Why are Jeeps so expensive?

I think another reason resale prices stay high is because there is really no other comparable vehicle. The Toyota Land Cruiser we get in America has become a luxury vehicle like a Range Rover. Land Rovers are wildly expensive here, Ford and Chevy don't offer a comparable type. If you want a Jeep Wrangler, there really is no alternative, so you pay what you have to, to get one.
 
they are unique and always have been nothing is similar to them now adays. name one moedern SUV that you can remove the top, and the doors and that has a as huge of a following Jeeps. none come to my mind
 
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If you want a econo box... pick from 100 choices, a luxury ride, at least 50 choices, a diesel dually, must be a million for sale today.

If you want a great off roader, a fabulous summer beach runner, some thing which is truly fun and versatile.... a vehicle which will never say STOP ! ..... the Wrangler is the only choice.

Best thing about owning a Wrangler, they really do not depreciate.
 
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I paid 5,700 for my wife's old 98 TJ 8 years ago, I sold it 2 days ago for 5,500 and she drove it 80K more miles, granted I put in a clutch, radiator, exhaust, and misc stuff but still cheaper than buying a new vehicle...
 
I go round and round thinking about selling my LJ. With prices where there at you all have me thinking again.
 
Jeep people like their Jeeps!

They have always had good re-sale value going back as far as the 90s.

Going back to the late 70s and early 80s too. I bought my first CJ5 as a fixer upper around 1979. Got it running good and a few weeks later got an offer of 3 times what I had in it. Sold it right then and after pricing some more, I figured the other guy was the one that got the good deal. My next one was a left over brand new 1980 CJ5 in early '81 so I got a discount on it. That one was my daily driver for the next several years.
 
I thought about starting a new thread,

WHY DON'T WRANGLERS DEPRECIATE ?
That says a lot .

Realistically , Jeeps , and by that I mean Wranglers and their predecessors, fall into a stand alone category - convertible , four wheel drive off road /on road vehicles . There aren't enough land Rover Defenders or old surviving Land Cruisers to likely make up probably 5 percent compared to all the Wranglers sold.

Now , are they really expensive ? A Mercedes Sprinter starter is 2700.00 ..no joke.

The point is , the whole TJ and Jeep price category is kind of playing out like this -

First , they are sought after. People run ads on Craigslist trying to BUY them . They leave notes on your windows if you own one , they are left in people's last will and testament to others. You come out of a restaurant and 2-3 people are standing around it oogling . You hear "if you ever sell it , let me know..."

Now , a new Rubicon is 55-60k . A TJ is 12-15,000 , give or take , and nice TJ Rubicons and LJs go 15k to the high 20's. You get the simple design Jeep is known for , fantastic capability , a proven driveline , and the whole experience for a fraction of the new price ....and you can usually get your money back or close when you sell.

If you buy something for 15,000 and 4 years later sell it for 13,500, it only cost 1500.00 dollars , all things being equal. That is one cheap family pleasure vehicle.

Anyway , that is one take on it . Here is one more -

Buy one , and you will understand.

The first time you stop at a Sonic and some guys in a jk drive all the way across a Wal Mart parking lot and circle around and yell, "Hey Man, Nice Jeep!" ...you will understand .

The first time you go down the highway and see a sunset with the top off in June , you will understand .

When everyone wants to ride with you , you will understand .

When you get out of it and walk away , you will have a strong desire to turn around and look . Prius owners don't do that .

A Jeep will make you many friends , and even those that don't know you, will wish they were having as much fun.

How do you put a price on that?


Also , like the guy told me at the fair one time when I asked if something was free...."this ain't welfare , it's a payfair"
 
I bought my first Jeep, an 03 Sport for 15k about three years ago. I had a devil of a time finding one. I wanted specifics. I live in the desert, it had to have AC, I wanted the 4.0, soft top, stick, full doors and reasonable mileage. I found it with 66k and everything else I wanted. I didn’t know much about Jeeps at the time and felt the price was a little high but they wouldn’t budge. As I learned more (rust) and saw what I could have ended up with (rust), I was ok with the price, as I have zero rust. Coming from motorcycles, this thing has been a blast. I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Drive one of these with the top off and the doors off and you won’t want any other vehicle. There is nothing like it. Take it off road and it transforms again. Bad weather? Who cares, bring it on. Flooded streets equal fun. End of road signs, whatever. Best vehicle ever.
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I bought my 2001 TJ sport at the end of 2002 with a little over 10,000 miles for 16k.... I think prices have been driven up because there are no more hiding spots with the internet.

Hell, 15 years ago when I was building a cj7 i could literally find any piece I need through horse trading with guys that didn’t advertise their hoards or care about profits. You had to know someone that knows someone one to for them to sell to you. I found a 40,000 mile t18 tranny with the d 20 case and the guy trading me for 78 waggy axles I had bought for $100. The guy even threw in the driveshafts and bell housing! Curse you internet!!
 
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Coming from motorcycles, this thing has been a blast. I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Drive one of these with the top off and the doors off and you won’t want any other vehicle. There is nothing like it.

As a former motorcycle rider myself, I agree 100%!

It's as close as you can get to that motorcycle feeling on four wheels.
 
As a former motorcycle rider myself, I agree 100%!

It's as close as you can get to that motorcycle feeling on four wheels.

And that's another thing. Once I drove my first Jeep, I lost all interest in motorcycles.
 
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As a former motorcycle rider myself, I agree 100%!

It's as close as you can get to that motorcycle feeling on four wheels.

You just hit on one of the reasons I bought one; wind in the face with four wheels. Riding a bike today is more dangerous than ever. People texting, talking on their cell phone and just having an 'I don't give a damn' attitude have injured many bike riders, sometimes fatally.
 
And that's another thing. Once I drove my first Jeep, I lost all interest in motorcycles.

Same thing happened for me as well. Not a bad thing though, the Jeep is obviously much safer, especially with the amount of distracted drivers on the road these days.

You just hit on one of the reasons I bought one; wind in the face with four wheels. Riding a bike today is more dangerous than ever. People texting, talking on their cell phone and just having an 'I don't give a damn' attitude have injured many bike riders, sometimes fatally.

Exactly. So many idiots on the road, I was always in fear for my life on the motorcycle. Not because of me getting in an accident, but someone hitting me because they are paying attention to their phone and not to the road.
 
As a former motorcycle rider myself, I agree 100%!

It's as close as you can get to that motorcycle feeling on four wheels.
I really liken the freedom of the Jeep to the freedom of a motorcycle, with far more safety and the fact that you can have company along the way.

Jeeps are really like divorce... They cost so much because they are worth it!

seriously... a lot of the cost is self-inflicted because people don't leave them alone.


I'm just as guilty as anyone.
 
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I really liking the freedom of the Jeep to the freedom of a motorcycle, with far more safety and the fact that you can have company along the way.

Jeeps are really like divorce... They cost so much because they are worth it!

seriously... a lot of the cost is self-inflicted because people don't leave them alone.


I'm just as guilty as anyone.

Yes, being able to have passengers in the Jeep (and talk with them while you're driving) is a big advantage for the Jeep over a motorcycle. That's another one of the reasons I'm really fond of them. You can enjoy it with the whole family!
 
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