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Gettin back in a jeep! Hellllp

1K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  jeffashford 
#1 ·
hey fellas. I aint been on here in a while. traded my last 07 wrangler for the wifes liberty and I drove my 13 RAM 1500. well guess what im getting the fever BAD again. I want YOUR opinions on what to get. ive emailed some dealers and been lookin online. Basically I want a hard top, 4 door, either red blue orange or maybe brown or yellow.

not sure on manual or auto. opinions? im 30 and ive owned 11 jeeps, that's right 11! all daily drivers one at a time. 6 wranglers, 3 cherokes, 1 grand Cherokee, 1 cj7. all wranglers have always been stick. Im not sure I wanna be shifting constantly and actually am considering an automatic.. just feels.. weird..??

id love a rubicon but I wanna stay near my price range of my truck now. I pay 468.15 a month. im open to used jeeps but only 2012 or newer. I will not own the 3.8. and I will have 3.73 or 4.10 gears. so a max tow package or 3.73 option is needed. I will run 35s or 315s which I can do with a small level I believe. my 2 door 07 was a DOG with 3.8 and 6speed auto. that wasn't geared right. im expecting twins in july so obviously a 4 door is needed now. any recommendations or what to look for boys?? im very excited to be back in a jeep. number 12!!! haha so please gimme pointers and auto or manual, what do u got??
 
#2 ·
2015 JKUHR here. I got the auto because I'm at a point in my life where I'm just tired of shifting. Also got the dual top group because it's a great deal. Got the 4.10 option too. Oh, and the side air bags for safety. This was my first Jeep and is my daily driver. There are things I wish it had that are standard in modern vehicles, but overall I love it.
 
#4 ·
Mike and I both have autos. I drove my friend's manual and I just didn't care for it. I did ten years in a Mustang manual, but wasn't a fan of the jeep shifting at all. I'm also not a fan of all the shifting with a bad knee.

Manual versus automatic is a HUGE debate here. Lots of pros and cons for both. All boils down to your own preference. :)
 
#5 ·
I ordered my Jeep last Feb and took delivery in April. I wanted a stick but decided on an Auto because my wife doesn't really know how to drive a stick. Even though she doesn't drive it often, there are times when she needs to. So I thought having a vehicle that she can't drive would be a problem. Long story short... I settled for the Auto... or at least I thought.

Now that I have it, I really like it. I don't regret it at all. I thought I would when I took it off road. But I really don't. The auto works great. And it allows me to just enjoy the ride instead of dealing with shifting. And if you feel the need to take over shifting, the slap stick works great for that.

Hope that helps.
 
#6 ·
Country,

I got a stick because I just didn't think a Jeep should have an auto. Seemed weird. And I like shifting. But, an auto is really nice for just getting in a cruising around easily. Now I'm hearing a lot of praise for the new auto and thinking tricky trails, where going is really hard, and over big rocks or where you need a lot of precision, the auto is the way to go.

Out on the highway, I'm convinced the stick is best. But in tricky wheeling, I think the auto is better. Around town, it's up to you. More work or more fun. Probably less strain on the drivetrain with an auto too.

Bottom line: It might be best to not go with a preconceived notion like I did and just give each an honest test drive. Two of my friends got autos and think I'm nuts for getting a stick.
 
#7 ·
That was a tough one for me. I really wanted a manual, but also wanted to make it as easy as possible for my wife to drive it. It was somehow sacrilege to think about an automatic Jeep. Ultimately I got the auto for my wife (who doesn't want to ever have to drive the Jeep.....ever). But I really like that tranny. It's the unit out of the SRT line and I think it's awesome. My opinion is that it's better than the manual in pretty much every situation....just my opinion. I do miss rowing gears sometimes, but overall I'm happy with my choice.

Depending on what other features you're looking for, a Sport might be a good choice for you. Good luck!
 
#8 ·
The new auto is nice. And if you like to shift, it's got the auto-shift feature. I love it. An absolute pleasure to drive and I came from a 98 TJ with the manual. I don't mind shifting but the auto works well. From what I hear, it's a better transmission than the manual longevity wise.

If you just want a Jeep for a while until the next itch needs to be scratched, get a Sport, throw on a modest lift and 35's and have fun. If this is for the long haul, I think the Rubicon is a better deal with the 4.10's and all the other goodies.

If it helps, I bought a 2014 Rubicon 11 months ago. With $10,000 down and a seven year warranty I pay $472. You'll love all the room, the ride and the comfort.
 
#9 ·
I purchased a 2014 JKUR about 3 1/2 months ago. I traded in my corolla......SO you can only imagine how awesome I think my JEEP is haha...

It has 4.10
Tow Package
The whole nine yards...I have leather seats and I love them! Went trail riding with alittle bit of mud (got all in my interior haha had the windows down! But, nothing a wet rag couldnt wipe away!)

I paid 37k for it and with the stupid insurance and everything I walked out paying 39k and some change...I had 10k down payment and so I pay right around what your truck payment is. I almost went with a Dodge ram but really glad I picked a jeep...they can literally go anywhere!
 
#10 ·
I initially had manual on my list of must haves for my first wrangler. Dealer had trouble locating a manual with the options I wanted. Since I didn't have any wrangler history of pre-conceived notions that a wrangler had to be a manual I re-evaluated my requirements. Read some of the existing threads here on the subject. The real significant differences to me seemed to be mainly personal preference.

When I remember I have the option, auto-start is real sweet on the auto!!!
 
#11 ·
You'll probably find you can finance a new one for what you are going to pay for a used one. That's what I found out. Not saying you might come across a great deal and make a liar out of me. :)
I have the 2015 JKRU, auto, hardtop, 4.10's, and I love it. I spent the extra money and got a Rubi because I've always wanted one. No regrets here.
But like Starbrite said, get what you want......you have to drive it. Good Luck!
 
#12 ·
thanks guys. im horrible at making these decisions. now im wondering if I should try to find a cheap yj or cj and keep the truck. or go with the unlimited and maybe get a old ram down the road so I could still have a bed for stuff.. im so back and forth on this .. I wish the 3.6 was put in in 2007 instead of the damn 3.8 do theyd be a little cheaper and I could get those years!
 
#13 ·
Countrythunder, the upside is you know Jeeps, and depending on the type of driving done, in the city I would have the auto, I chose the manual since my time is spent in the mountains. This is only my 5th Wrangler.
I looked hard at used myself and the prices were crazy which lead me to believe some folks paid way too much or the dealers were insane. I found it cheaper to buy new with inducements (Costco discount and the gold ticket worth $500) along with warranty and confidence of being new. This brand certainly maintains its value based upon used prices at the lots. Welcome back.
 
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