Moving to Minnesota for school.

[Jamrock]

In the 1980s I moved from Peru, South America to Sudbury, ON, Canada, to attend school. It was a complete shock.

In hindsight I am glad I experienced 4 years of winter in northern Canada; now I can say I’ve done it and I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

Per a 2010 Wrangler...it’s not the most desirable year for a Wrangler.

I’d drive the Forte to MN and figure out what you want/need once you get there. You will find that a lot people get around in the frozen snow perfectly fine in FWD sedans; much of it is driver skill.

“Fargo” is one of my all-time favorite movies; it depicts very realistically what’s like to live in the frozen tundra. Here’s the opening scene



Good luck.

I have friends who migrated from Jamaica to Toronto and Mississauga. The smarter ones migrated in the summer and gradually went into the winter. The not so smart ones migrated in the middle of winter.

I once sent one of them a picture of me at the beach during January. I really wasn't thinking. The words she used to describe me...

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[WhtRubi]

As someone who lives in San Diego, I can tell you a few things to watch out for:

1.) You're going to get burned on any "affordable" Jeep out here, so be careful and do your due diligence before you buy. Go with the seller to a mechanic and have him look over the Jeep to tell you what it needs before you buy. Make sure they put a code reader on it. If you end up buying it, you can use the information to your advantage.

2.) If the Jeep has any aftermarket mods (lift, bigger tires, etc.) make sure you're buying from a private seller and not a dealership. Most times dealers get a Jeep in and slap 35s with mean looking rims and other cheap modifications to increase the curb appeal but haven't done shake downs to test that there's no issues. A private seller can tell you how long they've had the mods installed and is hopefully honest about the effects. If not, see #1.

3.) While it's easier to find rust free Jeeps out here than in the North, we have an ocean next to us that provides plenty of salt year-round. Make sure to look at the underside and inspect for rust.

4.) If you're buying from a dealer, make sure it's a reputable one. There are plenty of small lots here that just flip auction cars that they have not put any money into. Stay away from used dealers on Miramar Blvd or any place near military installations.

5.) When you do buy, make sure to save $1,500 - $2,500 for repairs, fluid changes, tires, brakes, etc. before your trip. There's nothing worse than getting stranded in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a move.

 

[mwilk012]

The Kia Forte is a piece of junk, no offense. Sell it. Only buy a Jeep if you want it. Don’t try to justify it as practical. That’s not what the thing is for.

 

[calemasters]

Hi all,
I am moving to Minnesota from San Diego for school. I love being out doors from snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking etc. I currently drive a Kia Forte and want to upgrade to something bigger. I found a 2010 Jeep Wrangler unlimited sport with 41k miles for a great price in San Diego and would drive it from SD to Minnesota. I am not the most knowledgeable about Jeep’s and have been doing a lot of research on my own, but just wanted help to see if this is a good call purchase. My main concern is the engine I have been seeing a lot of mixed reviews about 3.8L engine. Is 2010 a good year to purchase and will it be a good car to handle MN winters?

To Minnesota from San Diego. That has to be a cultural shock. I had a 2010 JK, which I bought new from the Jeep dealer in Carlsbad. Of course it had the 3.8L. I owned it for 8 years and put about 70,000 miles on it. The only engine issue I had was the left side exhaust manifold cracking.

Enjoy the winter sports!

 

[jtjk]

Lots of good info already.

I had an on 07 that I had for 10 years and ran to 100K. Beyond the gas milage being poor, and there not being much power, I had no mechanical issues.

As folk have mentioned, oil burning is an issue at high mileages. Not sure I would want to own a 3.8 beyond 120K as I have read about issues.... though they are so cheap, dropping a new one in is not the end of the world.

The manual is much nicer to drive than the auto of that generation


Unless you are looking for the fun of a jeep, or to go offroad, you are prolly better off getting something else. Jeep prices are crazy on resale. Also you need to make sure you want part time 4wd vs AWD

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