Jeep buying choices

[Marketa Dobesova]

Hello Everyone,

Could you please recommend any reliable Jeep dealers where I could by a used car in a good condition (do hidden damage, accident, etc.)?

In addition, any tips what to be aware of when buying a Jeep? E.g, Sport vs Rubicon?

Thank you in advance for your comments

M.

[Gaurav]

Stick with JL (3.6 pentastar engine) that started from 2017 onward, which is much more reliable and powerful than previous 2007-2012 (JK models) and 2012 - 2016 (JK with 3.6 pentastar).

Other Jeep owners, please correct me if my JL understanding isn't correct.

If not in rush, buy after April so you will get a sweet deal when summer kicks in (off-season for off-road cars) from May - Aug. Also during the school end season (June - July) when many ex-pats relocate.

Buying any off-road vehicle during the peak season (Oct - March) will cost at least 15-20% extra. So waiting for a month or two now will save you good money, which later you can use for restoring the used vehicle to bring it to top-notch desert-worthy condition.

You can spend this time, test drive 2-door, 4-door, gladiator (pickup style), etc to make up your mind.

[Varun Mehndiratta]

Hi @Marketa Dobesova welcome to the club. Good to see another Jeep enthusiast. 

You can never go wrong with a jeep. Buying a jeep and choice is based on multiple factors - budget, purpose (pure off road or both on and off), plan to buy and use stock or intend to modify etc. I am more of a purist and enjoy my Jeep in its stock version.

@Gaurav has already cover the first key point - JLs are undoubtedly the best Jeeps - especially if plan is to drive it both On and Off road. JL was launched mid 2018 (so even if checking 2018 model, make sure to check if it’s JL or JK). 
Engine wise JL and JK have same pe tastes engine - however in cabin and On road experience of JL is far superior. But then post Covid prices have gone really high. On the other hand sincr launch of JL, price of Jk has gone down a lot. , so sure depends on your budget as well. 
 

Reg trims - sport, Sahara or Rubicon - elements are again same - budget and purpose. All have same engine and variation is more on special off road/on road features and in cabin experience.

Sport is basic - looks basic, in cabin feels basic. Mostly ppl buy sports with intend to spend the price gap on upgrades. 
 

Over last three years - I have had Sahara and now have a Rubicon both JLUs (4Dr are JLU and 2dr are called JL). You will not go wrong with either. Both have been great Off-road and Onroad capabilities - Sahara perhaps a bit (tiny bit) better onroad and Rubicon a tiny bit better off road. I didn’t need to do any upgrade (aesthetically or machine wise on any and have been a super happy Jeeper). 
 

New Vs Old - tough to find stock jeep in used market was one reason i preferred new. Plus depreciation in Jeep is low, at least with JLu, so couldn’t manage to find very good deals and eventually bought new - for what I would have saved wasn’t enough to balance off with peace of mind with a new one.
 

All of these are personal factors and vary from person to person.
 

This whole forum is full of Jeepers with all models from early 90s to the latest ones - stock to fully loaded. So you will not run short of ideas and cases - best is to evaluate your key criteria - visit Jeep store, evaluate budget and your experience and let us know your specific queries. Always happy to help. 

[Benje_Junior]

Hi @Marketa Dobesova

Currently I'm driving a 2018 Jeep wrangler JL Sport trim, when I first got into off-roading I was generally surprised just how well the car performed, having said that I have since upgraded my car over time just based on preference however you can do all level drives with a stock Jeep. 

So first of all, with features including front and rear locking differentials, an automatic sway bar disconnect, and a Rock-Trac transfer case, the Rubicon is the most capable off-road variant however this isn't really needed (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but I believe that the Rubicon transfer case has a higher crawl ratio which just means more torque. More fundamental off-road equipment like skid plates, tow hooks, and hill start assist are available on the Sport and Sahara models and too are present on the Rubicon model. 

When I first started looking at jeeps and their different trims it got confusing very fast, personally I would focus on trying to get a Sahara trim, because then you have the beauty of a sport trim with a little more comfort which if this car is also going to be a daily driver like mine it might be something to consider. 

The Sahara comes with 18-inch wheels whereas the sport comes with 17-inch. Now how does this make a difference? you get a little more height to work with when using the Sahara for this same reason I changed my Sport wheels for Sahara ones, and they also look really nice too! Style points 😂

Now it is all about what you prefer, older model jeeps are awesome but also with older cars comes more investment if something were to go wrong, I've had friends with 2004 model jeeps needing to get the engine rebuilt due to underlying causes. If you're in the market for an older jeep be careful because previous owners could've done a range of "upgrades" which will cause issues further down the line so just watch for engine modifications or jeeps that may seem 'too good to be true' 

Also, in the used car market look under the jeep it's common to spot bad rusting especially with older cars this usually occurs after taking the car to the beach and not getting an underbody wash to get rid of any salt that may have found its way onto the car's chassis. 

Overall, the Rubicon is the most capable off-road trim, while the Sahara is the most luxurious and comfort-oriented trim. The Sport is the most basic and affordable trim, but still has off-road capabilities. It ultimately depends on your personal preferences and intended use for the vehicle.

[munkybizness]

9 hours ago, Varun Mehndiratta said:

and Onroad capabilities

Edited March 6, 2023 by munkybizness

[Varun Mehndiratta]

1 hour ago, munkybizness said:

Hahahah Jeep drive is safe drive. Off road it’s super smooth even at 120 😀😀

Jokes apart and not giving wrong ideas to @Marketa Dobesova Jeep is not known to be fast and usually old models used to cry for sympathy above 120-130. Not really the case with JLU. It’s surely not a sedan or an aerodynamic or a super confi suv - still pretty comfortable on road and never felt out of place within the highest of UAE speed limits (believe max I tried is at 160km, surely turned into fuel guzzler though). 
Best way to enjoy it is to take off the roof, doors and feel the wind while sailing through the roads. This is real Jeep thing not being on racing tracks. 

[Gary F]

Fuel consumption increases exponentially after 120km/hr in a Jeep, put it this way my 2014 V8 dodge Durango was more fuel efficient at highway speeds than my 2021Jeep gladiator at the same speed .. I believe this is purely aerodynamics.. airflow around a brick vs something with curves and air deflectors..

another tip, unless you love the roar of rubber on the road at all times , avoid mud terrain tires.

[Varun Mehndiratta]

27 minutes ago, Gary F said:

Fuel consumption increases exponentially after 120km/hr in a Jeep, put it this way my 2014 V8 dodge Durango was more fuel efficient at highway speeds than my 2021Jeep gladiator at the same speed .. I believe this is purely aerodynamics.. airflow around a brick vs something with curves and air deflectors..

another tip, unless you love the roar of rubber on the road at all times , avoid mud terrain tires.

Hahaha yeah Jeep has fixed the issue of mud terrain Tyres - now all new Rubicons are with BFG AT2, Sports and Sahara in any case were never with Mud Terrain .. 😀👍

[Mark B]

Buy a gladiator! They are amazing, the end 😜

[DP1011]

 RUBICON @Marketa Dobesova   and with below pic, I rest my case