News Flash! Americans don't want expensive and unreliable cars😳

[SSF556]

My 2008 Grand Cherokee Diesel checks all the boxes for me. I have owned since new and it just turned 130,000 miles. Just regular maintenance.

Never left me stranded. I have proactively changed the starter, front diff mounts, glow plugs, brakes, coolant hoses, drive belt, but nothing major has failed. Known issues on the OM642 diesel are oil cooler seal leak. Turbo and fuel injectors are reliable.

23-25 mpg on 33 inch tires, full time AWD, 4Lo, ARB installed rear locker, touchscreen, heated seats, factory remote start, OEM 2 inch lift, sirius sat radio, bluetooth, tows awesome, payload over 1000 pounds.

The only issue that bothers me is the rear axle ratios are too high, engine turns at 2500 rpms at 75mph. But even at that speed interior is still quite, especially with a set of all season tires. There are also some interior grumbles, lack of outward visibility (large A pillar, small windows) and the front seats are too high. But after 17 years you get used to that.

It will do everything a new 4 runner will, except roll down the rear window, though I can pop mine open for hauling longer items!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

My 2008 Grand Cherokee Diesel checks all the boxes for me. I have owned since new and it just turned 130,000 miles. Just regular maintenance.

Never left me stranded. I have proactively changed the starter, front diff mounts, glow plugs, brakes, coolant hoses, drive belt, but nothing major has failed. Known issues on the OM642 diesel are oil cooler seal leak. Turbo and fuel injectors are reliable.

23-25 mpg on 33 inch tires, full time AWD, 4Lo, ARB installed rear locker, touchscreen, heated seats, factory remote start, OEM 2 inch lift, sirius sat radio, bluetooth, tows awesome, payload over 1000 pounds.

The only issue that bothers me is the rear axle ratios are too high, engine turns at 2500 rpms at 75mph. But even at that speed interior is still quite, especially with a set of all season tires. There are also some interior grumbles, lack of outward visibility (large A pillar, small windows) and the front seats are too high. But after 17 years you get used to that.

It will do everything a new 4 runner will, except roll down the rear window, though I can pop mine open for hauling longer items!


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Nice! But this is based on a 2005 design. Yes there were computers and electronics but not as they are today.

My WJ was fairly reliable and made it almost to 180k. Would have gone longer if I had decided to dig back into it a 2nd time. But I had other priorities.

Sometimes a little simpler is better. Dont have to go back to the stone age, but 10, 20 years back

 

[Jupiter58]

Yeah, I bought a 2013 JKU a few years with the 6 speed and basic stuff. Was kind of cool, felt like I had gone back to the 70s or 80s and it was fun rowing the gears but it was an odd transmission. The long shifter moves about a foot or more from the first gear position to the sixth gear position. Makes you a little close and personal to your passenger in 6th!
A year with that and came across a mint 2105 JKUR with only 30k on it, auto and all the bells and whistles and traded in on it. Over 20k later of long overlanding trips, road trips and daily use and I am very happy with it. Don’t see any issues getting 150-200k miles out of it. Would love to have the 8 speed though!
It’s a Jeep, Loud, slow, firm ride, not great gas mileage and built like a tank. No issues whatsoever.
Would be cool to have a manual 2 door jk with a soft top for tooling around town and my now 10 mile commute. Slowly converting my f150 for overlanding as the wife isn’t fond of long trips in the jeep.
The 3.6 is a decent motor and a 2 door with 4.10s is definitely a little quicker!

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

I had a manual transmission 3.6 before her 8 speed auto 2.0. Never going back. That 6 speed Wrangler (a 2016) was the slowest, most anemic vehicle I've ever owned. Something about the 6 speed manual Jeep in those years was just lousy. I strongly recommend trying before you buy.

No defense here, just noting, the jeep wrangler 6 speed manual comes stock with 3:21 , 3:73 and 4:10 is standard in the Rubicon.
I can understand your anemic comment.

 

[86scotty]

No defense here, just noting, the jeep wrangler 6 speed manual comes stock with 3:21 , 3:73 and 4:10 is standard in the Rubicon.
I can understand your anemic comment.

Mine was a Rubi. It wasn't just the gearing but the throttle mapping as well. First time I jumped out of my JKU 6m and into my buddy's new (then) 2018 JLU with the same engine and 8 speed I was blown away. Literally like unhitching a 5k trailer from the same vehicle.

 

[86scotty]

Not to keep this thread so Jeep-centric but I found this interesting. Looks like 2018 was the best year of Wrangler sales. As a JLU owner I can believe it. Yes, a JLU is less Jeep but it's so much more all-around great vehicle than any previous Jeep. And I'm not a Jeep fanboy, I've only owned 5 or so out of 200 random vehicles in 35 years.

 

[vintageracer]

Base vehicles rarely sell the end use consumer. Fleets YES! Mom and Dad NO!

The Ford Maverick is a great example.

Lots of base XL trucks out there now as work trucks. More and More buyers going for the XLT and Lariat options which can easily turn these small trucks from a $25K base truck to a $40K plus Tremor.

Nice little trucks worth $30K. No more. I know I bought one new. Lots of the em now $35K to 40K plus MSRP which is what sells to the Mom and Dad buyers.

Anything above $30K for a Ford Maverick puts you at a price point where there are a lot of other vehicles to look at which are a better value than the Maverick.

Base vehicles do not sell to the general public. This has been proven time and time again!

 

[craig333]

I bought a base truck. Pretty sure I'm part of the general public. Jeeps, wranglers at least are supposed to be anemic. They aren't safe to drive at high speeds.

 

[86scotty]

I bought a base truck. Pretty sure I'm part of the general public. Jeeps, wranglers at least are supposed to be anemic. They aren't safe to drive at high speeds.

Historically yes but that's changed. Our JLU is a fantastic highway vehicle. It's a hard top so the wind noise isn't awful and it's not lifted or modified, I've only put Rubi factory wheels/tires on it. The OEMs were M/T's since it's a Willys. Also, gets nearly 25mpg on the highway and has yet to not make it anywhere I wanted to go offroad.

You might argue that it's not a 'Jeep'. I've heard that. I get that. Tell me of a better all-arounder for the price though. Jeep has pretty much mastered this with the JLU.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Historically yes but that's changed. Our JLU is a fantastic highway vehicle. It's a hard top so the wind noise isn't awful and it's not lifted or modified, I've only put Rubi factory wheels/tires on it. The OEMs were M/T's since it's a Willys. Also, gets nearly 25mpg on the highway and has yet to not make it anywhere I wanted to go offroad.

You might argue that it's not a 'Jeep'. I've heard that. I get that. Tell me of a better all-arounder for the price though. Jeep has pretty much mastered this with the JLU.

Dont see why the JLU woul not be considered a Jeel. Glad it works well for you.

 

[86scotty]

Dont see why the JLU woul not be considered a Jeel. Glad it works well for you.

Oh I was just speaking to the sect that thinks that every new Jeep is 'not a Jeep'. There's some truth to that, they get more refined and less rugged, just like everything else. Who would want to daily a YJ though!

 

[SVTRIT]

I think price has a lot more to do with it than reliablity. Look at all the KIA/Hyundai cars on the road that blow up engines on a regular basis! People buy them like crazy.

My 2020 Sport WIllys JLU is a great rig. Hand crank windows, hand push locks, limited slip rear end, and it does all I want it to do. It was affordable used, but I would not have been able to afford it new.

 

[AggieOE]

Considering most people don't keep their vehicle long enough to have reliability issues, I'm not sure that's the real issue. I think its fundamentally cost. Obviously, we'll pay more apples to apples for reliability, hence Toyota products. BUT Wranglers only really compare to Broncos. Even then, anyone cross shopping them (who isn't a SFA enthusiast) is likely going to pick Bronco due to road comfort... well, until they realize how loud it is.
I bet, going on record here, if you drop the cost and throw a IFS on a Wrangler, sales will spike.

 

[AbleGuy]

Considering most people don't keep their vehicle long enough to have reliability issues, I'm not sure that's the real issue. I think its fundamentally cost. Obviously, we'll pay more apples to apples for reliability, hence Toyota products….

I’ll happily, partially disagree.

Since most of the major US brands still have those crappy 3/36k and 5/50k warranties, it’s way too easy for a new car owner to blow past those anemic, low mile limits in just a few years and then have no manufacturer coverage left.

If I’m going to pay $50k or more for a new rig, I’m gonna want the vehicle to be reliable (and warrantied) for more than a couple of years.

And when you think about it, that concern about the reliability problem is even worse for people buying with a loan. Those folks certainly would want a vehicle to last for the duration of the loan term without it having major uncovered mechanical problems.

I think this is also another reason behind the KIA/HYUNDAI brand popularity questioned above by SVTRIT … they both have a 10/100k powertrain warranty.

 

[rruff]

I bought a base truck. Pretty sure I'm part of the general public.

Just sayin'... if they come for you and put you in a straight jacket, and stick you in a padded cell... don't let them know you did that. Tell them you were willing to pay 2x for a vehicle with all the metrosexual doodads. They might let you go...