Is a Wrangler the perfect vehicle?

"Stupidru" (Schm1an) 03/09/2015 at 11:49 • Filed to: None

2

72

This is a serious question for all you Opponauts. What else could you want from a vehicle? The Wrangler is a RWD, 4x4, manual-transmission-havin', 4-person-and-their-stuff-holdin', anywhere-goin', easy-cleanin', top-removin', easy-fixin' vehicle. And the best part? It holds its value rediculously well. The worst part? The gas mileage rings in around 16mpg, but once the diesel engine comes out next year it will solve the sub-par gas mileage issue. Find me anything else that meets all of these issues and you can have a cookie.

macanamera > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:51

7

I would prefer something that can turn left, and also right.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:51

14

No.

What else could you want from a vehicle?

Handling? Gas mileage? Comfort? Speed? Space for cargo when it's raining?

spanfucker retire bitch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 11:52

0

Yes. All of this. Right here.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:54

1

I wouldn't say stuff holding if you have 4 people in a 2 door. My buddies only really had room for our gym bags let alone anything that wasn't able to be smushed. They also get terrible gas mileage

crowmolly > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 11:54

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All of that plus poor aero leads to poor tracking on the highway.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > macanamera 03/09/2015 at 11:54

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Man your standards are way too high

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 11:54

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I would say it's not perfect, but probably the best all-rounder.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:56

1

autocross yo

CB > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:56

3

I feel autocross might be dangerous.

JR1 > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 11:57

4

For an off road vehicle nothing comes close. But for a car the Wrangler is a real pos

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 11:57

3

Only if you consider off-road capability a must, and even in that case, I'd rather an old Land Cruiser or something since it beats it in pretty much every department.

HammerheadFistpunch > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:00

3

how about sealed against the weather or noise, or even the slightest hint of handling, or a vehicle that can carry more than 950 lbs cargo or basically 5 adults and a few bags of chips.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > macanamera 03/09/2015 at 12:00

1

That's at least twice as many requirements as NASCAR.

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 12:01

2

I would say a 4runner is the best all rounder. it will go 95% of the places a rubicon will go, get slightly better mileage, but be refined, comfortable quite. It also handles on road much better, is much more reliable and costs about the same.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:01

0

Its pretty damn good. Probably the car i'd buy if I had to buy a new car today.

djmt1 > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:02

4

If you and your family live on top of mountain and have to commute down it then sure. However if you live in the middle of a built up city with narrow streets then it is beyond terrible. Here's my perfect vehicle for what it's worth.

ColoradoTaco > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:06

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People or gear, choose one. Cargo space is pretty paltry on Wranglers.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 12:07

1

I was more thinking if you layed out eveything a perfect car should be:

seats 4, reasonably cheap, rugged, holds value, good on-road, good offroad, convertible, RWD, FWD, 4WD, good cargo capacity, convertible, comfortable day-to-day, good looks, etc add and remove as fits your description of perfect.

Then the Wrangler would still probably tick the most boxes. Yes I know some of the things on that list are subjective and/or don't apply to the Wrangler at all, that was the point. For me, FWD would not be on that list, and the Wrangler would check off about 11/13.

BrtStlnd > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:08

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A Forester with better tires can do 85% of what the Jeep can do off road and it's not physically tortuous to drive on actual roads like a Wrangler.

The Wrangler is great for a few very specific things, but outside of those it's probably the worst vehicle you can buy for normal driving.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:08

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Forgot about the 4runner.

CACK.

yamahog > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:10

2

It's a great second vehicle if you follow my philosophy of one fun track car, one fun off-road/winter car/jeep, and at least one motorcycle.

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 12:10

0

the hell?

BrtStlnd > JR1 03/09/2015 at 12:11

1

Yes, this is the important distinction. If it's going to be your "car"... God have mercy.

Stupidru > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:11

0

I've considered a 4Runner because it's still a body-on-frame, but it lacks a third pedal and you can't take the top off in summer when you want to haul something bigger than your interior allows

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:12

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A friend of mine just chose a new 4Runner (Trail Premium, I think) over a Wrangler Rubicon because of how crappy the Jeep is on the highway.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:12

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To which part of the comment?

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:12

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I loved my tj wrangler, but after 7 years of daily driving: the awful gas mileage, lack of traction in the rain, rust promoting steel body, lack of cargo space in a vehicle that handles like a truck, etc. got old. On the highway and on particularly windy days, it is like driving a box down the road.

Aside from all that, the wrangler is extremely fun to drive and can go anywhere. It is extremely easy to work on and the engines are more than reliable. It is in no way practical, but very fun.

HammerheadFistpunch > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:12

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3rd pedal is a valid complaint but the whole topless thing doesn't mean much to me. Its just sunburn and interior dust to me. Not to mention that the payload is so poor in the wrangler than if it was too big to fit inside its probably to heavy to carry.

Ex. President Mack41 > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:13

3

fuck no. Currently DDing and it fucking sucks. Unless you're on the beach in the summer with no doors or roof it's one of the worst cars out there

HammerheadFistpunch > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/09/2015 at 12:13

1

The Wrangler is a cool vehicle and I respect people who love them...but having one for a DD doesn't appeal to me at all anymore.

450X_FTW > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:13

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I had an 09 Wrangler for 3 years, only real complaint as I hate the throttle calibration they did. It was 6 speed, and the pedal filtering was so bad there is a huge delay from when you put your foot on the throttle to when the engine actually reacts and it drove me nuts. Auto wasn't as noticeable, but when the manual it's really annoying when you start to let the clutch out and have to time it for the lag

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 12:14

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The calling of me a cock. I don't recognize your name round these parts so not sure if serious.

William Connor > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:15

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I will start off with saying I am a Jeep owner. No they are not a sports car but they handle as well or better than most SUV's and with the 4 door carrying enough stuff is not an issue. 4 people 5 days in WV plus food for Thanksgiving all in one Jeep. 17 MPG combined and 20 highway is better than most trucks, which is where this design is still comparable. In all of that snow for the North East US all those fancy dandy SUV's were stuck, wrecked, or parked. Jeeps were used to ferry hospital workers and emergency personnel to and from work. So yes I think it is the perfect all around vehicle unless speed is your only motivator and then you buy an FRS.

Stupidru > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 12:16

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Then your perfect vehicle doesn't exist yet, which is why I would opt for a 2-car system in a perfect world. The Wrangler would be my winter DD/hauling vehicle and an S4 wagon would be my summer DD/family car. Until then, I need 1 car that checks as many boxes as possible. And as a family man, speed and handling take a back seat to practicality

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:16

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That wasn't to you, that was for me forgetting the 4runner.

I don't like to start shit-throwing over something like that :)

Stupidru > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2015 at 12:16

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How so?

Ex. President Mack41 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 12:16

1

Things wrangler a is bad at:

comfortable seating for 4

over priced MSRP makes it "hold" value

awful on road . Horrific road noise

its not FWD. its either RWD or 4x4

cargo capacity is horrid. Two doors are tiny. Can't fit snowboards and gear for more than 2

extremely uncomfortable

iconic looks = awful MPG

if its a TJ and its not a 4.0 it's anemic and awful

Two Drink Minimum > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:17

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But it's not just topless. It's topless and doorless, which is completely fantastic.

Caspian Kilkelly > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:17

1

"What else could you want from a vehicle?"

Highway handling.

A back seat that kids, friends, and my girlfriend can actually sit in when there are other people in the front seat.

A ride that doesn't feel like I'm on an oversized mall-ride for kids. It's nice if you like bouncing up and down at speed, like the back of a schoolbus.

Usable luggage space without having to mod the back seats, etc.. Seriously, my little A4 wagon has more usable storage.

A non-anemic powerplant

Acceleration.

Decent suspension. Live axles are for tanks and Mustangs.

You already said gas mileage

A vehicle that can reliably take a corner at speed without falling off the road.

Less of a nasty habit of catching fire.

Also: Jeep has been "rumoring" a CRD version for the last 10 years. It hasn't happened so far, so is this confirmed, or just a continuation of the original rumor?
I love Wranglers, don't get me wrong.. but they're trucks. Most of the practicality that comes with them is wasted, and they're not very fun to drive in cities or on highways.

Stupidru > djmt1 03/09/2015 at 12:17

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Before I saw this, I wrote in another post that in a perfect 2-car approach to check every box, this would be my summer car

Wacko > yamahog 03/09/2015 at 12:18

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but it's no good as a winter car, any awd car / suv is basically better as a winter car than a Wrangler.

Saying that I own a 97 TJ sahara, and I don't touch it at all in winter.

And I live in canada....

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/09/2015 at 12:19

1

my bad entirely, I read that as "Forget about the 4runner."

I was all like

Then I realized its been a weird morning already.

Stupidru > BrtStlnd 03/09/2015 at 12:20

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Forester XT, been there, done that. It was about to cost me $5k in repairs, was terribly noisy on the highway, and the interior felt like getting into a Cozy Coupe from my days of yore (not that the Wrangler would really be an improvement in this category)

Stupidru > yamahog 03/09/2015 at 12:22

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Absolutely! Amen brother! I've long believed that a 2-car approach is the best approach to finding the 'perfect' vehicle. I used to have motorcycles, but then I got married and my wife made me quit them because of something something something, "you're going to die and I'll be all alone and then our kids won't have a dad yada yada ya" story.

nermal > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:22

1

As a vehicle, held to the same standards as any other vehicle, Wranglers are crap. They're slow, unrefined, leaky, ride and handle like crap, are subject to bean-counter cost cutting decisions, and have questionable reliability.

That said, there is a reason why they are so popular, and have such a rabid fan base. It's because they are one of the most FUN vehicles you can buy. Also, marketing - Most consumers don't buy them because they intend to bounce down a rocky off-road trail with the top down and a large-chested girl bouncing along in the passenger seat. They buy them because they can, and they totally intend to do that, once the weather warms up, and they find a large-chested girl to join them, and they finally get that promotion at work that they've been passed over for 3 times by inferior candidates. In the meantime, the idea of what the Wrangler can do supercedes what it is actually used for, and that sense of hope that it instills is why people think it's so great.

The Wrangler is definitely the best at what it does, and perfectly suits its intented target. But that doesn't make it any less crappy by all measurable standards. The majority of buyers would be better served by a new Cherokee. But, Jeep needs the Wranlger to exist in its current form to sell Cherokees and every other model they have.

Make sense?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Ex. President Mack41 03/09/2015 at 12:22

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I was throwing together a list of possible characteristics, not saying the Wrangler was any of those things. Kind of a "Check all that apply to you" scenario.

Stupidru > Ex. President Mack41 03/09/2015 at 12:23

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Eh? Please enlighten me so I can enlighten my friend who is thinking of buying one

Stupidru > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man 03/09/2015 at 12:23

0

Been there, done that. It's hilarious fun, but then my car got less people-friendly and my wallet followed my car's philosophy of getting lighter

Stupidru > Caspian Kilkelly 03/09/2015 at 12:28

1

Well you reinforce everything I used to believe. My friend who is considering buying one just test drove one this weekend and said it was the best vehicle he test drove out of a Ram 1500 and a GC CRD, said that it was very large on the inside, had a great interior, the suspension was responsive and took a small snow pile with ease, had a peppy engine, and that the gas mileage wasn't as bad as he thought... so all of the sudden I started to believe him. Sounds like he doesn't know d!ck about anything

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:28

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TD5 LR Defender?

nermal > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 12:28

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I have just the vehicle for you! It's equal parts sacreligeous and fitting for what you described.

Until the warranty expires.

HammerheadFistpunch > nermal 03/09/2015 at 12:30

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I said "the slightest hint of handling" this has many flavors of handling.

O[][][][][][][]O ™ > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:30

1

I drive my '14 JK daily to the tune of about 50 miles. Yeah, it's the least practical vehicle for that purpose, but I don't care. Smiles per gallon > miles per gallon.

Stupidru > nermal 03/09/2015 at 12:31

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makes perfect sense, and you've made a great point: people buy them because its ability supercedes its actual use, but people buy it because they get this perception that it will change their life and make their lives so much more fun

Stupidru > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2015 at 12:32

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I don't know a whole lot about those, but you're not the first to recommend a LR instead. What makes these better?

Milky > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:32

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Perfect 2nd vehicle.

Realistic dream driveway includes the new Fiata (fiat miata) and a Rubicon Unlimited. Maybe a bike too. The Jeep would cover the practicality and winter end of the spectrum and the DD/2 seater would cover the other end.

yamahog > Wacko 03/09/2015 at 12:34

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It would fit the fun offroad/winter bill fine though, not too many awd cars can do both. I'm not big on practicality in my vehicles, if you can't tell :)

yamahog > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:39

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Yea, it's almost necessary if you have rough winters. Between myself and my SO, we have 3 cars (one on the way!), my motorcycle, a trailer, and zero kids ;)

functionoverfashion > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:40

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No, because where do I put my mountain bike or skis? You can't really mount a rack and have a soft top at the same time. Trailer hitch-mounted racks are basically the only answer, and they are awful for skis. Bikes, ok. But the spare tire creates clearance issues... yeah.

Tripper > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:41

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The wrangler (to me anyway) is more of an appliance with wheels than it is a car, it certainly drives like one. I could never DD one. For those and lots of other reasons I can't say its the perfect vehicle, but it is a good one.

nermal > yamahog 03/09/2015 at 12:46

1

Yep. Don't try to be good at everything, you'll end up being great at nothing.

Also, a truck and a small sporty car are a great compromise as well. The truck works markedly better for towing / on road / hauling stuff than a Jeep. Sucks at parking though.

Keep the motorcycle as a track-only bike, and don't worry about getting squashed by old people or moms in minivans disciplining their monsters in the back seat.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > nermal 03/09/2015 at 12:48

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what, carmax warrenty you say?

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 12:50

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it doesn't have to be terribly light, I mean like a Fiesta ST, or Focus RS, so its still comfortable and not ridiculously priced.

yamahog > nermal 03/09/2015 at 12:56

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What is "Something No One Told Lockheed Martin" for $500, Alex? ;)

Agree. My fun car is scheduled for production in two weeks and my SO is considering a full-size truck for a DD/tow vehicle once his current lease is up, so we'll soon have all our bases covered.

Party-vi > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 13:17

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The Grand Cherokee and Wrangler share the Pentastar V6. In the Grand Cherokee the Pentastar gets 24mpg and the Diesel gets 28mpg. Given the same engine lifted out of the GC and plopped into the Wrangler now gets 21mpg on paper and 16mpg under your foot, I don't see the diesel doing all that well in the real world.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 13:54

1

1st gen 4runner

RWD: Check

4x4: Check

manual-transmission-havin: Check

4-person-and-their-stuff-holdin: Check

anywhere-goin: Check

easy-cleanin: Check

top-removin: Check

easy-fixin: Check

vehicle: Check

holds its value rediculously well: Check

Do i win?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 03/09/2015 at 14:28

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I can see having one with a manual one day as a purely fun car, for tooling around town and getting dirty with.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 14:57

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No, because these are in the same price bracket:

Plus they are more comfortable and are not Chrysler products.

Caspian Kilkelly > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 17:06

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To be fair, the last time I drove one was about 2 years ago. They're trucks. They drive like a truck, act like a truck and, if you're comparing them to other trucks, they're pretty good (except for the cargo space, so there's that).

greasemonkey235097 > Stupidru 03/09/2015 at 21:47

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i agree, i have a yj and a tj, two wranglers just make everything easier

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Stupidru 03/10/2015 at 02:17

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Hell no. Would never. Have ya driven one? I would rather walk, ten miles each way every day in Detroit for ten years. I don't think there is a worse handling vehicle sold today, or in the last 25 years for that matter. And so incredibly uncomfortable. And shit visibility. And slow. And poorly designed making them stupidly infuriating to work on (I don't mean hard, I mean WTF were they thinking putting this in front of this even they could have moved it 2mm and saved me 10 hours!). And driving one in the winter, well, I hope you have good winter clothes because you will need them. Nor are they a good value, or as reliable as people seem to think. They are shitty shit boxes that handle like shit. And they're ugly.

If I really needed off road capability, I would get either a disco, a defender, old G-wagen, or a land cruiser 80/100.

But I don't. So I have an AWD E-class wagon. Does everything better than every wrangler ever. Combined. Except off road, which I believe I've already established I could care less about and frankly my merc could probably do pretty damn well off road assuming no shits were given about the body.

I could hodge podge together a better off roader in a few weekends using all the spare rover, Porsche, and Chevy parts at my buddy's home shop.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Stupidru 03/10/2015 at 05:57

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Hmmm, I don't know a whole lot about Wranglers either so it's tricky to say what's better. I do know that all the body panels are aluminium so dents, tears and scratches won't make them rust. They've also already got a diesel option. Other than that, I reckon they're pretty similar :)