LONGJP2
TJ Expert
What's wrong with the WJs (99-04); V8, solid front axle, and timeless look.
Mines got 250k, and I still enjoy driving it.
How does the 42RLE fair going over mountain passes and long hills?
- Thread starter LjSasken
- Start date
Mines got 250k, and I still enjoy driving it.
OP
Personally it's an aesthetic thing. The body lines aren't the most attractive in my opinion. A couple of my friends absolutely love theirs and swear by them. But I personally prefer the xj and zj looks.What's wrong with the WJs (99-04); V8, solid front axle, and timeless look.
Mines got 250k, and I still enjoy driving it.
TJ is a terrible idea for this, not too reliable, parts are becoming difficult to find and the mileage is terrible. Unless you really want to go off road in places only a TJ will get I'd look at something else until you have money to burn.
@LjSasken I agree with this. Get a cheap XJ and be done with it. Even that will be expensive since the gas mileage is not great. I have a 1996 XJ with ~220k miles and it runs well but I barely get 17mpg (and lower in mixed city/hwy).
OP
Damn, you guys complain with 17. Must be nice
my truck gets 8-11. And my yjs get 14-15ish
I wish I got 17 mpg. 13 is all I get on a good day.Damn, you guys complain with 17. Must be nice
Damn, you guys complain with 17. Must be nice
If I were a college student 17mpg would make me weep.
I rode a cheap, used 50cc scooter when i was a grad student. $10 was my monthly gas budget
That thing wouldn't go past 45, but it was good enough for the small school town. Plus parking on campus was a breeze!
OP
Lil scooter would be useful. But a 400 mile one way trip home mostly freeway isn't doable on one. I've given her many options that are 20+mpg. But she's stuck on the non fuel efficient vehicles. I can't say much. I'm not getting rid of my 8.1L anytime soonIf I were a college student 17mpg would make me weep.
I rode a cheap, used 50cc scooter when i was a grad student. $10 was my monthly gas budget
Mobusaki
TJ Enthusiast
I have to agree with the others... a Jeep is one of the worst choices I can think of for a college kid. It's not so much that they are so unreliable, but the market is flooded with rust buckets, abused and neglected rigs, etc, and the good ones cost a small fortune. My recommendation if she has to have a 4x4 is a Honda Pilot, CRV, Toyota RAV4 or Highlander. Or stick with the 4Runners if she can somehow afford it...
But if you are dead-set on your lunacy, for a TJ my recommendation would be a 2.4L. They sell for way less than a 4.0L, at least around here. You'll be able to get something in much better shape and lower miles for the same $. Maybe you'll even get one that has been well maintained and is relatively rust free. Then you might have something solid, and hopefully she won't have to worry about maintenance costs quite so much. Gas will still suck.
A 2.4L manual that has been well maintained should actually be an extremely reliable vehicle...too bad she doesn't want to drive stick. An auto less so, but even the 42RLE can go 200k if you treat it right. It helps to keep it overfilled a bit (search the forums for fill procedure). A transmission cooler is even better, but I've seen good transmissions ruined from a bad install so I don't think I'd open that can of worms if I was in college with a 42RLE at or below 100k miles.
But if you are dead-set on your lunacy, for a TJ my recommendation would be a 2.4L. They sell for way less than a 4.0L, at least around here. You'll be able to get something in much better shape and lower miles for the same $. Maybe you'll even get one that has been well maintained and is relatively rust free. Then you might have something solid, and hopefully she won't have to worry about maintenance costs quite so much. Gas will still suck.
A 2.4L manual that has been well maintained should actually be an extremely reliable vehicle...too bad she doesn't want to drive stick. An auto less so, but even the 42RLE can go 200k if you treat it right. It helps to keep it overfilled a bit (search the forums for fill procedure). A transmission cooler is even better, but I've seen good transmissions ruined from a bad install so I don't think I'd open that can of worms if I was in college with a 42RLE at or below 100k miles.
I'd agree if you changed your recommendation to the far more reliable 2.5L engine. Yes it'd be older than its 2.4L counterpart but I haven't read much about the 2.4L that makes me think reliable.
OP
In my experience with the 4 cylinders, they've got pep down low. But after about 55 they start to fall on their face. Let alone going over passes regularly at freeway speeds
I agree 100%. I would not buy a four-banger Wrangler for anything but around-town driving or offroading. They fall on their face on the highway where you need to keep up with traffic, especially if the terrain is not flat.
OP
Huh??
Every 4-cyl Jeep I've ever driven, even bone stock, couldn't hold a flame against a gnat fart to a 4.0L off the line. Am I missing something??
OP
Mobusaki
TJ Enthusiast
Yes, this is what I meant. Not sure why I typed 2.4L. To be honest I wasn't even aware of the switch from the 2.5L to the 2.4L until just now. I may have put all the 4-cyl anecdotes in the same box in my mind but that box is full of stories of the 4 cyl (probably usually the 2.5L) going 200k+ mi easily, just like the 6-cyl. Most of those people hated it on the highway, though. There are some "just let it scream and you're fine" folks, though.
Mobusaki
TJ Enthusiast
I think this is like comparing a red golf cart to a blue one. They're all slow. The only big advantage I hear about (and have seen) consistently with the 2.5L, other than the price, is the weight savings. So it's possible it's a bit faster off the line due to that, I dunno. I do feel it helps offroad a lot. On road, yeah, golf cart.
I have heard that too, though I usually feel it's being perpetuated by 2.5L owners trying to convince themselves that the 2.5L has some advantage over the 4.0L (other than fuel economy). For me the numbers simply do not add up...
1999 TJ Base 2.5L 5-speed: curb weight 1380 kg (3042 lbs)
1999 TJ Sport 4.0L 5-speed: curb weight 1470 kg (3241 lbs)
The 2.5L has a curb weight that is ~200 lbs lower than the 4.0L, yet it has ~80 ft-lbs less of torque (140 ft-lb vs 222 ft-lbs). On a % basis, it's ~6.3% lighter but with ~58% less torque. The numbers simply do not make sense to me nor do they match - or have ever matched - my experience in real life (either on-road or off). The only explanation I can muster is that the 200 lb difference over the front end causes the suspension to behave differently in some situations, causing sensation differences which are then perceived as performance/acceleration differences.
Mobusaki
TJ Enthusiast
I wasn't aware the weight difference was so minimal. I have witnessed 4-cyl Jeeps do amazing things, things heavier rigs could not. One of the best wheelers I know drives a 4-cyl YJ. He stripped everything unecessary out of to reduce weight, so we aren't talking about engine weight differences alone in his case.
I am more than happy with the performance of my 6-cyl on and offroad, so it will always be my recommendation to someone for a street-driven rig if they can afford it. But for pinching pennies or a trail only rig, I do think the 4-cyl is underrated.
B00mb00m
The Church of Cutting Brakes of Atlas-Front Digs
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
The nice part about a 4cyl lightweight YJ is they're nearly impossible to break, like an RC car they just bounce up stuff.