m00n Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Hey all... Looking to find out if any of you have a jeep or have owned a jeep. I'm looking at getting a Wrangler Sahara or Wranger Rubicon. Just curious to talk to some of you that have jeeps. What you like about them what you don't like about them... And to simply get any advice from you guys before I buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 My dad has a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4, its awesome. I've always been a fan of Jeep thoes Rubicons are cool, they come with all the goodies for offroading fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Moon Ive owned Jeeps for several years. Stay away from the V8's, they have known powertrain issues, but I don't think the Wranglers come in a V8 so you'll be fine. The inline 6 4L engine and powertrain is a great one. I currently have a grand cheroke larado and use it off road hunting season and hit the logging roads in nothern wisconsin with the kids several times each summer. If your going to off road, get a power winch. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Robin Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 My daughter had a '98 Wrangler and did not have any problems with it; she put around 50,000 miles on it. used a lot of gas though. My best friends dad leased a Grand Cherokee and had to file the lemon law paper work on it. You name it and it went wrong with this one. He never had it off the pavement and could not keep it out of the shop. Finally got his disposit and all his payments back. There is a lemon in every make and model of auto out there. We got the Wrangler after he went through all of his trouble with the Cherokee. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 wranglers are nice. The inline 6 is a die hard motor. Infact we had one in the shop with 200,000 miles on it and it was burning oil and had a rod nock. The guy wanted a new motor put in. We told him just to leave it and it will run for a long time yet. He told use to burn it up and put a new one in. So we took the oil pan off and pushed it out side with a brick on the accalerator. It ran with no oil in it for a half an hour. The only bad thing about them is they ride very rough. They will hammer you to death if you are not a truck lover. I have worked on jeeps for over five years and the wranglers and normal cherokee's are the best. It is a shame they stopped making them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 The 4.0 litre Inline-6 is what my dads Jeep has, it has a K&N Filter, and Jet Performance Stage 2 chip upgrade, he wants to put a Borla exhaust on next. He pulls a 16 foot double axel trailer with it, with a 2002 Honda Goldwing 1800 and a bunch of other stuff inside, it gets up hills so good.. lots of power from that straight 6, even without the performance upgrades, it pulled the trailer plenty fine. imo I think Jeep makes the only true SUV on the market still. none of this luxury crap thats all looks and no game, or this crap they call SUV's but uses a car chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 When I hear Jeep I think WRANGLER!!!! The rest are AMC station wagons! We my wife and I currently own our 8th Wrangler. Some of the older modles were CJ series. I assume you are looking for Wrangler input. Well, let me start with the positives: Great turning radius will go anywhere you want four wheel drive Convertible and/or Hard top Removable half doors or full hard doors Great milage with the 4 cyl. 6cyl that has power and is rock solid Chicks dig them Is like owning a Harley, it is a lifestyle. Now the cons: See above. But really, the only con's we note is soft top gives lots of wind noise, and not safe for kids. We use ours as a 4th car now. They a a geat little buggy. Try to find one that is 1999 or newer, that was the last major redesign. Regards, Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Royster - Great turning radius My dad mentions how great the turning radius is in his Charokee all the time, I'm not sure what Jeep has done different, but it seems to have worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 If I remember right they're also rather heavy fro their size. I also heard that only real Jeeps have round headlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Honda, Read my post. The turning radius is a plus. It can also be a negative, as Wranglers have a small foot print. that combined with a hard turn at speed and you get to prove the rool bar strength. The wrangler can make a 180 degree on a 2lane road turn without droping a wheel off the pavement. It is not the same a the design on the Cherokee's. They have a much larger turning radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Tom, Wranglers have round head lights since 99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 what the **** is everyone dissing the Cherokee for? its a great great vehicle, wtf is wrong with you people. WTF is this crap about it not being a REAL Jeep bull**** it isnt. its just as much of a real Jeep as any old Wrangler is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonrpayne Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I learned to drive stick in a 1956 Willis Jeep, it was a great vehicle. Get a vintage jeep type vehicle and be cooler than everyone else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Honda, Spoken like a true Cherokee driver. As Jeepster say. You wouln't understand " It's a Jeep thing" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 The question was::::: Wrangler sahara or Rubicon input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I just dont get why people are pounding on the Cherokee so much, its not like Jeep just rolled them off the assembly line and its a brand new thing. I say Rubicon 110%, I was going to get one myself until I learned how much it was nicely equiped, they are rather pricey, but I guess if you have the money, go for it About $27,405 +/- a few hundred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Honda: Jump over to CONSUMER REPORTS. The Cherokee is and has been one of the poorest rated cars ever tested. I am a BIG fan or Jeep, Wrangler!!! As stated before, jeep ownership is like owning a Harley (the real thing not the AMC owned years). Soccar moms and yuppies are not the folks that Wrangler is targeted too. Nor will the Cherokee ever be accepted as a true Jeep. Have you ever been to a Jeep jamboree? 99% of the participants are Wranglers, with 1% Cherokee (need something to tow out of the mud, and off rocks) The orig Jeep had 2 seats, round lights and no top. The Wrangler is a modern version of that. But then again what do I know, I have only owned 8 of them over the past 22 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I'm not knockin' the Cherokee because I haven't experienced one that much but wasn't it a softened up Wagoneer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted June 3, 2004 Author Share Posted June 3, 2004 Ok ok ok... No damn Jeep wars now. Thanks for all the input, I found a killer website... http://www.jeepforum.com Lots of great info there. Daymon, I had an old 64 Willies truck for a while. Tore it appart, went to college and never had time to put it all back togehter, ended up having to sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 m00n: I have driven only 4x4's since 1989: 1989 Jeep Cherokee (2-door) 1991 Ford Bronco 2001 Ford Sport Trac 2003 Ford Sport Trac Out of the above bunch, the Cherokee was the best performer in deep snow or mud and that's because of its solid front axle. But for quality, ride and workmanship it was the poorest. It was a unibody and did not have a full frame. Despite that, I nearly bought a fully-loaded Rubicon last summer when I ended up buying the '03 Sport Trac. The ONLY reason I didn't is because I still do a lot of freeway driving and because of the extra-low gearing of the Rubicon, it just didn't have the acceleration I need to get myself out of tight spots in heavy traffic. I still want one and I will own one some day after I retire. For now, I am enjoying the extra room and cargo-hauling capablilities of the Sport Trac. I have done lots of off-roading and I used to live in Northern Nevada (now Michigan) so I know of where I speak. If you want an out-of-the-box, balls-out, rock climber, then the Rubicon is your machine! However, if rock-climbing (like in Moab, Utah) is not in your future, I recommend you save a few bucks and consider one of Jeep's less-equipped models. The Sahara tends to be just as expensive as the Rubicon, but its attributes tend to be more cosmetic (luxury), and less performance-oriented. Go for a cheaper model if you don't need the rock climber. You can still go just about anywhere in one of those. But I highly recommend a solid front axle like the Jeeps have as they are the best, even with their harsher ride. The 4L in-line 6 is a very good engine (lots of low-end torque). It's made by Mitsubishi, by the way. You probably already know that you don't need a rock-climber just to go off-roading. You might laugh, but I have done some very serious off-roading both in Nevada and in Alaska in an unassuming, stock, Geo Tracker 4x4 with 8-ply sidewall tires! That "little piece of crap" (I mean that with affection) is a fantastic sleeper in disguise! It has a wide stance, tight turning radius, high ground clearance, good gearing, a low center of gravity and almost zero overhang, unlike so many other off-road machines. We have even floated down streams with it! It belongs to my brother in-law and he is on his second one, which he pulls behind his 40-ft diesel motorhome. The overhead cam model is the best choice as it has a bit more horsepower. I don't believe the vehicle is still made, but a good used one can be just as good. And, just like the Jeep Wrangler, it has a full frame! Just remember something that I have learned: A lot of people will claim you need a lot of horsepower to go off-roading. And while that is true if hill-climbing is your bag, my golden rule still stands: It is always better to have more traction than horsepower, than to have more horsepower than traction! And, that is why a "little piece of crap" like the Geo Tracker can amaze you! It's all in the gearing/tire combination and of course, how experienced the driver is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.