New Jeep Owners: What was your last car, and WHY JEEP?

[VKSheridan]

I had a 2010 Challenger SRT and a 2016 Challenger Hellcat and my wife drives a 2018 Powerwagon. Needless to say, the 2010 became a garage queen so I traded it for my 2020 JL. My wife refuses to drive it because she says it feels like it’s on skates compared to the long wheelbase she’s used to. She is kind of right, it can turn on a dime and give back 8 pennies change.....LOL

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[Reefed]

Fun thread! Here's my story: I had a '99 Formula WS6. Loved it! Sold it in 2012 with the intention of getting a new fun/project car. My daily driver was (and still is) a 2006 Scion xB. Love my Scion as well. So I started saving back in 2012 .... and then life got in the way.

....Fast forward 7 years and last summer I finally was in position again to buy another fun second car.

My finalists were 1) Miata Club 2) Camaro SS 3) Mini Cooper JCW and 4) Jeep Wrangler Sport S. All very different vehicles from each other with different reasons for and against making a purchase. After agonizing about things for months I went with the Jeep. Going on 8 months in, I could not be happier. Just waiting for warmer weather so that I can enjoy the Freedom tops more.

One thing that has changed though is that once my Scion gives up the ghost (I figure it has another 2-3 yrs left in her), my Wrangler will transition to being my daily driver and I will then get one of the remaining finalists from last summer as my second/fun/project car. Gonna keep my Wrangler relatively stock and concentrate on paying it off in 2 and a half to three years. Then I will agonize again over getting a Miata or Camaro or Mini Cooper as my next project car. ... or something else if a new car comes around that interests me in 2022 (2023 model yr) ..

All awesome cars! I cannot recommend the Miata Club enough. It's fun to drive in every situation. Miata and Jeep would be ultimate fun garage that ticks almost all the boxes, wish I could do the same but just don't have space in my current living situation!

 

[Reefed]

We primarily drive Honda's... I'm on my third Ridgeline and wife has her second CRV... as well as her pristine 2005 S2000 with 22K on it. I've always had a Jeep as an extra vehicle dating back to my first which was a 72 CJ5 Renegade V8.. most were fix-up's and toys. I gave up on Jeeps with my last TJ about 6 or 7 years ago. I was getting a little old for getting stuck I figured always been a muscle car guy as well, turbo Buicks etc. and my last one was a 2003 50th Anniv. Special Edition Corvette convertible Pace Car edition .. It was in like new or better condition with every option that was available, even the Museum delivery package.. problem was it only had 12K on it when I got it and I hated putting miles on so it was a garage queen for the most part. No fun... So I found it a good home with a collector and given my my age category I went out and ordered what will be my last Jeep, a Punkn 2dr Sport S 3.6 automatic with most of the toys, upgraded rear end and premium soft top and I figured I would go from there with some tasteful mods. Last summer was it's first and I put 2500 miles on it and enjoyed them all before putting it to bed for the winter. Just getting ready to break it out and browsing the catalogues right now... I'm thinking a set of nice rims and some tires that will not fill up with small stones then fling them out when I get up to speed.. nothing tall because no lift in spite of what my grandsons and sons say... I want it easy for my much used and abused body to get in and out of Two of the grandkids already have their license and I know this summer it will be "Papa! can I use the Jeep?" which sounds scary but I got hardened into it letting my kids use some of my cars that you wouldn't dream of... I sometimes wondered seeing them drive off but always told them you are only doing this because you have shown me that I can trust you as they leave..

Your grandkids are LUCKY to say the least!!!

 

[Jim M]

Like you this is my first ever wrangler (2020 sport soft top ) .Over the last 10 years I have owned a Miata,
Honda S2000,C6 corvette,and a BMW Z4 .And of them all I miss the Miata most .I still believe the Miata offers The most fun for the automotive dollar. However at my age and condition (78) sports cars are no longer an option,to difficult to get into and out of. That said the wrangler is a acceptable substitute,it has a top that can be retracted for that open air experience,A stick shift for fun and A peppy engine and a lot easier to get into and out of. So I am happy with my JL.

 

[BelAir2Corolla]

I previously owned '97 and '03 TJs, each with 100,000 miles when purchased. Sold the '03 in 2013, soon after picked up a 2014 Holden Commodore VF, a.k.a. Chevy SS. The SS was a blast, was able to cross off a bucket list item by to running it on Watkins Glen during a Porsche club event, and it earned some respect from the German crowd.

We have a place in the northern Outer Banks and my wife didn't appreciate the punishment her Grand Cherokee was taking on the beach....so I sold the SS to pick up our JLR. I miss the SS every day, it was truly a 4 door sleeper. especially with the Holden badges.... I was pulled over a couple times by law enforcement for no other reason than to check out the car (and they may have overlooked a violation!).

But I love the JLR!

 

[bturleysc]

I had a 2016 Challenger Hellcat before getting my JL. Lost it in my divorce or I'd still have it.

Also helping my Dad build this:

 

[misanthrope]

I've had the coolest cars ever: not only a Plymouth Horizon, but also a Dodge Omni! One the engine blew up and the other literally fell out at a stop light; a Datsun B 210 (in aged turd brown) that I bought for $100 and when it got booted, I let the city keep it; a '76 Volare wagon (though it did have a bullet-proof slant six) that used to be a taxi; a '79 Prelude with no muffler (but awesome backfire!); a Mazda 626 with a rebuilt title when I didn't know what that meant (so I wound up blowing the engine on the Mass Pike); a couple of Accords which, while I loved them, weren't exactly enthusiast's cars; a Pontiac Sunfire convertible that I bought off of my girlfriend to get to school; and the CR-V that a took from my wife when I bought her a Pilot.

So, my '20 Rubi is a bit of a departure from my list. The crazy thing is, I've always been a car enthusiast. My wishlist has always been some combination of TR6/4s, '60s Camaros, Datsun 240/260s, Alfa GTV-6s, 914/912 Porches, Miatas and S2000s. Just never got around to buying one.

Maybe I never got anything cool and sporty because the first car I tried to buy was a blue '69 Karmann Ghia with a three-speed and a black top, which the seller agreed to let me have but then turned around and sold it to a friend of his. I was 16. I've never gotten over that...

 

[CoughenPower]

The only car I have owned other than my Wrangler (I just purchased in February) was a Honda Fit. It was the first car I ever purchased. It was practical, reasonably priced and low on maintenance. I decided I wanted the opposite of all that and get a Jeep! I have wanted a Jeep since I was a little girl because I love the aesthetic of them and the past 2 months have been the best 2 months of driving of my life!

 

[Harleexl]

Between my wife and I, we've most recently had a couple KL Cherokees (2014,16) and a WK Grand Cherokee (2018). Before that we had a mix of Chevy Trailblazer, Cadillac ATS AWD, Dodge Dart.

Now she had a '20 Cherokee which she loves and I have the '19 Wrangler Sport.
I never had a Wrangler until picking up this one last July and have loved it for most of the 15,000 miles since. It really fits the bill for me on a number of things.
It's a great commuter vehicle and fun to drive with the 2.0L Turbo with over 24mpg avg driving 70 miles per day (not recently #stayathome).
Four wheel drive helps in commuting and traveling here in Michigan winters.
I used to have motorcycles until some years ago a deer took me down and i broke a leg. This is my open air replacement for riding and I'm just fine with that...and i still get the wave thing with other Jeepers.
I can easily carry our kayaks and bikes.
My kids love driving my Jeep and I feel it's safe for them as young drivers.

 

[Mmorreale]

In July 2015 I was paralyzed with a spinal cord injury after medical procedure. At that point I had to sell my 2006 TJ Rubicon that I just finished building. I also was driving a Toyota tundra time as well but the dealership bought that back since I just purchased it. Through recovery I began driving in October 2016 again. Then purchased a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek and was able to begin driving again with hopes of always going back to a Jeep. The Subaru has eyesight which is the safety braking system that I would require for myself. I told myself if jeep ever came out with that that I was going to try to get back into one. The JLs came out and I was hooked. Then they came out with the advanced safety group. I recovered enough and decided to start challenging myself to be able to get into a jeep. I accomplish that goal with the use of an aluminum step so I decided to order at 2020 jeep Wrangler Sahara altitude eco-diesel. It took 14 weeks to get it after I ordered it but it was worth the wait. LOVE being back in a Jeep!

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

In July 2015 I was paralyzed with a spinal cord injury after medical procedure. At that point I had to sell my 2006 TJ Rubicon that I just finished building. I also was driving a Toyota tundra time as well but the dealership bought that back since I just purchased it. Through recovery I began driving in October 2016 again. Then purchased a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek and was able to begin driving again with hopes of always going back to a Jeep. The Subaru has eyesight which is the safety braking system that I would require for myself. I told myself if jeep ever came out with that that I was going to try to get back into one. The JLs came out and I was hooked. Then they came out with the advanced safety group. I recovered enough and decided to start challenging myself to be able to get into a jeep. I accomplish that goal with the use of an aluminum step so I decided to order at 2020 jeep Wrangler Sahara altitude eco-diesel. It took 14 weeks to get it after I ordered it but it was worth the wait. LOVE being back in a Jeep!

Wow, I’m sorry about your injury—that sounds terrible.

I’m so glad you’re back in a Jeep. I used a stool on a string to get into my husband’s JK when my knee was shot. I thought I looked goofy, but it worked.

 

[Wabujitsu]

I was never a Wrangler fan until now. I always thought they were cheaply built, poorly assembled, and crudely designed. After years of owning Land Rover series and Defenders I was pretty much sold on that brand for off road use. the Defenders were also excellent airplane tugs, easily able to tow 23,000 lb B-25s or 44,000 lb. B-17s (work). Since the Rover days my wife owned three mini coopers and I owned several Lotus and my current Jaguar f type R. My wife decided she wanted to try the Jeep after driving a JL, and ordered one. While not quite the extreme airline tug the Defenders were, the Jeep moves our personal T6 around just fine and is a great companion on fire trails or hauling mountain bikes down to the Keys. I’m surprised by the build quality and its performance on or off road. Yes the steering is like a 1930s car but what do you expect from straight axles.

I have to say, I would love to see your T6 in person! For the last half of my Army career I was Air Defense Artillery, and intensively studied VACR - visual aircraft recognition. I have had the pleasure of riding in rotary winged aircraft, and sitting in the cockpit of Soviet-era combat fixed wing and rotary aircraft. We actually did mock engagements with Hinds, Floggers, Cubs, Apaches, and other US aircraft.

 

[Wabujitsu]

In July 2015 I was paralyzed with a spinal cord injury after medical procedure. At that point I had to sell my 2006 TJ Rubicon that I just finished building. I also was driving a Toyota tundra time as well but the dealership bought that back since I just purchased it. Through recovery I began driving in October 2016 again. Then purchased a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek and was able to begin driving again with hopes of always going back to a Jeep. The Subaru has eyesight which is the safety braking system that I would require for myself. I told myself if jeep ever came out with that that I was going to try to get back into one. The JLs came out and I was hooked. Then they came out with the advanced safety group. I recovered enough and decided to start challenging myself to be able to get into a jeep. I accomplish that goal with the use of an aluminum step so I decided to order at 2020 jeep Wrangler Sahara altitude eco-diesel. It took 14 weeks to get it after I ordered it but it was worth the wait. LOVE being back in a Jeep!

Kudos to you! I had a spinal procedure when I got so bad I could not walk anymore - not nearly as bad as you. I greatly respect what you have gone through in your recovery!

Where did you get that step? I need to get one for my wife, as the Jeep is getting a 3” lift next week. She too was functionally paralyzed before she had spinal surgery.

 

[Wabujitsu]

I traded in my 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser - which I loved - for my 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL, which I love more. Why? Because I’ve always wanted one. When I bought the FJ, it was a bit cheaper than a Jeep. It’s my retirement present.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

Kudos to you! I had a spinal procedure when I got so bad I could not walk anymore - not nearly as bad as you. I greatly respect what you have gone through in your recovery!

Where did you get that step? I need to get one for my wife, as the Jeep is getting a 3” lift next week. She too was functionally paralyzed before she had spinal surgery.

That stool looks very sturdy.

I used this one because it folded and was easy to store behind the seat. I had it tied to a string.
https://www.amazon.com/Plastics-1016R-Foldz-Step-Stool/dp/B0063KCNSI

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