Jeep Wrangler opinions wanted

I don't know much about the Wrangler. I've had four Grand Cherokees and all have been good drivers. You could get an 2000-2001 in your price range. I think they are more reliable then the Wrangler.

 

Buy the Wrangler it has more character than the plastic Tacoma.

 

I don't mean it literally.Offcorse I know that Toyota is going to rule the automotive planet soon my reference was to character.I don't see a whole lot of Toyota's at Barrett Jackson.

 

I had a '99. Never abused it, just used the 4WD in slick weather conditions, in exactly the manner recommended in the manual. Drove it for 4 years and 33,000 miles. Shortly after the warranty expired, the transfer case expired. $1,800 out of pocket repair.

 

Have had 3 Wranglers, loved them all, off-roaded them all. Even drove my '95 from IL to AK and back, covering 11k miles over 6 weeks.

But... the short wheelbase is a killer on commutes and on less than perfect highways. I have also had a Grand, and it is a very capable off-road and foul weather vehicle. I probably wouldn't get a Wrangler again for daily driving. The new Unlimited version with the longer wheelbase might be nicer, but not in your price range.

I would look for a Grand Cherokee. Either generation is a good truck, but I really loved my '99. I haven't researched pricing, but finding a 96-98 or 99-00 vehicle should be pretty reasonable. And don't feel like you have to get the V8 in either. The inline six is a great motor.

(BTW, I had both four and six cylinder models, and had YJ and TJ models)

 

I had a 2001 Wrangler Sport, I put a 7" lift, 35" mud tires, big bumpers, and a big stereo. That thing was a blast, just as long as its a weekend end toy and not for everyday. I hated to sell it, but it was just because of lack of garage space.

 

I would suggest a MKII Range rover but it seems you either a great one or one with a lot of problems. (My personal experiance with a MKII was very good.)

 

The good:
Extremely capable off road.
Great visibility with the top and doors off
Easy to manuever
Cool to see and be seen in
Chicks dig them.

THE BAD:
Eat gas
The same short wheelbase that make them good offroad will beat the hell out of you on the road.
Terrible road manners.
Sloppy steering.
Noisy as hell even with the hard top.

THE UGLY:
While the new ones are better than those even 10 years ago, the build quality sucks.
They eat gas like nobody's business.
Limited utility even in the new stretched wheelbase versions.
Did I mention how they eat gas and aren't built all that well?

I loved my Jeep but I don't know that I'd buy another one. It was as fun as hell but the constant breaking down (I'm convinced they're engineered to last only as long as the warranty) killed it for me.

I'd sooner put my money into an older, more beat up Toyota again than a Daimler Chrysler product. No offense.

 

Doesn't have the mountain-man persona of the Wrangler, but my daily driver Liberty is great on the freeway. I also had a '96 Grand Cherokee that i kept for 2 years and 20K miles, and I'd say quality now is better but I confess I leased this time so I could get out of it in 3 years if it didn't work out.

So far, my Liberty has been flawless. Depreciation is steep, so used ones are a good deal.

I'd get a Wrangler, but as others have said the ride and noise level are awful at speed. If you can deal with that, it should be OK. Parts and repair costs are reasonable.

 

Another note on the Wrangler: if you do buy one, be sure to get one with the 6 cylinder. I mistakenly believed the Automobile moagazine review that said the 4 cylinder 5 speed evoked the joy of an old sports car since it forces you to row through the gears constantly. Yeah, lots of fun - if you'd take an MG over an Austin Healey 3000.

Also, if I had it to do over again, I would avoid the removable hardtop. I got mine with one, and while it made the ride more civilized in the winter, it was a pain to remove and replace twice a year (a two person job), and storing it took up valuable garage space. There are hoists available for the hardtop, but they advise not parking or walking underneath them...not very confidence inspiring.