great car if you live in a place where you'll actually need it at times (i.e., it snows, or going off-road isn't something that you'll need to try to find a place to do). I also enjoy sitting high enough to see well in traffic.

I drove the Wrangler 1000 miles in a day, and it wasn't bad at all. I don't see why so many people hate them.

However, if you're somewhere that almost always has good weather, or where you'll never go offroad, there are vehicles that are more fun to drive with better mileage.
 
A really good friend of mine has a '05 2-Door Wrangler and I will tell you, it's damn fun to take the top town and just drive around town. Jeep's have a certain aura, and people are drawn to that. However, if you want something that is comfortable, good on gas (i'm sure you realized it isn't), or it has a lot of room, look elsewhere. Along with that, the soft tops are extremely cold during the winter and my friend says the heater is a piece of crap, and he is always cold. During the summer, it's so damn hot with the top up and the A/C on that you nearly sweat to death. However, the hardtop does a much better job of keeping all the air inside the car and would be a great option to have (i'm not sure if the 4-Door version has this or not). I've also noticed the pricing on these vehicles is on the higher side. I saw one optioned out at $30k, which is a little high for something that isn't very luxurious or has a lot of utility (space wise). However, even after all of those negatives, I would love to own one. They are so neat looking, and they have to be one of the best off road vehicles on earth. I say go for it!
 
smokeyrabbit said:
JK about posing ;) If you want to look better with the top down and feel like being obsessed with a short wheel base truck, get a Defender. Here's mine when I had it. The only problems you will have are clearing all the panties off the windshield that get thrown at you.

FWIW the 4 door wrangler looks pretty cool to me, too.
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I totally agree. Defenders are amazing. My neighbor has one that looks just like that minus the limb risers. They are such cool little cars. They will set you back quite a bit though, they are very rare and have basically appreciated in value.

The good thing about the wrangler though is that it will hold its value very well.
 
I guess I have too much time on my hands. I go back to school after next week and I won't have time to worry about something so silly.
 
**** yeah.

Mother nature's had it easy for far too long. She needs to know when to throw in the towel and get back in the kitchen.

But, why stop there? I own six Hummers. And when I go out driving, I don't "choose" one, I take all of 'em chained together. And you know what? No one ever questions my penis size. Oh yeah.

I'm going to go eat eleven steaks.
 
Iscariot said:
**** yeah.

Mother nature's had it easy for far too long. She needs to know when to throw in the towel and get back in the kitchen.

But, why stop there? I own six Hummers. And when I go out driving, I don't "choose" one, I take all of 'em chained together. And you know what? No one ever questions my penis size. Oh yeah.

I'm going to go eat eleven steaks.
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Don't make fun of Hummer drivers and their small penises, we, in times of high gas prices, need them to make us feel better about ourselves. Yesterday was the first time I filled up my new car, and it requires premium, so when the pump shut off, I almost cried when I was past the $40 mark. Then some moron in an H2 drove up to the pump next to me, and I realized that I no longer need to feel bad about myself, because this guy will pay over $100 to fill up his tank, and he'll use half of that tank just driving out of the gas station parking lot :D
 
Iscariot said:
**** yeah.

Mother nature's had it easy for far too long. She needs to know when to throw in the towel and get back in the kitchen.

But, why stop there? I own six Hummers. And when I go out driving, I don't "choose" one, I take all of 'em chained together. And you know what? No one ever questions my penis size. Oh yeah.

I'm going to go eat eleven steaks.
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sellitman said:
Buy the Jeep if you are a registered Republican with a small weiner . :eek:
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Let's at least pretend to keep this OT, lest it get shoved to PRSI.
 
A couple friends of mine have Wranglers. In Upper Peninsula Michigan, we find plenty of off-road use for them. We also get 300 inches of snow per year and have hilly roads, so it's nice being able to drive uphill with 8 inches of snow on the road in low-range. It can go places few other stock vehicles can.

But Wranglers don't make very good road cars. On both Jeeps (less than three years old) the bolts and screws on the hard tops have begun to rust, and there are a couple small spots of corrosion in the door sills. The quality of the interior trim is a throwback to the 80's. On a 750-mile road trip at 65 mph fuel economy was 20mpg. Wind noise on the highway is such that you have to raise your voice to have a conversation. Driving in bad weather in 2WD is simply hazardous due to the short wheelbase. Rollover risk is high. Ride comfort is okay on smooth roads but you get thrown around quite a bit on bad pavement, again due to the short wheelbase (as well as stiff springs).

Wranglers are excellent off-road vehicles, but they are pretty expensive new. If your Jeep will live more than 50% of its life on paved roads it is essentially more of a fashion statement than functional....just my opinion, but a 4WD, 4-door Tacoma would be better if you do more driving on the road.

As far as the Defender goes, they are pricey. Very pricey. It suffers from the same weaknesses as a Wrangler but makes less sense IMO because of the high cost of ownership. If you really want an offroad vehicle and can afford a Defender you're better off getting either an old mil-spec Humvee or buying a new Wangler and putting some money into offroad upgrades.

If money is no object and off-road duty is less important than weekly runs to the Crate & Barrel the Defender makes a nice fashion statement. I'm not trying to take a dig at the Defender itself, and I will not argue with the defender's off-road credibility but there are quite a few cheaper options out there that are just as good or better off-road. If off-road performance is not top priority get (as much as I hate to say this) an SUV.

So I guess I vote no, since you won't be using the vehicle for lots of off-road work.
 
Have you taken this vehicle for a test drive? I mean, you can answer many of your questions like the comfort level. Your tolerance level might be different than someone else's. Take it for a ride and see how you like it and how practical it would be fore you. In general its not a practical car but cool cars usually are never practical.

I still say get a defender. You will probably spend $30-$50k on a car with 40,000 miles and that is at least 11 years old, but the cool thing is no one has one! Being a Land Rover parts will be somewhat expensive but since the Defender is based on the Discovery 1 (same frame, engine, drive train, etc) the price of parts will not be very expensive, especially compared to a Range Rover.

I've been in my neighbor's. Its loud, slow, and uncomfortable but I would take it over a BMW or Mercedes sedan, just because its unique. sorry for the bad pic- but how cool is that thing!
 

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ErikCLDR said:
You will probably spend $30-$50k on a car with 40,000 miles and that is at least 11 years old, but the cool thing is no one has one!
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I don't give a crap if I'd be the only one in the world with one. Spending $50k on an 11 year old car with 40,000 miles is an EXTREMELY stupid idea. If I was going to spend 50 grand to tell the world I had a small penis, I'd buy a brand new M3 or perhaps a Corvette.

And no, I don't think Defenders are the least bit "cool" It's just another giant, gas guzzling SUV that most people have no use for. It's certainly at the bottom of the "Cars to own before I die" list, just like all the other SUVs.
 
yg17 said:
I don't give a crap if I'd be the only one in the world with one. Spending $50k on an 11 year old car with 40,000 miles is an EXTREMELY stupid idea.

And no, I don't think Defenders are the least bit "cool" It's just another giant, gas guzzling SUV that most people have no use for. It's certainly at the bottom of the "Cars to own before I die" list, just like all the other SUVs.
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Easy there, tiger. I am no lover of SUVs, but a Defender would be a nice second vehicle for fun - IF money is no object. But frankly most Americans are not wealthy enough to afford a Defender or a BMW or a Merc. I sure as heck am not.

If I was looking to buy a $30-50k used car, it would be a Lotus Exige. Or an E30 M3 plus a M635CSi.
 
BigPrince said:
I guess I have too much time on my hands. I go back to school after next week and I won't have time to worry about something so silly.
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Actually no, it is not silly. A auto is an investment but can be a black whole where all your cash goes. I have a buddy who has a Wrangler 2-door extended (?) and it's not bad at all. Rides way better than my 2-door 1991 Wrangler (manual) rode. He has the hard top and has a slight lift on it and larger tires. I can't tell you the specs, we've never discussed that. However, it rides well and the A/C works just fine actually. Never had to use the heater to be honest and I've been in it quite frequently in recent times.

I was in on a conversation where someone had the Renegade model, manual, did tons of off-roading and said that's where you want manual. If you don't intend to go off road often then auto works just fine.

I'd love to get a 4-door hard top to be honest but I need to find a place that will allow me to store the hard top all summer and I'm not willing to give up my garage just yet.

The one thing a Jeep offers is a way to drive top down but still be in a "truck". I'm not a huge fan of cars myself, preference is definitely in the truck category. It just gives you the ability to have some summer fun without feeling like your dragging ass on the ground. ;)


Iscariot said:
And you know what? No one ever questions my penis size. Oh yeah.
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I have. :p
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Easy there, tiger. I am no lover of SUVs, but a Defender would be a nice second vehicle for fun - IF money is no object. But frankly most Americans are not wealthy enough to afford a Defender or a BMW or a Merc. I sure as heck am not.

If I was looking to buy a $30-50k used car, it would be a Lotus Exige. Or an E30 M3 plus a M635CSi.
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OK, well, if money was no object, that's one thing, but I have a feeling that in this thread, money is an object, and spending that kind of money on a used car like that is just dumb.

An Exige is a whole 'nother story, because not only is a used one still actually worth 50 grand, just about any one you find will be relatively new and low mileage.
 
There are tons of Defenders available for less than $20K if you look around. The $50K ones are the 110's. Also, just as with any uncommon car, you're not losing that money. Since you can usually sell it for the same price as you pay, you are driving a car for free.

I love how all these internet "people" (teenagers) have such strong intolerant opinions about vehicles they've never owned.
 
yg17 said:
I don't give a crap if I'd be the only one in the world with one. Spending $50k on an 11 year old car with 40,000 miles is an EXTREMELY stupid idea. If I was going to spend 50 grand to tell the world I had a small penis, I'd buy a brand new M3 or perhaps a Corvette.

And no, I don't think Defenders are the least bit "cool" It's just another giant, gas guzzling SUV that most people have no use for. It's certainly at the bottom of the "Cars to own before I die" list, just like all the other SUVs.
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Wow chill. This thread isn't even about you.

It's a rare car in the United States thus the cost. It's basically a collectors car that people actually put to some use . My friends uncle has some rare ferrari that he keeps in a bubble and never drives it and probably never will. Why own a valuable car that you're not going to drive. Guess what, there isn't much practical about a Wrangler either.

If you want to go all tree hugger go to the political section. And why would you buy a lotus? All they do is break and they aren't practical at all. :p
 
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