Jeep Wrangler

ToxicPaddy

Ok guys, need you opinions on these..

I know someone selling a Jeep Wrangler, its in good nick, 6 years old, full service history, reasonable mileage, never been used for any towing and has a 2.5ltr petrol engine..

One of the main reasons Im seriously looking at this is because they are rare in Ireland, new ones arent being brought into Ireland direct, so only available form dealers who bring them in through the UK with a price tag of around €40k after VRT.

I know they arent luxurious and can be a bit drafty sometimes, but they are fairly sound build and can last for years if properly looked after.. according to the resports Ive read but you cant beat personal experience..

What I need to know is..

- has anyone heard any horror stories about them?
- How much would a set of those tyres cost to replce?
(no idea about 4x4's tyres or sizes so need some help on this one) but i think the standard is a P205/75R15..
- Anyone any idea how much a hard top for them is as this one only comes with a soft-top? (if its available of course)
- Ive heard that the Jeep is heavy enough on the juice, what would I be talking about for a 2.5ltr pertol?

Tox

NeRb666

I read in a magazine recently that they are gay icons after the "Queer as Folk" series....I don't know much about them myself but to be honest, I think they are ugly looking things. How much are you willing to pay for it?

rander00

Its a lot of cash for something that doesnt look the best. And they look a bit rough.

ToxicPaddy

Dunno about being a gay icon.. they dont really have enuff of them in ireland, there are only a few dozen of them around if even that.. lol

the one im looking at is like this one. Its in good nick, then softtop has no tears or worn bits, tyres are in good nick as is the suspension and gearbox..

He's looking for about €10k but i might be able to get it down to €9.5k so all in all not too bad..

It does about 20 - 25 mpg and im still waitin on an insurance quote so time will tell about that side of things...

The tyres are approx €420 a set for all weather tyres and apparently she handles very well in the wet..

But like i said, personal experience tells a lot more than some sales man or article written over the space of a week by some guy who has a brand new one that has been checked and double checked to ensure a good review...

JohnBoy

I say, buy It if you like it.

Should be faily reliable as they are relatively simple in engineering terms..... my only concern would be parts availablity.

John

ToxicPaddy

Well latest update..

went to have a look at it and must say the guy was right as far as it being in good nick.. all body panels in perfect condition as is paint job, there is a small stone chip on the windscreen, the soft top is in very good condition, he had to replace it 3 years ago as some little scumbag put a knife through it.. engine seems fine as does the gearbox and she drives well, nice bit of acceleration in 2nd and 3rd gear, moresp than I expected..

It felt a little different driving it on roads in ireland than the one I drove in Canada but still a very comfortable drive. Has the high back seats, something similar to bucket seats but more padded at the bottom and back very comfy..

Now for the insurance, getting a quote from the place im with now, so only that to worry about... and the petrol bill.. does about 20mpg in a town and about 25mpg on the open road.. thirsty little bugger..

Tox

Chimaera

Have you tried putting the hood up and down? Apparently they are extremely fiddly to operate.

Also, afaik there is a hard top available for them but don't ask me where you might find one.

Have you considered the cost of road tax, and servicing? Both will be fairly considerable.

ToxicPaddy

The hood is a bit of a handful to get up and down alright, and the guy who has it now even admitted that..

The hard tops can be got through a dealership but are fairly expensive, approx €1600 or so im told.. this may be more as the wranglers are not sold in Ireland, the parts will have to be shipped in from the UK.

Servicing wont be too bad as apparently the engine is very very similar to the ones in the older cherokees and most dealerships will have those parts there or order them pretty easily..

The tax is €782 per year and the insurance will be on its way soon.. still waiting for a bloody quote.. :mad:

kayos

Originally posted by ToxicPaddy
and the petrol bill.. does about 20mpg in a town and about 25mpg on the open road.. thirsty little bugger..

ahhh thats not too bad try seeing only 9MPG over an afternoon and that was from a trip computer not my dodgy maths

On a serious note this sort of economy or lack of will hurt your pocket in a big way if you do any sort of mileage. I have a 1.8 20VT and my city driving can result in anywhere between 18MPG to 25MPG and on a long run I get anywhere between 30MPG-35MPG normally although I have seen 39MPG once or twice on motorways in the UK. These sort of figures end up in me spending around 50-60 a week on fuel (and another 16 on Octane booster as my car only takes 98RON).

In terms of parts you can suffer due to the lack of parts as well. My car was off the road for a full month when the clutch went as the parts had to come in from the UK on special order (only two of my car in Ireland). So you end up getting kicked in terms of time off the road and the price on the parts.

I am not trying to put you off buying the Jeep but I am just raising a few points about it that I have a simillar experence with on my car. It will be expensive to run and it will be a bugger if anything goes wrong with it. If you really like the Jeep then go for it.