[1911]

2006 jeep wrangler

since i live in glorious booneytown i need to find stuff to do. so i went to the dealership the other day and test drove a 2006 wrangler for a nice long drive. i am really tempted but i have the feeling that i might regret it. any thoughts from people who own one or know of close friends that have one?
i want to use it to explore the numerous trails here and tow my boat and go skiing etc....

 

[Jahn]

what a sad lonely existence. come back to the East Coast before you start growing a beard and making your own granola.

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn what a sad lonely existence. come back to the East Coast before you start growing a beard and making your own granola.

man..now that i lost my bargaining chip are you coming to visit me?

 

[Mr.PD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn what a sad lonely existence. come back to the East Coast before you start growing a beard and making your own granola.

I have a beard, and whats wrong with making your own granola?

Hey 1911, we stopped and looked at a Wrangler the other day. I think one would be much fun. I don't know about towing with one though. The only person I know with one does a lot of trail traveling with it. They are excellent for off roading. I wouldn't want to take one for a long vacation though.
Heck, you only live once. Go for it.

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.PD I have a beard, and whats wrong with making your own granola? Hey 1911, we stopped and looked at a Wrangler the other day. I think one would be much fun. I don't know about towing with one though. The only person I know with one does a lot of trail traveling with it. They are excellent for off roading. I wouldn't want to take one for a long vacation though. Heck, you only live once. Go for it.

yeah....i am so tempted..it is only the reliability part that is getting me...makes me want to lease rather than buy

 

[michaelconnor]

Cherokees are dirt-cheap these days, and they're great for towing.

With 3.5" of lift, I've tackled some pretty serious off-roading trails, and I have yet to get seriously stuck.

Plus, the air-conditioning and plentiful storage space are nice on longer trips.

 

[The Dan of Steel]

I am not 100% sure but I believe the 06s still come with the 4.0L six instead of the Liberty's 3.7 V6 and that the 4L straight has been the most reliable engine of all time. Hence earning the moniker "Bulletproof". Buy now if this is true because as of 07 the body style is changing and the engine is being replaced with the 3.7 used in the Liberty and the Pacifica. Not that it's a bad engine but the 4 has stood the test of time, lasting since the AMC days(like over 30 years)!

I currently own a 5.9 Grand Cherokee and other than the MPG I couldn't be happier. More power than I would ever need with all the amenities. But there is a part of me that misses my old Wrangler. Nothing like it when cruising with the top down and doors off...except maybe a motorcycle. Also the ride is much better in the newer wranglers due to the quadra coil suspension from the Grands instead of the old leaf springs.

 

[en480c4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1911 2006 jeep wrangler since i live in glorious booneytown i need to find stuff to do. so i went to the dealership the other day and test drove a 2006 wrangler for a nice long drive. i am really tempted but i have the feeling that i might regret it. any thoughts from people who own one or know of close friends that have one? i want to use it to explore the numerous trails here and tow my boat and go skiing etc....

As someone who's previously owned a number of Jeeps ('83 DJ (Postal Jeep), '78 CJ-5 Golden Eagle, '86 CJ-7, '99 TJ (Wrangler), '99 WJ (Grand Cherokee) Limited, and '04 Rubicon) it's usually a love-hate thing. '97-'06 Wranglers, while a huge improvement over the '88-'95 Wranglers, are still not very easy to live with day to day. They're loud, still rough-riding compared to conventional vehicles, and even the 4.0 straight-6 isn't a whole lot of fun to drive. That said, once you've owned a CJ/YJ/TJ, it's tough to live without one. There's just something about driving a Jeep w/ no top, no doors and not a care in the world.

If it will be your primary vehicle and you drive a lot, I'd really think long and hard if you can live with a loud, unrefined vehicle with no cargo space. If you can, great. If not, you can pick up a CJ, YJ or even one of the earlier TJ's pretty cheap used as a second vehicle. As for towing, the standard TJ only has a 2000 lb capacity, due to the short wheelbase. I thought the Unlimtited had a 3500 lb capacity, but I didn't see it listed on Jeep.com. Anyway, you might want to hold out for the '07 redesigned Wrangler (with a 3.8L V-6 from DC's minivan line, not the 3.7L out of the Liberty) to drop. It could be win-win... you could try the new one and see if the further refinement is worth it, or you could pick up a left over '06 even cheaper.

I have the best of both worlds now... an '02 WJ Overland and a '62 CJ-5 Universal. The Grand Cherokee is great for road trips and winters, and the CJ is a blast hitting trails and cruising during the summer.

 

[mrarroyo]

Have you checked the new Toyota FJ Cruiser?

 

[apnk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by en480c4 The Grand Cherokee is great for road trips and winters, and the CJ is a blast hitting trails and cruising during the summer.

WOrd. I have a '95 Grand Cherokee V8 AWD and it sucks gas like crazy, but it kicks ass in the winter and off roading. Last year when I was at school, we got like 3 feet of snow and everybody was stuck, couldnt even get out of the parking lot, everybody except me.

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo Have you checked the new Toyota FJ Cruiser?

yeah...that was the other consideration but i really liked the jeeps look and heritage..plus i dont think you can remove the top off the FJ?

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by en480c4 As someone who's previously owned a number of Jeeps ('83 DJ (Postal Jeep), '78 CJ-5 Golden Eagle, '86 CJ-7, '99 TJ (Wrangler), '99 WJ (Grand Cherokee) Limited, and '04 Rubicon) it's usually a love-hate thing. '97-'06 Wranglers, while a huge improvement over the '88-'95 Wranglers, are still not very easy to live with day to day. They're loud, still rough-riding compared to conventional vehicles, and even the 4.0 straight-6 isn't a whole lot of fun to drive. That said, once you've owned a CJ/YJ/TJ, it's tough to live without one. There's just something about driving a Jeep w/ no top, no doors and not a care in the world. If it will be your primary vehicle and you drive a lot, I'd really think long and hard if you can live with a loud, unrefined vehicle with no cargo space. If you can, great. If not, you can pick up a CJ, YJ or even one of the earlier TJ's pretty cheap used as a second vehicle. As for towing, the standard TJ only has a 2000 lb capacity, due to the short wheelbase. I thought the Unlimtited had a 3500 lb capacity, but I didn't see it listed on Jeep.com. Anyway, you might want to hold out for the '07 redesigned Wrangler (with a 3.8L V-6 from DC's minivan line, not the 3.7L out of the Liberty) to drop. It could be win-win... you could try the new one and see if the further refinement is worth it, or you could pick up a left over '06 even cheaper. I have the best of both worlds now... an '02 WJ Overland and a '62 CJ-5 Universal. The Grand Cherokee is great for road trips and winters, and the CJ is a blast hitting trails and cruising during the summer.

nice post...yeah i think i am almost ready to live with all the hassles....and once i get one i think i will love it unless it is constantly breaking down..that i cant stand.

 

[en480c4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1911 nice post...yeah i think i am almost ready to live with all the hassles....and once i get one i think i will love it unless it is constantly breaking down..that i cant stand.

I didn't have any trouble at all with either my '99 TJ Sport or the '04 TJ Rubicon. If you can make it work for you, you shouldn't have too much trouble at all. They're pretty straight forward, and this late in the production run, they have all the bugs worked out. I took the '04 places I wouldn't have thought a mildly modded vehicle could go!

A 2" lift, front and rear bumpers, a winch and a full cage:

I had my '62 shipped up from South Carolina. You can't find anything up in the Northeast that hasn't seen too much salt, so for me it was worth the chance of buying sight-unseen and paying to have it shipped. I know you probably don't have that problem if you're buying out west! But I love my glorified tractor!

The new (classic) ride:

Good luck, and be sure to post pics if you end up picking up an '06.

 

[pne]

en480c4- are there any good sites to read up on various models/ issues with jeeps? I'm getting quite interested in a few early 90's YJ's. How is reliability for these guys?

 

[en480c4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne en480c4- are there any good sites to read up on various models/ issues with jeeps? I'm getting quite interested in a few early 90's YJ's. How is reliability for these guys?

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/index.php is OK for tech.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/index.php can be OK, too.

My understading is that '92-'95 YJ's are preferable to '88-'91... you get the fuel-injected 4.0L over the carbed 258, an improved transmission and a stronger frame. Just remember you can always put a CJ grille, fenders and hood and fix that abomination of a front-end that came with the YJ!!!

Sorry, but I could never get past the squared-off headlights!