Talk me back into it.

[Jason]

A ram just wouldn’t look the same in this pic

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[Luco]

I have a 2018 JL Rubicon Unlimited and I absolutely love it. This is my 5th Wrangler and by far the best yet. I have a little over a thousand miles on the JL and have had no issues. I am getting an average of 19 miles per gallon. Having a Jeep is kind of like having a Harley. You can buy some nicer motorcycles, but they are not a Harley. You can buy nicer and fancier SUVs, but they are not a Jeep. I sold a Jeep and bought a GT Mustang Convertible, then a convertible Corvette. I sold both of them and went back to the Wrangler and never looked back.

 

[NavyVet1959]

My motto is "when in doubt, gas it"

I'm more of a "when in doubt, kill it" type of person...

 

[NavyVet1959]

So I’ve been researching and waiting to buy my Wrangler next month. I’ve been very excited about finally getting one. Not that I’m a few weeks away I’m becoming hesitant on pulling he trigger. It doesn’t get the greatest gas mileage. It doesn’t have a ton of storage. It’s probably not as safe as most cars out there. And I’ve been hearing horror story after horror story about some people and their new JL. There’s no doubt it’d be fun but do I really want to drop 45k on fun? I have a 3 year old son. Is it gonna be an ok choice for him? I know there’s no logical reason to pay 45k on an off-road vehicle when it’ll probably only go off-road 5% of the time. HELP ME!!! Lol!
I’ve been starting to lean towards the new 2019 Ram 1500.

The QuadCab 4x4 Ram 1500 (5.7 liter Hemi) that I had ended up getting about 12 mpg with the damn ethanol contaminated fuel that we have around here. I'm expecting the JL to get at least a bit better, even though it will not likely be the 25 mpg highway that is on the window sticker.

If you really run the numbers though, buying a new car for the sole purpose of getting better gas mileage, seldom makes sense financially. Let's say that you have a choice between an older car that gets 15 mpg and a newer car that gets 30 mpg. Let's also assume that you drive 15K miles each year. Let's also assume that both of those cars can use the same 87 octane unleaded fuel that goes for $3 per gallon and there is a $30K difference between the trade-in value of your older vehicle and the price you will be paying for the new vehicle. With 15K miles per year, you are using 1000 gallons of fuel each year for a total of $3K. With the new vehicle, you will be using 500 gallons of fuel for a cost of $1500, so a savings of $1500 per year. It's going to take you 20 years of driving (i.e. 300K miles) to break even. And this doesn't even take into account the added insurance costs of the new vehicle compared to the older vehicle. The older vehicle is probably old enough that you would no longer have full coverage insurance on it and would instead only have liability insurance. That will be a few hundred more dollars per year in additional costs for the new vehicle.

I'm not saying that you should not buy a new vehicle, but trying to justify it as a way to save money due to reduced fuel costs is more often than not just an exercise in self-delusion.

Also, remember, if you are the only one of your friends and family with a pickup, you'll be the one asked / drafted into helping them move or when they buy something that is larger than will fit in their car. A SUV and a small utility trailer will often take the place of a pickup, although it is not as convenient since you don't have that cargo space with you all the time. Many people who drive pickups rarely put anything in the beds of the pickups, but I will admit, it's nice to have it when you need it. At this point in my life, I decided that the disadvantages of a pickup outweigh the advantages. Since I kept my pickup for 14 years (and would have probably kept it longer if the idiots at Dodge had not used a soy-based [i.e. food-stuff] insulation for the wiring), there's a good chance that the JL that I ordered will be my last vehicle. I absolutely HATE an automatic transmission and I figure that I would go out at least driving the type of transmission that I *like*.

I decided on the JL because I wanted something more compact than the 4-door pickup. If the only choice had been the 4-door JLU, I probably would have considered other options. I wanted something compact, and mechanically simple. I did not even want the electric windows and door locks that the Sport S model has on it. In fact, I wish the JL had even less electronic features on it.

Here's some of the thoughts that I had leading up to my decision to purchase a JL:
https://sites.google.com/site/navyvet1959/miscellaneous/jeep-wrangler-jl-decision

Hope it helps... Good luck...

 

[Pic18]

I just got mine last week! I’m so in love with this thing it’s crazy. Driving is fun! The Ram would probably be cool too. I don’t think the exterior of the Ram is all that appealing. Maybe it’ll grow on me. But the Jeeps are beautiful! And you can forever customize it. I say order a 2019 Jeep exactly the way you want it.

P.S. I’m a Pontiac fan, and G8 owner. Glad to hear you loved the GTO! Now get rid of that leaf and start planning your Jeep!

 

[Firstwave]

One thing age has taught me is buy what you really want because you will never be happy with anything else. It's also cheaper in the end.

 

[NavyVet1959]

One thing age has taught me is buy what you really want because you will never be happy with anything else. It's also cheaper in the end.

Our tastes change as we mature...

When we are young, we might want a dizzy headed woman that will fall for our BS...

When we are older, we might actually want an intelligent woman that thinks logically...

Good luck finding either though...

Come to think of it, about that intelligent woman who thinks logically -- we probably still want her to fall for our BS...

 

[Waiting]

@SOON I been in love with Jeeps (and Corvettes and Mustangs) since I was a kid. Only Wranglers would make me look, every time. So, when finances allowed, I got a JK manual. Six months later I busted by hip and had to dump it. When I got my next vehicle, some of your very own doubts seeped into my brain and I got a slightly used Maxima, a really nice, semi-luxurious, quick car. That was the biggest regret I ever had.
When news of the new JL began surfacing, I was discussing "safety" and other issues with my brother. It was noted that, with government safety regulations, a TJ is more safe than our cars and 10 times safer that what out parents drove. Next up for discussion was gas prices. I don't give a crap about gas prices. Skip a fast food meal here and one extra cocktail there and gas is paid for; and, I view it as the cost of entertainment. The we discussed the quirks of the Wrangler. Yes, water dumped in the footwell when opening the door but I loved it like no other vehicle, and loved my GTI. Never really loved the Maxima despite it's luxury. The Wrangler made me "feel".
Then there was price. Everything is expensive. Anything as much fun as Wrangler is more expensive than a Wrangler and illegal to have fun with it.
So finally ordered the JL. You should too. It will commute good enough. It safe by the overbearing standards of the Government; very safe in fact. And, you "feel" it too, or else you wouldn't be on this forum

 

[Ruby Jack]

You might want to recalculate that...

Those who are bad at math probably should always use a calculator...

I may have added some extra 0s.

 

[NavyVet1959]

Added an extra 0 there. 1 in a 100.

I think you just mean a total of 90 if you are standing by the 1 in 1000 people having the problem out of 90K vehicles.

Have another beer and give it another try...

As I'm sitting here drinking a 22oz bottle of Guinness...

Sometimes, there will be days like that, ya' know...

 

[melendez69]

All good points. (And entertaining) I realize now that I was extremely nitpicky. I’m not not gonna get the wrangler cause of the things I said. I just get these moments of “maybe you should just save some money and get something practical” which makes sense but my last three cars have been an 05 GTO loved it! But then gas prices hit $5 a gallon and I had to get rid of it which broke my heart. I replaced it with a Pontiac G5. A stupid little turd that had a lower monthly payment and better gas mileage but I was never excited about it. I hated it from day one cause it replaced my GTO. Then now I have a Nissan Leaf. (I know, I know) the idea of zero gas was appealing to me but again it’s lame and boring and embarrassing. So now I have to replace it next month (lease) and I want something fun so the Jeep was at the top of my list. But that voice keeps popping in my head saying “hey. Why don’t you just get an Accord or something.”

Let's see you do this with a Ram 1500

 

[Thermodynamicles]

Life is short. Buy what makes you happy.

I have 2 kids now hitting their teen years. I had some nice SUVs and a few trucks then went practical. It was a waste of money and a mistake. We have more fun in the JLU Sahara than I think we've had in any vehicle. I've got almost 9000 miles on it and have had zero issues other than the occasional uConnect reboot mid-song. It is an absolute blast to drive and own.

If the Ram makes you happy, go for it. If the Jeep makes you happy, go for it. If you need convinced on either then neither is the right choice.

 

[Sean L]

I think the OP's dilemma is a tough choice. When I was doing my shopping my Top picks were narrowed down to the 2019 Ram 1500 and the 2018 JLU. What really pushed me to the JLU was the fact that it was actually available at the time I needed to trade. Now that I look back at the purchase, yes I could have bought a 2018 Ram EcoDiesel but I'm happy with all of the niceties that I have in my Sahara that would have been absent in a similarly priced Ram.

I still miss having a Hemi though....

 

[VolCntry73]

The QuadCab 4x4 Ram 1500 (5.7 liter Hemi) that I had ended up getting about 12 mpg with the damn ethanol contaminated fuel that we have around here. I'm expecting the JL to get at least a bit better, even though it will not likely be the 25 mpg highway that is on the window sticker.

If you really run the numbers though, buying a new car for the sole purpose of getting better gas mileage, seldom makes sense financially. Let's say that you have a choice between an older car that gets 15 mpg and a newer car that gets 30 mpg. Let's also assume that you drive 15K miles each year. Let's also assume that both of those cars can use the same 87 octane unleaded fuel that goes for $3 per gallon and there is a $30K difference between the trade-in value of your older vehicle and the price you will be paying for the new vehicle. With 15K miles per year, you are using 1000 gallons of fuel each year for a total of $3K. With the new vehicle, you will be using 500 gallons of fuel for a cost of $1500, so a savings of $1500 per year. It's going to take you 20 years of driving (i.e. 300K miles) to break even. And this doesn't even take into account the added insurance costs of the new vehicle compared to the older vehicle. The older vehicle is probably old enough that you would no longer have full coverage insurance on it and would instead only have liability insurance. That will be a few hundred more dollars per year in additional costs for the new vehicle.

I'm not saying that you should not buy a new vehicle, but trying to justify it as a way to save money due to reduced fuel costs is more often than not just an exercise in self-delusion.

Also, remember, if you are the only one of your friends and family with a pickup, you'll be the one asked / drafted into helping them move or when they buy something that is larger than will fit in their car. A SUV and a small utility trailer will often take the place of a pickup, although it is not as convenient since you don't have that cargo space with you all the time. Many people who drive pickups rarely put anything in the beds of the pickups, but I will admit, it's nice to have it when you need it. At this point in my life, I decided that the disadvantages of a pickup outweigh the advantages. Since I kept my pickup for 14 years (and would have probably kept it longer if the idiots at Dodge had not used a soy-based [i.e. food-stuff] insulation for the wiring), there's a good chance that the JL that I ordered will be my last vehicle. I absolutely HATE an automatic transmission and I figure that I would go out at least driving the type of transmission that I *like*.

I decided on the JL because I wanted something more compact than the 4-door pickup. If the only choice had been the 4-door JLU, I probably would have considered other options. I wanted something compact, and mechanically simple. I did not even want the electric windows and door locks that the Sport S model has on it. In fact, I wish the JL had even less electronic features on it.

Here's some of the thoughts that I had leading up to my decision to purchase a JL:
https://sites.google.com/site/navyvet1959/miscellaneous/jeep-wrangler-jl-decision

Hope it helps... Good luck...

There is alot in this that I agree with. I currently have a '15 Silverado Crew Cab LTZ Z71 with a 6.2L, tuned, Borla exhaust, and cold air intake with 27K miles on it. It's loaded and really is a nice truck. BUT, I don't treat it like a truck. In fact, if the weather is bad, I rarely let it leave the garage. It's not even a daily driver as my work location is not really friendly to keeping vehicles door ding free (tight spots and frankly people don't care). It never pulls anything and I am overly careful where I drive it to. After all, you can't park a 20' truck just anywhere. Where I do drive it to, I pick end parking spots or park out in Egypt. So in essence....I have made a practical vehicle....impractical. And it's my own fault. So guess what, I plan to say goodbye to the Silverado and replace it with the 2 Door Rubi. Why? Because I have wanted a Wrangler for years. I want a vehicle that I'm going to drive. I want a vehicle that I don't have to worry about where I am going to take it. I want a vehicle that if it gets a scratch or two, it's okay...because that means I'm enjoying it and driving it. I want a vehicle that I can drive to work during the week and cruise the mountains/find a trail on the weekend. In three years, I may get a less equipped truck to fill the practicality void...but for now, it's time to enjoy a Wrangler.

 

[MALL R8D]

I think the OP's dilemma is a tough choice. When I was doing my shopping my Top picks were narrowed down to the 2019 Ram 1500 and the 2018 JLU. What really pushed me to the JLU was the fact that it was actually available at the time I needed to trade. Now that I look back at the purchase, yes I could have bought a 2018 Ram EcoDiesel but I'm happy with all of the niceties that I have in my Sahara that would have been absent in a similarly priced Ram.

I still miss having a Hemi though....

Did you have the Hemi before? I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with a V8 for 14 years. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with a Hemi for a couple of months (was my husband's before he bought something new, and I took his Overland). I can still merge into traffic and get out of anyone's way quickly enough in my Wrangler. The stronger engine was nice for towing, but in 6 years of owning that Jeep, it was only used for that twice. There was also a lag between putting my foot on the gas and the Jeep actually accelerating (that wasn't present in the 2001 V8 version).

I know 0-60 times are not the be all, end all in terms of speed, but my 2012 Grand Cherokee Hemi had a 0-60 of 6.5 sec. The Wrangler is apparently 6.1

Now if you are using it for towing, yeah, the Grand Cherokee or Ram with a Hemi would beat out the Wrangler every time, but the reality of day to day driving styles between my Hemi and the Wrangler's V6 is really unnoticeable (to me).

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