Considering buying a Jeep.

[zip]

I’m thinking no older than 5 years, low mileage, 2 door, hard top, auto transmission.
I am just looking for something that will allow me to go to the local mountain towns in the Winter, where they get a little snow.
A dirt road once in awhile.
No real off roading.
I would like to keep it stock.

I had a CJ in the 80’s that I believe had a 4.0 six cylinder. Plenty of engine for my needs.

I just started my research, and it seems as though quite a few Wranglers have the turbo 2.0 4 cylinder.
Is this the new standard engine for these vehicles?
I won’t be pulling a trailer, but would definitely like to be go over mountain passes at the speed limit.

I appreciate any and all constructive advice.

Thanks

Zip

 

[Ozarker]

If that's all you need a vehicle for, save your money, buy a Subaru Forrester.

 

[zip]

If that's all you need a vehicle for, save your money, buy a Subaru Forrester.

Thanks, but I would like the higher clearance of the Jeep, and a 2 door.

 

[Zeep]

They are capable vehicle out of the box. (Jeeps) Subaru's lack ground clearance.
Plus Jeeps have much better aftermarket support!

 

[Ozarker]

Jeep, Is that the .22 version of an AR-15?

 

[Ozarker]

All kidding aside, I've had both, I have a Cherokee Trail Hawk in the driveway now and wouldn't recommend it.
Had the CJ as well, cold, noisy, horrible MPG and shook your teeth driving on the streets.

But, if you have a Jeep, you get one of these-

 

[jaxyaks]

Stock 2 door wrangler of any vintage will suit your needs well. As for ground clearance....a 5 year old stock Jeep Wrangler (2017) has 8.2 inches of ground clearance....A 5 year old (2017) stock Subaru Forrester has 8.7.....

 

[TripLeader]

Back when I was shopping for TJs and LJs, here is what I came up with for Jeep purchases:

You've got to learn the trim packages and what comes with it. Then decide what is important to you. Need lockers? The lowest geared transfer case? Want leather seats? The best radio? Knowing packages is important in shopping and pricing, in my opinion.

You will inevitably modify it. So pay attention to the gear ratio in the axles. And what type of axles, such as Dana 30, 35, or 44. The backspacing of the current wheels will even play a part if you increase tire size.

Hard top vs. soft and the aftermarket price if you make the wrong decision, or want both.

Check the foot wells for rust, and underside for scrapes from offroading. Then go back and look for rust again. Then go back and look for scrapes and after market skidplates again. Buy rust free and unabused Jeeps. Know what stock parts, like control arms, look like for the model you are buying.

Then get back underneath and look for leaks.

Buy in stock form if you can, or make the seller prove any modifications aren't Bubba jobs.

You used to be able to shop for a week or two and get a feel for pricing. Not so much anymore.

Specific jeep online forums will tell you of gremlins specific to each model year. I can tell you TJ stuff, but not JK, JL, or JT.

Ride comfort is a big deal. Wranglers are fun, but past a certain age, not as easy to get in and out, and not as comfortable as Grand Cherokees. Make sure you really want a wrangler.

Tires are important. You might not want what the current owner has. Pay attention because they are expensive.

How many holes have been drilled in the tub by the current owner? Pay attention to light bars, roof racks, and CB radios. They will all leave holes somewhere.

Has it been smoked in? Or carried pets?

Jeep windshields catch a lot of everything. Also pay attention to how many imperfections they have. Its not always obvious.

Does it have a tow hitch? Has it been used to tow? If so, what did it tow and has that been hard on the Jeep?

Are maintenance records available? Can you get a car fax? How are the fluid levels when you test drive it? That could be an indication of past maintenance.

 

[TripLeader]

Oh, another important thing is transmissions. What are the options in the year range you want? And then which is the strongest out of all of those?

There used to be few options. I don't know of it has changed or not.

 

[Ozarker]

Great suggestions @TripLeader I'd add, check under the seats for rust, seat rails and underneath around taillights.

I thought all Jeeps have had a dog in them at one time.

If any vehicle has a tow hitch assume it was used, if the inside of the receiver doesn't have paint on it assume it was used a lot.

If it were me and I just wanted a Jeepster, I think I'd wait on prices to be more reasonable.

If you have any ideas of modifying your ride, like most will do, before you buy, check on the cost of after market toys and have an idea of what you're likely getting in to. I'd bet after a year of ownership, no one has a stock Jeep, J type.

 

[deserteagle56]

Been a Jeep owner for many, many years. Currently own one of the last of the "good" ones - a 2006 Rubicon with the 6 speed manual transmission and the old straight-6 "tractor" engine. Rock solid dependable, and because I mostly go out alone and live and wheel in a very remote part of the country, dependability is #1 priority to me.

I'd been considering getting a new Jeep...until I started doing my research and following several Jeep forums. And started reading about all the problems the new Jeeps are having. Not mechanical problems - electrical. The new Jeeps have so many electronic "features" added and it seems all of them are causing problems. The "start-stop" is a big problem - Jeep added another battery to handle the electrical load but the battery is hidden and tiny and as soon as it get weak the Jeep has all sorts of problems. How would you like to be in the middle of nowhere and have this message pop up on your Jeep's dash?


Get on the Jeep forums and do some reading. Me, I'm sticking with old reliable.

 

[shays4me]

You can’t really go wrong with a late model jk wrangler if you find a clean one. The 3.6 pentastar is a good power plant and they seem to have fixed all the gremlins that it had by 13 and oil coolers were fixed after 14. I have a 18 jku and so does the wife. We love them overall. Hers is bone stock and mine is built for camping in. I would agree with the suggestion to look for a clean non modified wrangler. There are a ton of mods done to Jeeps by people that I wouldn’t let change my oil. As for the 2018 and up jl wranglers, time will tell. I personally wouldn’t want a first couple years of any new model in order to avoid the recalls, but that’s me. I’ve had a jeep universal in my drive for the last thirty years minus three years when the kids were young. They’re all good but some are better than others, that’s for sure.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Just like there is a world of difference between TJ and JK, there is a world of difference between JK and JL too. The JL (2018 and up) has the 2.0 Turbo and 8-speed. I wish my JK had the same. The rest of the JL creature comforts are take/leave for me. My daughter has only known the JK and after a day in the JL she said “it feels like they wrote Jeep on the front of a car”…. Yup!

I highly recommend a long weekend rental if you are considering buying a Jeep. Enterprise has JLs and you can compare stuff like soft top vs hard top and whatnot while learning if you really want a Jeep.

 

[86scotty]

I just started my research, and it seems as though quite a few Wranglers have the turbo 2.0 4 cylinder.
Is this the new standard engine for these vehicles?
I won’t be pulling a trailer, but would definitely like to be go over mountain passes at the speed limit.

Zip

Ha! You apparently haven't driven a 4cyl turbo Jeep. They are fast and strong, quicker than the 3.6l and mine gets low 20's on the highway, also just about the same hp/tq as the 3.6l. 270-hp/290-lb-ft 2.0L , 285-hp/260-lb-ft 3.6L.

It's given us nothing but smiles but we're only at about 20k. Just to stress this, I've had none of the electronic problems people speak of. One must remember that new Jeeps (any engine) are EVERYWHERE. Statistically you're going to see some problems online because only the problems get complained about online. Can't say I've seen a newer Jeep on the side of the road.

 

[AggieOE]

Although I haven't heard of any issues, every 2.0L I've been around idles loud in the summer. The fan always seems kicked on at its highest speed. Could just be a coincidence though. Otherwise, I'd recommend them because a turbo would be nice at altitude.
My JK 3.6L V6 Pentastar engine DID have to have the rocker arms replaced at ~80k miles. It's supposedly a common thing with this engine (in all vehicles). The symptoms I saw of this issue were the Check Engine Light coming on at higher revs and a continuous ticking sound from the rockers that was quite audible from outside. It sounded most like a rock stuck in the tire tread. When I pulled up to the dealer, the service advisor smiled and goes, "sounds like another rocker issue."

That being said, I'd suggest a JK or JL Willys or Rubicon. In stock form they have good tires and traction aids (LSD or Lockers) to get you going if you get in a precarious situation. Plus, when the tires go bad, upgrade the size an inch or so and there's your added ground clearance for snow. If you do go with a JL, the automatic AWD feature would be nice. I wish I could open the center diff for rain, snow, and ice.