What do you all think? Thinking about switching vehicles

G

General Lee

New member
Heres the deal,



I have a 03 Mustang GT Convert. completely stock. Leather, premium sound the whole nine yards. It only has 7500 miles on it. It only has been caught in the rain one time. Well, I'm not sure I want it anymore. It is strictly a pleasure/cruising vehicle and I would rather pay for something that I would use more.



I have a Ford truck which is my daily driver and it is used as a truck. This truck is not going anywhere. If I replace the Mustang here is what I want to replace it with (Flame suit on) a Jeep Wrangler. I have never owned a Wrangler but here is why I want one. 4WD as it is nice to have when needed and my lifestlye sometimes requires 4wd as I hunt, and I'm the outdoorsman type.

I would still have the convertible type feature when the soft or hard top is removed:) I know it won't hold alot of gear but you can still haul some stuff in the rear as opposed to the Mustang. Plus I just flat out like the Jeeps (wranglers, Rubicons)



Any Jeep owners out there? Or former Jeep owners? Is it a fun vehicle? Are they worth the money? Do you like your Jeep? I know it boils down to what I want to do or what I would benefit from, I would just like some outside input.



Is it worth it to swap a Mustang for a Jeep?
 
For wheeling a Jeep is the only way to go period. However, they aren't very comfortable, they are noisy, and they don't feel very sturdy on the cement. It sounds like you would use the Jeep more but you would like the stang better. I never owned a Jeep but wheeled with guys all the time, when I had a Bronco. You should test drive one and then decide, you never even been in one?
 
I go off-roading with my buddy and his Wrangler all the time. Very fun in that type of setting. Also narrow enough to fit into some tight spaces. More raw experience than offroading in a closed SUV like a Range Rover or something like that.



However, it's a terrible road car IMO. It's not fast, it doesn't handle well, it's top heavy, etc. However, for the road I am more into sports sedans, coupes, and sports cars and that would explain my opinion. Basically I do not like trucks or SUVs at all unless I need to carry lots of cargo or go off-roading. The Wrangler is not bad for short trips with the open cockpit, just relaxing. You can treat it very poorly and not feel bad about it.



Such a personal choice really. If you just use your Mustang for general driving, then the Wrangler is not such a bad replacement. Despite its faults, I still rather have one than a Mustang somehow. The Wrangler seems better at what it does best, than the Mustang is at what it does best.



- J
 
The thing is that I most likely will not be purposely going trail riding in the Jeep. I just never got into that kind of thing. The 4wd will be used on a as needed basis, snow, occasional beach, hunting etc.



I have never drove one so I do plan to go test drive one.



I have heard that they are noisy, cold in the winter, and are not the best road suited vehicle. That kinda turns me away from them, But that is why I at least have to drive one. You would figure that this day and age Jeep would make them a little more road friendly.
 
General Lee said:
You would figure that this day and age Jeep would make them a little more road friendly.
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I suppose that's a good point, because how many owners actually go off-roading?



On the other hand, I doubt they could make it as good as the best SUVs on road, and they would have compromised their offroad capabilities to do it. Guess they must find a balance.
 
OK, some first hand experience.



I currently own a 93 Jeep Wrangler (bought new back in 11/92). For the past 7 years, I have also owned a BMW 528i bought new in 12/96. My Wife has had a Jeep Grand Cherokee bought new in 12/97.



We just traded the Grand Cherokee (with 105,000 miles) in when I bought my new Volvo S60R. My wife will now drive the BMW (and the Wrangler in winter snow).



The Jeeps have been great. No significant problems on either of them - and her Grand Cherokee looked and ran great even with 105K miles on it. My Wrangler is used primarily in the winter for snow, occassional hauling during the year and a few off road trails. For 4 wheeling, nothing, I mean nothing beats the Wrangler. Never been stuck, can go anywhere. In snow, I have had it out in freak blizzards (the one I recall especially had 3 feet of snow in our driveway and the interstates, etc were all declared closed by the Governer. While my neighbors were shoveling out, I simply backed out of the garage and blasted up my driveway (its a hill) in my jeep. There is no plow on it but it just pushed the snow down or out of the way. I run up and down my driveway a few times and that was that. Snow packed down, no 3 feet to shovel. Onto the roads, I had no problem going anywhere).



Bottom line - for 4 wheeling, the Wrangler can't be beat.

For normal city / highway driving, you obviously can't drive it like a sports car. I don't go over 70 in it as the handling doesn't feel safe above that. It is noisy with the soft-top and when you first get in it in the wwinter, if parked outside, it can be cold. But the heater is strong and after warming up, no problem with the cold.



It really depends on what your use is for it. The Mustang and Wrangler are worlds apart. but if your other truck is your daily driver and you want something for the snow, 4x4ing or some fun with the top off in the summer, the Wrangler fits the bill. I have no intention of ever getting rid of mine (but I also don't use it as my daily driver either)



Hope this helps
 
Just one observation:

Since you already have an off-road vehicle (your truck), are you sure you want another one ?

I know they are different but I have a feeling you'll be missing fun/sporty onroad driving of a car.
 
I had a friend who made a similar switch (93 Volvo w/ turbo, lowered suspension, etc, it kicked *** for a volvo) to a 98 Wrangler. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but he hated it. It sucks on the highway, and its really not that much fun to drive on-road.



You might want to look into a Subaru WRX/Mitsubishi Evo, they have great 4WD (although the clearance isn't as good as a Wrangler), they're fast, and they're really a blast to drive on dirt roads or in the winter (just don't play WRC like me, ok, I learned the hard way not to in a 97 Legacy:)).
 
If you want off-road, you really can't go wrong with a Jeep. For the money, it's hard to find vehicles with as much capability. That said, if you have to drive the thing every day, it will be a bit of a dissappointment, especially after having a car that's pretty fast. After driving my old Jeep, I remember getting in my mom's 4 cyl auto Accord and thinking, "Wow! This thing is a rocket!" :D On the other hand, I think 4-wheeling is about as much fun as a person can have driving. I really do miss the times I spent taking my Jeep out to the sand dunes or down to Moab. One day, I want to get another Jeep myself, but I doubt I could do it as a daily driver. Here's a shot of my Cherokee at the dunes in January a few years ago.

jeep.jpg


:cool: :up
 
Thanks for the responses guys.



Kartoon- My truck is 2WD only, so it is limited to to off road situations.



Superstein- the +'s you mentioned are exactly why I want one. I'm going to try and test drive one tonight so I can see first hand what its all about (except 4 wheeling)



Most likely there won't be any heavy 4 wheeling as none of my friends are into that. Nor are there any places around me that I would be able to do it. I just like the idea of having an all around vehicle that can be used used for many uses. I like the idea of the rugged capabilities because it will see some of that, and the fact you can drop the top and sides and have some summer fun in it.



I got to check them out first hand and go from there......
 
We have an '01 TJ. 4.0L, ATX, Sport trim.



Justin- I have to wonder, if you've driven a TJ (97-present). The handling is insane. The short wheel base allows the rig to turn on half a dime. I can do a U-turn in my neighborhood's 1 large lane. They are top heavy though, so no high speed turning.



The Jeep wasn't fast when she was stock, but now that she's lifted with bigger meats, the acceleration is dissappointing. New gears are coming.



I'll post some pics of our TJ on the trails after this weekend. Dad and I are heading up to Shoe Creek in the Blue Ridge for the weekend.



Happy car hunting :)
 
No, don't think I've driven a TJ. Not sure if my friend's is a '97+, will have to check. Sounds like they handle favorably compared to the past models. When you say the handling is insanely good, surely you mean relative to other Jeeps, right? Can't compare it to cars. Horses for courses.



Not too interested in how the Jeep handles on the road anyway, since my friend and I only use it to go off-roading. It's a blast. Though some of the handling comes into play when you blast down a gravel trail and it starts to get a little loose. :)



Sounds like those of you who use them on the road appreciate the added handling!
 
JustinTRW said:
When you say the handling is insanely good, surely you mean relative to other Jeeps, right? Can't compare it to cars. Horses for courses.
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Its turning radius is way tighter than my Lexus SC400 or my Mom's Chrysler Sebring. Heh, it's way better than Dad's F-350 too ;) . It's almost difficult to back up a trailer with it because you tend to go way overboard with steering. I wouldn't compare it to some modern sports cars designed for on-road handling, but its turning is above average. I think a comparable road car might be a Mini? The short wheel base is what helps it's turning.



The Jeep is not the car you want to take a fussy date on. The roof shakes, the radio blows (We have the factory upgraded stereo for our model year), the materials are cheap, nothing's power, there's NO STORAGE AREA. I might, and that a big MIGHT, be able to get my school bag in the "trunk" area on a day that I only need to carry a few books. The top is finnicky in the cold to put back on, and getting into the back seat is easiest when the roof is down and you use the rear tire. We manage 14 MPG driving like Granny.



After all of its faults, my Dad and I will always have a Jeep in the family. Just driving around town or on a trail with the top down for a day is enough to put up with all of it's short comings.
 
MongooseGA said:
The Jeep is not the car you want to take a fussy date on. The roof shakes, the radio blows (We have the factory upgraded stereo for our model year), the materials are cheap, nothing's power, there's NO STORAGE AREA. I might, and that a big MIGHT, be able to get my school bag in the "trunk" area on a day that I only need to carry a few books. The top is finnicky in the cold to put back on, and getting into the back seat is easiest when the roof is down and you use the rear tire. We manage 14 MPG driving like Granny. QUOTE]



Well I test drove a Rubicon this evening. I don't need or want a Rubicon, but it was the only manual transmission they had and I do want a manual. I wasn't impressed at all. It was slow as molasses because its geared for off road but man, it was slow through gears 1-4. Like you said above Mongoose, there is nothing to them and no luxury what so ever except AC. I can understand that because of what type of vehicle they are. But how can they justify a Rubicon to be $30,000. Even the sports are around $25,000-27,000. Where are these prices coming from? :nixweiss



The next couple of days I going to drive one with the "street tires" and see how much of a difference it is. Again after looking at them and driving one I still can't beleive the price. Oh well....
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Some sports cars actually don't have a good turning radius because the wheels don't actually turn that much lock to lock. At speed, this usually isn't a problem. Rally cars like the Mit Evo VIII MR exhibit this problem. Maybe the tires would rub otherwise?



But anyway, I get your point, thanks for the update.



Another feature I like are the interior drains for washing off mud. :)



- J
 
General Lee said:
But how can they justify a Rubicon to be $30,000. Even the sports are around $25,000-27,000. Where are these prices coming from? :nixweiss



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I can't speak to the Sport, but on the Rubicon, it's the combination of axles, gears, and lockers. For Jeepers, swaps that include switching out axles, installing electric locking diffs, etc. gets very $$$. The cost of switching a Sport with open Dana 30/35s over to 44s and electric lockers would easily cost $2500, plus more if you didn't do the work yourself, so folks are more than willing to pay that price to get their paws on a Rubicon with everything already in place. On the other hand, I couldn't tell you why Sports cost that much. It doesn't sound like you're going to buy one now anyway, but if you proceed, I'd look for a used one that has never left blacktop. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but it's important you get the 4.0L. (Having driven one you probably already know this.)
 
Justin- I'm with you on the drains!!!



General Lee- the Rubicon's 30k price tag comes from the stuff that's upgraded from a normal TJ. Locking differentials, different gears, more underbody protection, puncture proof tires, etc... Like you said, unless your plan on wheeling it, a Rubicon isn't worth the extra money. It was made to be a stock monster on moderate trails.



Ask most Jeep guys (atleast Wrangler owners) and they'll tell you how pissed they'd be if Jeep decided to add anything more 'luxury' to the car. Power windows,seats, more air bags, etc... I just saw this past weekend though, that Mopar offers an in-dash NAV system on Wranglers... Ugh.



I'll post some pics on Monday night of the trail/our TJ from this weekend.
 
I test drove another one - a Jeep Unlimited 4.0 manual. I enjoyed this one much better. I even got a price drawn up and I'm pretty satisfied w/ the price.



The whole decision is still marinating.....
 
I personally don't care for the look of the LJ (It just hasn't grown on me yet) but I'd think the 10" longer wheel base will help you haul more stuff, or have pople sit in the back without being too squished.
 
JustinTRW said:
I suppose that's a good point, because how many owners actually go off-roading?



Click to expand...



In the commercials they always do:nixweiss .



:p



I have a bias opinion of course but I wouldn't do it, sounds like you enjoy having that car. Like Bill Ford said, " If their was one car I could own it would be a Mustang!" Sappy but I like it :woot: !
 
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