Jeep Wrangler...any input on these?

[Dr. Nole]

The kid has one of these as their dream vehicle...I don't know why.
Just doing some preliminary research into them they are clearly excellent for off road stuff but not particularly safe vehicles in the crash test stuff. Not great on pavement, noisy, squirrely....

Anybody have any input on them?

 

[FSUTribe76]

The kid has one of these as their dream vehicle...I don't know why.
Just doing some preliminary research into them they are clearly excellent for off road stuff but not particularly safe vehicles in the crash test stuff. Not great on pavement, noisy, squirrely....

Anybody have any input on them?

No experience other than a law school roommate having one, but I would think its not wise to give a beginner a wrangler. Even the newest model has only a 3 out of 5 for rollover safety and "marginal" safety ratings for rear and side crashes per US News. Plus only a 2.5 out of 5 for reliability. And remember these ratings are "manufacturer friendly" so there's lots of 5 out of 5s and no 1 out of 5s, so in reality those ratings suck.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Jeep_Wrangler/Safety/

 

[NDallasRuss]

I've never had one, but I thought it'd be cool to own one - so I did a lot of research before eventually buying something else. What I found was:

1. Even after all these years, they can't seem to put an engine in it that realistically gets more than 16mpg.

2. While they're known for being so rugged and off-roadey, it seems like they're surprisingly undependable.

3. Despite getting crappy gas mileage and breaking down a lot, they still hold their value WAY better than they have a right to.

4. Even if I did ever buy a jeep, I'd immediately have to dump $5k more into it for a lift and bigger tires - otherwise, with the stock tires and rims, they look like the Korean War-era jeeps that you'd see on old MASH episodes, and nobody ever envisions driving a Jeep that looks like that!

Anyway, that's my own $0.02, from someone who's not a Jeep fanboy, but still thinks it'd be cool to have one someday.

 

[FSUTribe76]

No experience other than a law school roommate having one, but I would think its not wise to give a beginner a wrangler. Even the newest model has only a 3 out of 5 for rollover safety and "marginal" safety ratings for rear and side crashes per US News. Plus only a 2.5 out of 5 for reliability. And remember these ratings are "manufacturer friendly" so there's lots of 5 out of 5s and no 1 out of 5s, so in reality those ratings suck.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Jeep_Wrangler/Safety/

On the above note, although the Wrangler has a 7.4 overall safety rating and that sounds good, you have to remember they bend over backwards to give high numbers. The worst Hyundais and Hondas were an 8.5 and I haven't yet in a quick scan found a single Asian or American car with a worse score and that includes SUVs. The second worst car from Asia or America was a tie between the Chevy Suburban and Chevy Colorado which both got a 7.9 or half a point higher than the Wrangler. So basically it's the least safe thing on the market other than some of the cheap Euro %+^%boxes.

 

[seminoledq]

I hate mine. Correction: I hate my wife's. The good news is I only have 3 payments left. It rides loud and rough (not unlike the wife), gets bad mileage, can't get up a hill. Plus, being in CO I can only have the top off about 4 months a year.

 

[NOLES WIN]

I actually bought my son one for his first vehicle. Didn't regret it. If you get a TJ model they are fairly dependable. Accessories are easy to aquire and not too expensive. Also they are slow. Which is a plus. He could get it dirty without me getting pissed. He saved for upgrades that I helped install. That was fun.
The engines are very solid. Milage does stink. But he drove about 15 miles a day to school.

 

[smhnole]

I had one for a few years and enjoyed it. Never had any problems with it. I think it would actually be a fairly safe first vehicle for a kid. If you get a 4-cyl, it'll have no power which I could see being a plus for a 16 year old. Additionally, a stick will keep him more focused on driving.

 

[surfnole]

Know two people that rolled them in high school. One's arm bears permanent scars. The other found the jeep resting on the curb above his head in the gutter. Lucky he wasn't crushed. Not a car for a high schooler or maybe even college.

 

[gwgwi]

Haven't had one in 20 years but really enjoyed mine. Had a 6 cyl., lots of power. Having said that, I was 40 yo and wouldn't get one for a young driver.

 

[NOLES WIN]

Not su

Know two people that rolled them in high school. One's arm bears permanent scars. The other found the jeep resting on the curb above his head in the gutter. Lucky he wasn't crushed. Not a car for a high schooler or maybe even college.

Not sure what people are doing to roll them. They are not exactly top heavy. They can roll with some serious driver error. But pretty sure most cars and especially SUVS can as well

 

[gonolesgg]

I own a jeep 4 door in nw Florida. I prob wouldn't buy this as a 1st car for safety reason and they are expensive for what you get.

I really like mine and take doors and top off once in awhile. It's great for riding over to beach or back/forth to work. Kinda a 2nd car to use.

The gas milage is terrible though and most likely u will spend more on upgrades, lift kit and tires.

If u do it try to find one used. There are tons of people that buy them and hate it. Very loud and not good for family trips etc.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Not su

Not sure what people are doing to roll them. They are not exactly top heavy. They can roll with some serious driver error. But pretty sure most cars and especially SUVS can as well

It's got the absolute worst roll score of any American or Asian car as far as my quick research could tell. As far as why, all SUVs have pretty bad rollover as they're less low to the ground than real cars but the Wrangler is very "upright" and not low profile so any hit or torque will cause it to start rolling.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I own a jeep 4 door in nw Florida. I prob wouldn't buy this as a 1st car for safety reason and they are expensive for what you get.

I really like mine and take doors and top off once in awhile. It's great for riding over to beach or back/forth to work. Kinda a 2nd car to use.

The gas milage is terrible though and most likely u will spend more on upgrades, lift kit and tires.

If u do it try to find one used. There are tons of people that buy them and hate it. Very loud and not good for family trips etc.

That's what I'd assume. If I lived out west like in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona etc, it looks like a nice third car for your household just like a quick little convertible sports for Florida ie a great weekend screwing around car. Just not for your main car and absolutely not for a nube driver who doesn't understand how to drive something dangerous like that. I wouldn't give any rugrat I would have a little sports car for his/her first car nor would I give him/her a jeep. I'd find a nicer cheap, safe car that might look sporty but with an emphasis on safety. There are a lot of cheap cars out there with 10/10 safety ratings and 5 out of 5 rollover.

 

[DanC78]

I have a jeep and enjoy it.

Cons: They ride rough, not practical for a family car or working vehicle, gas mileage is so so, and they are expensive considering.

Pros: they don't depreciate anything like most cars. You will find this out when shopping for them. They have a roll bar, so that is about as safe as you can get when it comes to flipping over. Because it ride so rough it doesn't make you want to go fast. They are also a hobby. Lots of little things you can upgrade and customize on a jeep to make it unique to you. There are also jeep clubs and groups making it a social thing. And of course, they best part about a jeep is that you can take the roof and doors off with ease.

I had a motorcycle for a few years and loved the way I felt when I rode it when it came to cruising and taking your surroundings in. The only thing that made me nervous was how unsafe they were. So I sold it and bought a jeep, and I can tell you that a jeep gives you the same pleasure a motorcycle does, except jeeps have role bars, seat belts, and airbags.

One thing I will recommend when buying one. Buy a soft top and standard of at all possible. Much better ride if you do. If you go automatic and hard top, you are missing the point of a jeep...IMO.

 

[NOLES WIN]

It's got the absolute worst roll score of any American or Asian car as far as my quick research could tell. As far as why, all SUVs have pretty bad rollover as they're less low to the ground than real cars but the Wrangler is very "upright" and not low profile so any hit or torque will cause it to start rolling.

Ford Explorer is worse. So is Tahoe. Sports cars get rolled more than than jeepshe simply because of driving habits

 

[DanC78]

Ford Explorer is worse. So is Tahoe. Sports cars get rolled more than than jeepshe simply because of driving habits

Exactly....jeeps roll easy when you are purposefully trying to roll it. You don't tend to drive like an jerk when in a jeep....unless it's slow in the left lane.

 

[wdnole]

I've owned my 4 door Wrangler for almost 8 years now and still love it. Granted, it is very low mileage for 8 years, just over 50K due to several long term foreign work assignments I've had during this period. I've honestly not had even one problem with it, not even minor... only typical maintenance, regular oil changes one set of new tires, one new battery, etc...

That being said, I think the two door Wranglers are probably a lot worse as far as safety. Not going to try to back it up with any stats... they just look the part. High off the ground, somewhat top heavy, and very short vehicles with removable doors and a fabric roof.

But my 4 door looks great, it is a perfect garnet color with Nole plates front and back.. still looks brand new.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Good first vehicle for a teen.

An open top vehicle with a tendency to roll that is just begging to be taken off-road and because it's the coolest car among his high school buddies he'll end up driving all the time, first to the local hangout, then to the beach, where he'll consume large amounts of alcohol, cram eight people in the the back and get pulled over on the way home after the state trooper sees a drunk 10th grader who's shotgunned one too many PBRs flashing her breasts to truckers as they fly by at 80 mph. Then the cop will order everyone out of the vehicle, give everyone a ticket for possession, then your son gets pinched on a DWI, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of marijuana for the dime bag your son's "friend" stashed under the dash when they first got stopped.
So...you now have a son who's been expelled from high school, had his scholarship offer from Yale revoked, can't stray too far from home because of the monitor around his ankle and the only time he's allowed to use the computer is to update his whereabouts on the state sex offender registry.

All because you thought it would be cool for him to have a Jeep...

 

[DanC78]

Good first vehicle for a teen.

An open top vehicle with a tendency to roll that is just begging to be taken off-road and because it's the coolest car among his high school buddies he'll end up driving all the time, first to the local hangout, then to the beach, where he'll consume large amounts of alcohol, cram eight people in the the back and get pulled over on the way home after the state trooper sees a drunk 10th grader who's shotgunned one too many PBRs flashing her breasts to truckers as they fly by at 80 mph. Then the cop will order everyone out of the vehicle, give everyone a ticket for possession, then your son gets pinched on a DWI, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of marijuana for the dime bag your son's "friend" stashed under the dash when they first got stopped.
So...you now have a son who's been expelled from high school, had his scholarship offer from Yale revoked, can't stray too far from home because of the monitor around his ankle and the only time he's allowed to use the computer is to update his whereabouts on the state sex offender registry.

All because you thought it would be cool for him to have a Jeep...

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Just messing around lol

 

[DanC78]

Just messing around lol

oh I know...I laughed.

and if Jeeps were that cool, I'm sure every 16 year old kid in America would be lining up to get one.

 

[RTM58]

There are more jeeps than trophy wives down here, and that's saying something. My daughter wants one next year.....

From FB

 

[ericram]

There are more jeeps than trophy wives down here, and that's saying something. My daughter wants one next year.....

From FB

And where do you live?

 

[RTM58]

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

 

[SeaPA]

I bought a soft top about 9 months ago. It's my vehicle, I haven't even considered letting my sons drive it yet. Of course, they are only 12 & 10. I'm sure they will drive it some when they get old enough, but their time behind the wheel will be very limited.

Pluses - It's a fun vehicle to drive, especially when the weather is nice. The top comes down/goes up easily, so I drive with it down as much as possible. It's made to drive with the roof down - I can't imagine why anyone would have it closed except when it's raining. I've been very happy with the purchase.

Minuses - It rides very loud on the highway; if I had an Interstate commute to work I would not want one. When you get off the Interstate & slow down at the exit, you'll be shocked at how loud you had the stereo cranked just so you could hear it. Gas mileage is poor. Blind spots when driving are bad - you REALLY have to pay attention to what's behind & around you (when the roof is down it's not bad at all - the blind spot issues are when the roof is closed).

 

[TexSkills]

I had a TJ Wrangler for many years and I'm still pissed at myself for getting rid of it. Mine was a 4 cylinder with a 5 speed manual transmission. Sure it was noisy but it was a lot of fun.

I haven't kept up with Jeep models the last few years but someone told me they don't offer a 4 cylinder anymore. I guess all of them are 6 cyls?

 

[ATLNole1]

I had a TJ Wrangler as my first car and loved it. It was noisy but plenty of fun to drive during the summer with the top down. Never really had any mechanical problems and really enjoyed getting off road and learning to navigate rocks and other obstacles. I still wish I had one as a second car but definitely not as the primary vehicle because of the noise, rough ride, bad gas mileage.

Never really did much research on the safety aspect. Nothing serious but I had a few wrecks in mine and never had any issues.

 

[DanC78]

I bought a soft top about 9 months ago. It's my vehicle, I haven't even considered letting my sons drive it yet. Of course, they are only 12 & 10. I'm sure they will drive it some when they get old enough, but their time behind the wheel will be very limited.

Pluses - It's a fun vehicle to drive, especially when the weather is nice. The top comes down/goes up easily, so I drive with it down as much as possible. It's made to drive with the roof down - I can't imagine why anyone would have it closed except when it's raining. I've been very happy with the purchase.

Minuses - It rides very loud on the highway; if I had an Interstate commute to work I would not want one. When you get off the Interstate & slow down at the exit, you'll be shocked at how loud you had the stereo cranked just so you could hear it. Gas mileage is poor. Blind spots when driving are bad - you REALLY have to pay attention to what's behind & around you (when the roof is down it's not bad at all - the blind spot issues are when the roof is closed).

Shocking how bad the blind spots are, even with top and windows down. I have yet to take off the doors. Wonder if it's better when they are off.

I had a CJ7 in high school and there were virtually zero blind spots with it.

 

[TexSkills]

I had a CJ7 in high school and there were virtually zero blind spots with it.

I plan on getting an old CJ in a few years for a weekend "fun" car. As far as Jeeps go, CJ7s are the best in my opinion.

 

[DanC78]

I plan on getting an old CJ in a few years for a weekend "fun" car. As far as Jeeps go, CJ7s are the best in my opinion.

Agreed, would like to do the same one day.

You can actually get under the hood and work on the engine of a CJ. And that's good because you will have issues. I was constantly changing my starter, had issues with carberator, changed a busted radiator, my brother law and I switched out the entire block, and dozen other little things. But again, you can actually buy a book at pep boys that will show you how to fix anything that could go wrong with it.

The day I sold my CJ I was as happy as the day I bought it. But now looking back I enjoyed every minute of cranking a wrench on it and fixing it up. Good times!

 

[TexSkills]

Agreed, would like to do the same one day.

You can actually get under the hood and work on the engine of a CJ. And that's good because you will have issues. I was constantly changing my starter, had issues with carberator, changed a busted radiator, my brother law and I switched out the entire block, and dozen other little things. But again, you can actually buy a book at pep boys that will show you how to fix anything that could go wrong with it.

The day I sold my CJ I was as happy as the day I bought it. But now looking back I enjoyed every minute of cranking a wrench on it and fixing it up. Good times!

Funny you mention all the repairs. Replacing the radiator was one of the first repairs I ever made to my Jeep on my own. I ordered a replacement radiator and had my father help me with it.

I had a lot of issues with my TJ when it came to the catalytic converter and O2 sensors. I changed my O2 sensor three or four times and replaced the catalytic converter twice. Jeeps are extremely easy to fix and maintain on your own. Looking back, that was the fun part.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Funny you mention all the repairs. Replacing the radiator was one of the first repairs I ever made to my Jeep on my own. I ordered a replacement radiator and had my father help me with it.

I had a lot of issues with my TJ when it came to the catalytic converter and O2 sensors. I changed my O2 sensor three or four times and replaced the catalytic converter twice. Jeeps are extremely easy to fix and maintain on your own. Looking back, that was the fun part.

I somewhat regret not getting to take shop in high school and instead "wasting" my electives on things like French, band and extra science classes to "get into college". My grades and SAT were sufficient to get into any state college of my choosing and my parents "wouldn't allow me" to go out of state anyways as I wanted to go to Johns Hopkins or Tulane for undergrad. Meanwhile now that I'm done, I can't do anything with a car besides put in gas and change the oil and headlights.

 

[TexSkills]

I somewhat regret not getting to take shop in high school and instead "wasting" my electives on things like French, band and extra science classes to "get into college". My grades and SAT were sufficient to get into any state college of my choosing and my parents "wouldn't allow me" to go out of state anyways as I wanted to go to Johns Hopkins or Tulane for undergrad. Meanwhile now that I'm done, I can't do anything with a car besides put in gas and change the oil and headlights.

Like Dan mentioned, you can buy books that show you the step-by-step repairs you can do on a Jeep. My father called Jeeps "kit cars" because they're actually pretty simplistic. A dealership (surprise, surprise) quoted me $360 to replace an O2 sensor. I drove down the road to an AutoZone to see if they could help. Not only did they sell me the $60 part but they showed me how to replace it, which consisted of nothing more than clicking it in on one end and twisting into a receptacle on the other. A $360 quote for a $60 part and a few simple twists and a click pushed me toward learning more about doing my own repairs.

 

[DanC78]

I somewhat regret not getting to take shop in high school and instead "wasting" my electives on things like French, band and extra science classes to "get into college". My grades and SAT were sufficient to get into any state college of my choosing and my parents "wouldn't allow me" to go out of state anyways as I wanted to go to Johns Hopkins or Tulane for undergrad. Meanwhile now that I'm done, I can't do anything with a car besides put in gas and change the oil and headlights.

I didn't take shop. I took home-ec believe it or not, and I swear to you that I'm about to start sewing again. (Sons cloths need hemming).

All you really need is someone to tell you what the issue is. From there you go to Pep Boys (or online) and buy the replacement part and replace. So technically you aren't really fixing anything, just replacing the part. Once you replace the broken part, that part is normally under warranty for as long as you own the vehicle. And that's a plus, because the same parts seem to consistently go bad like clock work...or at least for me it did.

 

[More Kirk Less Spock]

No experience other than a law school roommate having one, but I would think its not wise to give a beginner a wrangler. Even the newest model has only a 3 out of 5 for rollover safety and "marginal" safety ratings for rear and side crashes per US News. Plus only a 2.5 out of 5 for reliability. And remember these ratings are "manufacturer friendly" so there's lots of 5 out of 5s and no 1 out of 5s, so in reality those ratings suck.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Jeep_Wrangler/Safety/

I think they are pretty darned sturdy. I was hit by a Lincoln Continental...spun around a few times. The jeep drove home...that guy's ride was carted away and I think totaled.

 

[DanC78]

The kid has one of these as their dream vehicle...I don't know why.
Just doing some preliminary research into them they are clearly excellent for off road stuff but not particularly safe vehicles in the crash test stuff. Not great on pavement, noisy, squirrely....

Anybody have any input on them?

Thinking of selling mine btw. 2012, two door black soft top with very low mileage. Sits in the garage 4-5 days out of the week...actually more than that as of late.

Bought it 3 months before we found out baby was on way. It's not practical for us anymore.

Email me if interested. Danc78fsu at gmail

 

[TexSkills]

The last shop class I took was in 8th or 9th grade and auto repair wasn't covered. I learned on my own.

 

[alaskanseminole]

The kid has one of these as their dream vehicle...I don't know why.
Just doing some preliminary research into them they are clearly excellent for off road stuff but not particularly safe vehicles in the crash test stuff. Not great on pavement, noisy, squirrely....

Anybody have any input on them?

Jeeps? If you own one, safety is not your concern, freedom of maneuver and pure love of the vehicle is.

My garage since 1980 something:

1951 Willys M38 (still own to this day)
1967 CJ5
1974 CJ5
1993 YJ (My Big Rig)
1998 Cherokee
1998 Grand Cherokee
Next Up - Rubicon

 

[SeaPA]

Thinking of selling mine btw. 2012, two door black soft top with very low mileage. Sits in the garage 4-5 days out of the week...actually more than that as of late.

Bought it 3 months before we found out baby was on way. It's not practical for us anymore.

Email me if interested. Danc78fsu at gmail

Ha, yeah they aren't very practical if you have to try to put a car seat in the back. Much better once the kids are big enough to just grab the bar, step on the back tire & jump in the back. The 10 y/o loves it when I pick him up from school with the top down.

 

[FSUTribe76]

The last shop class I took was in 8th or 9th grade and auto repair wasn't covered. I learned on my own.

They did in mine. No clue where the cars were coming from (car dealership, insurance company, junk heap, etc...) but they would rebuild them from basically nothing and then raffle them off at different points of the year. I would imagine because of liability purposes they've had to discontinue that, but in the early 90s that was a thing at my HS.