Jeep

[CrazyKell]

Anyone owned one?

Thinking about getting a 4 door wrangler. Need something that can haul the trailer but also hold 4 adults. Don't really want a truck (yet).

Pros?
Cons?

[the chi]

I drive an 08 2 door Jeep Wrangler X. LOVE IT. I cant stand the 4 door models, but I know unless I'm carrying midgets, theres no way in a 2 door you can carry 4 adults.

Dont know how great it would be for hauling a trailer, but so long as you dont put ridiculous tires and a lift on it, the handling and power are good and it's a blast to drive. Like a convertible and 4 wheel drive in one.

If you buy one, make sure you have it checked out first and that the previous owners didnt do a bunch of crap to it that will cost you money down the line. It may look cool now, but when it breaks its not so awesome.

I'll see about getting a picture of mine up in a minute.

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by the chi

I drive an 08 2 door Jeep Wrangler X. LOVE IT. I cant stand the 4 door models, but I know unless I'm carrying midgets, theres no way in a 2 door you can carry 4 adults.

Dont know how great it would be for hauling a trailer, but so long as you dont put ridiculous tires and a lift on it, the handling and power are good and it's a blast to drive. Like a convertible and 4 wheel drive in one.

If you buy one, make sure you have it checked out first and that the previous owners didnt do a bunch of crap to it that will cost you money down the line. It may look cool now, but when it breaks its not so awesome.

I'll see about getting a picture of mine up in a minute.

Thanks for the input!

I don't love the look of the 4 door but I need to be able to put more adults in there so. Sigh.

This will be my track vehicle and daily driver. Don't plan on doing any off roading.

I've been doing some checking online and looked at a couple of dealerships. Probably get one a couple of years old, but dealers have awesome deals going right now, so might just go new.

What do you like the best about it?

What do you hate about it?

[karl_1052]

Originally Posted by the chi

I drive an 08 2 door Jeep Wrangler X. LOVE IT. I cant stand the 4 door models, but I know unless I'm carrying midgets, theres no way in a 2 door you can carry 4 adults.

Some of the TJs had LWB 2 doors that weren't too bad for the back seat, and they are decent at towing with the longer wheelbase.

[pauldun170]

Horrible ride
Horrible handling
Decent amount of cash for it

Wranglers are great when the going gets rough and when ur around town.
I say get a used one

[the chi]

I differ with Paul. If you get one with good tires and again dont have ridiculous tires or lift, the ride is great.

I also had an 07 bought brand new and loved it as well and with the tires I had on it, it rode okay, just noisy. My 08 has good tires, both for on and off road, and the ride is incredible. Especially compared to the older models.

You can also buy new if you want, they dont usually offer rebates, but some dealers will still have last years models brand new at reduced price. Wranglers hold value VERY well and unless you finance way over what its worth, you dont have to worry about getting upside down like on other vehicles.

[the chi]

Here's mine. It's dirty and a crappy cell phone pic, but it's one of my babies. Cargo net is for the dogs. I've got a hard top for cold weather too, if you can, get the hard top. Little more expensive, but quieter and definitely warmer in the cool months.

[the chi]

What do I like best?

The versatility. If I want to check out that muddy dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, I can. If I happen to hit streams or rocks and small trees, I can go right on through. If you want to make it "yours" there are so many things you can do to it that dont cost a fortune. On the flip side, if I want to strip everything off it and ride down the road with no doors and my foot resting in the sunshine, I can. It's a good daily driver, fast enough and gets decent but not great mileage and its just FUN.

Theres nothing I "hate" about it but I do dislike:

Lack of HP, but I did go from a Mustang GT with the V8 to a non sports 6 cylinder engine, so thats to be expected. I just dont pull out in front of people. (This only really matters if you tend to be an aggressive driver, which I am.)

The moment I take the top and doors off, it rains EVERY damn day for weeks, but the moment I put them back on, it stops raining. Just remember to pull ALL the plugs in the floorboard unless you like driving in your own personal pond.

If you're hauling really tall folks, its not great. My hubby at 6'4" or so doesnt fit comfortably in the front seat.

[CrazyKell]

I'm glad to hear you like it so much. I've never even test driven it.

I thought it was a good compromise between fun and utility. I'll just be glad to be back in something a little higher than my bloody Mazda 3!

[wildchild]

my '08 (as seen in my things for jeep thread) has 60,000 nearly trouble free miles. I have had a rear axle seal go out, and the horn went out from mudding. otherwise it is a great little vehicle. I have seen a couple ofthe four doors around me that actually look pretty good. they are lifted a little. A 2 1/2 kit can be had for under $300 and have good tires.
the two door as stated is not really meant for rear passengers. many people take the back seat out, mine is on it's way out soon to make room for hauling groceries and dogs.
big drawback is cargo area is very small. you get very good at shopping by size or stacking things in the little area.
they are noisy. it is a Jeep they make noise just a fact of life. I go for a ride in my truck and feel like I'm in a limosine compared to the Jeep.
It goes through anything. mud snow whatever it goes.
Freeway riding is not like older versions. it will cruis at 80 with no problems whatsoever. acceleration is not fantastic unless you wind it up through the gears. I just take my time more. Not to say it's slow. many cars don't accelerate as well as the Jeep.
Soft top takes a few times to get used to putting it up and down. they are much tighter now days for noise and weather proofing issues. that make a bit more difficult to put up and down. not a huge issue just don't do it for the first time in the rain. LOL
go to 4wd.com for aftermarket parts. they specialize in Jeeps. have great customer service and good pricing as well.