Oppo, teach me the ways of the Jeep

"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi) 05/04/2015 at 09:29 • Filed to: None

1

29

My girlfriend’s sister wants to get a new (used) car, and she has decreed that it must be a Jeep of some kind. I’m no expert on their models, so I’d like a little advice on which ones to look for and which ones to stay away from. Here are her requirements:

Budget around $6,000, but some wiggle room available

Reliable enough to DD (for someone who will never ever wrench)

No older than 2000

Open to any and all suggestions . I know the Compass is crap, so not even considering that. Would a non–trashed, non–bro’d out Wrangler be possible at that price point? Are Wranglers reliable? My girlfriend and I would like for her to buy one so we can steal it for weekend jaunts to Lake Michigan.

505Turbeaux > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:31

3

2001 Cherokee with the 6 cylinder and no rust. up to 2004 Grands are still solid with the 6 cylinder as well. Any of these is in the $3000 range in fantastic shape, and will run out for many many years

E. Julius > 505Turbeaux 05/04/2015 at 09:35

2

My gf and her sister actually used to share a 2000 Cherokee with the six cylinder, and they loved it. They both got separate smaller cars for college, but her dad liked the car so much he gave his wife his nearly new Ford Edge and DDs the Cherokee to this day. Has about 200k on the clock I believe. If he would give up that car I know she’d take it in a heartbeat.

Party-vi > 505Turbeaux 05/04/2015 at 09:38

4

No rust? So not a Cherokee? :3

yamahog > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:38

3

Oh honey no.

I wish I had better advice. A $6000 2001 XJ will run well enough to DD, but will probably already be rusting and have things (read: sensors, bushings, etc) in need of replacing that could be bad news if undetected. Compass and Patriot are horrific. A Wrangler or Grand Cherokee for $6k and newer than 2000 will probably be beat to shit, and if she’s planning to drive it in the winter, older Wrangler tops are a PITA and prone to leaks. The 4cyls are apparently awful but I have no experience. Also, these things do not ride like cars and lead to lots of disappointment when purchased by people who mostly want a DD that’s easy on gas and maintenance but think a Jeep will look cooler.

Edit to add: go read some Jeep forums and see how frustrating these things are even for experienced mechanics. Really cannot recommend a $6000 Chrysler product to someone who does not want to wrench.

Party-vi > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:40

1

Don’t buy a Wrangler. They are the aerodynamic equivalent of a brick on 4 wheels. Suggest she look into the WJ Grand Cherokees. Luxurious interiors, available V8 engines an an excellent full-time 4WD system.

505Turbeaux > Party-vi 05/04/2015 at 09:40

2

I know I know. They do exist somehow, some way. I saw a late one, 00-01 up here with the rockers cut out and made out of sheet tin and bondo, unpainted. Typical

yamahog > Party-vi 05/04/2015 at 09:42

2

No rust on a Cherokee = no one’s looked at the rockers or under any of the plastic trim.

E. Julius > yamahog 05/04/2015 at 09:49

1

I completely agree with you. I don’t think a Jeep is the right car for her, but when she was convinced to stray from her last XJ, I was not consulted and she ended up with a complete crap bucket of an early 2000s Focus. Now since that car has been such a pain in the ass, she doesn’t want anything to do with small cars anymore and wants another Jeep. She’d like my help this time around, so I’m hoping I can improve her situation a little bit.

For the record, I helped my girlfriend find a car at the same time. She also ended up with an early 2000s Focus, but hers has had no mechanical issues. It also has a five speed with a short throw shifter, a one inch drop on stiffened springs, aftermarket intake, and a six CD changer that came with some awesome Bulgarian mix CDs. Budget Jalopness: achieved.

E. Julius > Party-vi 05/04/2015 at 09:51

0

Yeah I was thinking either that or an XJ. The Wrangler is honestly pretty selfish on my part hahaha

yamahog > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:55

0

Woof. My sister had a 2000 something Focus, we all hated that thing. Is this $6000 even her own money? If it is and she’s insistent, XJ is probably the least worst.

Party-vi > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:56

0

I would state in writing that the XJ is a better weekend jaunt vehicle than the Wrangler. Comparing the XJ and TJ they had similar axles, transfer cases and engine options but the Cherokee has the benefit of more interior space and a longer chassis.

Nibby > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 09:59

2

Just get a Grand Cherokee... ignore the Compass and Patriot as they are steaming piles of rubbish. Also, don’t bother with Libertys, another cheap shitbox.

And no to Wrangler; they’re not comfortable at all.

E. Julius > yamahog 05/04/2015 at 10:01

1

I don’t mind my girlfriend’s Focus, but that’s probably because I don’t have to live with it and get to rectify the lack of manual in my life when I drive it.

I honestly don’t know if it’s her own money or not. She doesn’t have a job but she’s an art student and apparently has $1000 of ceramics sitting in the back of her car right now, so maybe she has money from selling those? I would guess a grant or financing from the Bank of Mom & Dad is most likely what’s going on here.

I don’t know if you read my reply to 505, but their dad DDs their old car, a 2001 XJ with >200k miles, so I’m guessing they’re fine with putting up the cash for the maintenance on one in reasonably good shape. Certainly it will be less problematic than this craptastic Focus she currently has.

E. Julius > Party-vi 05/04/2015 at 10:03

0

But… but… it has a roof! Like all the time!

Textured Soy Protein > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 10:19

1

I had a ‘99 Grand Cherokee Limited V8. I had bought it in Nov ‘13 for $4200 with 141k miles on it. I used it for a year as my winter/utility vehicle and got rid of it because it had many assorted issues. I replaced it last December with an ‘05 Grand Cherokee Limited Hemi with 114k miles, that I paid $9700 for. It has...less issues. But I’ve still put a decent amount of work into it.

My experience with the WJ and WK is that the WJ has more random build-quality related issues, while the WK has more random electrical issues. The electrical issues tend to be easy to fix and/or sort themselves out but for a non-car person it might be daunting.

So...I’d look for a WJ with the I6. It’ll get somewhat better mileage, especially when you have decent weather because it can shift into 2wd mode whereas the V8s are permanent 4wd. However, it’s going to be an exercise in checking out a lot of vehicles to find a good one, because they’re old and have sub-par build quality.

E. Julius > Textured Soy Protein 05/04/2015 at 10:24

0

Thanks for the advice. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to put in the legwork to find a car for her beyond searching out some promising ads. I guess we’ll see what happens : /

Justin Hughes > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 10:26

1

The Compass is good as a rally course car , and absolutely nothing else.

Stupidru > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 10:32

2

I just test drove a Wrangler and GC this weekend. Granted they’re new cars and certainly not under $6k, but the Wrangler was too rough in the city, caught the wind on the highway which caused it to be noisy and dart all over the place. Neat weekend toy, but definitely not a DD. The GC was a nice vehicle. You could probably get a nice WJ for $6k or an XJ Cherokee. The Grand will most certainly be the better DD, especially for someone who doesn’t want to wrench. Just make sure you get the V8 due to their bulletproof nature.

LongbowMkII > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 10:35

1

I’m sorry that youve been put in this position.

Party-vi > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 11:05

1

That is an issue easily remedied by a sawz-all.

TTercel > Stupidru 05/04/2015 at 11:13

0

The 4.0L inline 6 is better than the V8 reliability wise.

E. Julius > Party-vi 05/04/2015 at 11:19

0

“Hey I found a car for you…”

Hey, y'all, watch this! > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 13:10

1

Wait, she’s a prior XJ owner and hasn’t had to learn to wrench yet?

Hey, y'all, watch this! > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 13:12

0

Well, I was going to suggest an XJ, but you said she doesn’t want to wrench. And I am physically incapable of not recommending an XJ, so my solution is for her to buy an XJ and give it to me.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 16:54

0

Most Jeeps, especially Wranglers, hold value incredibly well. Expect to pay a few thousand more than a comparable vehicle would cost. If our YJ were any other car/truck of the same vintage, with the same mileage, and in the same condition, it would be worth $2,000 at most, but because it’s a Wrangler I could easily get $4,500 for it.

Have you considered a first-gen Liberty? I’vde never heard anything bad said about them.

E. Julius > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/04/2015 at 17:01

0

Nope, I haven’t. I’ll keep a look out for her.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 17:08

2

Fun fact: The window switches were mounted on the center console, Saab-style.

greasemonkey235097 > Stupidru 05/04/2015 at 20:42

0

In the Jeep community we all love the 4.0 inline 6, the grand Cherokees are all over craigslist for a reason, the automatic transmission are real crap!

3.14 rad/s > E. Julius 05/05/2015 at 14:05

1

The Compass and Patriot are based on the Dodge Caliber. They’re alright for the road, but not really for off-road. The good thing about them is they have been around for a long time and don’t have any new technology, so they’re not too unreliable, they’re pretty cheap, and you can get them with a 5 speed manual.

Wranglers are really fun to drive, especially with the top down and doors off, but get terrible fuel economy, ride rough, and blow all over the place on the highway like a ship in a storm, but I still take my lifted Wrangler on 800 mile road trips from MI to SC because normal cars bore me to death. Used Wranglers are expensive though because they never depreciate.

Grand Cherokees (ZJ, WJ, WK, WK2) are comfortable cars, but I don’t have much experience with them because I try to avoid automatic transmissions whenever possible.

XJ Cherokees are really cheap, pretty reliable, and last forever. You can get a rust-free one from down South and drive or ship it up. That’s what one of my friends is planning to do. That would probably be your best bet for that price range, just get one that hasn’t been lifted because if not done right, lifts mess up the suspension and steering geometry, leading to worn components and death wobble.

Also, whichever Jeep you get, late model years are usually better because by then, most of the kinks have been worked out. Never buy a Jeep from the first model year.