Never owned a Jeep. Tell me why I should buy one
- Thread starter Sandhill2000
- Start date
GaryMB
New member
Let me just say I was sceptical of getting a jeep at first. I was looking for a cheap offroader to get me through some tough stuff and was seriously considering a 'yota for the reliability and bed. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into when I bought the jeep, but l must say that whatever pushed me toward the jeep (the price?), I am glad it did. There is just something about having a jeep, and you really feel it when cruising around town on a sunny, warm day with the top and doors off. It's actually really reliable and alot of fun...a big head-turner when you throw on a lift and some big tires--I've carried on plenty of conversations with complete strangers at stop lights. Sometimes I do wish it had a bigger bed, but do have a p/u at home for when I need to haul around engines and axles and so forth. My uncle once said, "it's not a car, it's not a truck, and is rugged as hell." Just be prepared to enjoy driving to work everyday.
Sparky-Watts
Banned
Re: The REAL Question.
Amen to that!!
GaryMB said:
Amen to that!!
Nice website guys.
I'm also looking to buy a Jeep, I guess it's a midlife thing, but I've always liked them. What would you guys suggest as a first model, say in the $6K range, mostly on-road, weekend type vehicle, going camping and maybe driving on the beach (we live in NC).
What are the differences in models such as TJ and YJ?
Thanks.
I'm also looking to buy a Jeep, I guess it's a midlife thing, but I've always liked them. What would you guys suggest as a first model, say in the $6K range, mostly on-road, weekend type vehicle, going camping and maybe driving on the beach (we live in NC).
What are the differences in models such as TJ and YJ?
Thanks.
mud4feet
New member
RE: cherokee console removal
First off, welcome to the "Z"!! What part of NC are you from? I live over in the mountains, so it's about a 10 hr. drive to the beach for me (damn long state!).
The main difference between the TJ and the YJ is the suspension - TJ=coil springs, smoother ride......YJ=leaf springs, stiffer "Jeep-like" ride. And the TJ is equipped with airbaqs (damn government ), so the dash is more "carlike" - YJ has a much more simplistic, functional dash. You'll probably be hard pressed to find a TJ in the $6K range ('97 and up), but there's not a thing wrong with the YJ (square headlights aside :lol: ). I've got an '03 TJ and the wife has a '94 YJ and I love 'em both!! Good luck in your quest.
30yrheel said:
First off, welcome to the "Z"!! What part of NC are you from? I live over in the mountains, so it's about a 10 hr. drive to the beach for me (damn long state!).
The main difference between the TJ and the YJ is the suspension - TJ=coil springs, smoother ride......YJ=leaf springs, stiffer "Jeep-like" ride. And the TJ is equipped with airbaqs (damn government
), so the dash is more "carlike" - YJ has a much more simplistic, functional dash. You'll probably be hard pressed to find a TJ in the $6K range ('97 and up), but there's not a thing wrong with the YJ (square headlights aside :lol: ). I've got an '03 TJ and the wife has a '94 YJ and I love 'em both!! Good luck in your quest.
Saurian
New member
90 Cherokee stalls and hesitates bad on take off.
Well yeah, with THAT attitude :lol:
Re: Jeepz; trust me, it's worth your while to stay around, there is a wealth of good information and great people on this board, it's friendly, not stuffy, and always around to talk to :mrgreen:
Re: Jeep. I had never owned a Jeep in my life, and the Jeep I have now is only my second vehicle that I have ever owned... I had an '84 Reliant, that I tried to take on the 2 track back to the woods (yes, you could do this back in the day, the road has degraded considerably in the 11 years hence), and be that as it is, I got massively stuck, and the friendly tow truck driver pulled me out, rearended the hell out of me, and booked. Not good. That was the end of that car, by the time I made it home from up north, a good 5 hour drive, the rear seat mounts were scraping the pavement (rusty unibody and rear end collision will do that...)
So, I wanted a vehicle that could get me up to my property, as I'd not been there since 1994, this trip 8 years later was a disaster, and it's most assuredly my happy place. I was originally in the market for a 4X4 Dakota, but they are expensive, very expensive... Not to mention that we're walking around the car lot, and when I start admiring one, my grandma (and WHY did we bring her along?!?) starts freaking out about how I don't want a rear wheel drive vehicle in Michigan (and the Jeep is what?!?), and why don't I get a nice Jeep?
A Jeep? Hmm... Why yes, they've intrigued me in the past, most definately. I always wanted one, Cherokee or Wrangler, and since Wrangler and used Dakota were scarce in the Oakland Dodge used car lot, the friendly but desperate used car salesman pointed me towards a Jeep... 1997, black Cherokee, 60 something thousand miles, 13 grand... Not bad, I likes it... But seeing the opportunity to make a larger sale (must have seen the bug bite me :lol: ), he says, wait here a minute...
Rolling around the building comes this beautiful Patriot Blue 2000 Cherokee Sport... Well hell, I'm done for... The I-6 engine is a dark chest of wonder, power and common sense in one neat package... The body is flawless and sparkly. It has keyless entry. It has power EVERYTHING. It has a sunroof, 6 disc changer, and is still under warranty, as it has just over 24,000 miles on it... "Hey, come on, drive it around"... Aw jeez... I'm beyond help now, doing the 50 MPH slalom between the lightposts in the Star Theatre John R. parking lot, the steering is responsive to my slightest touch. The corners are perfectly there, I can see where the vehicle is... There is glass everywhere, so easy to see what's around you. The A/C is frigid. The sound system is a symphony of ears-bleeding perfection, and the trans, oh wow... The automatic transmission responded immediately, sharply, and on demand... No slipping, no dwell, but at the same time, no slamming, no jumping... It didn't feel sloppy like the Caravan, or dying like the Reliant, not to mention above all that, the thing fit me like a glove... The space in the drivers seat is like it was moulded to my body, and look at all the cargo space
"So, what am I looking at here"... Well, 15 grand, 2,000 down, how's 275 a month sound? I can DO that!!! Of course, somewhere in paperwork and translation, 275 becomes 316.61, which is still reasonable... I went back the next day, it had been all prepped, and looked exquisite, had that nice new detail smell and everything, you couldn't tell it was used, not at all...
Wow, I feel just the same way I did when I bought it now Of course, since then, it has worn in, as all Jeep will... Over the course of the last 3 years now, I have put over 64,000 miles on it, and in that time, the suspension has sagged a tiny bit (extreme 4X4ing with about 400 pounds of sand in the back will do that, though), and the steering might have loosened up some, but by the same token, I drive the hell out of my Jeep...
They're not luxury cars with AWD, if you are looking for that, get a Pacifica... And I can't exactly tell you about the Wrangler, as I do not yet have one in my posession, nor have I driven one. I can tell you that for a stocker Cherokee, I never cease to be amazed at the places that it can go off-road... Me personally, I like the slightly rougher ride; I hate being in a car, hitting a bump, and feeling like you're driving a posturepedic mattress, when I hit a bump, I want to know where it is, how large it is, and which tire is going over it. And the ride's not that exceptionally rough really, it's not like you're driving a work truck or anything like that... Enginewise, I love the I-6, they are easy to work on, have few major problems that they are really prone to, and will last forever with regular maintanance (change the oil, change the oil, change the oil...) I am partial to the AW4 automatic trans, just because I hate driving stick in the city, and I do love being off road and not having to worry about clutching, just hitting the gas and going...
I had never been off-roading before either, never owned a Jeep, like I said, and had no idea what I was getting into. The offroad thing, wow... It is so much fun, and so very fulfilling...
An excessively long journal entry that well sums up the appeal of offroading can be found here http://www.livejournal.com/users/saurianentity/2005/02/27/
**BE WARNED** I use some strong language in the old journal
As for the rest of it, I had no idea what a cult following this could be. Total strangers become good friends just because you both have Jeep... I wave, they wave, we all wave! It's unbelievable... You find a good message board, a local club, well heck, I, who am antisocial as all get out, have enjoyed Jeeper Christmas parties, meet and greets at local restaraunts/bars, wrenching parties, sightings on-road, wheeling trips... It's incredible...
Those are my thoughts and experience... I'll tell you, I wouldn't trade my Jeep for anything in the world, now I just want to make it grow, and increase the herd to more Jeep
Hope this helps in some small way, at the very least, typing it has made my day
Jeep!
mingez said:
Well yeah, with THAT attitude :lol:
Re: Jeepz; trust me, it's worth your while to stay around, there is a wealth of good information and great people on this board, it's friendly, not stuffy, and always around to talk to :mrgreen:
Re: Jeep. I had never owned a Jeep in my life, and the Jeep I have now is only my second vehicle that I have ever owned... I had an '84 Reliant, that I tried to take on the 2 track back to the woods (yes, you could do this back in the day, the road has degraded considerably in the 11 years hence), and be that as it is, I got massively stuck, and the friendly tow truck driver pulled me out, rearended the hell out of me, and booked. Not good. That was the end of that car, by the time I made it home from up north, a good 5 hour drive, the rear seat mounts were scraping the pavement (rusty unibody and rear end collision will do that...)
So, I wanted a vehicle that could get me up to my property, as I'd not been there since 1994, this trip 8 years later was a disaster, and it's most assuredly my happy place. I was originally in the market for a 4X4 Dakota, but they are expensive, very expensive... Not to mention that we're walking around the car lot, and when I start admiring one, my grandma (and WHY did we bring her along?!?) starts freaking out about how I don't want a rear wheel drive vehicle in Michigan (and the Jeep is what?!?), and why don't I get a nice Jeep?
A Jeep? Hmm... Why yes, they've intrigued me in the past, most definately. I always wanted one, Cherokee or Wrangler, and since Wrangler and used Dakota were scarce in the Oakland Dodge used car lot, the friendly but desperate used car salesman pointed me towards a Jeep... 1997, black Cherokee, 60 something thousand miles, 13 grand... Not bad, I likes it... But seeing the opportunity to make a larger sale (must have seen the bug bite me :lol: ), he says, wait here a minute...
Rolling around the building comes this beautiful Patriot Blue 2000 Cherokee Sport... Well hell, I'm done for... The I-6 engine is a dark chest of wonder, power and common sense in one neat package... The body is flawless and sparkly. It has keyless entry. It has power EVERYTHING. It has a sunroof, 6 disc changer, and is still under warranty, as it has just over 24,000 miles on it... "Hey, come on, drive it around"... Aw jeez... I'm beyond help now, doing the 50 MPH slalom between the lightposts in the Star Theatre John R. parking lot, the steering is responsive to my slightest touch. The corners are perfectly there, I can see where the vehicle is... There is glass everywhere, so easy to see what's around you. The A/C is frigid. The sound system is a symphony of ears-bleeding perfection, and the trans, oh wow... The automatic transmission responded immediately, sharply, and on demand... No slipping, no dwell, but at the same time, no slamming, no jumping... It didn't feel sloppy like the Caravan, or dying like the Reliant, not to mention above all that, the thing fit me like a glove... The space in the drivers seat is like it was moulded to my body, and look at all the cargo space
"So, what am I looking at here"... Well, 15 grand, 2,000 down, how's 275 a month sound? I can DO that!!! Of course, somewhere in paperwork and translation, 275 becomes 316.61, which is still reasonable... I went back the next day, it had been all prepped, and looked exquisite, had that nice new detail smell and everything, you couldn't tell it was used, not at all...
Wow, I feel just the same way I did when I bought it now
Of course, since then, it has worn in, as all Jeep will... Over the course of the last 3 years now, I have put over 64,000 miles on it, and in that time, the suspension has sagged a tiny bit (extreme 4X4ing with about 400 pounds of sand in the back will do that, though), and the steering might have loosened up some, but by the same token, I drive the hell out of my Jeep... They're not luxury cars with AWD, if you are looking for that, get a Pacifica... And I can't exactly tell you about the Wrangler, as I do not yet have one in my posession, nor have I driven one. I can tell you that for a stocker Cherokee, I never cease to be amazed at the places that it can go off-road... Me personally, I like the slightly rougher ride; I hate being in a car, hitting a bump, and feeling like you're driving a posturepedic mattress, when I hit a bump, I want to know where it is, how large it is, and which tire is going over it. And the ride's not that exceptionally rough really, it's not like you're driving a work truck or anything like that... Enginewise, I love the I-6, they are easy to work on, have few major problems that they are really prone to, and will last forever with regular maintanance (change the oil, change the oil, change the oil...) I am partial to the AW4 automatic trans, just because I hate driving stick in the city, and I do love being off road and not having to worry about clutching, just hitting the gas and going...
I had never been off-roading before either, never owned a Jeep, like I said, and had no idea what I was getting into. The offroad thing, wow... It is so much fun, and so very fulfilling...
An excessively long journal entry that well sums up the appeal of offroading can be found here http://www.livejournal.com/users/saurianentity/2005/02/27/
**BE WARNED** I use some strong language in the old journal
As for the rest of it, I had no idea what a cult following this could be. Total strangers become good friends just because you both have Jeep... I wave, they wave, we all wave! It's unbelievable... You find a good message board, a local club, well heck, I, who am antisocial as all get out, have enjoyed Jeeper Christmas parties, meet and greets at local restaraunts/bars, wrenching parties, sightings on-road, wheeling trips... It's incredible...
Those are my thoughts and experience... I'll tell you, I wouldn't trade my Jeep for anything in the world, now I just want to make it grow, and increase the herd to more Jeep
Hope this helps in some small way, at the very least, typing it has made my day
Jeep!
felix_santi
New member
I never did trust Jeep people..nope. Why, they always look at every Jeep, want to touch and climb under the body. Heck, some even drool on them.. Yep, I would buy a Honda. Stay away from those Jeepers.
TwistedCU
New member
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: I shimmie
For $6K, you can buy a low mileage YJ if you take your time looking. A YJ is an 87-95 Wrangler. I'd get a '91-95 because they had the 4.0L engines available. '91's had the old "CJ style" rollbars, but a clean, low mileage '91 would be hard to find, and I'd fight you for it :lol:
The YJ's are more, shall we say, rustic than the newer TJ Wranglers inside and out. The suspensions are stiffer, but much simpler and easier to work on if you want to lift it down the road. The TJ's (97-current) are going to cost more, but you should be able to buy one in your range. You can get a YJ much cheaper, but if you find a cherry one it will be near what you're looking to spend.
Then there is always a CJ7...
Go look at them, drive a couple... read up on them. One thing is for sure you will love it.
yeah, good folks around here. Even with all the sarcasm30yrheel said:
For $6K, you can buy a low mileage YJ if you take your time looking. A YJ is an 87-95 Wrangler. I'd get a '91-95 because they had the 4.0L engines available. '91's had the old "CJ style" rollbars, but a clean, low mileage '91 would be hard to find, and I'd fight you for it :lol:
The YJ's are more, shall we say, rustic than the newer TJ Wranglers inside and out. The suspensions are stiffer, but much simpler and easier to work on if you want to lift it down the road. The TJ's (97-current) are going to cost more, but you should be able to buy one in your range. You can get a YJ much cheaper, but if you find a cherry one it will be near what you're looking to spend.
Then there is always a CJ7...
Go look at them, drive a couple... read up on them. One thing is for sure you will love it.
jeepless20
New member
Dude, saurian, reading that story brought back so many insanly awsome memories of my Jeep days. i had a 1995 cherokee. it was one of thoes really dark green over tan jobbies. i say its the perfect color... for a Jeep because the trees are green and the dirt of the trail is tan. also had lether seats (wich im not a huge fan of) fake wood grain dash (wich i do like.) and the rear speakers were in the coolest places too, on the roof just behind the rear pasengers heads. anyway, i dtched the factory speakers and slaped some arc audio CTX5 5-1/4 inch mids with the coaxial 1" silk dome tweeter, and the same in the frot doors, and a sony that spit out 54 watts to 4 channals at 4 ohms. anyhow lets just say everyone could hear the music. but thats a different story.
What can i say about the cherokees four-by'in, or for any Jeep for that matter. well one of my friends had a 1986 ford ranger with the V6 and 31" tires and another had a 1985 chevy scottsdale with a 350 and 33" tires. oh and then theres me in my stock suspention cherokee with the I-6HO and 30" oddball brand mud tires. i could follow them warever thay went and further. she even made it up a crazy hillclimb in a town called Yreka CA. the locals call it suicide hill. I tell ya that thing clawed and chewed and tore and nawed and just straigh snatch its way up that very technical and steep piece of land. and when you get to the top of your first mean azz hillclimb, oh man, you cant explain that feeling. am i right.
thats about all i can say as i think im crying just thinking about losin' er. i hope that whatever model you choose you have as much fun with it as i did mine.
What can i say about the cherokees four-by'in, or for any Jeep for that matter. well one of my friends had a 1986 ford ranger with the V6 and 31" tires and another had a 1985 chevy scottsdale with a 350 and 33" tires. oh and then theres me in my stock suspention cherokee with the I-6HO and 30" oddball brand mud tires. i could follow them warever thay went and further. she even made it up a crazy hillclimb in a town called Yreka CA. the locals call it suicide hill. I tell ya that thing clawed and chewed and tore and nawed and just straigh snatch its way up that very technical and steep piece of land. and when you get to the top of your first mean azz hillclimb, oh man, you cant explain that feeling. am i right.
thats about all i can say as i think im crying just thinking about losin' er. i hope that whatever model you choose you have as much fun with it as i did mine.
mud4feet said:30yrheel said:
First off, welcome to the "Z"!! What part of NC are you from? I live over in the mountains, so it's about a 10 hr. drive to the beach for me (damn long state!).
The main difference between the TJ and the YJ is the suspension - TJ=coil springs, smoother ride......YJ=leaf springs, stiffer "Jeep-like" ride. And the TJ is equipped with airbaqs (damn government
Thanks for the help. I'm in Forsyth Co., went to HS near Hickory and had a friend with a CJ that we fourwheeled with in the mountains.
Inspector-Gadget
New member
Jeep = Fun
You + Jeep = YouHaveFun
and ... because OhioMike said so.
Regards,
Gadget
PS: Sandhill2000 and 30yrheel -- Welcome to Jeepz Dot Com
You + Jeep = YouHaveFun
and ... because OhioMike said so.
Regards,
Gadget
PS: Sandhill2000 and 30yrheel -- Welcome to Jeepz Dot Com
RE: Should I use this old tire?
It is not a midlife thing guys, and chicks dig em' too. I agree with most of the others:
Rubi is overkill for the price.
X, Sport, or Sahara depending on your activities in regards to off roading.
No doubt .....V6.... I have had both ...trust me! soft top, manuel is my preference.
If you are interested in a Jeep make sure you ride in one first. "It is a Jeep things you may not understand" if not don't buy one.
I have a 98 Jeep TJ, and have also owned a CJ, both were great, but I hit the beach more than the woods now so.....went newer. My other vehicle is a Chevy HD Crew Cab, love my truck, but the Jeep is my passion, you'll eithier love it or hate there is not substitute. Good luck... let us know.
It is not a midlife thing guys, and chicks dig em' too. I agree with most of the others:
Rubi is overkill for the price.
X, Sport, or Sahara depending on your activities in regards to off roading.
No doubt .....V6.... I have had both ...trust me! soft top, manuel is my preference.
If you are interested in a Jeep make sure you ride in one first. "It is a Jeep things you may not understand" if not don't buy one.
I have a 98 Jeep TJ, and have also owned a CJ, both were great, but I hit the beach more than the woods now so.....went newer. My other vehicle is a Chevy HD Crew Cab, love my truck, but the Jeep is my passion, you'll eithier love it or hate there is not substitute. Good luck... let us know.
Looks like there's a lot more 4 cyl's for sale than 6's in my price range (< $6k, as second vehicle). Are the 4's that bad or do most people, from what i've read and heard, just prefer the 6's?
I've seen a couple of early 90's SE's, < 90K miles for under $5K. Late 90's Sports/Sahara's put me in the $9K range.
Thanks.
I've seen a couple of early 90's SE's, < 90K miles for under $5K. Late 90's Sports/Sahara's put me in the $9K range.
Thanks.
mud4feet
New member
30yrheel said:
No, the 4's are not bad. It basically depends on your driving style. I love my little 4 and have no regrets. It gets me everywhere I want to go, I just don't pass very many people, which is fine with me. Off-road, she does great - not a problem. The main thing with the 4's is highway performance - the only things you pass are Yugos, Ford Festivas, and tractors. But they'll cruise at the speed limit all day long (as long as it's not uphill) and they're good, reliable engines. Try it - you may like it!! And you can't beat the price!! :lol: :lol:
Sparky-Watts
Banned
4" rusty's YJ lift
I'll second what Mud said....nothing wrong with the 4-bangers unless you want to race someone. Who buys a Jeep for highway performance anyway? What matters is how it does off-road, and I have absolutely no complaints with the 4-banger off-road. I'm getting between 20 and 22 mpg on a regular basis with mine, and guessing the best you'd get out of a 6 would be 15 to 17 mpg, if that much.
I'll second what Mud said....nothing wrong with the 4-bangers unless you want to race someone. Who buys a Jeep for highway performance anyway? What matters is how it does off-road, and I have absolutely no complaints with the 4-banger off-road. I'm getting between 20 and 22 mpg on a regular basis with mine, and guessing the best you'd get out of a 6 would be 15 to 17 mpg, if that much.
LadyJeepFreak
New member
RE: Re: still looking in Winston-Salem
Ladyjeep agrees on the 4 banger. I have one and wouldn't trade it for the world. When I first got it and then saw 6's, I lamented the fact that I had a 4 but now I realize that highway speed is the only major difference and who speeds in a jeep anyway? Not I. I love my 4 and you'd love yours too if you had one! It's perfect offroad and I've never noticed any 6's (with similar mods) kicking my arse there. Good Luck with your decision!
Lady
Ladyjeep agrees on the 4 banger. I have one and wouldn't trade it for the world. When I first got it and then saw 6's, I lamented the fact that I had a 4 but now I realize that highway speed is the only major difference and who speeds in a jeep anyway? Not I. I love my 4 and you'd love yours too if you had one! It's perfect offroad and I've never noticed any 6's (with similar mods) kicking my arse there. Good Luck with your decision!
Lady
