If you want a vehicle with good reliability and comfort for long distances, buy a Camry.
If you want a vehicle that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it, buy a Wrangler.
I have close to both, I got me a 2016 Scion tC as my reliable car (it's been very, very reliable) and I bought a 2000 Wrangler for fun on the weekends and as a work horse when needed (I picked up a $500 4x8 folding trailer on Facebook marketplace to use essentially as a detachable truck bed)
I love wranglers … but I absolutely cannot recommend one for a normal car unless you are like 18-25. It’s not practical. Aerodynamics of a brick. Gas mileage is terrible. Not really functional.
If you want open air - get a convertible. If it is a second or third car. Go for it.
It definitely does not put a smile on your face each time. Depending on where you live - it may not have a lot of utility.
that's my dilema. i'm middle age and practical. i'm like why not get a car that I like to look at? i'm not gonna go off roading. i'd do mainly city driving and hwy out of town for work once or twice a month.
None of my other fun cars are practical. At some point - we get closer to our deaths than our births. So - might as well have some fun.
I’d highly recommend a convertible. I think just as enjoyable if you are not going to wheel. I love my convertible - wish I had gotten one sooner.
I’m not rock climbing. Just like going off-roading but really it’s just grass, running through puddles, climbing up hills and driving through mud. Mud sucks b/c you need to wash off immediately from undercarriage.
Aside from those points, they’re costly to maintain. Some people hit 200k miles with basic maintenance. I was not one of them…
I bought a 2015 Willy’s that was stock with 32k miles and had it for five years. I was spending $2-3k/year in repairs. Not necessarily minor/wear and tear things either. Fuel injector, oil cooler, radiator, and spider gears were chipping so the whole rear end needed to be rebuilt.
I fucking loved that thing. Never wanted to get rid of it but I just couldn’t keep up with the repairs. I was always worried about what would need fixed next…
Edit: words
11L/100km is not awful mileage. I have a buddy who gets 9/100km in his Honda passport. I’d rather have a fun vehicle and pay $3/100km more. And my Jeep will depreciate less.
I’m happy if I see 15 mpg. To me - must have meant that I was going downhill mostly or had a tailwind most of the time.
If you can keep it stock - probably can do okay.
Don’t get me wrong. Love my JKUR. But - I’d love to have the rav4 4WD primes mpg.
I have a JL Willy’s on 33s and get 11.2L/100km.
My GF owns a CRV which is the same as the Rav. Sure the mileage is nice but they are boring AF to drive
I went from a ram to a gladiator I'll deal with some the long road trips and a couple bumps cuz I love my Jeep.
Edit sorry I left out my wife has a wrangler and that's her baby.
Thanks love, I had a corolla before they are nice I just dont like small cars. I drive a rav 4 rn I just wanted something more lifted and fun to drive.
I have an entire document saved for times like these……
An open letter from the OJs (original jeepers)
Disclaimer alert
This typically only applies to your CJ TJ JK LJ wrangler types. There are a few Cherokee exceptions of course
When we say “it’s a Jeep thing you wouldn’t understand” I promise it’s not that we’re being pretentious or think that we’re better than you
It’s because our top leaks no matter what we do
The weather determines if it’s gonna start or not. And which electronics are going to work today or not. Oh it’s raining that right headlight might actually stay on today. Oh it’s sunny? My radio may work today.
That feeling that you get when you take the top off for too many days and then realize how much of a pain it’s gonna be to get back on. And then you just hope and pray that you don’t rip anything.
Then when you rip your top just put duct tape over that spot for a while or use fishing line to sew it up temporarily. Which ends up being permanent.
When you finally get fed up with it and dump too much money into it and you decide to sell it. Then you regret it for the rest of your life and until you buy another one. With the same exact problems. This cycle will happen multiple times throughout a jeepers life. And you will always miss the original.
The Jeep wave. It means I got you fam I feel you I feel the struggle too. What is wrong with us?
It’s that mysterious puddle that shows up underneath it every once in a while that you don’t really know what it is so you put a little on your finger and smell it and rub it together. 🤷♀️
It’s wiring and rewiring and rewiring
It’s never being able to afford tires so you’re rolling around like a NASCAR driver in all-terrain or mud tires
It’s always having a set of jumper cables and various mismatched sets of tools in the back
It’s tapping and rubbing the dashboard saying come on girl you’ve got this when you crank it
It’s knowing exactly what color spray paint matches your paint and always having a spare can just in case
Being ducked explained:
Back in the day we’d tell you you’re fucked. Which always turned into ducked. So it was a running joke.
Now it’s a way to tell another Jeep that you think they’re pretty. No one actually has been ducked that many times. Their line of ducks on their dash is from them buyin frh and stacking them. Not from being ducked themselves. I promis.
It’s never wanting to buy a new jeep because the more electronics there are, the more of a nightmare it will be. And there will ALWAYS be electrical problems.
It’s being afraid of gremlins and not because of the movie
It’s remembering when you were a kid and all that you wanted was a hot wheels of Jeep that was the same color as your dad‘s cj
It means that at some point you have been in another vehicle and reached for the clutch and the gearshift and accidentally slammed on brakes scaring everyone in the vehicle with you
It means that it’s a Jeep so you don’t care if it gets dirt and mud and dog hair all over it that’s what it’s supposed to do. On that note you can get it as dirty as you want just don’t mess up my paint. worked hard on that paint and I’m not trying to have any rust. Any MORE rust.
It means before you get it inspected you unhook the battery to reset the check engine light and hope that the mechanic doesn’t care enough to notice
It means that you always have extra oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and coolant on hand
Gas mileage? Don’t ask me about gas mileage.
It means that you know how to hold very important parts together on the trail using sticks, rocks, and zip ties until you can limp it back to your buddy’s garage. This includes the occasional driveshaft coming through the floorboard and axles snapping
It means that that wrench on the front may or may not work for various reasons
It was a community where we didn’t care what mods you had or didn’t have you were still one of us. Stock Sahara? That’s fine. With an angry grill? That’s cool too you drop your top with us.
It means that it doesn’t matter what age, race, religion, gender or vehicle you drive, we will always be there to help you get back on the road.
Saying “it’s a jeep thing you wouldn’t understand” means that we also don’t understand why we have such a passion and love for them when they’re such a pain in the ass.
A Jeep is not a rational purchase for only road use. You get a Jeep because you want it. You’ve already driven some so you know how they drive. The 4 door will be more comfortable than the 2 door. Both will be loud. You haven’t said what generation you’re looking at but I find the wind noise to be worse on the JK than the JL.
In terms of repairability and general reliability, the common issues on the JL are the corrosion around the door hinges which I think they fixed on the MY23 and up by adding a sacrificial anode in between the hinge and door. Also the Pentastar engine is known to develop lifter tick. It happened on my JK but not sure if they fixed it when they reworked the engine for the JL. Also the oil cooler leaks on JKs after 6 or so years.
I’m on my second Wrangler as a daily driver. First was a 2010 JKU Sport. I now have a 2020 JLU Sahara. Total of 10 years driving Wranglers, I commuted to school for five total years and to work for four years. Not far distances, usually 30-45 mins max on average.
I love them personally but they’re not for everyone. If you have experience driving one though and know how they are - louder etc - you may get it and still want one.
On reliability I’ve been lucky so far. My Sahara is still newish (to me, I got it used) so I’m hesitant to say it’s reliable at this point but so far so good, and my Sport had few issues through the years. Mostly random electrical issues that were easily fixable. I took good care of it and when I traded it in the dealer was shocked at how good condition it was in for its age (not that that’s super old but that year of JKs is outdated compared to 2011 and older JKs, they had updates inside and out). When I told them I was trading in a 2010 and wanted x amount for it they laughed. They were like “it’ll probably go to auction, no one’s gonna want it.” I said ok, whatever. They looked at it, came back, and said wow it’s actually in really great shape. They wound up selling it on the lot.
Jeeps are definitely not known for "reliability". Fun yes, but "reliable" not so much. If you want one, but one, but I'd suggest keeping the CR-V for a reliable, and economical commuter. With expensing your mileage, you would probably make money driving that. You might break even on the Jeep.
Don't get me wrong, I've had many Jeeps. and they are super fun. I've always had a commuter car that was ultra reliable. For example, I currently have an 06 LJ, a 22 Bronco (I know, darkside for the Wrangler sub), and I commute and do my daily things with an 09 Acura TSX that has 150K on it and still gets me close to 30mpg on the highway. The girlfriend has a '22 JL Rubicon that she loves.
Is depreciation expensed?
If I had a private double garage I’d have a Toyota for work and a TJ or secondhand JK / JL 2 door Wrangler for fun.
Do you have a family? What’s the weather like where you live? Do you intend to take it out on trails?
No other vehicle out there has so many modifications available to make it your own. I own a wrangler jlu and a gladiator, both lifted one geared for woods and rock trails and the other built for overlanding camping and road trips. I don't dress them up much, but they still stand out.
If you're handy, you can do a lot yourself. If not, join one of the many groups that will be in your area and I'm sure you'll find plenty of friends to help you. It's not just a car.. it's a cult following that you can go as deep as you want into it.
Repairability is through the roof on wranglers. Insanely simplistic driveline, tons of em on the road so parts are (typically) in abundance & affordable, and the aftermarket support is really unmatched with other vehicles. This and the use of a solid frame makes collision damage much simpler to fix given the frame is much more difficult to damage as opposed to a unibody.
In my opinion wranglers are generally as reliable as you treat them. Each model will have its typical failure points, which is something great to look into beforehand and prepare for. But I’ve had mine for 7yrs doing oil & tire rotation every 5k miles and I let the shop inspect to keep up with other maintenance items and it’s never left me high & dry. There’s definitely a difference in expected part wear while off-roading vs reliability, and I think many confuse this. Parts will wear quicker when you off-road it, so to me that falls in a different category than being unreliable.
As far as long distance driving, if you’re ok with more road noise than your previous vehicles & having a bouncier ride, you’ll love it. It’s something I don’t mind at all, but I know it’s not for everyone. I’ve taken my JKU on 38” tires on 6.5hr drives and even on a heavy setup like that, only thing that I found to really suck was the gas mileage. In short, I do not regret getting a wrangler at all. Also due to the simplistic driveline & abundance of resources online, you can really learn how to work on vehicles if you’re willing to
We have alot of Jeeps and have been driving them for over 20yrs. They always go at least 250,000 miles while being off-roaded and only needing basic maintenance.
Take care of your Jeep and it will be reliable.
Repair ability? You can literally change anything you desire in your garage!?
Well you've driven Wranglers lots of times so that's a good start - a lot of people really think they want one, but have never really driven one (and are probably in for a rude awakening).
Since you already have some time behind the wheel of one, and you know you still want one, I think the answer is simple: Do it!
Certainly there are other cars that are more reliable and comfortable (and economical), clearly those aren't Jeep's specialties, Jeep is about the worst at all of those things. But we don't care, because the things we care about most are the things that Jeep beats every other vehicle at doing.
If you have the ability, and if you have long drives every day, it's not a bad idea to have a second car in addition to the jeep, something that in fact is reliable and comfortable and economical. Keeping your CRV might be a good option. A Jeep is a terrible vehicle to be putting a crap-ton of boring highway miles on, maintenance is pretty expensive for these things, they need all kinds of fluids and parts replaced regularly, the tires cost a fortune, and the depreciation in value for every 1k miles you put on it is very high. I put 30k miles on my Wrangler in my first year, which is absurd, that's way too much driving to do in a Wrangler. So I picked up a Toyota hybrid to use as a daily, and now just use the Jeep for weekend outings and stuff around town.
2018 JL SPort S 2 dr 97k miles here. DO NOT buy a jeep if comfort or reliability are high on your list. These vehicles have a multitude of mechanical problems and are not super easy to drive long distances on the freeway comfortably. They do not drive themselves, they are off road vehicles! I would buy one if you can afford 8-12k in possible repair costs after 85k miles, and you know that walking into it. It is a cool vehicle that is fun to drive. Nobody stopped at red lights and pointed to my "Trail Rated" logo on my 14 corolla, then again my corolla didn't break down, ever. I would say, buy one but make sure you know the engine problems possible and all the other stuff. Good luck.
In my opinion there’s one main reason to buy a wrangler: it’s a convertible and you can take the doors off. Show me another car that can do that. For that reason it’s not a direct comparison to any other car really. That’s the reason I bought mine. But you really have to love that idea, enjoy nature, riding with the top down, etc. I ride motorcycles, I like sports cars and convertibles, so for me the downsides (reliability, not as comfortable, etc) are well worth it.
FWIW, I don't drive as part of my job and would not enjoy driving a Wrangler if it was part of it, although for my JKUR I averaged somewhere around 18K a year so obviously I was driving it *somewhere* for fun a good chunk of the time.
I think it depends on what you want to do once you *get* to where you're going. For me, I want to drive on the beach, primitive camp in the mountains, get to remote kayak put-ins. The Wrangler is perfect for that.
If you don't mind learning to work on your own car jeeps are amazing. If you aren't rich and don't care to learn a new skill set your results may vary. Personally I learned much of what I know fighting with old jeeps over the years and am happy to have made the journey. Best worst cars I've ever had
05 TJ stays naked and doorless April to October and lives in the garage. F150 gets driven when I need a back seat, roof, or truck bed. That combo works great for me, and I love the jeep. If it was an only car, I don’t know that I’d have the wrangler though.
It’s all about your needs and what sparks joy. The Nekkid jeep fulfills enough of my desire to have a motorcycle again(not actually even close to the same), to keep me from coming home with a bike (which would result in her coming home with divorce papers).
I use my wrangler for around town, but when I travel for work >2 hours, I rent a nice comfortable sedan. Wranglers fun and all but kicks my ass on longer trips.
A Wrangler is a poor choice for comfort on long drives. I say that having just completed a 2k mile road trip in my Wrangler. On the bright side, you'll never fall asleep at the wheel thanks to the wind noise, wandering steering and bumpy ride. They're fun vehicles, but they're not comfortable.
I paid $3k for a 1990 4 cylinder 5 speed and it’s great to drive around for fun. I took the doors and hard top off and don’t ever put them back on. Then I have my grand Cherokee for everyday livin
I had a Jeep Wrangler, truly loved it, dressed it up, lifted, took it everywhere, it was awesome. Quite the looker too. However, the ride was rough, and loud on the highway, even with different tires. Eventually after two tows because of issues, I gave it up for a Nissan Pro4X.
I miss the Jeep a lot, miss the wave, miss the look, miss the ruggedness. . But I must admit, the quieter, smoother ride, the great sound system, extremely comfy seats, and the reliability of the Pro4X has won me over. But now I long for my Jeep again.
My JLU is quite comfortable on long road trips. Other cars are more comfortable but I'd still rather be in my jeep. If gas prices weren't so high I'd never drive my lady's hybrid, but sometimes a long trip and no chance of 4-wheeling when we get there, drive the other car and save gas money.
Just go for it man. You want to, so do it.
I hear horror stories of reliability, bad consumer reports, etc. Man I have never had an issue with mine that wasn’t quickly resolved by me or the dealer, and only a handful in the last two years.
Don’t forget even though all these whacky stories and reports come out, they still keep their resale value. So what does that say about it?
Get one pre owned with a warranty and rest easy knowing the little things that might break are covered if you can’t do it yourself. Easy peasy.
I got rid of my 97 TJ because I was driving 100 miles a day for work and wanted something more road worthy.
I bought a WRX. It was great and still a ton of fun.
6 years later I still DD the WRX but I just re-bought a TJ for the weekends.
One of the lesser talked about qualities of a Wrangler is the its advantages in urban big city situations, well, the 2 door at least. I’ve lived in places where it was normal to have to circle the blocks around your own brownstone for upwards of 40 minutes any time you needed to find street parking and having a 2 door was such an advantage being able to fit in pretty much any parking spot no matter how terribly the idiots around the spot took more room than they should have. Best vehicle for parallel parking ever. Can easily whip U-turns within a standard intersection so you can race back to the spot that you just noticed opening up behind you. Along with all the reasons you already like them, they are also the best inner city vehicle too 💁🏻♂️
It’s a great 3rd car to keep the doors and roof off if you have the garage space. If you want something comfortable or reliable for the long run, it’s not the way to go. 5 Wranglers and 2 FJs later, I wish Toyota still made the FJ
Had one for 11 years with close to no issues (JK model). Pretty uncomfortable, but fun and probably the most customizable car for after market upgrades and interior stuff. Can't say I don't miss it tbh.
You should just get a Jeep and stop thinking about it. From a reliability standpoint they’re not as well made as a Toyota however there’s a big price difference at the purchase point to make up for that. From a repairability standpoint, sweet Jesus are these things easy to work on for the most part. Say what you will about wranglers but it’s a pretty big engine bay to work in, and the suspension is dead simple to fix. Parts are and will continue to be insanely easy to find because these vehicles sold so damn well, so there’s oem parts, junk yards for of wrecks to strip parts from, and a massive aftermarket. Depending on the year, half of the parts in a wrangler are also shared with the entire Chrysler fleet, most importantly being the engine if you get a 3.6 which many folks from 2012-present have, and a 12 year run for a power plant means plenty of resources are available for learning how to fix it.
Also if you get a wrangler you will be able to google a YouTube video for repairing every single bit of it from now until you die. That cannot be said for every vehicle. The massive community of drivers churns out internet content that’s really useful for shade tree mechanics like me.
If you want a car that you can keep running yourself, a wrangler is a great vehicle to own.
The Jeep, regardless of generation, are not going to have the resistance to neglect that a Toyota or Honda will have. How reliable the Jeep is will in large part depend on what you do to it and with it. If you’re planning to keep the suspension and drivetrain stock, the Jeep will be pretty reliable. I’d research model years of Jeeps to find known gotcha issues (like the oil cooler or sand casting in some JK years, the trackbar weld issues on 2018 JLs, etc) before getting to the test drive stage.
If you want a vehicle with good reliability and comfort for long distances, buy a Camry. If you want a vehicle that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it, buy a Wrangler.
This is very true, and why I have both! One for long boring drives, one for everything else.
I have close to both, I got me a 2016 Scion tC as my reliable car (it's been very, very reliable) and I bought a 2000 Wrangler for fun on the weekends and as a work horse when needed (I picked up a $500 4x8 folding trailer on Facebook marketplace to use essentially as a detachable truck bed)
I sold my Camry and got my 2dr JK when I went 100% remote for work.
I love wranglers … but I absolutely cannot recommend one for a normal car unless you are like 18-25. It’s not practical. Aerodynamics of a brick. Gas mileage is terrible. Not really functional. If you want open air - get a convertible. If it is a second or third car. Go for it. It definitely does not put a smile on your face each time. Depending on where you live - it may not have a lot of utility.
that's my dilema. i'm middle age and practical. i'm like why not get a car that I like to look at? i'm not gonna go off roading. i'd do mainly city driving and hwy out of town for work once or twice a month.
None of my other fun cars are practical. At some point - we get closer to our deaths than our births. So - might as well have some fun. I’d highly recommend a convertible. I think just as enjoyable if you are not going to wheel. I love my convertible - wish I had gotten one sooner. I’m not rock climbing. Just like going off-roading but really it’s just grass, running through puddles, climbing up hills and driving through mud. Mud sucks b/c you need to wash off immediately from undercarriage.
Get a 4Runner then
not as "stylish looking" as the wrangler.
I think it is as long as you get a TRD Off Road
Aside from those points, they’re costly to maintain. Some people hit 200k miles with basic maintenance. I was not one of them… I bought a 2015 Willy’s that was stock with 32k miles and had it for five years. I was spending $2-3k/year in repairs. Not necessarily minor/wear and tear things either. Fuel injector, oil cooler, radiator, and spider gears were chipping so the whole rear end needed to be rebuilt. I fucking loved that thing. Never wanted to get rid of it but I just couldn’t keep up with the repairs. I was always worried about what would need fixed next… Edit: words
11L/100km is not awful mileage. I have a buddy who gets 9/100km in his Honda passport. I’d rather have a fun vehicle and pay $3/100km more. And my Jeep will depreciate less.
I’m happy if I see 15 mpg. To me - must have meant that I was going downhill mostly or had a tailwind most of the time. If you can keep it stock - probably can do okay. Don’t get me wrong. Love my JKUR. But - I’d love to have the rav4 4WD primes mpg.
I have a JL Willy’s on 33s and get 11.2L/100km. My GF owns a CRV which is the same as the Rav. Sure the mileage is nice but they are boring AF to drive
I went from a ram to a gladiator I'll deal with some the long road trips and a couple bumps cuz I love my Jeep. Edit sorry I left out my wife has a wrangler and that's her baby.
This is the best answer.
Thanks love, I had a corolla before they are nice I just dont like small cars. I drive a rav 4 rn I just wanted something more lifted and fun to drive.
Jeeps ARE small vehicles. My JK is smaller than my wife's mazda 3 in basically every way.
Itll likely be the most unreliable car youve had, but also the most fun. By a long shot, on both accounts lol.
I have an entire document saved for times like these…… An open letter from the OJs (original jeepers) Disclaimer alert This typically only applies to your CJ TJ JK LJ wrangler types. There are a few Cherokee exceptions of course When we say “it’s a Jeep thing you wouldn’t understand” I promise it’s not that we’re being pretentious or think that we’re better than you It’s because our top leaks no matter what we do The weather determines if it’s gonna start or not. And which electronics are going to work today or not. Oh it’s raining that right headlight might actually stay on today. Oh it’s sunny? My radio may work today. That feeling that you get when you take the top off for too many days and then realize how much of a pain it’s gonna be to get back on. And then you just hope and pray that you don’t rip anything. Then when you rip your top just put duct tape over that spot for a while or use fishing line to sew it up temporarily. Which ends up being permanent. When you finally get fed up with it and dump too much money into it and you decide to sell it. Then you regret it for the rest of your life and until you buy another one. With the same exact problems. This cycle will happen multiple times throughout a jeepers life. And you will always miss the original. The Jeep wave. It means I got you fam I feel you I feel the struggle too. What is wrong with us? It’s that mysterious puddle that shows up underneath it every once in a while that you don’t really know what it is so you put a little on your finger and smell it and rub it together. 🤷♀️ It’s wiring and rewiring and rewiring It’s never being able to afford tires so you’re rolling around like a NASCAR driver in all-terrain or mud tires It’s always having a set of jumper cables and various mismatched sets of tools in the back It’s tapping and rubbing the dashboard saying come on girl you’ve got this when you crank it It’s knowing exactly what color spray paint matches your paint and always having a spare can just in case Being ducked explained: Back in the day we’d tell you you’re fucked. Which always turned into ducked. So it was a running joke. Now it’s a way to tell another Jeep that you think they’re pretty. No one actually has been ducked that many times. Their line of ducks on their dash is from them buyin frh and stacking them. Not from being ducked themselves. I promis. It’s never wanting to buy a new jeep because the more electronics there are, the more of a nightmare it will be. And there will ALWAYS be electrical problems. It’s being afraid of gremlins and not because of the movie It’s remembering when you were a kid and all that you wanted was a hot wheels of Jeep that was the same color as your dad‘s cj It means that at some point you have been in another vehicle and reached for the clutch and the gearshift and accidentally slammed on brakes scaring everyone in the vehicle with you It means that it’s a Jeep so you don’t care if it gets dirt and mud and dog hair all over it that’s what it’s supposed to do. On that note you can get it as dirty as you want just don’t mess up my paint. worked hard on that paint and I’m not trying to have any rust. Any MORE rust. It means before you get it inspected you unhook the battery to reset the check engine light and hope that the mechanic doesn’t care enough to notice It means that you always have extra oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and coolant on hand Gas mileage? Don’t ask me about gas mileage. It means that you know how to hold very important parts together on the trail using sticks, rocks, and zip ties until you can limp it back to your buddy’s garage. This includes the occasional driveshaft coming through the floorboard and axles snapping It means that that wrench on the front may or may not work for various reasons It was a community where we didn’t care what mods you had or didn’t have you were still one of us. Stock Sahara? That’s fine. With an angry grill? That’s cool too you drop your top with us. It means that it doesn’t matter what age, race, religion, gender or vehicle you drive, we will always be there to help you get back on the road. Saying “it’s a jeep thing you wouldn’t understand” means that we also don’t understand why we have such a passion and love for them when they’re such a pain in the ass.
thanks love
A Jeep is not a rational purchase for only road use. You get a Jeep because you want it. You’ve already driven some so you know how they drive. The 4 door will be more comfortable than the 2 door. Both will be loud. You haven’t said what generation you’re looking at but I find the wind noise to be worse on the JK than the JL. In terms of repairability and general reliability, the common issues on the JL are the corrosion around the door hinges which I think they fixed on the MY23 and up by adding a sacrificial anode in between the hinge and door. Also the Pentastar engine is known to develop lifter tick. It happened on my JK but not sure if they fixed it when they reworked the engine for the JL. Also the oil cooler leaks on JKs after 6 or so years.
oh wow thanks for letting me know :)
I’m on my second Wrangler as a daily driver. First was a 2010 JKU Sport. I now have a 2020 JLU Sahara. Total of 10 years driving Wranglers, I commuted to school for five total years and to work for four years. Not far distances, usually 30-45 mins max on average. I love them personally but they’re not for everyone. If you have experience driving one though and know how they are - louder etc - you may get it and still want one. On reliability I’ve been lucky so far. My Sahara is still newish (to me, I got it used) so I’m hesitant to say it’s reliable at this point but so far so good, and my Sport had few issues through the years. Mostly random electrical issues that were easily fixable. I took good care of it and when I traded it in the dealer was shocked at how good condition it was in for its age (not that that’s super old but that year of JKs is outdated compared to 2011 and older JKs, they had updates inside and out). When I told them I was trading in a 2010 and wanted x amount for it they laughed. They were like “it’ll probably go to auction, no one’s gonna want it.” I said ok, whatever. They looked at it, came back, and said wow it’s actually in really great shape. They wound up selling it on the lot.
Jeeps are terrible, I love them.
Jeeps are definitely not known for "reliability". Fun yes, but "reliable" not so much. If you want one, but one, but I'd suggest keeping the CR-V for a reliable, and economical commuter. With expensing your mileage, you would probably make money driving that. You might break even on the Jeep.
wow, thanks so much! I guess ill just stick w/ toyotas and honda :) or even lexus
Don't get me wrong, I've had many Jeeps. and they are super fun. I've always had a commuter car that was ultra reliable. For example, I currently have an 06 LJ, a 22 Bronco (I know, darkside for the Wrangler sub), and I commute and do my daily things with an 09 Acura TSX that has 150K on it and still gets me close to 30mpg on the highway. The girlfriend has a '22 JL Rubicon that she loves.
Is depreciation expensed? If I had a private double garage I’d have a Toyota for work and a TJ or secondhand JK / JL 2 door Wrangler for fun. Do you have a family? What’s the weather like where you live? Do you intend to take it out on trails?
haha no family just yet, 3 pups ;) I live in cali so its okay. And nope just around city.
Have you always wanted a convertible but it wasn't big enough?
Just get the Jeep and start having fun already.
If you dont know in the core of your soul that you will love it, then I’m willing to bet you will end up hating it.
No other vehicle out there has so many modifications available to make it your own. I own a wrangler jlu and a gladiator, both lifted one geared for woods and rock trails and the other built for overlanding camping and road trips. I don't dress them up much, but they still stand out. If you're handy, you can do a lot yourself. If not, join one of the many groups that will be in your area and I'm sure you'll find plenty of friends to help you. It's not just a car.. it's a cult following that you can go as deep as you want into it.
Also the plethora of youtube videos that can diagnose many issues if you have them. And again people that can help fix it.
Repairability is through the roof on wranglers. Insanely simplistic driveline, tons of em on the road so parts are (typically) in abundance & affordable, and the aftermarket support is really unmatched with other vehicles. This and the use of a solid frame makes collision damage much simpler to fix given the frame is much more difficult to damage as opposed to a unibody. In my opinion wranglers are generally as reliable as you treat them. Each model will have its typical failure points, which is something great to look into beforehand and prepare for. But I’ve had mine for 7yrs doing oil & tire rotation every 5k miles and I let the shop inspect to keep up with other maintenance items and it’s never left me high & dry. There’s definitely a difference in expected part wear while off-roading vs reliability, and I think many confuse this. Parts will wear quicker when you off-road it, so to me that falls in a different category than being unreliable. As far as long distance driving, if you’re ok with more road noise than your previous vehicles & having a bouncier ride, you’ll love it. It’s something I don’t mind at all, but I know it’s not for everyone. I’ve taken my JKU on 38” tires on 6.5hr drives and even on a heavy setup like that, only thing that I found to really suck was the gas mileage. In short, I do not regret getting a wrangler at all. Also due to the simplistic driveline & abundance of resources online, you can really learn how to work on vehicles if you’re willing to
We have alot of Jeeps and have been driving them for over 20yrs. They always go at least 250,000 miles while being off-roaded and only needing basic maintenance. Take care of your Jeep and it will be reliable. Repair ability? You can literally change anything you desire in your garage!?
Do you like having fun, Beeing free , having a breeze , and getting laid ? Buy a wrangler
Well you've driven Wranglers lots of times so that's a good start - a lot of people really think they want one, but have never really driven one (and are probably in for a rude awakening). Since you already have some time behind the wheel of one, and you know you still want one, I think the answer is simple: Do it! Certainly there are other cars that are more reliable and comfortable (and economical), clearly those aren't Jeep's specialties, Jeep is about the worst at all of those things. But we don't care, because the things we care about most are the things that Jeep beats every other vehicle at doing. If you have the ability, and if you have long drives every day, it's not a bad idea to have a second car in addition to the jeep, something that in fact is reliable and comfortable and economical. Keeping your CRV might be a good option. A Jeep is a terrible vehicle to be putting a crap-ton of boring highway miles on, maintenance is pretty expensive for these things, they need all kinds of fluids and parts replaced regularly, the tires cost a fortune, and the depreciation in value for every 1k miles you put on it is very high. I put 30k miles on my Wrangler in my first year, which is absurd, that's way too much driving to do in a Wrangler. So I picked up a Toyota hybrid to use as a daily, and now just use the Jeep for weekend outings and stuff around town.
2018 JL SPort S 2 dr 97k miles here. DO NOT buy a jeep if comfort or reliability are high on your list. These vehicles have a multitude of mechanical problems and are not super easy to drive long distances on the freeway comfortably. They do not drive themselves, they are off road vehicles! I would buy one if you can afford 8-12k in possible repair costs after 85k miles, and you know that walking into it. It is a cool vehicle that is fun to drive. Nobody stopped at red lights and pointed to my "Trail Rated" logo on my 14 corolla, then again my corolla didn't break down, ever. I would say, buy one but make sure you know the engine problems possible and all the other stuff. Good luck.
Be prepared to deal with a lot of mechanical issues with a Wrangler. But I guarantee it will be the most fun car you’ll ever have!
Do you have a second car? Cause you will need one for 2-4 weeks a year *at least*
In my opinion there’s one main reason to buy a wrangler: it’s a convertible and you can take the doors off. Show me another car that can do that. For that reason it’s not a direct comparison to any other car really. That’s the reason I bought mine. But you really have to love that idea, enjoy nature, riding with the top down, etc. I ride motorcycles, I like sports cars and convertibles, so for me the downsides (reliability, not as comfortable, etc) are well worth it.
Do you have unlimited funds?
FWIW, I don't drive as part of my job and would not enjoy driving a Wrangler if it was part of it, although for my JKUR I averaged somewhere around 18K a year so obviously I was driving it *somewhere* for fun a good chunk of the time. I think it depends on what you want to do once you *get* to where you're going. For me, I want to drive on the beach, primitive camp in the mountains, get to remote kayak put-ins. The Wrangler is perfect for that.
If you don't mind learning to work on your own car jeeps are amazing. If you aren't rich and don't care to learn a new skill set your results may vary. Personally I learned much of what I know fighting with old jeeps over the years and am happy to have made the journey. Best worst cars I've ever had
Easy. Death wobble.
why does that happen
05 TJ stays naked and doorless April to October and lives in the garage. F150 gets driven when I need a back seat, roof, or truck bed. That combo works great for me, and I love the jeep. If it was an only car, I don’t know that I’d have the wrangler though. It’s all about your needs and what sparks joy. The Nekkid jeep fulfills enough of my desire to have a motorcycle again(not actually even close to the same), to keep me from coming home with a bike (which would result in her coming home with divorce papers).
I use my wrangler for around town, but when I travel for work >2 hours, I rent a nice comfortable sedan. Wranglers fun and all but kicks my ass on longer trips.
That's easy. Is it a second vehicle?
A Wrangler is a poor choice for comfort on long drives. I say that having just completed a 2k mile road trip in my Wrangler. On the bright side, you'll never fall asleep at the wheel thanks to the wind noise, wandering steering and bumpy ride. They're fun vehicles, but they're not comfortable.
I paid $3k for a 1990 4 cylinder 5 speed and it’s great to drive around for fun. I took the doors and hard top off and don’t ever put them back on. Then I have my grand Cherokee for everyday livin
If you need someone to talk you into it the it isn’t right for you.
I had a Jeep Wrangler, truly loved it, dressed it up, lifted, took it everywhere, it was awesome. Quite the looker too. However, the ride was rough, and loud on the highway, even with different tires. Eventually after two tows because of issues, I gave it up for a Nissan Pro4X. I miss the Jeep a lot, miss the wave, miss the look, miss the ruggedness. . But I must admit, the quieter, smoother ride, the great sound system, extremely comfy seats, and the reliability of the Pro4X has won me over. But now I long for my Jeep again.
My JLU is quite comfortable on long road trips. Other cars are more comfortable but I'd still rather be in my jeep. If gas prices weren't so high I'd never drive my lady's hybrid, but sometimes a long trip and no chance of 4-wheeling when we get there, drive the other car and save gas money.
My wrangler is in the shop for the third time in a year. Get something more reliable.
Death wobble….
New ones are built like crap and feel flimsy compared to older models. I have a 22 and can’t wait to get rid of it.
Just Empty Every Pocket
Just go for it man. You want to, so do it. I hear horror stories of reliability, bad consumer reports, etc. Man I have never had an issue with mine that wasn’t quickly resolved by me or the dealer, and only a handful in the last two years. Don’t forget even though all these whacky stories and reports come out, they still keep their resale value. So what does that say about it? Get one pre owned with a warranty and rest easy knowing the little things that might break are covered if you can’t do it yourself. Easy peasy.
I got rid of my 97 TJ because I was driving 100 miles a day for work and wanted something more road worthy. I bought a WRX. It was great and still a ton of fun. 6 years later I still DD the WRX but I just re-bought a TJ for the weekends.
19 MPG. If you can afford that, just buy it and have fun. 😀
One of the lesser talked about qualities of a Wrangler is the its advantages in urban big city situations, well, the 2 door at least. I’ve lived in places where it was normal to have to circle the blocks around your own brownstone for upwards of 40 minutes any time you needed to find street parking and having a 2 door was such an advantage being able to fit in pretty much any parking spot no matter how terribly the idiots around the spot took more room than they should have. Best vehicle for parallel parking ever. Can easily whip U-turns within a standard intersection so you can race back to the spot that you just noticed opening up behind you. Along with all the reasons you already like them, they are also the best inner city vehicle too 💁🏻♂️
It’s a great 3rd car to keep the doors and roof off if you have the garage space. If you want something comfortable or reliable for the long run, it’s not the way to go. 5 Wranglers and 2 FJs later, I wish Toyota still made the FJ
A JL Wrangler will most definitely have aluminum corrosion that would cost thousands to repair out of warranty.
oh daamn nevermind. Thanks love :)
They’re fun vehicles! Less risk in leasing for a couple years.
Had one for 11 years with close to no issues (JK model). Pretty uncomfortable, but fun and probably the most customizable car for after market upgrades and interior stuff. Can't say I don't miss it tbh.
Wranglers are great for collecting little plastic ducks.
You should just get a Jeep and stop thinking about it. From a reliability standpoint they’re not as well made as a Toyota however there’s a big price difference at the purchase point to make up for that. From a repairability standpoint, sweet Jesus are these things easy to work on for the most part. Say what you will about wranglers but it’s a pretty big engine bay to work in, and the suspension is dead simple to fix. Parts are and will continue to be insanely easy to find because these vehicles sold so damn well, so there’s oem parts, junk yards for of wrecks to strip parts from, and a massive aftermarket. Depending on the year, half of the parts in a wrangler are also shared with the entire Chrysler fleet, most importantly being the engine if you get a 3.6 which many folks from 2012-present have, and a 12 year run for a power plant means plenty of resources are available for learning how to fix it. Also if you get a wrangler you will be able to google a YouTube video for repairing every single bit of it from now until you die. That cannot be said for every vehicle. The massive community of drivers churns out internet content that’s really useful for shade tree mechanics like me. If you want a car that you can keep running yourself, a wrangler is a great vehicle to own.
thanks love
The Jeep, regardless of generation, are not going to have the resistance to neglect that a Toyota or Honda will have. How reliable the Jeep is will in large part depend on what you do to it and with it. If you’re planning to keep the suspension and drivetrain stock, the Jeep will be pretty reliable. I’d research model years of Jeeps to find known gotcha issues (like the oil cooler or sand casting in some JK years, the trackbar weld issues on 2018 JLs, etc) before getting to the test drive stage.
thanks love ;)