Jeep Values - Massive Decline

[TheRaven]

The guy that understands that base models do exist and will double check the guy claiming things are overpriced and using creative rounding by several thousand dollars to prove his point? Proudly that guy.

Yeah that...and also that guy who pretends that it's not just eight old guys who "owned 7 other Jeeps and never had a problem so they believe their JL will be the same" who would consider buying that base model...if it's even possible to buy.

For 99.5% of the population, a base Wrangler is an auto-equipped Unlimited with AC. So for 99.5% of the population, a base JL costs $40k.

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[Zandcwhite]

Yeah that...and also that guy who pretends that it's not just eight old guys who "owned 7 other Jeeps and never had a problem so they believe their JL will be the same" who would consider buying that base model...if it's even possible to buy.

For 99.5% of the population, a base Wrangler is an auto-equipped Unlimited with AC. So for 99.5% of the population, a base JL costs $40k.

And so does anything with 4wd?

 

[Jeeplover278]

I’m a little skeptical about that. You TRADED a 2021 wrangler for $2k more than you bought it for, with 30k miles in 2024/early 2025? I might have to call BS on that unless you post some proof.

I have no reason to lie, and not sure why I need to prove to anyone my trade in value. It only had 30k miles on it, so that may be why it was so high. Honestly I was surprised at the amount I was quoted. Or maybe I got a really good price last year and that contributed to my windfall, but I am ahead nearly 6k between my payoff amount and the trade in valuation. I just pulled the trigger on a 4 door Willys Unlimited and will take delivery later this week. Or maybe I’m just a savvy auto buyer and will dedicate hours online looking at used Jeep prices and comparing them before making a decision. Either way, I am grateful.

 

[TheRaven]

And so does anything with 4wd?

There are 4WD vehicles under $40k. But if this were a different argument I might be agreeing with you because it certainly feels like you are correct. If I were interested in re-hashing this discussion for the eleventy-billionth time i'd say "so what's your point?". But I already know how this goes so i'll just save us all the time and put the transcript here.

Me: so what's your point?

You: The Wrangler is not overpriced.

Me: Just because you basically have to pay $40k to get a 4wd utility vehicle doesn't mean the Wrangler isn't overpriced. Those other $40k 4wd utility vehicles are far better equipped than a $40k Wrangler.

You: Name another vehicle that's as capable as a Wrangler, and better equipped at $40k.

Me: *list of just about every mid-size SUV available*

You: Not a single one of those is anywhere near as capable as a Wrangler

Me: For 99.5% of the population they are all just as capable as a Wrangler. And also, no one cares.

You: *further rants about Jeep capability and how all other brands just fall apart when they touch dirt*

It's neat that you wrote off my points as "what I deemed necessary" when you are the one bringing an argument from an extremely limited point of view. I haven't spoken about what I look for in a vehicle, or what I consider necessary (i'd never go near a base model anything ever). I'm simply stating what 95%+ of the population is looking for, minimum, in a vehicle in 2025.

 

[Punkn89]

There are 4WD vehicles under $40k. But if this were a different argument I might be agreeing with you because it certainly feels like you are correct. If I were interested in re-hashing this discussion for the eleventy-billionth time i'd say "so what's your point?". But I already know how this goes so i'll just save us all the time and put the transcript here.

Me: so what's your point?

You: The Wrangler is not overpriced.

Me: Just because you basically have to pay $40k to get a 4wd utility vehicle doesn't mean the Wrangler isn't overpriced. Those other $40k 4wd utility vehicles are far better equipped than a $40k Wrangler.

You: Name another vehicle that's as capable as a Wrangler, and better equipped at $40k.

Me: *list of just about every mid-size SUV available*

You: Not a single one of those is anywhere near as capable as a Wrangler

Me: For 99.5% of the population they are all just as capable as a Wrangler. And also, no one cares.

You: *further rants about Jeep capability and how all other brands just fall apart when they touch dirt*

It's neat that you wrote off my points as "what I deemed necessary" when you are the one bringing an argument from an extremely limited point of view. I haven't spoken about what I look for in a vehicle, or what I consider necessary (i'd never go near a base model anything ever). I'm simply stating what 95%+ of the population is looking for, minimum, in a vehicle in 2025.

Wait, wait, wait, I want to hear this for the eleventy-billionth time - what vehicle(s) under $40k is as capable as the wrangler off-road? I know just about any vehicle 4wd or not can handle dirt roads and the occasional pothole.

If you mean capable as in 99.5% of the population are not going off-road, then in reality they shouldn’t have bought a wrangler. I would punch myself in the dick if I bought a wrangler for their on road manners .

 

[Punkn89]

I have no reason to lie, and not sure why I need to prove to anyone my trade in value. It only had 30k miles on it, so that may be why it was so high. Honestly I was surprised at the amount I was quoted. Or maybe I got a really good price last year and that contributed to my windfall, but I am ahead nearly 6k between my payoff amount and the trade in valuation. I just pulled the trigger on a 4 door Willys Unlimited and will take delivery later this week. Or maybe I’m just a savvy auto buyer and will dedicate hours online looking at used Jeep prices and comparing them before making a decision. Either way, I am grateful.

I may have misunderstood that you bought it used to begin with, you didn’t really specify any mileage when you bought it, what you bought it for and sold it for. Doesn’t matter though, enjoy your new Willys!

 

[TheRaven]

If you mean capable as in 99.5% of the population are not going off-road, then in reality they shouldn’t have bought a wrangler. I would punch myself in the dick if I bought a wrangler for their on road manners .

That's exactly what I mean...when we define "off-road" the way it's defined here. That said, I don't think it's correct to say that they shouldn't have bought a Wrangler. Being great off-road is not the Wrangler's ONLY positive attribute. There's also the on-road all weather capability, the removable top thing, and the utility vehicle size and interior space. It was my wife that really pushed to get our Wrangler, and off-road capability was not on her list anywhere. For her it's a spacious sport utility vehicle that handles bad weather conditions very well and has a removable roof. She is representative of a huge percentage of JL buyers.

 

[Steph1]

Prices are down big time. I just experienced it myself. A year or 2 ago, I could have easily gotten almost twice the price that I got for my Jeep as a trade last week. Ended up getting ‘’refunded’’ for my mods where I basically gave the Jeep for free.

However, the vehicle I got also cost less than it did just last year when I was shopping them. Last years was $130k plus add-ons and I just paid $110 plus add-ons. Add-ons are still the same price they were last year.

 

[Spank]

Because you have options that you deemed necessary it doesn't start at $31k? The base price is still $31k. And an unlimited sport s with the auto is under $43k. If you feel that's overpriced, dont buy one. For the hardware you get and the off road capability I think it's fairly priced. Adjusted for inflation that's the same price as a loaded 2004 rubicon was, and you get way more for your dollar.

True, but no dealership was holding onto a TJ for more than three months back in 2004 while today there are still '23s sitting on lots they haven't been able to sell.

You can make the inflation argument to justify the price, but the lack of demand doesn't.

 

[TheRaven]

You can make the inflation argument to justify the price, but the lack of demand doesn't.

To add to this - resale value is the single best indicator of whether a vehicle is priced properly. Poor resale value indicates an overpriced vehicle. Remember how Wranglers used to have incredible value-holding ability? And how that's now history...right after a time period of unprecedented price increases? There's your proof.

 

[Spank]

To add to this - resale value is the single best indicator of whether a vehicle is priced properly. Poor resale value indicates an overpriced vehicle. Remember how Wranglers used to have incredible value-holding ability? And how that's now history...right after a time period of unprecedented price increases? There's your proof.

Absolutely. I can't speak for other states, but Colorado dealerships used to pay top dollar for any used Wrangler. It didn't matter if it was a manual, only had a soft top, the engine had ridiculous mileage, or the body was beat to hell. As long as it ran and didn't leak oil, it was hard to eat shit even on a trade.

 

[Zandcwhite]

To add to this - resale value is the single best indicator of whether a vehicle is priced properly. Poor resale value indicates an overpriced vehicle. Remember how Wranglers used to have incredible value-holding ability? And how that's now history...right after a time period of unprecedented price increases? There's your proof.

Weird, resale values were at record highs 3 years ago...and prices were the same? I don't think your argument works in the light of recent history let alone long term market trends? Across all makes and models it's standard that a new vehicle will lose ~30% of its value after 2 years and 8-12% there after. Those numbers fortunately never applied to Wranglers as they are such a niche vehicle they typically did better than that. We are now seeing industry typically depreciation and people are in here acting like the sky is falling or they should be able to buy a brand new JL for less than a Honda civic. Of course if you are willing to drive a stick...you can buy a JL for less than a civic it turns out. But they are obviously overpriced?

 

[siggy]

It's definitely done on purpose - Toyota and Honda also do what you describe here. GM just delays and "unavailable package" -es the buyer into giving up.

The "starting at" price that is used in ads is a paper vehicle. I hear it here all the time when members speak up about how overpriced the JL is. Someone always jumps in with "it's not overpriced, it starts at $31k!". It doesn't start at $31k. A base Unlimited Sport with an automatic trans and any COLOR starts at $40k. So as far as the general public is concerned, the JL starts at $40k...with less standard equipment than a 2001 Hyundai accent. You have to step up to the Sport S to get a vehicle that someone's actually going to be interested in and once you add the basic requirements you are over $46k. But HEY it starts at $31k so it's not overpriced!

You’ve been around long enough to know better. I have confidence in you! You can literally order a base Jeep in the low 30’s. Dealerships may not stock them, but they’re quite easy to get. Price out a comparable Bronco and you’ll see. The numbers don’t lie no matter how much you choose to bury your head in the sand.

 

[Zandcwhite]

You’ve been around long enough to know better. I have confidence in you! You can literally order a base Jeep in the low 30’s. Dealerships may not stock them, but they’re quite easy to get. Price out a comparable Bronco and you’ll see. The numbers don’t lie no matter how much you chose to bury your head in the sand.

Anything with 4 tires is comparable to him. We've been down that road. Get into anything with actual 4wd (transfer case with 4LO, no cvt) and they will all cost more than the JL period.

 

[Rolling heavy]

I've owned several Wranglers in my lifetime and this is the first time I've seen such a huge decline in the residual/trade value of a Jeep. I tend to get a new car every 1-2 years and usually the Wrangler is one of the best vehicles to own when it comes to holding their value. My current '24 fully loaded Rubicon X ($78.5K MSRP) currently has lost 40%+ in one year. I know Jeep has had huge decline in sales and they are discounting new models heavily but, question is, could the rumors be true that a huge price reduction is on the way which is impacting current trade values?

Nothing personal, But the problem started with the MSRP.

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