Well folks, I'm considering selling the TJ

I replied to a thread I created over on the JL forum a year ago or so to see what the word is on how these JLs are doing after a few years.

We have had a JLUR diesel for roughly the last two years, 30k miles, and there has been absolutely no issues. It drives much better on the highway and feels like a modern vehicle. I will say I like the TJ a lot more off road, not only because the width but also the mental aspect that if the TJ gets damaged it's not the end of the world. The JL is my wife's so that adds a bit to the feeling. But the the JL feels like a luxury vechile next to the TJ and we have taken it on 8hr drives with no fatigue. My only complaint would be how it acts in high crosswinds compared to my truck but it could be the lift. It's not bad just not nearly as planted as the truck. (100x better than my old YJ I'm the wind though.)

While I love the TJ if it was a daily driver I could see the desire for something a bit more modern.

Good luck hunting for a Jeep.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CybrSlydr
You can't be surprised that this forum is voicing it's opinion this way. I'm sure if you post on a JL forum you'll get the opposite.

No, I'm not. But the folks on here have years of experience and knowledge with the vehicle, so it'd be remiss of me to not see what they have to say.

The whole, "new vehicles expensive, so much electronic breaks, don't work with stealerships!" does come off a bit as "Old man yells at cloud". That's just reality folks - some things you can't change no matter how much you hate it.
 
What are your wants/needs for your vehicle?

Offroad? TJ is hard to beat
Onroad? Most everything is better than a new Jeep
Tech? There's better out there
Power? 392?
Mix of all the above? New Jeep may be the best
 
The whole, "new vehicles expensive, so much electronic breaks, don't work with stealerships!" does come off a bit as "Old man yells at cloud". That's just reality folks - some things you can't change no matter how much you hate it.

actually it's more like "old men that made many mistakes tryina give reasons why you oughta consider not making some of the same"

I dunno, you're gonna do what you're gonna do & that's A-ok, we all do that don't we? I'd add that if the real analysis here is financial, you're trying to buy something new that won't give you headaches like an old Jeep while also getting a more comfortable ride, those things can be accomplished at closer to a third of the price. A cheap(ish) Japanese 4 banger sedan will one, be far cheaper to buy and two, be far cheaper to operate over the next decade while being more reliable to boot. Add in all the whacky bullshit going on with the green revolution crazies, seems to make more sense at this stage in human evolution to go small/cheap vs. going full bore into a very expensive gas sucking behemoth...

Perhaps the cheap DD with a gas sucking TJ for fun combination may be worth considering.
 
...I love that car - I just don't have that kind of connection to the TJ...

If you don't love the TJ I see no reason for you to keep it, looking after an older car is an effort, finding parts will only become harder. Just because others love their TJs and are happy to put the effort in to deal with an older vehicle (as indeed I am) doesn't make it the right choice for you. I am also lucky that my TJ is not my only vehicle, so I can pick and choose when I use it. You have passion for your M3, so if that is not easy to own it is something that you are happy to put the effort into.

Whether you buy a new JL, a used JL or something other than a Jeep is a separate question. From what you have said what you are looking for is a comfortable daily driver that will not be too much of an effort to own, no shame in that. Maybe if funds were unlimited and you had a barn you could park 20 cars in you could keep it, just in case you fancied driving it occassionally, but if that is not the case then sell it and move on.

As has been said, asking the question on a site for TJ enthusiasts is unlikely to give you a balanced set of responses, but hopefully this helps a little.
 
Trust me, I'd much rather keep the $360/mo and not have another car payment.

If you can afford it and the 7+% interest rate, then its your decision. I haven't done the math but if you want $360 month now, how are you going to feel with a $800-1k month payment? Dont forget the cost of insurance, sales tax, registration, etc...
 
I can afford a new Jeep, and a few years ago I test drove some new JKs. To me the prices just weren't worth it. Maybe I'm cheap (or is it fiscally responsible?) but the new Jeeps didn't bring enough to the table for me to feel they were "better" than a TJ, at least not $40k better. I have a family member who sold her older Jeep that had some issues and bought a JL. She has kept saying she wished she kept the old one, now being saddled with payments, higher insurance, etc, and a Jeep that has been to the dealer quite a few times. If reliability/parts availability is your main reason, I'm going to say you will be disappointed with a newer vehicle. I have a co-worker who has been in a rental for 9 months now because a part for his brand new F150 is still on backorder with no ETA date. If comfort and crash tests are your concern, then I could see wanting to upgrade to a newer vehicle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zorba
If you can afford it and the 7+% interest rate, then its your decision. I haven't done the math but if you want $360 month now, how are you going to feel with a $800-1k month payment? Dont forget the cost of insurance, sales tax, registration, etc...

My income is around $5k/mo after taxes. The finances don't really concern me other than never having paid that much a month for something other than rent. I got an insurance quote of about $20/mo more than what I currently have on the TJ.
 
I wouldn't buy a new vehicle if you gave it to me - but I utterly detest new car "technology" as anyone here will tell you. I never saw the point to power door locks/windows, and I won't bother discussing iPhone crap. I'd bet that with equal care, the TJ will still be on the road after most new vehicles are dead due to un-repairable electronics.

But at the end of the day, its your choice, your business, and your funeral! ;) Not my circus, not my monkeys.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zorba
This is true, the problem with my JL is my wife won’t let me take it off road.
Within the first month of owning the thing I knew it was lift and tires time....
20210719_143105.jpg


20210719_153441.jpg



(no I did not attempt to make it up.... Just put the tires on it. Spare was hitting the ground)
20220403_143431.jpg
 
My wife has a 2018 JLU and it has been very reliable. We were supposed to share it, and you all know how that goes. Since I wanted to get back into off-roading, I got myself a 05 TJR. I don't blame you for wanting a newer rig, they're more comfortable in my opinion. I still think my 05 TJR 6 speed manual is just as much fun to drive on road as off. But I also have a 21 Ram 1500 Big Horn to daily drive and pull our travel trailer with.
 
Go have a look at first 3-4 years of JK forums:

- Guys, i have a problem!
= Is it still under warranty? take it to a dealer...
- No
= ... Crickets.

If you are okay with that, do as you wish.
I don't care about price stickers, what bothers me is when the product is not worth the money, getting something like that makes me feel like a fool.
Trading Jeep that is down because parts are hard to find for a Jeep that is down because it breaks down all the time...
200.gif




Creature comfort? - better options out there.
Paying $50000 for a Jeep because of creature comfort?

200.gif