Any jeep wrangler owners?

[Xrayted]

I'm shopping around right now for a Wrangler. I want to have 4 wheel available to get to the hospital for work (they suck at clearing roads around here) and to be able to drive onto the beach and rough mountain roads again. I also don't want to totally give up having a convertible. Putting the top down keeps me sane many days. I'm going for full metal doors, (no zip out windows for me) automatic and AC.

My one brothers has 2 of them and gave me his thoughts but he doesn't use them the way I will be. What I want to know is, as a cyclist, what features do you like/dislike about your Wrangler?
I'm kinda leaning towards the Unlimited version so I have a little more room in the rear for gear. Those of you who have the original size, do you find it short on cargo area?
Any problems as far as transporting bike and gear? I'm thinking I'll put a hitch mounted rack on instead of tire mounted. Who has either and can give me feedback?
Power and gas mileage difference between 4 and 6 cylinder?
What the heck is Rubicon anyway? I'm thinking different type of engine?
Any other comments?

I'll be buying within weeks so all the info you give is much appreciated.

Thanks!
X.

[Kitsune06]

Wranglers are some of the coolest, most utilitarian vehicles around. I love them, and have researched buying one for quite some time (but never got around to it). I'm not sure if you'd enjoy it as much because as great as they are for offroading and rock crawling, and mod-able as they are (rip out the seats etc, rhino-liner the floor and just hose it out when it gets dirty) they're top-heavy and tip-prone, with a relatively narrow wheelbase. My dad was not happy with his on snow because it was very skittish on slippery roads. Also, Jeep makes its brake pads kind of oddly in that the 'chirper' pin (the bit of metal that makes your brakes "chirp" when the pad material is getting low) tends to break off, increasing your risk of rotor damage... that and jeep parts, even aftermarket, tend to be pricey. (the acronym is pretty true- "Just Extremely Expensive Parts"....

Still, if you can afford it and want a durable vehicle that's very rebuildable, very moddable and you're not planning on driving through snow much, go with the Wrangler.

My other pick for a small SUV is the Isuzu Amigo (or Rodeo Sport). Lower center of gravity, well-made engines and decent power:weight ratio. Gas mileage isn't bad, either.

You'll want to go Manual, though. Much better on gas and for power.

[Hammer02]

We've had several Jeeps from CJs to Wranglers and currently have a Wrangler.

The newer Wranglers are not "tippy" in the slightest and handle as well as any other SUV on the road. The older CJs gave the Jeeps a bad name that they have not shaken to this day.....after one test drive you will see what I mean though...they handle nicely. Unlimited offer SLIGHTLY more cargo room but not enough for me to prefer that over the classic Jeep.

I would get the 6 cylinder (way way more powerful than the 4 cyl and you WILL want it) and the automatic matches up nicely with it.

The Rubicon has a lot of hidden hardcore features that really only the serious off roader would be interested in.

Under ZERO circumstances would I recommend you not get full steel doors with rollup windows. The softop is ok but the zip out windows STINK....so make sure you do not compromise and get soft doors.

Good luck and enjoy.

[suzieqtwa]

I bought a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Sport ,and had the lift kit installed. LOVE IT!!! I have a 6 cylinder manual. Although it doesn't snow here ,but maybe one time in the winter ,its just a cool car. I love the convertible. I have the steel doors. It takes two of us to put the top back on ,but we can now do it in 3 minutes. I'm going to try and include a picture ,but they never show up.

[suzieqtwa]

Oh, I have my bike rack on the tire...fits 2 bikes ,and so easy. I was going to get a hitch ,but it was so big ,and heavy .
You can fold the seats down...in fact the whole car basicially comes apart if you want to go off road etc. I also have A/C.

[CyclChyk]

I had a 97 Jeep Wrangler that I absolutely LOVED - it was my heart. Now we have a 93 Wrangler that is totally cool but no a/c so here in GA not so cool (no pun intented).

My mother bought the Unlimited when it first came out. I can tell you that the handling of it feels somewhat different from the shorter Wrangler. Kinda like the longer wheelbase I had in my Dodge Ram, its just awkward til you get used to it. Also it did not turn on a dime the way traditional Wranglers do. She traded it in for an 06 Wrangler and does not regret her decision at all. Of course, she doesn't ride so there isn't a "bike" factor.

We purchased a cheap-o bike rack for our 93 Wrangler. The kind with fabric straps. Not good. Jostled around and never felt confident with the bikes on it. We use my Jeep Grand Cherokee with a hitch rack now, and the Wrangler merely for fun.

I think if you plan on transporting the bike INSIDE the jeep, then certainly the Unlimited will have added advantages. But for the ride itself, I would certainly go for the Wrangler.

[Xrayted]

See? This is why I came to you ladies. Great feedback. I was leaning towards the Unlimited b/c my brother said that's what he's getting next. Personality wise, we are alike in many ways except one big one - he buys the latest and greatest everything just b/c it's there and I prefer to go with what I actually need. I drove a big one today and wasn't in love. I agree with y'all. I liked the shorter ones much more. So, I guess I'm going retro.

I feel getting a new vehicle is just not for me. I've done that route once and hated it. Always in for repair - under warranty but still, so much to tweak on it that they had it more than I did. I'll take one that is broken in with factory warranty still attached and ready to roll thank you.

Still gonna go with hitch mount cuz I'll use it for more than just the bike. Kayaking is another addiction of mine. Paddled years ago and am now getting back into it. I'm gonna do a flat platform rack with adjustable rails and snap the bike down on it. I'll have room for gear on it as well. I'm designing a rack for a kayak that will lock onto the bike setup so I can carry both simultaneously. We'll soon see if I've still got it in the McGuyver depeartment.

A/C definitely. The top stays up over 95 degrees. Hot is hot at any speed. I hate feeling like I'm sitting in a puddle.

Steel door is a priority. I see my bro replacing his soft window pretty often cuz he rips out the zipper. No thanks! PITA when you just wanna open a window and it's flapping around at ya.

I was amazed at the smooth ride they have now. So much different than the older ones. I used to feel whiplashed in an ex's Jeep.

Thank you all very much. You've helped me out a lot. I value all of your opinions greatly. Any more comments are certainly welcome. When I get her, I'll post a pic. (cuz I know how y'all are about pics )

Peace!
X.

[CyclChyk]

Good call on the doors! Also, if you can get full steel doors, and not half steel doors. You'll be glad ya did.

I want pics! And its a requirement of any jeep owner to take it through serious mud the very first day. Sort of like a christening!!
I'll post some of mine tomorrow. Gotta find the disc with the pics..........

[CyclChyk]

okiedokie - just a few to show how fun (and messy) a Jeep can be..... We had to use our hitch. The first pic shows what we thought was harmless grass and weeds. Turned out to be marsh......... yup, got stuck. Slung mud everywhere....Bare in mind this was a mild jaunt as we didn't want to get our baby dirty :-)

[spokewench]

We have a jeep wrangler - regular size - actually, it is more my husband's than mine - it is a 6 cylinder - i think this is a good choice. As far as the hitch vs. tire mounted bicycle carrier, we have both. The tire mounted is okay, but it difficult to put full suspension mountain bikes on it since they don't have a convential top tube - so my husband handy man that he is made his own homemade hitch mounted system for his mountain bike

The jeep is short on storage space, it kind of depends on what you are going to use it for and how many people are going with you. If you want to use it for camping and biking with one person other than yourself, it can get pretty tight. I've seen some people put racks on the tops if they have a hard top but it sounds like you want a soft top so I don't know about that.

We have a soft top with zip windows, but my hubby bought some slip in winter top doors that have windows that actually slide so you don't have zip windows in the winter. They work well and keep the jeep a little warmer in the winter.

The only problem with a jeep is that it rough riding on the highway and noisy with a soft top. I guess it just depends on what you like and what you want to put up with.

We take ours stock out into the forest all the time and four wheel. My hubby will drive it up and down anything! It is amazing.

[Xrayted]

Well, I'm still looking for just the right one. I thought I found it the ohter day,but it's got stick. Everything else was exactly what I wanted. (color, hard top, A/C...) Trying to decide if I can live with the stick. I do a lot of town driving and constantly shifting is a PITA. I have to think about where and how I'll be using it in the future too. I think I really want the auto. trans. My brother is anxiously waiting for me to get it so we can get ours muddy together the first day. (Apparently that really is a rule. Who knew? ) Thanks for your input ladies. Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to reciprocate.

X.

[CyclChyk]

A man will tell you the stick is the way to go. Must be a testosterone thing cuz I prefer automatic. I like to gab on the phone (the haters are gonna have a field day with that one) and drink coffee and channel surf...... I do have a friend however who has a manual 4runner and she can drive one handed as she has mastered using her knee to steer when she shifts.... I'd wreck. So I stick with automatic....

[GLC1968]

I've had 3 Jeeps (an '86 CJ-7, a '93 Wrangler and a 2004 Wrangler Unlimited). In all cases, I had both the hard and soft tops. I loved them all, but the Unlimited was my least favorite. The Unlimited didn't handle like a Jeep (it was actually my husband's car to drive) and it was an automatic and I'm a stick shift girl, myself.

I'm glad you are getting one! I miss my Jeeps (but I love my Mini even more). Two things 1) definitely go with the hitch bike rack...the tire mounted ones are a pain and I never felt it was that secure. And 2) I pray you don't do much highway travel. The wranger is not comfortable for distance highway travel and gas milage sucks.

Our Limited never saw snow, but both my CJ and my Wrangler handed it very well (just not at high speeds). I actually rescued a couple of bigger SUV's with the winch on my CJ! All in all, if you love it, a Jeep is a great vehicle. It's got some annoyances (no power locks or windows, loud on highway, milage, etc) that are easy to overlook if you love it.

[Xrayted]

Well, I think I finally found "the one" tonight when taking my Mom out for dinner. Gonna get up early and drive over in the a.m. and take her for a spin. Hope she's the right one, getting tired of looking. Everybody's been looking actually. Keep getting tips from coworkers, friends and two of my bros on Jeeps with my specifications but there was always something not right, like zip windows, no A/C or tan interior... (don't like tan interior)

Hopefully, I'm buying a Jeep tomorrow and will post pics as soon as I can. (Gotta get her good and dirty first.)

Thanks for all of your comments. It really helped me decide exactly what I wanted. Now I gotta get a mountain bike to go with the terrain that the Jeep can take me to. (good enough excuse if I ever heard one)

GLC - I love the minis too. So fun to drive!! Most likely my next purchase in vehicles. Will be my main commuter then so I can use the Jeep for biking, kayaking and beach running. Much better mileage too.

thanks everyone.

X.

[Xrayted]

Ok, well that took long enough, didn't it? So I finally found the time to take a few pics in the rain yesterday. Not the best because of the clouds but here she is...




2003 Patriot Edition with Patriot Pearl Blue paint. She's an automatic 6 cylinder with AC. Dark grey and black interior. I agree, I'm so glad I went with the full steel doors. Now I just need to figure out how to remove the top, etc when the spring rolls around. I'm still thinking I'm going to replace the rims. I'm not big on chrome steel rims. I like aluminum better. My brother put the hitch on for me so I could hang a 4 bike rack on the back.
I've already taken her on a loooong drive. I live in Lancaster, PA and drove over to Dayton-area of OH to visit Bikingmomof3 this past weekend. 7 1/2 hours one way and no problems. (except for the gas mileage )

Thank you ladies for your comments on this. It really did help me figure out what to buy. Now my bike has a new chariot to carry her around and she loves it. And it's so much fun to drive!! Now, she needs a name. I'm thinking Patty...

Oh, yeah, BTW - she did get good and dirty twice now. I know that's an important fact to you other Jeep owners.

~X.