I'm thinking of getting my daughter a wrangler tj as her first car but I’m worried about safety and reliability. Would it be a good first car?
First car?
- Thread starter mcook1558
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This is a somewhat common question & I’ve seen a lot of ‘that’s a great idea’ responses in these parts. I’m not in that camp, the newest TJ is nearly 20 years old at this point so finding a mechanically sound one isn’t a sure thing. Yea you can find a good one & ‘maintain it well’ & it’ll be fine but still, we’re talking about a teenage girl driving it & having to rely on it? TJ’s suck ass on gas too so be sure she has a good part time job to feed it or be willing to shell out some dollars yourself to keep it on the road.
At this stage in the game I think TJs mostly fall into the toy/2nd vehicle category very nicely. There is the crew that daily drives them but they’re willing to do what it takes to keep them running smoothly and correctly, if that’s you then have at it, but if you’re more the stick the key in & expect Honda Accord reliability without much input for years to come I think you’ll be disappointed. As far as safety is concerned, I’ve seen mixed reviews, best safety feature in a car is a good driver – is that a teenage girl?
At this stage in the game I think TJs mostly fall into the toy/2nd vehicle category very nicely. There is the crew that daily drives them but they’re willing to do what it takes to keep them running smoothly and correctly, if that’s you then have at it, but if you’re more the stick the key in & expect Honda Accord reliability without much input for years to come I think you’ll be disappointed. As far as safety is concerned, I’ve seen mixed reviews, best safety feature in a car is a good driver – is that a teenage girl?
Only if SHE is paying for her own gas and everyone riding in it wears a seatbelt.
In around 2012 my first car was a 1984 Pontiac Fiero. I enjoyed working on cars and my dad also was willing to help when needed. Everywhere I traveled was within 10 miles of home and I likely knew someone who lived within a quarter mile of wherever I was going. The implications of breaking down or being stranded were next to zero even though it never happened.
If your (her) situation is like that, go for it. It will be a lot of fun. If you anticipate a reliable, problem free vehicle, I'd start Toyota shopping - small car.
If your (her) situation is like that, go for it. It will be a lot of fun. If you anticipate a reliable, problem free vehicle, I'd start Toyota shopping - small car.
Really depends on the rust in your area. Lots of clean TJs available in the south and west.
It's also a question of what you're planning on teaching...if you want a lesson in auto repair then a TJ is a great 20+ year old vehicle to work on. I'd recommend a 97 to 99 because they're more simple than the newer models.
Not sure about safety. They have a pseudo roll cage. Pretty tough but also small.
-Mac
It's also a question of what you're planning on teaching...if you want a lesson in auto repair then a TJ is a great 20+ year old vehicle to work on. I'd recommend a 97 to 99 because they're more simple than the newer models.
Not sure about safety. They have a pseudo roll cage. Pretty tough but also small.
-Mac
Vtx531
TJ Addict
Safe and reliable compared to what? A car from the 1950s- sure.
Not very safe or reliable compared to a modern car.
The bad gas mileage is a bummer when you have a 16 year old's paycheck.
Not very safe or reliable compared to a modern car.
The bad gas mileage is a bummer when you have a 16 year old's paycheck.
My daughter has a TJ and it was her first vehicle. But it's also a completely stock Sahara with a hardtop, AC, and ABS. Her old high school and part time job are less than 5 miles from home. So the gas mileage hasn't hurt too bad yet.
When she starts college she will have a 45 minute each way commute. We'll see how that works out. May let her and my wife swap vehicles on the days she has to go to campus.
When she starts college she will have a 45 minute each way commute. We'll see how that works out. May let her and my wife swap vehicles on the days she has to go to campus.
Gas, age, reliability, rust issues are true, Id also add you might want to get a insurance quote before jumping in on a jeep for a teenager. Id also say toting friends around is a PITA due to access to the back seat area.
Seems that the poor fuel economy and high cost of fuel is a benefit to a kid getting a TJ rather than a deterrent.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
Oh, and if you don't have a hardtop, you can't leave a backpack or anything else in it because of theft. If you do have a hardtop, why bother having a Jeep?
It wouldn't be my first choice unless the kid was already into TJs and displayed both interest and aptitude in wrenching on it. YT and IG seem to imply that girls like that exist but I haven't seen firsthand evidence any stronger than for any other cryptid.
My first car was a 1985 Toyota Celica, bought with a summer of lawn mowing money in 1999 with 130k miles on a 22RE and a 5 speed. It wasn't completely without issue, Oklahoma summers were rough with no AC but far more reliable than a TJ. It wasn't until I started buying domestic cars that I needed to learn to wrench to be able to afford to keep them running.
My first car was a 1985 Toyota Celica, bought with a summer of lawn mowing money in 1999 with 130k miles on a 22RE and a 5 speed. It wasn't completely without issue, Oklahoma summers were rough with no AC but far more reliable than a TJ. It wasn't until I started buying domestic cars that I needed to learn to wrench to be able to afford to keep them running.
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My first car was a '92 YJ. The 4 cyl kept me very much out of trouble. It was absolutely awesome as a first car, but it was only 10 years old when I got it. At the time it felt ancient, but it was less than half as old as my '04 is now.
A Jeep is a very fun first car for a reasonably responsible teen, but an old Jeep is a different story. A JK would be more in the ballpark, unless as others have mentioned, they have the interest and aptitude to learn and do the work themselves.
A Jeep is a very fun first car for a reasonably responsible teen, but an old Jeep is a different story. A JK would be more in the ballpark, unless as others have mentioned, they have the interest and aptitude to learn and do the work themselves.
I should have added my 3rd (drivable) car in high school was a TJ that I frame swapped. I spent every day for two months getting it drivable. First day I drove it I hated it. That quickly went away as I got used to it. It was about 15 years old then and I really did like that Jeep and am glad I had it, it was a lot of fun in highschool.
Chech out safety ratings of TJs and decide if you want to put your teenager in one. Unless you know the history plan to spend some money sorting it out to be reliable. Would you be looking at other 20 year old cars if not a TJ?
The biggest safety concern is usually some young man who wants to drive and impress her.
As far as reliability these things are as reliable as you are willing to take care of whatever has not been taken care of over the history of the vehicle.
There is a fairly cheap fix for that though.
https://www.amazon.com/Tuffy-296-01-Tailgate-Enclosure/dp/B00PWXL0UY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
I think the OP has left the building! But the regulars here are on it!
I bought my twin sons TJ’s. It enabled me to have one platform to learn rather than multiple. It was fun building them together. The #1 thing they complain about is gas mileage. One of them wants a truck. Good luck getting much better gas mileage. It may improve slightly, but it won’t be much. They are super fun rigs, but I think younger people see them as dad cars. They do require tinkering, especially now that they are an older car.
Depending on the kid (mechanically inclined and wants to off-road) and situation (area where you live, length of commute etc.) it could be good, like it seems to be for @JMT 's boys. For many (probably most) I think there are way better options for all of the reasons noted above.
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What ever you decide, just understand Jeeps or any 4 wheeler for that matter, will make liars of even the best kids when they try to tell you "The front axel just blew up by itself", or it twisted the drive shaft off, "I wasn't trying to launch it!" Just sayin they are defiantly going to "test it out" ! 
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