Four Door Jeep Wrangler Question

[peter]

LOL, that made me laugh good. Too true in some circles. Sorta like the backcover photo of this months 2009 OJ Gear Guide? LOL

Don't worry buddy. These guys have never seen an LR3 in action. I actually have witnessed an LR3 and a stock 4door rubi down here in south florida same day same trails. No rocks here, just mud and trail. The Lr3 did considerably better with STREET tires than the stock rubi with M/Ts...

In the end a 04 discovery has better capabilities than both the LR3 and 4door rubicon. :costumed-smiley-007

No offense, but the new jeeps are Extremely over priced... not worth it unless you can get a used one for a fair price, like the LR3s, too expensive but the used price is just right.

My friend has a 05 rubi. And that beast hands down is more capable than the new rubis. I can't believe they replaced the I6 with that tiny v6..

 

[Colorado David]

You know the type, metrosexuals with high lights in their hair and wearing really big watches.

Well, the high lights in my hair are kinda silver and they showed up all by themselves. Does a Submariner count as a really big watch?

 

[Totenkopf]

Don't worry buddy. These guys have never seen an LR3 in action. I actually have witnessed an LR3 and a stock 4door rubi down here in south florida same day same trails. No rocks here, just mud and trail. The Lr3 did considerably better with STREET tires than the stock rubi with M/Ts...

Uh...no.

No offense, but the new jeeps are Extremely over priced... not worth it unless you can get a used one for a fair price, like the LR3s, too expensive but the used price is just right.

I got a new 2dr for like $19K.

My friend has a 05 rubi. And that beast hands down is more capable than the new rubis. I can't believe they replaced the I6 with that tiny v6..

I have both, and the JK is better than the TJ Rubi.

 

[Cole]

Don't worry buddy. These guys have never seen an LR3 in action. I actually have witnessed an LR3 and a stock 4door rubi down here in south florida same day same trails. No rocks here, just mud and trail. The Lr3 did considerably better with STREET tires than the stock rubi with M/Ts...

In the end a 04 discovery has better capabilities than both the LR3 and 4door rubicon. :costumed-smiley-007

My friend has a 05 rubi. And that beast hands down is more capable than the new rubis. I can't believe they replaced the I6 with that tiny v6..

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

First off watching two guys play in a mud hole is no comparison. Driver for Driver the JK is a better off road vehicle.

Don't get me wrong here. I really like Land Rovers and the LR3 is a great vehicle. It is just not the hardcore trail rig the JK Rubicon is.

Approach, departure, clearance, power, suspension and axles are all substantially improved. Not the same creatures AT ALL.

Note, the 4 door pics are not of a RUBICON. So this is not a fair pic for the 4 door.

If only I had pictures of how much stronger the JK axles were

And you REALLY need to do your research before making statements about the TJ vs JK Rubicons.

. Does a Submariner count as a really big watch?

Love the sub, but by "big watch" standards it is not very "big". Nice, just not BIG. :sombrero:

 

[peter]

Uh...no.

uh.. yes.

Down here anyways, in mud/sand/trail. No rocks here, so can't say anything about that.

I got a new 2dr for like $19K.

yeah... but I'm talking about something Capable offroad haha.. (jk)

So make it a rubi and it is back up to 30K..

Make it a 4door and you're almost at 33K..

I have both, and the JK is better than the TJ Rubi.

You're wrong there.. jeep changed for the worst. Though, I have "heard" of Jeep releasing a diesel wrangler. If they do, that will get them back on track.

Just making sure, Did you just say a Non-rubicon JK is better than a Rubicon TJ?

I don't hate jeeps. I wheel mostly with jeeps. My best friend has a 05rubi and that's all we do when he visits. Just don't care for the new JKs.

I have to admit.. If they end up releasing a 4door JK with a diesel or a big V8 then maybe I'll change my mind. The 4doors have a nice look.. in the right light.

 

[peter]

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

First off watching two guys play in a mud hole is no comparison. Driver for Driver the JK is a better off road vehicle.

Don't get me wrong here. I really like Land Rovers and the LR3 is a great vehicle. It is just not the hardcore trail rig the JK Rubicon is.

Approach, departure, clearance, power, suspension and axles are all substantially improved. Not the same creatures AT ALL.

Note, the 4 door pics are not of a RUBICON. So this is not a fair pic for the 4 door.

If only I had pictures of how much stronger the JK axles were

And you REALLY need to do your research before making statements about the TJ vs JK Rubicons.






Love the sub, but by "big watch" standards it is not very "big". Nice, just not BIG. :sombrero:

Big corporations tend to sway their consumer by little gimmicks. Looks like somebody fell for it.

Jeep just raised the fender flares and added some height with the springs or what not on the JK and on some models added bigger tires = better stock angles..

 

[peter]

I'm not here to argue with guys who have jeeps. Just making a observation/statement.

Like I said, I have nothing against Jeep.

see ya.

 

[Milehi explorer]

I say go for the 4-door JK, I love the LR3, we have one in the garage but the 4 door truly gives a different experience, I genuinely believe anyone with a Jeep will agree!

 

[Cole]

Big corporations tend to sway their consumer by little gimmicks. Looks like somebody fell for it.

Jeep just raised the fender flares and added some height with the springs or what not on the JK and on some models added bigger tires = better stock angles..

What are you smokin?

 

[mmccurdy]

Umm... pissing contests and war stories aside, maybe it would help if the OP gave a little more guidance about what he's looking for in a rig.

Full disclosure: I have a 4dr Wrangler, which I have used for many multi-day "expedition" type trips (Mojave, etc.), and I think for the price the capability it is difficult to beat. My wife and I have an air mattress and sleep in the back w/ the rear seats folded down. It takes 10 minutes to make camp, and it is incredibly comfortable. I happen to like the aesthetic inside, and I find it very well designed to do what it's supposed to do and not a whole lot more.

From the brief description, it doesn't seem like the OP is looking for the best rock crawler, mud bogger, or other special purpose rig. It looks like he's looking for a reliable, solid, simple rig to get him where he needs to go. The truth is, if you want to do those other things, you are shelling out lots of bucks for mods anyway, and at that point, this discussion is academic.

I can say that in my experience, the Wrangler platform (even one that's only a few years old) is incredibly cheap and easy to build on. I do not have a ton of experience in the Toyota, Land Rover domain, but from what I've seen the availability and diversity of parts and the cost of those parts is somewhat more limiting.

One additional data point: I'm running 35" Toyo tires and a 3" lift, and I find my rig incredibly comfortable both on and off road. My wife and I drove from San Francisco to Moab in one day, wheeled the crap out of it for a long weekend, and then did the same trip in return without breaking a sweat. There may be other vehicles out there that can claim the same, but I can personally account for the fact that the 4dr Wrangler platform is one of them.

Is it as comfortable on the freeway as an FJ? Maybe not. Is it as plush as an LR3? I doubt it. But with (arguably) more versatility than an FJ and at about half the cost of an LR3, you can still have a blast, wheel just about anywhere, and be sure you'll make it "home" at the end of the day.

You'll find incredibly uninformed opinions wherever you turn. Good luck with your search

 

[Taz]

All these pages of bickering over the poor new guy asking for people to speak up on their 4 door Wranglers................I have enjoyed the folks who stayed on subject and their responses as I have been looking at Wrangler Unlimiteds for some time now as well.

 

[Colorado David]

While I really appreciate all the detailed responses, it wasn't my intention to start a brand/model debate. I originally asked for ownership experience testimonials. I was interested in whether or not owners liked their vehicles and were satsified with the factory build quality and reliability. I hate the process of buying a vehicle and tend to keep them for a very long time, so I want to be sure what I do buy is capable of lasting. Does anyone remember the movie, The Money Pit? It was an early 80's movie with Tom Hanks about a guy who buys a house and begins remodeling it. The house works against him. It was supposed to be a comedy. At the time the movie came out, I was remodeling a rental house that worked against me every step of the way. I sat through that movie without ever cracking a smile. It just wasn't funny to me. I don't want to repeat that experience with a new or new-to-me vehicle. That said, this is the nature of an online forum; conversations take on a life of their own. Thanks very much for all the responses. And, I hope the Jeep owners and the Land Rover owners will still like each other after this thread drops off the top of the forum.

 

[Cole]

David,

I bought my 4 door for a couple of reasons you may be interested to know.

I have had 10 Jeeps totalling over a million miles and have never had an issue that I did not cause or was simply a part wearing out due to excessive use.

I had 2 YJs. 1 with 280k which is now on to a guy her locally with over 400k on it. Second had 220k. A TJ with 165k with a happy new owner this year and it runs like new.

I wanted the extra space of the 4 door and will probably have it 10+ years.

They now come with 95% of the extras you want straight from the factory and covered by a lifetime drivetrain warranty (your lifetime or Chrysler's I guess) You can even add a lift and winch right out of the Mopar dealers parts bin and have that covered in the warranty for a time.

I was so fed up with the expense of my Audi that I wanted something I knew would be more reliable and less costly to fix. No offense to the Land Rover guys, but they don't have a history of being that vehicle. My business partner sold his Rover and went back to his 4th Grand Cherokee just for that reason.He was tired of being at the dealer and feared the warranty expiring.

$0.02

 

[Root Moose]

Well, the high lights in my hair are kinda silver and they showed up all by themselves. Does a Submariner count as a really big watch?

Well, if you come by the highlights naturally there is not much anyone can say about that.

Now, if you use hair gel...


Don't mind me, I shave my head every saturday morning.

 

[Root Moose]

David, I remember that movie, even saw it in the theatre. I didn't find it funny either, but it probably had more to do with Tom Hanks playing opposite Shelley Long. Holy mis-casting!

This thread is funny and sad at the same time.

Go drive a bunch of vehicles. Wait a week or so, then go drive them again. The waiting period in the middle is to let the initial "blingtastic wow" factor wear off. Use that week to do more research as well.

What you need to know (from my biased perspective):

- EFI Jeeps don't have any major reliability problems. Some vintages can have automatic transmission problems. Rebuilt by a competent shop they will be fine. As long as you keep ChryCo fluids in the transmission you should get reasonable mileage from the original transmission before rebuild.

- Jeeps Wranglers are very capable off-road. More capable than any other vehicle mentioned in this thread. Anyone that says the Rubicon of any vintage is not the most capable has deluded themselves. Do you need that capability?

- LRs are money pits. Reliability is an issue. They are great vehicles otherwise.

- Anything Japanese will be the most reliable of the lot. Probably capable enough as well.

What you need to determine:

- Do you want a removable roof?

- How much cargo space?

- Do you care about ultimate off-road ability?

Reading between the lines I'd suggest the most practical vehicle for you may be a SUV or, if you will, a station wagon style vehicle with decent ground clearance and good loading characteristics. If you were content with your original vehicles you don't need the capabilities of the Rubicon or the full load LR3. Anything with an IFS and a solid axle rear will be plenty capable for your usage. I'm being bold with those statements obviously.

Of the lot, the Jeep Wranglers have the most basic and noisy interiors. Anyone that says otherwise has deluded themselves. Now, whether you care about that is separate issue.

If it were me, I'd go look at 4Runners, Commanders, Grand Cherokees, Xterras, Pathfinders, etc.

HTH