True, a Jeep might be useful towing it to Moab. But for the mountains and open desert, I don't need the interstate. And since it is legal to drive on the roads, I can drive it up the canyon and across the trails and back home, out to the open desert and all around and back home. I can daily drive with it anywhere other than the freeway. Again, been there and done that with a Jeep that had all kinds of money in it. I'll never own another as they don't do anything other vehicles can do better. Just not for me.
Legal to drive on the roads? Where do you live? For me driving on the interstate and on the roads here legally is HUGE so the Jeep works better than any ATV or SXS would.
I work with a couple RZR heads at work. They are always going on about how great the RZR's are but are working on them all the time and spending a shitload of money on them too. You can't argue with them though because they are as much of a cult as Jeep people. There are just less of them.
I am in Utah. It is easy to make side by sides legal for the roads but they aren't fast enough to be legal on the freeway. But I don't need to hit the freeway for the vast majority of driving. Not near the same cult level as Jeepers, more cliquish in that Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat, Can Am guys all think theirs is the best. Motorcycles, ATVs, side by sides all have things they are better at and things other vehicles are better at. Just like Jeeps - except there is pretty much nothing Jeeps are best at other than resale value. They keep their value really well, which is nice when you finally sell yours off. Tacoma owners are nearly as bad as Jeepers. I like my Tacoma and have thrown money at it too. But while it also does great on the trails, it is by no means always the best one to use off road. The Tacoma also has stupid high resale value, which will come in handy one day.
For us it is at the yearly plate sticker time, whatever month you bought the vehicle. Taxes, reg, and inspection (depending on vehicle age and value). Don't like it.
Same here - for the Jeep and the Dodge (and the Hyper, the Multi is different). Newer vehicles don't have to pay it yearly (the Multi). Somehow they're getting the money out of the sales tax - which I paid on both of them when I bought them too.
My girl has a 2000 Wrangler with the 4.0. It's been nickel and diming us to death for the past couple months. The leaf spring shackle failed, tie rods, U joints in the front axle, ball joints, water pump belts & surrounding hardware because it was so corroded, and the latest was it quit running right & would crank but not start. My buddy swapped the battery out & it started but it's also seeming like the head gasket may be gone & she's gone from loving it to wanting to sell it. & with how much she loved that thing that says a lot... The heat sucks, the AC is worse, & if you go over 70 on the highway it acts like it wants to fall apart. I'll stick to my Escalade TYVM
It's 16 years old and paid for - sounds like normal upkeep on most things. Although if you paid for a leaf spring shackle on a 2000 Wrangler you need to find a new mechanic, they've been coil springs all around since 97/98 The 4.0 usually last forever too, how many miles are on it? There is something wrong if the heat sucks and you're all buttoned up - my 98 (and the other two) would roast you once it's up to temp. I rarely have the temp control on mine above 3/4 and the blower is usually just enough to keep some air movement in the winter.
It's got around 117k I believe. I'm deployed atm & most of these recent problems happened while I've been gone so I've had to handle them in proxy by having a buddy fix them or tow it to the shop. Just about all of it is stuff I coulda fixed myself but the damn thing decided to wait till I left to fall apart. Also had to replace the starter on it & thermostat cuz it was overheating like hell. Idk what the deal is with the heat but I think the heater core might be bad. She's trying to tell me there's oil in the antifreeze now & I'm inclined to believe its rust not oil. If it's oil there's something drastically wrong internally. And the oil levels are normal according to her so another reason for me to think rust. Hard to diagnose via text message with someone who doesn't really speak car on the other end tho
That sucks ass it breaking and you being gone. Especially since it is mostly small stuff. BTDT on the diagnoses remotely too and wow can it be a pain in the ass. Where is she? Maybe one of us can help out.
You will lose more value driving a new vehicle off the lot than you will spend doing the maintenance that should have been done to that poor Jeep. But if you are away a vehicle with warranty is definitely a good way to go. I am away over 1/2 the time so my wife has a vehicle with a warranty. There is nothing worse than the phone call where you are expected to fix something with a 10,000 mile long screwdriver... My 93 with the 4.0 has 200,000 miles on it, burns about a quart every 2000 miles, passes emissions every year and the heater will cook you even with freezing temps and the soft top. It does shake pretty bad at speed but that is on me as it needs new tires due to the previous owner not understanding that tires need to be rotated.
Lol I'll be home in bout a month. Most of my mechanically inclined buddies PCSed already or are deployed with me. Still got enough of the goon squad left around back there tho to keep shit handled. As long as it's just the battery and wanting an oil change/coolant flush they can handle it. I just need it to hang on for her till I get home & get the escalade out of storage
Underneath all that rust and crud are prolly the original parts. They shoulda/coulda been replaced a long time ago as per even the most conservative of maintenance schedules. The head is a known issue on '00-'01(?) 4.0s...get on a Jeep forum, you'll find it. They'll even tell you what "markings" to look for on the head to verify whether it's a problem head. Biggest issue with rust is people not cleaning the undercarriage after fording streams, mud, etc. All that unwashed crud is a moisture magnet. Same with those that drive the beach. If you don't rinse out the sand, it just works like an abrasive while also trapping moisture...worse than mud packed on the spring perches of your suspension's coils. One of the benefits of a lifted Jeep is that it makes climbing under it a whole ton easier when you break out the hose.
Here in NV I think we can go for 15 miles on the way to trails legally. Not really legal to drive on city streets. Which for me is no issue since I drive to BLM land out of the garage Think I will just get new X3 and call it good. Drive wife to work on bad days. I am familiar with rzr, thing can go pretty fast
My dad once had a 95 and I made a comment about the heat not being good, and he said the same thing you just did about it being more than adequate. Looking back, I think my complaint stemmed from the draft due to the air leaks around the soft top. I guess the heater is good at pumping out really hot air, but it has to fight the air coming in from outside. I know I don't like my blower speeds very high, because I find the noise irritating. Also, I d0n't think it was an issue around town. I only remember being annoyed at the coldness when on the interstate. His was a 4 cylinder that was both slow as hell and bad on fuel, but it was a really fun vehicle.
If it's basically for your significant other I can almost bet that she would love the Grand Cherokee better. Early 2000s and later have excellent four wheel drive systems and also, for snow and ice driving, the all important anti-lock brakes. My wife has had two GC and loved both of them. Just my opinion.
