Im thinking about trading in my F150 for a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4dr)
TALK ME OUT OF IT!?

The only thing in the past holding me back from owning another jeep was the engine power, and now they are getting better engines/hp.

I loved my old jeep 2dr, but with a family now I need the 4drs.
Id be getting a 3pc hard top in the Copperhead Color.

#1. I do not TOW anything
#2. The 14.5mpg is getting old
#3. Id like to do a little more off-roading
#4. My new commute will drastically be going down

Anybody else have an opinion on the matter!?

THIS Is what Im going for:

 

14.5 mpg is getting old? It'll as bad or worse driving a jeep that looks like that one. With all the money you JUST dumped into your truck, why? But you seem like a guy that trades in quite frequently and doesn't keep vehicles very long, and I'm the opposite of that, so I think differently.

I thought you were gonna be overseas for a while too?

That's certainly cool looking though. I absolutely love that color too. I'm sure you know that Jeeps ride like hell, een the new ones, especially with MTs. I wouldn't consider them anywhere near as "family friendly" as your truck.

 

That's a great looking Jeep...only thing bad is that they usually like to drink gas too. Especially with big tires.

 

Three of these in my survey.

All are junk (noisey, rattle-happy and slow) and drink gas.

Perhaps if they dropped the 6.4L ersatz Hemi in 'em, it would not matter

Keep the truck and buy a toy rockcrawler.

MGD

 

Jeeps are great for short trips, off roading, hunting and super addictive plus expensive when it comes to modding. I've had four of them, tricked them out and ended up always going back to my truck. The 2012 and up have much better engines but the setup you are looking at is almost identical to my last 2010 unlimited, drove like crap on the highway and I could only dream of ever getting 14 mpg.

 

To me a Jeep means two doors and a short wheelbase -- I've never cared much for the four door models just because they look so awkward compared to the true Wranglers.

I've always said that when I retire I'm going to buy myself a new Wrangler as my vehicle for putting around town. I wish retirement was closer because I really like the bright orange and bright green colors they're offering on them right now -- those loud colors just work so well on that vehicle!

One thing I have noticed is that most of the people I have known who have bought the four door Wranglers don't seem to keep them for very long. I think the rough ride of a Jeep gets real old real quick when you're trying to use them as your everyday vehicle........

 

If it has the 3.7 Penastar engine you don't want it even if it's free. Daimler designed this engine and pretty much dumped it on Chrysler when they parted ways. It's a problem child especially concerning the heads and head gaskets. The heads are a design defect and Chrysler knew about it long before the engine hit the streets. What will start out as a light miss then develops into a dead miss. If under warranty, Chrysler will pull the head, install a thicker gasket and put you on your way. Later on when the gasket fails, and it will, it's your problem to fix and the fix will be new heads that have yet to be designed. Get the picture on this POS? So if it has the 3.7, keep looking.

 

^^^ Pretty much what he said. Even if the 3.7 wasn't junk it isn't well suited for a Jeep. It makes good power numbers on paper but look at the RPMs. It's a dog down low and doesn't make a ton of torque. Throw big, heavy tires on it and the problem gets even worse.

 

Are you talking about the 3.6L that is in the 2012 Wrangler and up model years ? If so that's good to know, I've been kicking around the idea of another Jeep project thinking the newer engines were supposed to have more power. Maybe I'll go retro this time around.

 

I think that jeep look's bad ***, what ever you want to do it's your money. I would not trade my truck.

 

The best torque engine for a Jeep is the old 4.0 inline 6.

 

And they last forever!

 

Yep, the 3.6 is the one I was talking about. It is listed as 280Hp but Mopar has gotten sneaky and no longer lists the RPM they make peak power at. A quick look shows it to be 285Hp @6400RPM and 260Ft-Lb @4800RPM. If you plan to use it as a grocery getter those numbers won't be a problem. But that would be a horrible choice if that's what you're looking to do. If you want to off road it and throw some real tires on it have fun getting the engine into the power band at trail speeds.

If I was to buy a Jeep it would be an old one and the first thing would be to swap in a Ford small block.

 

this isn't something we can talk you out of, it's something you have to learn for yourself

 

I own a 2013 Sahara Wrangler two door.

I disagree with just about everything that has been said so far. The 3.6 Penstar has 285 hp and in our two door has plenty of get up and go. I have no issues with the power at all. The 3.6's come in the 2012's and up. Don't get a 2012 they are the ones with head issues. Get a late build 2013 or newer. If you are buying it for gas mileage, don't. We get about 15 mpg so far in ours. They are fun as hell to drive and handle just fine on the highway.

Just adding some more information here. The head is the actual issue not the head gasket. The head has been revised twice. The 2012's came with AA heads then came the more stout AB head and now they put AC heads on the 3.6 from mid 2013 and on. I have not seen any issues with the AC heads so far. I have only seen the 2012's and early 2013's getting a head replaced. I believe it is usually the passenger side. They are getting replaced under warranty. It is a new engine there will be bugs to be worked out, this is not a Jeep only problem. Ford has had issues with the Ecoboost too, it happens and is why I never buy the first year of anything.

I would also avoid the 3:21 gears that come in a large portion of Wranglers. I have 3:73's in mine. I think the Rubi's come with 3:73's or 4:10's but don't quote me on that.

Buy a Jeep because you want a Jeep. Don't buy one for gas mileage or a smooth car-like ride. Buy it for fun. Buy it for taking the top off in the summer and riding doorless. They are not for everybody but it makes me smile every time I drive it.