Am I Foolish to Buy a JK

[broncoitis]

Ok, so I am considering getting a newer vehicle for commuting into the city! I need something that is easy to park and for me FUN to drive because I am in it for ususally 2.5 hours a day including going and coming to work. Recently came across a 2012 Rubicon with less than 9k on the odometer. I know it isn't the best on gas but its probably the closest thing to an EB out there and pretty capable. Oh yeah, it is a 6 speed which is even better! ;D

What you guys think?

 

[BluebroncoNC]

I've owned jeeps. Go for it.

 

[JT3357]

I have a 2011 JKU that I bought new. It's my third Jeep. The only complaint I have about it is the gas mileage, but i don't put a lot of mileage on it (currently 38K) so the bad MPG's don't really bother me.

They have great resale and one of the coolest modern 4x4's out there.

 

[66broncoCT]

2012 should have the 3.6 motor not the 3.8 minivan motor. I've got the 3.6 in my DD it's a great motor. Even though this is a bronco forum I can't lie I almost bought a JKU instead of my charger for a DD. But they're so expensive I couldn't justify the worse gas mileage and higher payment. And the rubicon is probably the most capable 4x4 on the market today.

 

[brandenpro]

If I had to drive 2.5 hrs I would buy something economical and comfortable. Jeeps are neither.

 

[AxlesUp]

the JKs are great i would drive one everyday if i didn't have a 70 mile commute.

i drive a 2015 ford focus hatchback and i love that thing. it gets 38 mpg average, has plenty of power, handles great and will hold a lot of cargo for such a small car. lowest maintenance car i have ever owned. i change the oil every 10k miles and that's pretty much it.

naturally it wont hold its value like a jk will, but that's easily made up for in the $25 worth of gas you put in it every 400 miles.

 

[Pops68]

My father-in-law has an '11, I bought my daughter an '11 two years ago (this is her 3rd Wrangler), her boyfriend just bought a '12 (I think). I have had CJ 5's in the past along with 3 Willys wagons - FUN to drive since they were all 3 speeds.

None of the 3 Wranglers gets great gas mileage (all automatics), but neither do Broncos!!! Can't think of a 4X4 that gets great mileage at this time???? Some of the All Wheel drives get better mileage, but they are not 4 wheel drive, in my opinion.

Pops

 

[1969 Bronco]

Bought a 2007 JKU new in 2007. It has evolved a lot over the years from a stock Sahara, for 2 months, into a lifted Jeep on 37 MTs, D60 lockers front and rear with hydro assist. We still take it on 500 mile trips to the coast and mountains. It has a 3.8 with 5.13 gears which actually helped it.

 

[daves bronco]

No you can buy one you just cant be on this website anymore! just kidding jeeps are nice, I do think if i had to drive that much I would also go with a easy driver, maybe even a luxury car. In a way it is fun driving both trucks and cars. trucks are up high and go where ever. but cars can zip in and out of traffic, and it is cool to be parked and in the store while the big truck is still looking for a spot to park.

 

[Scoop]

I've had 2 JKUs as DDs. A 2010 Sahara and a 2013 Rubicon. Both were/are very comfortable on the road. The Sahara got decent mileage with 3:73 gears (24 plus highway) and the Rubi not so much with 4:10's. The 3.8 was an OK engine and I would not shy away from it but the 3.6 is better. The 4-door will ride better than the 2-door. I prefer the dash styling of the 2011 and earlier - the upgrade in 2012 made it more car like. The Rubicon is very capable and I wheel it in CO every summer. The limitation of the JKU is break over angle due to the longer wheelbase. I had to winch it over The Wall on Poughkeepsie Gulch last summer. We've driven it from Texas to both coasts, once to WA and back pulling an enclosed trailer. It flat-tows well behind the RV.

Until Ford comes out with a Bronco equivalent to or better than a Rubicon, I will keep the Rubi! And until then I think the JK/JKU is a good choice for what you say you want/need.

 

[sykanr0ng]

How does that old joke go?
They're fun to ride until your friends catch you riding one?

If I had to drive that much on the road I'd probably get a Subaru WRX or a Mazda Miata or something like that, fun and more economical than a Just Empty Every Pocket.

 

[TN1776]

I was driving a 2013 VW Passat for 3.5 years back and forth to work - it was bought back due to "dieselgate" or I'd probably still have it.
This being said it bored me to tears to drive it. It was comfortable and had a kick ass stereo, and 40+ mpg was nice but it did nothing for me in terms of looks or fun.

I was all over the board for all of last year when considering what to buy for it's replacement. I looked at Jeeps for a while but it sort of occurred to me that they are pretty much just a nicer, more modern bronco - ie... not super comfy, a bit loud inside, not well insulated, etc. I do like them quite a bit though.

I had 3 cars - the Bronco, a 17 year old pickup, and the Passat. When the Passat went away I decided to sell the pickup too. I replaced both with a 2016 F150 Lariat 4x4 with the 3.5 ecoboost. It is everything that I'd like about a Jeep (4x4 for ski trips, higher ride height for visibility, etc) in a much more comfortable package. It is not the greatest for commute duty but the savings in terms of insurance and registration soften the blow of paying more for gas driving to and from work etc. Plus it has a truck bed which the Jeep does not!

Figured I'd offer my $.02. Foolish to buy the Jeep? no. Just ask yourself what you want it for.

 

[fordguy]

If I had to drive 2.5 hrs I would buy something economical and comfortable. Jeeps are neither.

agreed, i have a tj and that is a lot of seat time in a jeep

 

[broncoitis]

Thanks for all the input guys! Thing is that I work in NYC alot and in different locations so size is a factor for parking! The 4 door is sweet but it is too big to find a spot to park it in. The 2 door on the other hand is like a small car and easier to find parking and cheaper to park in a garage I believe! As for the ride I think that that 2 door is good! Even the Rubi for that matter and more than comfortable enough. This JK is a 3.6 and basically new. The only negative is that it has no warranty even though is has only 8K on the odometer and is 5 years old! My biggest fear about this is that I am gonna start modifying things on this and forget about the Bronco but that wont happen! I mean this is the closest thing to a Bronco and a somewhat practical daily driver which the Bronco will never be because of my fear that someone will steal it!

Im gonna check out a couple small cars maybe like the focus because they are fun to zip around in and I wanna make a good decision! ;D

Keep the thoughts coming though because all are welcome even though this isn't Bronco specific. However, if I get the Jeep and I am leaning heavily in that direction, I am gonna try and come up with a much better softop than the CRAP that is currently available. ;D

 

[Rustytruck]

Since you have to deal with white stuff i would seriousy concider a Subrau Forrester.

 

[AZ69EB]

The first thing we changed on my wife's 4 door JK was tires. Changed from mud to BFG all terrain tires. This made daily driving bearable. It's a Mohave edition Sahara. It is one step lower than Rubi. It does not have the 4:1 transfer case. We also had a TJ prior.

Basically, It would not be my first choice for a 2.5 hour commuter vehicle unless I lived in a bad weather climate.

 

[No Hay]

I don't think foolish at all. I've been thinking of used Rubicon's for a year or so. They are everywhere you look around here. My dirt biking group has always talked about getting Jeeps when we're too old to ride. We don't ride every weekend (or less) anymore, so three of us now have a Bronco, a Scout and a CJ5, and two of the three are too nice to thrash. I'm thinking I could buy a used Rubi, have A/C, EFI, Lockers and thrash it mildly for less than any upgrades and repairs to my EB.

 

[needsmoarturbo]

If I had to drive 2.5 hrs I would buy something economical and comfortable. Jeeps are neither.

I'm with this guy! But hey to each their own. Maybe I'm just too cheap to spend money on gas if I don't have to..

 

[Pa PITT]

I'm on my 4th or 5th ZJ which is a Grand Cherokee. This one I'm working on now is a V8. It'll be my next daily driver. I like them because they are cheap & comfortable.
.. My Running Buddy has had so many Issues with his 66 I think he's about ready to sell it & Buy one of the Rubicon Wrangler 4 door rides..
I keep telling him its not going to do all the thing you do with your Bronco.

 

[dmplatt]

I was really close to a Wrangler for my DD, I commute 70+ miles a day, in all weather, and I'm just a few hours from Moab, felt like a no brainer... except for the gas mileage.

I'm now on my 3rd Subaru, and the newest Outback is probably the most versatile car I've ever owned. 20k miles of combined driving including a lot of up and down the canyon roads in SLC and all over the dirt in Moab and I've averaged 29mpg. Beats the Wrangler by a HUGE margin.

Sure I can't go everywhere a Wrangler can, and I can't take the top off, but it is zero maintenance and as capable as anything else on the road and I'd say dirt too (same clearance as all the other jeeps...)

Two great articles that helped get me over the edge. I'd buy this car again in a heartbeat. But I still look longingly at the Wranglers

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/why-the-2015-subaru-outback-is-the-lamest-car-youll-eve-1693371270

http://gizmodo.com/how-i-turned-my-subaru-outback-into-a-real-adventuremob-1716068985