Buying a Jeep

[Snukulu]

Life changing? Cancer, heart failure, terminal illness is life changing, not some f'ing car.

Respectfully disagree... the things you mentioned of course are absolutely life-changing, but they happen TO you. But getting a Jeep can be a life-changing decision that YOU make. It was for me. I had a CJ5 when I was 18, a YJ at 20, and those were some of the best days of my life. Woke up at 48 years old, 20 years into a bad marriage and living for work. Always said, I'll get another Jeep when I retire. Saw one for sale in 2017 that sparked something and after a short hunt, the next week I had my TJ.
Which made little errands and outings with the dog more fun. Which reminded me of everything I *used* to do that was fun that I gave up as my business grew. Which made me realize my marriage was beyond repair and that there had to be more to life than work.
The next few years were rough, I lost my dad (so glad he got to see the TJ though), lost my 15 y/o dog, went through the divorce. But my life is SO good now (retired, great new relationship, back to my old hobbies with new friends) and this damn TJ *is* so much more than just a f*cking car...to me. I have a feeling I'm not the only one with a story like this.

 

[PauSny]

Respectfully disagree... the things you mentioned of course are absolutely life-changing, but they happen TO you. But getting a Jeep can be a life-changing decision that YOU make. It was for me. I had a CJ5 when I was 18, a YJ at 20, and those were some of the best days of my life. Woke up at 48 years old, 20 years into a bad marriage and living for work. Always said, I'll get another Jeep when I retire. Saw one for sale in 2017 that sparked something and after a short hunt, the next week I had my TJ.
Which made little errands and outings with the dog more fun. Which reminded me of everything I *used* to do that was fun that I gave up as my business grew. Which made me realize my marriage was beyond repair and that there had to be more to life than work.
The next few years were rough, I lost my dad (so glad he got to see the TJ though), lost my 15 y/o dog, went through the divorce. But my life is SO good now (retired, great new relationship, back to my old hobbies with new friends) and this damn TJ *is* so much more than just a f*cking car...to me. I have a feeling I'm not the only one with a story like this.

Very well said!

 

[WestCoastDan]

Life changing? Cancer, heart failure, terminal illness is life changing, not some f'ing car.

While I generally agree with the above, a vehicle can certainly be 'life changing'.
Imagine no longer having to walk to work, or finally being able to go visit family that lives far away, or being able to haul your bike, kayak, etc. that was not possible without it.

Respectfully disagree... the things you mentioned of course are absolutely life-changing, but they happen TO you. But getting a Jeep can be a life-changing decision that YOU make. It was for me. I had a CJ5 when I was 18, a YJ at 20, and those were some of the best days of my life. Woke up at 48 years old, 20 years into a bad marriage and living for work. Always said, I'll get another Jeep when I retire. Saw one for sale in 2017 that sparked something and after a short hunt, the next week I had my TJ.
Which made little errands and outings with the dog more fun. Which reminded me of everything I *used* to do that was fun that I gave up as my business grew. Which made me realize my marriage was beyond repair and that there had to be more to life than work.
The next few years were rough, I lost my dad (so glad he got to see the TJ though), lost my 15 y/o dog, went through the divorce. But my life is SO good now (retired, great new relationship, back to my old hobbies with new friends) and this damn TJ *is* so much more than just a f*cking car...to me. I have a feeling I'm not the only one with a story like this.

I tried to reply to the previous post, but my explanation wasn't as well presented as this.
"Life changing" doesn't have to be a negative thing such as cancer, death, etc. it could be exactly as described above...

 

[Snukulu]

Oof. A good reminder of the things I take for granted.

 

[DavidBT]

I'm on my 6th Jeep. I've always had one bad leg that kept me from really enjoying the far back country. My Jeeps allowed me to take my 3 kids over the Rubicon, together and separately. My '05 TJR allows me to have quiet time out in the desert, even when other Jeeps are tagging along.

 

[PauSny]

You need a Tacoma or 4Runner.

No to Tacoma. 4Runner is an option but heart is set on a Jeep.

 

[TimV]

Avoid the 2008-2011 Wranglers at all cost. That 3.8 minivan engine is a steaming pile of $hit.

My. 02 with experience:

My wife's Wrangler is a 2007 JKU with the 3.8L. It's at 260k kms. The engine working just fine, so far.

Here's the point I wish to make: we purchased the JKU for thousands of dollars less than the ideal jku years simply due to the 3.8. Basically cheap enough that the seller already gave us the money for a new engine if/when that day comes.

Just something to think about.

Tim

 

[PauSny]

My. 02 with experience:

My wife's Wrangler is a 2007 JKU with the 3.8L. It's at 260k kms. The engine working just fine, so far.

Here's the point I wish to make: we purchased the JKU for thousands of dollars less than the ideal jku years simply due to the 3.8. Basically cheap enough that the seller already gave us the money for a new engine if/when that day comes.

Just something to think about.

Tim

Thanks Tim. You bought it with the high mileage 260km or have driven it to 260km?

 

[PauSny]

I’ll find Jeeps like this, but not sure what I need to be vigilant for. Would I buy from Car Gurus, doubt it. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...wcB&pid=mini_vdp_main_image#listing=395787691

 

[primetime4]

I’ll find Jeeps like this, but not sure what I need to be vigilant for. Would I buy from Car Gurus, doubt it. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...wcB&pid=mini_vdp_main_image#listing=395787691

I hope you know cargurus just aggregates listings from dealers and private sellers. So you would never actually be buying from them. The benefit of cargurus is how they compare prices for the given area and provide a value rating.

 

[PauSny]

I hope you know cargurus just aggregates listings from dealers and private sellers. So you would never actually be buying from them. The benefit of cargurus is how they compare prices for the given area and provide a value rating.

I have been using Copilot for local dealer sales as well. Paying attention to 1 owner only and non modified models.

 

[deadbeat son]

Hi. I am new here. We really have our hearts set on buying a Jeep Wrangler. No specific model in mind yet, but we do have 2 kids and a dog. We recently moved to Oregon and want to take advantage of the trails, hiking, camping, getting away, Mt Hood etc. A lot of people I talk to tell me not to buy a Jeep because of reliability issues. A lot of haters out there. Most of them do not own a Jeep of course. So, I thought I would ask here if there is anything specific I need to keep in mind or watch for when committing to a purchase? It will most likely be from a dealership. I appreciate any insight or maybe links to other threads as well.

No to Tacoma. 4Runner is an option but heart is set on a Jeep.

I have both an '05 TJ and a '19 4Runner. What you're describing here is what the 4R excels at. The Jeep is great for when you actually need a Jeep, but the 4R is such a better vehicle for carrying a family, dog, and the necessary gear for "hiking, camping, getting away," and it is in a different league from a reliability standpoint.

I have no experience with owning newer Jeeps (JKs or JLs), but I did test drive a JK at one point and the way it drove seemed to have more in common with my 4Runner than it did with my TJ. However, the JK does have significant reliability drawbacks when compared to the 4R.

In my experience, the TJ or LJ is a classic Jeep with a few modern touches, such as air bags, coil sprung suspension, and proper safety belts. In contrast, the JK is a modern car with a few Jeep touches.

 

[PauSny]

I have both an '05 TJ and a '19 4Runner. What you're describing here is what the 4R excels at. The Jeep is great for when you actually need a Jeep, but the 4R is such a better vehicle for carrying a family, dog, and the necessary gear for "hiking, camping, getting away," and it is in a different league from a reliability standpoint.

I have no experience with owning newer Jeeps (JKs or JLs), but I did test drive a JK at one point and the way it drove seemed to have more in common with my 4Runner than it did with my TJ. However, the JK does have significant reliability drawbacks when compared to the 4R.

In my experience, the TJ or LJ is a classic Jeep with a few modern touches, such as air bags, coil sprung suspension, and proper safety belts. In contrast, the JK is a modern car with a few Jeep touches.

Thank you. That is some useful insight and comparisons.

 

[TimV]

Thanks Tim. You bought it with the high mileage 260km or have driven it to 260km?

We purchased somewhere around the 220k mark.

 

[bbaldwin237]

I have a '97 with a wife, one kid (still rear facing), and a 70lb Golden Retriever. If we're all going, it's full. If we were to have another kid (not in the plans) the TJ would likely have to go for a JK/JL. I love the TJ but we just couldn't have fun as a family with the TJ.

The passenger has to be scooted pretty far forward (knees basically touching dash) to accommodate the rear facing seat. That's something to think about if your kids are rear facing and the drive would have to scoot forward. Even the LJ doesn't help with this as the added space is behind the rear seat.

I'll also add, regarding the GC thoughts. We have an '18 GC Trailhawk with the 3.6 that is my wife's daily. We absolutely love it, and it's been pretty good in the off-road scenarios we've used it (not much). It plowed through a blizzard one year with no problem. That said, it's not even remotely comparable to a Wrangler in the driving experience/feel. However, I don't think you would regret buying one and I highly recommend the Trailhawk. The features for the price (when we bought in '18 at least) we're beyond anything comparable on the market.