Seeking my Son's first car ..

I echo this one. I have enjoyed my Wranglers (2 and 4 door)as much as any sports car- hard top, convertible, always fun and not too much power (don’t get him the V8 version!). Rain or snow- shift into 4WD and it becomes a supercar for bad weather. Lots of aftermarket stuff if he likes to tinker.
Do it!


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I know 3 teenagers who flipped wranglers. That was one car on our no go list for my sons atleast.

 

The 2 door is more unstable at higher speeds and are purposefully underpowered (except the V8) and Jeeps don’t slide like a car when they lose traction in a curve, they lean way over- that is why they are stiffly sprung to limit the lean.
But kids always find a way to screw up… its genetics [emoji57]


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I have the same experience, though all from a very long time ago. I think they changed them radically since then, but I remember back in the late 70's and early 80's, they were death traps. Had two friends die in two separate CJ-5 accidents. Had a third friend who rolled his more than once. I remember him painting it flat brown with rattle-can primer in our front yard after he bondo-ed it back up. He was doping matte finishes before it was cool . I drove it briefly after that, and the steering was really f***ed from the prior roll carnage.

I assume they've changed a LOT because I've noticed a ton of posts on Fchat lately about how fun the modern Wranglers are to drive. They are also one of the few modern cars still available with a manual transmission. Jeep has one of the lowest reliability ratings according to the ratings companies, but haven't seen complaints about that in the Wrangler Fchat posts.

 

Good feedback. I suggested a Wrangler for my sister based upon all the feedback on Fchat about them. She has an old Subaru WRX 5-speed wagon that she loved -- loves the Turbo power and the manual. It was rusted to hell, but the new WRX's are too low for her use (in winter at ski house, park in NYC, winters in Florida). She test drove the Crosstek (only modern non-WRX Subaru with manual) but didn't like and it was too slow. I found her a Saab 9-2x Aero, which is a rebodied version of her WRX with leather and a lot of other upgrades. She loved it, but it's beat up now.

I thought a Wrangler 4-cylincer turbo manual would be good for he, but my brother (another car nut) dissed the idea, citing the reliability ratings for Jeep. As I thought more about it, it seems like the Jeep might be easy to break into as she parks in NYC, so I've kind of ruled it out (though that's just a guess). Her Saab was broken into and stolen in NYC not too long ago, then later recovered, so security would be a number one priority.

Any thoughts on the practicality/security for a Wrangler parked in NYC?

 

I’ve had the last three generations of wranglers and reliability has not been an issue averaging over 100K miles with no major repairs. My current Rubicon is my daily driver, it’s indestructible and goes where mere cars can’t- curbs, grass medians and big potholes are just part of the off-road experience in NYC. I’ve parked my current one on the street since 2014- it is alarmed- but no takers thus far. I always use the hard top in the city. It has a 5 inch lift, 37” tires and aftermarket powder coated steel bumpers and a Warn Winch . Still no takers. I would not do it with a 392 as the engine and price invite theft.
Of course some feel they should leave their cars unlocked with a note stating there is nothing inside. I think that invites car squatters [emoji13]


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And for kids who want to save the planet it’s a hybrid!


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Curious what your son thought of the way the Wrangler drove. Did he not like driving it or just want something sporty? I still think an Alfa Giulia should be on the "must try" list for him.

For my sister, she lives in NYC part of the year, so it's sitting out all night all of the time. The thieves are not very discriminating -- her Saab that got stolen didn't look great and was 2 decades old. I guess my concern is that the removable top and doors seem priable. The thieves are not finnesse artists , they don't hesitate to damage the car to get in.

Also curious how the Wrangler is on the highway. She does drive from NY to Florida and back a couple of times a year. My brother thinks I'm nuts for suggesting she get a Wrangler, so I'm trying to get some ammunition.

 

The 4 door Rubicons are MUCH better for on road driving and highways are a no sweat proposition up ton75-80mph, above that speed the driver needs a real heavy foot to get it higher and the engine lets you know it’s not happy. The 2 door Wranglers are gut busters when you hit rough pavement.
The doors are actually very hard to remove without the right tools and the removable hardtop as well. The new interiors and seats are very comfortable(my wife loves the seats compared to the MB SUV) for long haul driving and has a good infotainment setup. The heat and AC are excellent and the car almost begs you to slow up and enjoy the drive.
It is also the only car make where drivers give you the Jeep wave( motorcyclists still do it) and help out fellow Jeepsters in need of assistance(I’m always on the lookout to use my 12K pound Warn Winch and Compressor!)


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