New Jeep decision help....

[fla_cracker]

Hey folks,

I'm about to go buy a new to me jeep. My budget is roughly 10,000. It will be a daily driver and overland vehicle. Trips will be My son (14) and I. I already have a small, light pop-up to pull. My problem is I like too many different kinds of jeeps. I live in Florida but eventually want to travel into the Smokeys then later out west. I've kinda narrowed my choices down to 3....

Grand Wagoneer
Wrangler Tj I6
Grand Cherokee Wj v8

Each have their ups and downs.
Wagoneer is old and $$$$ but tons of room, V8 and will never depreciate. Tj is small, just enough power but it's auto, smaller on trails, soft top and a good deal. Grand Cherokee is super cheap, gobs of power, decent room but will require more mods, no frame, is getting cheaper by the day.

So help me out. I like all 3 but can only get 1........ Any and all constructive advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance

 

[vegasjeepguy]

I'm biased but I'd recommend the TJ. The I6 is bulletproof. For just the two of you it's plenty of vehicle....until you need to add a roof rack or trailer. After market products for TJs are almost limitless. My $0.02

 

[HRPINDC]

If it's me, I go TJ, no question. As a DD in Florida, you'll appreciate being able to drop the top. It's very capable as is and the 4.0 is a great engine. When and if the time comes for mods, you'll find plenty of parts available at decent prices. Good luck with your choice.

 

[MTSN]

Extremely different vehicles. The WJ will be the cheapest, most comfortable, nicest, and probably easiest to find in good shape. The TJ will be the most fun, most expensive and the easiest to mod. The Wagoneer will be hard to find, expensive in good shape and will require the most work. Totally depends on what you're going for here.

 

[Flyfishjeep]

I would have to agree on the TJ with one exception to throw out......How much is daily driving? How much or your trips will be on highway? As far as a short trip daily with plenty of dirt/mud/rock trails the TJ is hands down the choice for all of the above named reasons. Keep in mind the TJ will have the greatest selection when it comes to after market stuff and parts. With a lttle work and creativeness, a TJ can be packed with a lot of gear and support two for many weeks, even without a trailer. Have fun and remember, once you buy one........the money and mods will NEVER stop , regardless which one you select.

 

[tarditi]

TJ is great, but be careful towing with it. They are light and have a short wheelbase.

If you can find a TJ rubicon (or even better, an LJ rubicon) you'll be set.

I had a TJ Sport w/ 3-speed auto and an TJ Rubicon with 6-speed manual. The manual had much better MPG, but the auto made for easy city driving.
I wheeled both heavily off-road and don't have much preference, really; they both have + and -

 

[Weeds]

I have owned two Wagoneers and I enjoyed them. I would only buy 1978 or older because of the smog equipment. The best fuel mileage you can get is 16 to 18 mpg if you can find a manual transmission. You should also change the intake manifold and carburetor to the Edelbrock combination. Make sure the tailgate window works properly.

I also owned a Grand Cherokee with the I6. It was a good driver and easy to lift. There are lots of soccer mom GC available that have been well maintained.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[GFA]

04-06 LJ but skip the rubicon. It'll cost way more than your budget and is not needed by most of the people who have it. You can find a regular LJ for under 10k (picked up my sons for $7700) but the majority seem to be in the 10-13 range.

If not that then I'd say the WJ, the TJ is too small for most people to travel in for more than a weekend trip. Bring along a friend in that TJ and there's no room left for gear.

 

[fla_cracker]

Thank you everyone for the responses so far. There is a great wealth of information here on Expo to learn from and you folks are the best.

To answer one of the questions. ..... my daily driving would probably average 20ish miles a day. And trips would include a LOT of highway miles. It literally takes 5 hours to leave Florida from where I'm at. ....so everything is a hike.

Also, the Tj I was looking at is off the table due to it only having a 4cyl. I had mistakenly assumed it had an I6. Bummer....

 

[wanabxtrm]

Any reason you crossed a late model Xj off your list? Seams like it hits the category well, cheap, reliable, comfortable, good aftermarket and parts.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

Any reason you crossed a late model Xj off your list? Seams like it hits the category well, cheap, reliable, comfortable, good aftermarket and parts.

I'd include the XJ as well as V8 ZJs and use some of your leftover funds for repairs and upgrades.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

Also, the Tj I was looking at is off the table due to it only having a 4cyl. I had mistakenly assumed it had an I6. Bummer....

A four banger is definitely a show stopper. Everyone I've known with one has said if they could do it over again the would not think twice about getting the I6 instead. He thought for you is if I could do it over I would go with an LJ (Rubicon in my case). The longer wheel base for towing and the "just enough extra internal cargo space" would justify the cost for me.

 

[Happykamper]

Ai was just going to ask that question. Why not an XJ . Great 4.0 try to find a 99 and with 10k budget it should be a well modded expo rig. Plus they are comfortable great to tow with and lots of room. And very capable .

 

[swift7777]

Sensible choice for me would be a TJ or LJ with a straight six, irrational choice would be the Waggy. Good luck, all are winners!

 

[nwoods]

Or spend $5k and get a 3rd Gen Montero, which makes a great DD and capable off road rig, or a 2.5 Gen for even more capability off road.