quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
The new model soft tops are night/day different from all prior. Much easier to handle.

https://youtu.be/-YBe_8hYS98

Yes a bit better w/o zippers but still involved and cumbersome having to get out of the vehicle, remove panels and stuff them into the luggage compartment of the Jeep. Compare that to another convertible like Mustang, Miata, Boxster, etc.

A new Jeep certainly does not drive like any new car on the road today - even more so with the top off.

You just have to like what Jeep brings to the table to appreciate it. Some, will never like it. Some will love it.

A good thing about a Jeep is that the differentiation between car and Jeep is not really subtle. Especially a manual transmission Jeep.

Even with refinements a Jeep does not feel like, sound like or drive like a Honda or a Subaru or host of other vehicles on the road today.

^^^^ There ya go. They are what they are, and you love 'em or you don't.

My lovely wife and I bought a 2000 Wrangler last summer. (135,000 miles, $6300, no AC) We have a small farm and I wanted something to run around back in the woods with and keep an eye out for coyotes. We got the four cylinder which is adequate for what we are doing with it. If you go out on the highway a six would be better. The gas mileage is pretty poor on Jeeps and the repairs can get expensive if you hire it done. Sometimes it is expensive if you do it yourself. We didn't license or insure ours because we don't take it off the property. I think of it more as a slightly expensive to operate toy so if you have extra money to spend then get it. If you don't, stay away from it. When buying older used, check carefully for rust, especially underneath. A lot of them don't have much frame left.

I bought a 95 YJ a few years back. Not as a daily driver but just something to backroad in. My wife wasnt really on board but has since changed her thinking. I talked about selling it and upgrading my old truck and she refused to allow it.

There is nothing better than cruising around with the top and doors off.

Nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by badcopnodonut!!:
I bought a 95 YJ a few years back. Not as a daily driver but just something to backroad in. My wife wasnt really on board but has since changed her thinking. I talked about selling it and upgrading my old truck and she refused to allow it.

There is nothing better than cruising around with the top and doors off.

Nothing.

This is what I envision.

The thing is, I’ve only ridden in a Jeep a few times. I’ve never taken one for a highway drive, and I do a 130+ mile round trip weekly on the interstate. There are backroads for that drive, though.

I just don’t like the 4-doors. CJ’s are fun, but I wouldn’t have one as my only vehicle. A TJ, perhaps, but not a CJ.

I have a family member who's in Mexico for 7 weeks and left his Wrangler with us. I've been driving it quite a bit, and I'm trying to like it, I really am, because I love the concept. But, the execution and quality just isn't there. It's possible the 2018 is a lot better, but it will have to be to change my mind.

OP: no way to tell someone how to put your hat on your own head 'just right', you gotta do it yourself.

quote:

Buy a goat instead, cheaper and rides about the same!

LOL!!!

my own sig line for a while was 'rides like a rocking horse & handles like a lawn tractor'....what's not to like?

I've had 5 Jeeps going back to circa 1962. While the first 2 were solid genius, the 76 J2000 was such a horrid frail beast it soured me for 20 years before manning up enough to try again.

Thanks to the advise of rburg here I leapt into a slightly used 08 JK...which was perfect for 90000 miles. Traded for a 15 JK 'Willy Wheeler' model. Even better.

33000 fun packed miles, no complaints.

It IS my daily driver. Rural life style & nothing else really fits as well for my needs.

NO COMPLAINTS. IMHO, the JK was example of the best of Willys/ChryslerCorp/Mercedes before MB wised up. There's lot of good influence from MB, and the JK is slotted prior to the obama/Fiat versions just coming to the show room now. JL has some features I might try some day.

Frankly I've put enough miles in CJs & YJs to not volunteer any more primitive duties under the guise of 'something wrong with the Jeep' when there really are more modern versions that are just not Jeep. The evolutionary aspect of Jeep World design is largely solved with JK & JKU. Even the JL newbies look interesting.

AT/air/285hp V6/disc brakes/real headlights/wipers that work/segmented hard top that parts can be removed & replaced by choice/
my Jeeps haven't been plagued with the demons some warn about.

quote:

I’ve never taken one for a highway drive, and I do a 130+ mile round trip weekly on the interstate. There are backroads for that drive, though.

I've put several 3000 & 4000 mile round trips on my own JKs with surprising comfort. And I find looking for those back roads as excuse to make the trip longer as well.

Todays JK is not the primitive buckboard of prior models. Some seem to have various goblins that torment and don't get resolved. That's what Lemon Laws are for.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:

quote:

I’ve never taken one for a highway drive, and I do a 130+ mile round trip weekly on the interstate. There are backroads for that drive, though.

I've put several 3000 & 4000 mile round trips on my own JKs with surprising comfort. And I find looking for those back roads as excuse to make the trip longer as well.

Todays JK is not the primitive buckboard of prior models. Some seem to have various goblins that torment and don't get resolved. That's what Lemon Laws are for.

We took my TJ on several long-ish road trips of 5 to 6 hours, and I always came away feeling beat up. Granted, there was always a smile on my face, but still, beat up.

Strangely, my Wrangler had a very smooth ride. Very surprising, as YJs came with the supposedly bucky leaf spring suspension, not the supposedly smoother coil springs of the later TJ.

Maybe I'm a poor one to give advice on such things. Way back in the summer of 1977, yes over 40 years ago, I wanted a jeep. Couldn't find one on the lot so we ordered one. Got the then new 1978. It was fun. We only kept it 6 years. Sure, I took it off road and broke a few parts. Fixed them and went out the next weekend. Then I got another new one, then another and so on. I still drive a jeep, and like it.

On the 4 door thing, I crashed my 2012. My fault and I have no excuses. The fireman at the scene told me I'm lucky to be alive. I hurt the jeep and they totaled it. I'm down to only 1 at this point. They paid me so much I thought they'd made a mistake. 5 and a half years old with 90,000 miles and I got almost $25 grand. The 4 door models really hold their value. Don't consider buying one used, the new ones are almost as cheap.

Way back in 2005 they announced the end of the TJ and the new JK. Never to be one to jump into things, I waited. In the spring of 2009 we found ourselves in Moab, UT. A nice little town we'd been visiting for the Jeep Safari for a long time. Like since 1985. So Jeep put on a big display in the center of town. The first day we went to see it. And we pulled a stunt even the hardened old jeep engineers couldn't figure out. 3 of us got in the back seat. Then another guy got in the back and the one on the other side got out. Each time closing the doors. All we were doing was making sure 3 full size guys could fit.

More recently we'd found the need to haul 3 grandkids at a time. Even with the kid carrier taking up one space, the other 2 fit just fine. Ages 5,9,and 11. That alone is justification for buying the 4 door. Besides, I still have my 2 door for serious business. You won't get hurt financially with the 4 door. If you only have one more kid, he/she'll fit. Two more and your on your own. Wish I'd had more myself.

So do a test. Watch the faces on jeepers as they go past. Most have a smile. Even the girlies driving them wave at other jeepers. One DIL couldn't understand why all the strange girls were waving at her husband. Then she started driving it and all the strange guys were waving at her! Go figure.

If you're driving a junk foreign car and it breaks down, notice the other drivers of the same brand cruise right on by. Then if you ever see a jeep with a problem, it becomes a jeep party. Doesn't matter if its a girl or a guy, you'll get towed to where you need to be.

I enjoyed your comment in original post concerning the CJ5. I had a CJ5 for a couple years
in the early 1990's. It was a 1978 (or 79, can't remember at the moment) with an inline
six and three speed manual trans. It was great, had a rebuilt 4.0 in it, and I loved the
3 speed manual trans.(as long as I didn't need to go above 50mph). It was a lot of fun on trails and
in town. I really loved that engine, and did I mention that I loved the three speed manual?

A tree fell on it during the Nashville ice storm of 1994 (that ice storm also pancaked our brand new
3 week old Crown Vic with about 900 miles on it ). I replaced the hood, soft top, etc. and drove the Jeep
for awhile longer, because it ran so well.
One of my brother-in-laws offered me more money than I had in it, as he wanted a hunting vehicle that
was ready to go. I sold it to him, mainly because the only issue I had with the CJ5 was it was a tight
fit for me (I'm 6'2"). It worked perfect for my BIL, because he was 5'8".
The CJ5's with old school 3 speed and inline six are really fun.

Buy the Jeep. Scratch the itch. If you don't like it, sell it and call it done.

As a single man, I owned a Wrangler, Corvette and Explorer all at the same time. I found the Jeep a useless toy, underpowered and too small. Couldn't do anything that I could not do in the Explorer.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
It's a Chrysler, and friends don't let friends buy Chrysler.

If you want an older one to drive on the weekends and go trail riding, go for it. But don't buy a Chrysler.

This is what would scare me the most. I truly hate to rain on anyone's parade, and I would encourage you to endulge your dreams, but remember.....it's a Chrysler.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmanic:

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
It's a Chrysler, and friends don't let friends buy Chrysler.

If you want an older one to drive on the weekends and go trail riding, go for it. But don't buy a Chrysler.

This is what would scare me the most. I truly hate to rain on anyone's parade, and I would encourage you to endulge your dreams, but remember.....it's a Chrysler.

Have no idea what you mean. My Ram truck is best vehicle I’ve ever owned long term besides my Volvo’s.

Count how many jeeps you see on the way to work tomorrow. You’ll be surprised. It’s a lot. Speaks for itself.

My wife always wanted one. She begged and begged but I wouldn’t give in just because I didn’t think it was necessary. She happened to get a nice raise at work...

2 years I gave in and I loooooooove it!!!! SO MUCH FUN. Fun all year round! Especially doors and top off during the summer.

I just love it. 4 door 2016 wrangler here.

Buy it just for the whole Jeep wave thing...all Jeep owners wave to each other as they pass lol

I had a '99 Sahara and sold it after about 3 years and I miss it. Wish I would have kept it because it was fun especially with the top down and doors off. I will get another before too long.

Don't listen to the nayayers. You want one. Buy it. You earned it and deserve it. If you end up not really liking it after a few years then you can trade it in on a minivan. A couple of years ago my wife and I flew to Vegas, rented a Jeep and toured the whole area with the top down. LOVED IT. Go for it. You only live once.