Looking to Buy First Wrangler

[amp2286]

Hey all,

I'm looking at buying my first Jeep Wrangler and to be honest, I'm really not sure what to get. I have done some research and talked to friends who own Jeeps, but am still having trouble deciding. I'm currently in FL, but provided I get into a school, will be moving to southern California in a few months. When out there I will probably ride my bike most of the time. However, I still want a Jeep that will be good enough to get me around as a daily driver and also hold out for long road trips. (i.e. the drive from FL to CA, as well as visiting family in WA) I am looking to spend no more than 5k-7k on the Jeep. I have already decided that I want a i6 with a manual transmission. The big debate is whether to go YJ or TJ. I know the YJs will cost less, which would be great (the less I spend the better). I was advised by one friend to go TJ for the creature comforts offered with the newer models. However, I really don't mind being simple with what's on the inside. So, any thoughts.

 

[5pd]

a TJ with the coil springs is going to give you a much better ride and has better road manners since it sounds like you are going to be doing some serious traveling when you use it.

 

[54cj3b]

best way to figure it out test drive both
comfort level /ride handling
last but not least hows it perform on / off road

just remember its a jeep not a rolls royce

 

[amp2286]

I definitely understand that Jeeps won't ride as comfortably as other cars. However, probably more to the point of what I'm wondering is, is it better to spend $4,000 on a YJ with 100k+ miles and make a few mods, or spend about $7,000 on a TJ to have some more comfort? Personally I like the idea of the YJ interior, simple - less to break and less to steal. Like I said before I do want to take some longer road trips in it. Are the leaf springs of a YJ just gonna drive me nuts, or is it something most people can live with. Same question with trails. I really doubt I will do any serious off roading, at least not in the near future, but I want to enjoy some trails and stuff. Main thing is I want to enjoy the Jeep.

 

[ljrubitm]

If your driveing from Florida to California then to WA I would hate to see you break down in the middle of nowhere with an older YJ ( nothing agenst them).
To me thats a lot of miles for a older jeep. Try to find maybe a 03 tj and keep it stock

 

[HiHood]

JK's are way too much and YJ's are way too old so I would say a TJ would be what I would do if I were you. 97 to 06 are TJ's and they should have the coils on the front. :shades: and that's the way I sees it.

 

[54cj3b]

traval wise tj off road wise yj with mods other than that up to you lol:beer:

 

[xt master]

Get an older TJ.You will get the nicer ride but a cheaper price.I know in my area you can get a 97-99 TJ with what you want and maybe even some small mods for 5-6k.

 

[Sine Deviance]

I say go with the YJ. Dash is easy to work on and the stuff in it doesn't break as much since there are less complex components. Also I prefer the stout blocky look of the YJ dash to the rounded plastic puffball look of the TJ. That's just me though. I had a more modern car with all those creature comforts you talked about before I got my YJ, and the only one I miss is A/C, but you can find YJ's that have it.

But yes, I love my YJ. And if you get a decent pair of seats the rougher ride becomes a non-issue. I love the way my YJ rides and the ladies like it too

Definitely test drive a few to get a feel for what you want.

 

[xt master]

Sine Deviance you just like to be different,with those square headlights and all.:lol:

 

[Sine Deviance]

Sine Deviance you just like to be different,with those square headlights and all.:lol:

Damn straight Also, I just noticed this post that I missed before so allow me to retort:

If your driveing from Florida to California then to WA I would hate to see you break down in the middle of nowhere with an older YJ ( nothing agenst them).
To me thats a lot of miles for a older jeep. Try to find maybe a 03 tj and keep it stock

YJ's are just as reliable or unreliable as TJ's, period. YJ's may on average have higher mileage because they're older but mileage doesn't really mean anything. It's just a (outdated and crappy) way for buyers to gauge the overall condition of an engine, before listening to it run or test driving it. What matters more is how the Jeep (or any car for that matter) was driven. If you take care of a car it will still run like new at 150,000 miles, 99% of the time. If you dog the hell out of it and drive it like a sports car, it's gonna start leaving you stranded at 150,000 miles, 99% of the time. No matter what year or what kind of car it is. Some of my friends have 2007 and 2008 model cars that are already falling apart and/or having major problems because of the way they treat them. It's all relative to the owner.

The only good way to gauge the condition of an engine is to listen to it idle and to take a few test drives. It's plain and simple as that. If an engine has excessive wear or any major problems, you can usually tell by the sounds that come from it at idle. You just have to know what to listen for.

 

[mud4feet]

I though I was the only one that was stupid enough to drive that far in a Jeep!?!?!?!:lol::lol::lol::lol:

I would recommend a TJ for no other reason than the coil spring suspension. The TJ and the YJ are both reliable (depending upon due care), but driving that far is bad enough in a Jeep of any kind (they really weren't designed as "road trip" vehicles), you gotta go with what's better for the gluteus maximus.


sore-butt mud