Rented a JK on vacation

[Niteshooter]

The JK guys think the JK was the last real Jeep, TJ guys think their TJ was the last real Jeep ever made.

Everything else is just "soft" and "FCA junk"

Haaa! The last 'real' Jeep was the CJ!

The TJ was quite the step up from the CJ (yeah I purposely skipped the YJ) and the JK quite a step up from the TJ in terms of interior refinement.

I notice quite a difference in ride between the 2 door and 4 door in both the JK and JL. If you do a lot of on road driving a 4 door would be top of my list. The JL is nice, the 8.4 Uconnect is I suspect more reliable in the long run vs the JK's nav radio with the built in hard drive which seems to be a failure point. I have one of these radios and the HD is going bad, can be replaced and I will swap it for an SSD drive vs the old school mechanical version that came with the radio but who in their right minds puts a hard drive in a radio used in a truck, let alone one bouncing all over the place off road.

But as a long time CJ owner 'real' Jeeping means packing plenty of spare parts, plugs, distributor, wires, ignition coils and other essentials that will prevent you from being stuck out in the middle of nowhere...... Granted the MB owners will tell you that their's is the real Jeep and perhaps that is the closest to the truth..... Driving a CJ meant putting up with a punishing ride with quirky steering especially if you upgraded the tires to more aggressive tires and suspension. Road noise issues so you upgraded your stereo and amp in a valiant attempt to drown out wind and road noise though it typically was a failed excerise unless hearing damage was no longer a concern. The instruments were, er well really spartan, at least my Laredo has a tach and a clock! Oh and pack spare fuses, I had my instrument cluster short out and that blown fuse also kills the motor! Avoid ethanol gas if you park it over the winter as the old fuel system isn't happy with ethanol and you wind up having to repair/replace the 'rubber' bits that have rotted out......

So the only thing I can conclude is 'real Jeep' is some sort of code for, having mechanical skills, being able to perform complex roadside repairs, being psychic in terms of packing needed spare parts and living with a ride somewhere between a bucking bronco and motocross bike. Comfort and reliability are not words that spring to mind....

The JK for me was quite a step up in terms of interior, quiet and ride. Still being a 2 door I find the steering 'quick' especially after swapping in KO2's vs the General Grabbers it came with which were more of a street tread. The JL is another step up but considering how long the JK was in production with the last interior upgrade back in 2011 it seemed logical that FCA would have made some upgrades to the JL.

IMHO all the electronics though handy are the one failure source that concerns me with all new vehicles, sensors, connectors and what not don't seem to be too happy with the salt/brine we now saturate out roads with. Granted that junk isn't exactly great for our environment either..... but this is one reason why I keep talking myself out of a Rubicon because I keep my vehicles forever and the electronic locking parts in the drive train concern me. Heck when I ordered my then brand new Ford Explorer I opted for the 5 speed manual and when the auto locking hubs failed installed Warn manual locking hubs.

So in the end personally I think it's all relative to what you are used to driving, if it was a CJ then the JK or JL are going to be a huge leap forward. If you're coming from a Suburban or other luxury SUV maybe not so much.

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[Chomper]

Same experience. In June I rented a 2018 JKU Sahara and put about 2500 miles on it. I loved it. I bought a 2018 JLU Sahara and I love it even more.

 

[Onyx Dragon]

Haaa! The last 'real' Jeep was the CJ!

The TJ was quite the step up from the CJ (yeah I purposely skipped the YJ) and the JK quite a step up from the TJ in terms of interior refinement.

I notice quite a difference in ride between the 2 door and 4 door in both the JK and JL. If you do a lot of on road driving a 4 door would be top of my list. The JL is nice, the 8.4 Uconnect is I suspect more reliable in the long run vs the JK's nav radio with the built in hard drive which seems to be a failure point. I have one of these radios and the HD is going bad, can be replaced and I will swap it for an SSD drive vs the old school mechanical version that came with the radio but who in their right minds puts a hard drive in a radio used in a truck, let alone one bouncing all over the place off road.

But as a long time CJ owner 'real' Jeeping means packing plenty of spare parts, plugs, distributor, wires, ignition coils and other essentials that will prevent you from being stuck out in the middle of nowhere...... Granted the MB owners will tell you that their's is the real Jeep and perhaps that is the closest to the truth..... Driving a CJ meant putting up with a punishing ride with quirky steering especially if you upgraded the tires to more aggressive tires and suspension. Road noise issues so you upgraded your stereo and amp in a valiant attempt to drown out wind and road noise though it typically was a failed excerise unless hearing damage was no longer a concern. The instruments were, er well really spartan, at least my Laredo has a tach and a clock! Oh and pack spare fuses, I had my instrument cluster short out and that blown fuse also kills the motor! Avoid ethanol gas if you park it over the winter as the old fuel system isn't happy with ethanol and you wind up having to repair/replace the 'rubber' bits that have rotted out......

So the only thing I can conclude is 'real Jeep' is some sort of code for, having mechanical skills, being able to perform complex roadside repairs, being psychic in terms of packing needed spare parts and living with a ride somewhere between a bucking bronco and motocross bike. Comfort and reliability are not words that spring to mind....

The JK for me was quite a step up in terms of interior, quiet and ride. Still being a 2 door I find the steering 'quick' especially after swapping in KO2's vs the General Grabbers it came with which were more of a street tread. The JL is another step up but considering how long the JK was in production with the last interior upgrade back in 2011 it seemed logical that FCA would have made some upgrades to the JL.

IMHO all the electronics though handy are the one failure source that concerns me with all new vehicles, sensors, connectors and what not don't seem to be too happy with the salt/brine we now saturate out roads with. Granted that junk isn't exactly great for our environment either..... but this is one reason why I keep talking myself out of a Rubicon because I keep my vehicles forever and the electronic locking parts in the drive train concern me. Heck when I ordered my then brand new Ford Explorer I opted for the 5 speed manual and when the auto locking hubs failed installed Warn manual locking hubs.

So in the end personally I think it's all relative to what you are used to driving, if it was a CJ then the JK or JL are going to be a huge leap forward. If you're coming from a Suburban or other luxury SUV maybe not so much.

The TJ was pretty reliable, in addition, it was pretty easy to work on. Based on the required Mechanical Skills, you'd need more in a JK than a TJ since you'd have to be able to take apart half of your Jeep to fix anything

In all honestly, I really think the TJ was the last "purpose built" Jeep in that it was sparse for a reason. I like all the knick knacks in my JL and the ones I had in my JK...but that might be because my Trans Am has crap for amenities

 

[Jeeper Fever]

The TJ was pretty reliable, in addition, it was pretty easy to work on. Based on the required Mechanical Skills, you'd need more in a JK than a TJ since you'd have to be able to take apart half of your Jeep to fix anything

In all honestly, I really think the TJ was the last "purpose built" Jeep in that it was sparse for a reason. I like all the knick knacks in my JL and the ones I had in my JK...but that might be because my Trans Am has crap for amenities

I think you are on to something here...

Most modern vehicles are loaded with gizmos, gadgets, and gimmicks.

Let's face it, that kind of thing does help to sell the car, if not no one would buy the upgraded models.

Yet, there really is something to a purpose built vehicle, with everything you need, and nothing that you might want. It makes for a stark and focused experience.

The limitation being, that such a narrow focus is not amenable to regular or general use, and the 'GP' is explicitly a general purpose light truck, or Jeep. So as far as being meant for a general purpose, my Jeep JLR is freakin' awesome, failing only in high speed freeway performance, where it does well but not great. Other than that, I just love this thing.

 

[MojoHanky]

I was riding dirty in Fallujah City. Semper Fi

My ride:

Oorah, Devil. I was in 94-00, getting out luckily just before the SHTF. Enlisted MOS 4066, Officer MOS 7208, swingin' with the wing.

 

[Onyx Dragon]

I think you are on to something here...

Most modern vehicles are loaded with gizmos, gadgets, and gimmicks.

Let's face it, that kind of thing does help to sell the car, if not no one would buy the upgraded models.

Yet, there really is something to a purpose built vehicle, with everything you need, and nothing that you might want. It makes for a stark and focused experience.

The limitation being, that such a narrow focus is not amenable to regular or general use, and the 'GP' is explicitly a general purpose light truck, or Jeep. So as far as being meant for a general purpose, my Jeep JLR is freakin' awesome, failing only in high speed freeway performance, where it does well but not great. Other than that, I just love this thing.

But there are amenities we could do without, such as power seats. You are correct, though, about it being more appealing. There are more people buying Wranglers for mall crawling now than before.

 

[TrailTorque]

Oorah, Devil. I was in 94-00, getting out luckily just before the SHTF. Enlisted MOS 4066, Officer MOS 7208, swingin' with the wing.

Semper Fi man!

Come join us:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...hat-♠-active-reserve-retired-veteran-♠.27497/

 

[ThirtyOne]

The TJ was pretty reliable, in addition, it was pretty easy to work on. Based on the required Mechanical Skills, you'd need more in a JK than a TJ since you'd have to be able to take apart half of your Jeep to fix anything

In all honestly, I really think the TJ was the last "purpose built" Jeep in that it was sparse for a reason. I like all the knick knacks in my JL and the ones I had in my JK...but that might be because my Trans Am has crap for amenities

Yes and you can still buy a TJ. That's the way I look at it. Those older purpose-built vehicles still exist and they can be restored for less than a new one. And one day I will do that with a YJ.

But for a daily driver I like the latest.

 

[ThirtyOne]

Very good question sir. Short answer is that the JL looks like they took the JK and finished designing it. The JK always struck me as horribly ugly, bloated, lazy, cynical, cheap, and half-assed.

My first experience with a JK was with the 3.8 which I also hated. Never got over that abysmal powertrain.

The JL is what the JK should have been in 2007. That’s what JK stands for, after all, right? Just kidding.

Edit: and as far as the JL’s design goes, it actually incorporates design elements of all previous Wranglers/Jeeps, and actually diverges sharply from the JK. Just compare the grilles of the jeeps from the CJ to the JL. See my posts in this thread: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/which-grill-was-is-the-best.2138/page-2#post-644343

Compare the hoods from all previous Jeeps to the JK’s. The JK hood is a vast expanse of unbroken sheet metal. No character lines... boring, lazy. All the prior jeeps’ hoods have some styling to them.

100% agree with this.

From a design standpoint I think you can go from the TJ directly to the JL and it makes total sense. I feel like the designers threw out the JK when they looked at the design.

It is the most bland, uninspired design of all the Wranglers.

 

[MojoHanky]

Semper Fi man!

Come join us:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...hat-♠-active-reserve-retired-veteran-♠.27497/

Done!

 

[Onyx Dragon]

Yes and you can still buy a TJ. That's the way I look at it. Those older purpose-built vehicles still exist and they can be restored for less than a new one. And one day I will do that with a YJ.

But for a daily driver I like the latest.

Except...they aren't new. So the last real purpose built Jeep you could buy NEW was the TJ. Buying a used Jeep and buying a new Jeep are two entirely different things. With ANY used vehicle, you have to worry about the person before you. So no, you cannot buy a real Jeep from Chrysler any longer.

 

[RubenZ]

The problem with TJ is now days its hard to find a good one. I miss my 98'. Just now finding one they are very rust prone. The 3.8 was a joke as was the 3.6 with auto in the JK. The JL is just 10x better to drive in all aspects. Got steering issues? just pay almost 1k in upgrades Synergy, Steer-Smarts or RK components and have the baddest mofo jeep made in a long time. I love my JL .

 

[ViperJon]

Nobody is more anti JL and salty than the guys with ‘17 and ‘18 JK Recons and HR’s they overpaid for. 2008 technology has a tough time in 2019.

 

[UKCATS]

Nobody is more anti JL and salty than the guys with ‘17 and ‘18 JK Recons and HR’s they overpaid for. 2008 technology has a tough time in 2019.

Spent the day doing errands in the wife’s 2018 JKUR Recon. I much prefer it to my JL Rubicon. FYI got a great deal on it as the JL’s were out. Wife drive both, chose the JKUR.

 

[ThirtyOne]

Spent the day doing errands in the wife’s 2018 JKUR Recon. I much prefer it to my JL Rubicon. FYI got a great deal on it as the JL’s were out. Wife drive both, chose the JKUR.

A guy at work has a Recon. It's a beast. He was excited to check out my JLU, but there was no jealousy at all. The things he cared about he got in his Recon and it's a pretty unique edition. I personally prefer the JLU but I'm not a Recon buyer.

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