And another one

[JABCAT]

I always tell prospective Wrangler buyers to buy one for fun, nothing else, don’t try and convince yourself it’s a practical vehicle because if you do, you’ll be disappointed.

What’s the definition of “practical”, and why do think a Wrangler is not a “practical” vehicle?
It can carry up to 5 people, can carry loads of cargo, can travel in all weather conditions, all terrain conditions, can tow, can be a convertible when you want it to be… Seems to me a Wrangler is more practical than most vehicles on the road

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[azwjowner]

This is great advice for <10% of people.

I'd argue it's great advice for 100% of people, but most people have convinced themselves that they can still afford vehicles even if they don't have the cash for them, which gives the illusion that this rule is unduly restrictive.

 

[mwilk012]

I'd argue it's great advice for 100% of people, but most people have convinced themselves that they can still afford vehicles even if they don't have the cash for them, which gives the illusion that this rule is unduly restrictive.

Are you aware that poor people exist?

From a financial standpoint alone it is terrible advice most of the time. Interest rates for those with good credit are very low. You can get a better return on investment with the money that you would have spent on the depreciating asset if you just get a loan and put the cash to work. Every time.

 

[azwjowner]

Are you aware that poor people exist?

From a financial standpoint alone it is terrible advice most of the time. Interest rates for those with good credit are very low. You can get a better return on investment with the money that you would have spent on the depreciating asset if you just get a loan and put the cash to work. Every time.

Yes, and it's particularly important for poor people to not be at the mercy of creditors, to risk borrowing more than they can afford, or to assume arbitrage risks on a depreciating asset that comprises a significant amount of net worth. Buying a cheap vehicle in cash is a better return than buying a more expensive vehicle on credit and arbitraging rates on a loan.

Obviously, we can disagree. I suspect that on average, those who stick to buying vehicles in cash grow wealth substantially faster than those who take out loans because they are buying cheaper vehicles, paying less on registration taxes and insurance, making longer-term plans, develop saving discipline, and other financial skills that translate into all areas of personal finance.

You may be the exception; that's fantastic if you are. I agree that if you can otherwise afford a vehicle in cash and you were going to buy it anyway, back in the day when they had 0.9% loans for 3 years and CDs yielding 3%, you would be mathematically ahead to do that. But for most people, once they aren't writing a check, the loan tends to psychologically move them up in vehicle costs, so that's the first problem. The second is that nowadays, there are no risk-free investments exceeding the loan rates. Sure, you can say that stocks or bonds are an option, but you can't compare a loan rate against an investment rate without adjusting the expected return for the level of risk you assume. Once you do that, it's not such a good idea.

 

[caraholic]

I always tell prospective Wrangler buyers to buy one for fun, nothing else, don’t try and convince yourself it’s a practical vehicle because if you do, you’ll be disappointed.

I’ve never understood how people say the wrangler is not a practical vehicle. If we are talking two door and not the unlimited then yes I would agree.

If an unlimited is not a practical vehicle then what is? It’s got plenty of room for four people and five in a pinch. Along with gobs of rear cargo space. I don’t see how this is any different from any other suv.

If your talking overall comfort then that is not the same as practical/useful vehicle. It’s a different metric entirely. Even that I find the wrangler to be a comfortable vehicle. Is it a rolls no but it’s pretty smooth and quite for what it is.

Gas mileage between it and similar suvs is pretty insignificant. Yes it may be slightly worse but when spending 40-80k on a vehicle the small difference in gas prices should not be of a concern to you.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

I always tell prospective Wrangler buyers to buy one for fun, nothing else, don’t try and convince yourself it’s a practical vehicle because if you do, you’ll be disappointed.

Our definitions of practical are very different. I can fit 5 people plus cargo in my wrangler and maneuver it up and around more places than most vehicles would dare to go. It still gets 22-26 MPG, which is very good for a breadbox on wheels.

 

[aldo98229]

C’mon guys, let’s be real. Yes, we can carry five people, but pretty much 99% of other SUVs can do it more comfortably, quietly and efficiently.

Wrangler gives us many benefits, including go-anywhere capability, iconic styling, smiles per miles and low cost of ownership, but we do make trade offs in handling, interior space, ride comfort and fuel economy in the process. To think otherwise is to be in denial.

Still, I wouldn’t get a Subaru, an Explorer, a Bronco or a Defender. That’s not what I’m looking for.

 

[Wbino]

If I had children in my Jeep for any length of time the fact that there are no side airbags would weigh on me.
Then again as a grandpa I worry more than I used to.....

 

[Hearhear]

Buying a cheap vehicle in cash is a better return than buying a more expensive vehicle on credit and arbitraging rates on a loan.

I wholeheartedly agree that being in debt is no good, it’s stressful and only banks win with car loans and mortgages etc…. People see that shiny new car in the showroom and it completely dulls their senses. They sign up for that 7 year car loan and as soon as they drive it off the lot they’ve unknowingly lost thousands of dollars. I think banking rules should be stricter on this, but I guess you can’t legislate people from being financially irresponsible. Banks would’t have it.

However, some people stuck on the lower rungs of the income ladder can’t afford to shell out even $5,000 for a used car. So loans are necessary if they need transportation to work or school or whatever. A majority of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. I know it’s hard to see that sometimes when most people here are showing off their brand new Jeeps or talking about buying one, or two. So there’s two sides to this coin for sure.

 

[ObiMatt87]

Happens every single day... that is where a good lot of vehicles that have less than 10K miles come from in used inventory. Along with early exit leases because it ended up not being what they expected.

Exactly! I bought my 2018 in 2019 when it was 1 year and 1 month old (from manufacture) and it had 10K miles on it. Listed for $51K and I got it for $37,900. The couple who bought it traded it in on a pickup. I love it when others eat depreciation, then some! I'll do that all day long...

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