Shibadog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2021
- Threads
- 16
- Messages
- 1,901
- Reaction score
- 3,116
- Location
- Bowling Green, Ky
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Wrangler Sport S hardtop
- Occupation
- Safety &Fire Protection Engineer (Retired)
- Thread starter
- #1
Congratulations! The Wrangler is one of THE most fun vehicles out there, and those of us who love them are quite passionate about them. With that said, there is another group of folks who are almost as passionate in their dislike for them. Why? Well, Jeeps are NOT for everybody. A short wheelbase and solid axles make for a vehicle that rides, handles and steers very differently than the typical family truckster. Fuel economy, while much better than in days of old, still is on the low side. If you have not spent a considerably amount of time in one, may I most strongly urge you to rent a Wrangler and actually LIVE with it for at least a week. Drive it as YOU will actually be driving it on a routine basis (commuter, grocery getter, etc.). Take a road trip of at least a couple hundred miles. Drive it the way you live, not some fanciful “maybe someday” trip down the Rubicon trail, but the way YOU will spend 95% of YOUR time. Still like it? (If not that’s ok, you just saved yourself a chunk of cheese). Great! Time to start shopping around. First off, you do Not “need” a Rubicon ( for those few who do extreme rock crawling, ok, but for almost everyone else, and especially for those who’ve never done off road driving) the Rubi is massive overkill). Most people will be better served with a Sport S or Sahara for real world use. Second, do NOT buy that lifted, big wheeled/tired beast sitting on the showroom floor. It will not drive, handle or be as fuel efficient as the stocker you just rented. It is there to catch your eye and bring in lots of extra $$ for the dealership. Get a stock Jeep with the options you want and no dealer installed “extras”. There are a zillion places you can get any mod you may ever desire for Less than your average dealer will want to charge you. You can add/modify to your little hearts content after you’ve owned and driven it for a few k miles and determined what you need/want.. Remember there are no free lunches. Modifications can easily change vehicle characteristics for the worse. In this part of the world the used Jeeps sitting on dealer lots usually have low mileage and lots of modifications either (1) traded because the previous owner was an unhappy camper or (2) added after the trade in to make more $$& for the selling dealer ( and in this latter case often modified with the cheapest parts available). Make the best deal you can on a Jeep for your needs. Later, if you want/need bigger tires, bumpers, winches, lifts, etc. you can add what YOU want and be sure you are getting parts on known quality (folks on this forum will be happy to point out quality brands they have personal experience with). Welcome to the world of Jeep! If they are for You, you are in for years of adventures and good times. Stay safe, have fun. There are a ton of good tips on this forum from folks with years/decades of Jeeping behind them. Enjoy the Ride!
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