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Eh I'm surprised by some of the comments here, yeah they're not for everyone but if you live a rugged life you'd probably like a Jeep.
As for Jeeps being expensive to fix...you open a catalog, buy parts, get hands dirty. The Just Empty Every Pocket usually refers to accessories/lifts/trail damage. Sure they hold their value but there are times to buy them (not winter or Deep summer) when you can get a deal. Most owners will have some accessories and want to try to recoup the expense (you'll have to negotiate).
If you're looking at wrangler prices I assume you're interested, check out jeepforum.com for a lot of great info and a for sale section where you might get a deal.
Edit: I have a 2005 Wrangler (bought new) costs me less than $1k a year to operate (all gas, maint, insur). 110k no problems, past Jeep was a 94 with 186k when I sold.
I have to say the 2014 Wrangler Rubicon X edition is pretty nice but here are the standard features which with the standard Rubicon upgrades and the X trim upgrades on the Rubicon it still costs $5,365 in extra options is already is quite loaded with the step up from the Base Rubicon to the X trim.
LT255/75R17 BSW Off-Road Tires $0
Performance Suspension $0
6-Speed Manual Transmission $0
Uconnect® 730N CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV $1,570
Air Conditioning with Automatic Temperature Control $195
Freedom Top® Body-Color 3-Piece Hard Top $1,395
Engine Block Heater $95
Dual Top Group $1,785
Trailer Tow Group$295
Total $5,335
that is a 41K jeep build to the specs that I would want if I had to daily drive it and used to it's full capability problem is unlike my 91 F250 built to be a trail rig for the PNW and the truck is too nice to drive like I do with My F250 it needs some scrapes and wear and tear the paint ,front bumper, plastic fender flares and on the skid plates.
I mean would never get a new one if I were in the market since it is too nice thus it means going to places one that is used would go with out as much worry about those first scathes dents and keeping the finish like it was when it was purchased new.
I don't get it.
I don't get why they are expensive new or old.
It baffles me.
I think my 4x4 fully equipped 4Runner is a WAY better car, more reliable, and has off-road capability, and it is cheaper than similarly equipped Jeeps that will have all sorts of crap fall apart on it in a matter of years (my wife's chronically falling window comes to mind, as does my best friend's constant leaking roof, etc).
Every time I indulge in a look or test drive, I walk away thinking, "Wtf? Really?"
I have a 2008 Unlimited and besides regular service and a couple of recalls for small things, it has never seen the inside of a repair shop.
Saving KVR One Jeep At A Time - YouTube
I love the Jeep clubs since they show the Good side of wheeling and are a good thing to represent the Off-Road the community with a bunch of like minded jeep enthusiasts they help keep the trails open so we can continue to enjoy them ad not let the few that give the off-road community a bad name ruin it for everyone.
West Stave Lake, British Columbia (Dec. 30, 2012) - YouTube
Stave lake is where my F250 takes a beating and the width and length of my truck get in the way and make it a SOB to get through some of the tight trails and got to laugh that since I actually have and still wheel there for years that the jeeps just make it look so much easier then it is for us with the larger vehicles.
One you get to the 16 minute mark is where my truck is not so capable then again they are called jeep trails for a Reason.
Heck some vehicles like the SVT Raptor are unbeatable in the desert and sand dunes and may be great off-Road but like my F250 are too big to fit through a lot of terrain a jeep makes easy work of and why they hold their value so well.
Ad in the large following of dedicated owners and a massive tight nit community that make it even more enjoyable and why Jeeps are so sought after and why fair condition ones go for so much since it is their hobby and lifestyle and the freedom the jeep represents is what they are paying for.
To understand why jeeps are so highly valued you have to own one or have a Full-sized Ford Bronco and later a F250 and see first hand why the Jeeps owners are so getting much more if they go on the jamborees and meets then just buying a jeep.
I will argue this, because it was not the best. I would say the 304 V8 was the best, and Kaiser motors used the Dauntless V6 starting in 1966, and is widely regarded and used as a swap into older CJ's to this day. No one, and I mean absolutely no one loves the 4.0, and wants to keep it. I am Jeep and can understand why someone could be confused, but it was not the best.
I'm not confused at all. Believe what you want, the 4.0L is an excellent engine--long-lived, with a decent combination of both horsepower and low-end torque for a 6-cylinder. The 304 V8 was nowhere near as durable (if you saw a Jeep of that era trailing a cloud of oil smoke, it was almost always a 304-equipped model) and tended to suck fuel like crazy. As for the Dauntless V6 from Buick, it was a very good engine for its time, but suffered all the problems of the era's carbureted engines. Over the years, I was around all of them--I'll take the 4.0L any day. By the way, my long-time auto mechanic, who worked on all of those engines from the time that they were new, says the same thing.
They'll say the POS Suzuki samurai and Geo tracker, probably tell you a Geo storm is a great sports car too!
Jeeps come from a long lineage going back over 70 years and have a loyal following...
As to my samurai... I would buy it again.
Paid $1000 for it years ago and goes places too small for bigger 4wd.
A very capable rock crawler even if not a highway cruiser.... I have taken mine down the coast to the Santa Cruz mountains and back... about 200 miles round trip.
I also own Bantams... the first to build the GP to meet the military request for a lightweight general purpose 4wd vehicle prior to WWII... original BRC are very valuable.
I don't get it.
I don't get why they are expensive new or old.
It baffles me.
I think my 4x4 fully equipped 4Runner is a WAY better car, more reliable, and has off-road capability, and it is cheaper than similarly equipped Jeeps that will have all sorts of crap fall apart on it in a matter of years (my wife's chronically falling window comes to mind, as does my best friend's constant leaking roof, etc).
Every time I indulge in a look or test drive, I walk away thinking, "Wtf? Really?"
Jeep Wranglers are the most capable off-road production vehicle bar none. They can do places and do things you wouldn't dare attempt in your 4Runner even while drunk on home made corn whiskey. Because of this reputation, they command a higher resale value than any other vehicle on the market. Most of the "4x4 equipped" foreign SUVs may get you home fine in a snowstorm, but they utterly lack the suspension, ball joints and durability to handle actual offroad trails and four-wheeling scenarios without high risk of suffering severe damage in the process (the Pathfinder immediately comes to mind).
We recently purchased a 2014 Wrangler Sport Unlimited and it is the most fun I have ever had behind the wheel. As those old Jeep ads used to say: More fun per gallon than any other vehicle on the market!
Last edited by Annuvin; 02-04-2014 at 11:47 AM..
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