Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

[MAG00]

I am currently trying to make a decision on vehicles for my wife and I. I currently drive a 4door 4wd pick up (2011 Chevy Z71) and my wife drives a small suv. Her small suv is paid for and I have 4 years left on my truck but I do have some equity in it.

What I am considering is selling my truck and getting a few years old 4 door 4wd jeep wrangler and then getting my wife a new suburban. We have three kids and the suburban would be nice for trips and just generally more room.

I could keep my truck and get her a suburban, but thought that getting a good used jeep would lessen my payments and help out on getting her into something bigger. The difference wouldn't be huge, but would help. My truck is really nice, to me anyways, but I am not real attached to it either. Plus I have always liked jeeps.

What do you all think? Make sense or not? If I "downgrade" (i.e. years and miles) it would most likely be to a 4 door jeep wrangler not another truck. I like my truck and all, but if I do this it would be to go into a jeep.

Again, we probably could keep my truck and get her into a suburban, but I was trying to not stretch ourselves to thin either.

Here is some basic info:
- Married with 3 kids and we are fairly active
- I don't do a lot of long distance driving or real heavy hauling.
- "Downgrading" my vehicle would free up about $200/month. Not huge, but every bit counts right?

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

In my proffesional opinion the only good jeep motor was the inline 6 4.0 liter. The new V6 is a gas suck for the amount of power it has. Its longevity is also significantly less. I personally like Suburbans. If you can afford the gas they are unbeatable.

 

[MAG00]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In my proffesional opinion the only good jeep motor was the inline 6 4.0 liter. The new V6 is a gas suck for the amount of power it has. Its longevity is also significantly less. I personally like Suburbans. If you can afford the gas they are unbeatable. </div></div>

Yea,
I like the suburbans as well and that is what I would like to get my wife. I am just trying to decide on whether to sell my truck to get something a little older and less money. Not by much, but a little bit always helps.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

Jeep's inline 6 of yesteryear was a hell of an engine. I ran the shit out of mine with very little maintenance and upkeep.

A word on the new 4-door Jeep Wranglers. I had been fairly confident I'd buy one when they were first coming out. Life happened so I stuck with what I was driving, but last fall I was working for a month out in the desert at Ft Irwin. I rented a 4-door Wrangler for getting out to the various sites. I'll be damned if that wasn't one of the worst vehicles I've ever rented. I won't own one now, not for anything.

I'd say if you want a Jeep for tooling around, go get a late 90s Cherokee that's been taken care of.

 

[grkmec]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ZLBubba</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jeep's inline 6 of yesteryear was a hell of an engine. I ran the shit out of mine with very little maintenance and upkeep.

A word on the new 4-door Jeep Wranglers. I had been fairly confident I'd buy one when they were first coming out. Life happened so I stuck with what I was driving, but last fall I was working for a month out in the desert at Ft Irwin. I rented a 4-door Wrangler for getting out to the various sites. I'll be damned if that wasn't one of the worst vehicles I've ever rented. I won't own one now, not for anything.

I'd say if you want a Jeep for tooling around, go get a late 90s Cherokee that's been taken care of. </div></div>

Agree 100%. I rented a 4 door wrangler on my trip to Hawaii and it sucked. I drove it for a week all around the big island and it was pretty bad.

 

[E. Bryant]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

Wranglers are awesome off-road, and kinda miserable on-road. Think of it as the exact opposite of a sports car

It's also shocking how well they retain their value; great if you're selling a used one, but not so hot if you're the one who is opening the wallet.

It sounds to me that swapping the pickup for a Suburban is a good move, even if it's always painful for a man to give up a truck (especially one as nice as yours). If you don't haul anything that requires a pickup truck, then a full-size SUV might be more useful. There is always the option of towing a rented trailer if you need to haul something that doesn't (or shouldn't) fit in the SUV.

As long as the wife's current small SUV isn't a miserable shitbox, it might make sense to simply take that over for your own driving purposes. Whatever it happens to be, it is almost certainly nicer on the pavement than a Wrangler. Now, if you honestly do a lot of off-roading, then this decision may play out differently.

Despite their reputation, I have seen a couple of the old Jeep 4.0L I6 motors come apart in a messy fashion. In fairness, they had seen some abuse (which is kinda the whole point of owning a Jeep). Yanking the 4.0L from a TJ was almost certainly the easiest swap I've ever done; I'm thinking it might be possible to do the whole job without once having to set down your beverage.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Eric Bryant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wranglers are awesome off-road, and kinda miserable on-road. Think of it as the exact opposite of a sports car

It's also shocking how well they retain their value; great if you're selling a used one, but not so hot if you're the one who is opening the wallet.

It sounds to me that swapping the pickup for a Suburban is a good move, even if it's always painful for a man to give up a truck (especially one as nice as yours). If you don't haul anything that requires a pickup truck, then a full-size SUV might be more useful. There is always the option of towing a rented trailer if you need to haul something that doesn't (or shouldn't) fit in the SUV.

As long as the wife's current small SUV isn't a miserable shitbox, it might make sense to simply take that over for your own driving purposes. Whatever it happens to be, it is almost certainly nicer on the pavement than a Wrangler. Now, if you honestly do a lot of off-roading, then this decision may play out differently.

Despite their reputation, I have seen a couple of the old Jeep 4.0L I6 motors come apart in a messy fashion. In fairness, they had seen some abuse (which is kinda the whole point of owning a Jeep). Yanking the 4.0L from a TJ was almost certainly the easiest swap I've ever done; I'm thinking it might be possible to do the whole job without once having to set down your beverage.

Good luck with your decision!</div></div>
The only thing that would stop a 4.0 from 350,000 miles is overheating (they can't even take one of those!) or running it out of oil. You will go through welding or replacing exhaust manifolds about 4 or 5 times in that amount of miles but otherwise they are GTG. Oh and a crankshaft position sensor. Done many of those.

 

[roggom]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I totaled my F150, after all was said and done I took the insurance money and picked up a 99 XJ (Cherokee Sport). Man I love that thing. Wranglers are cool, but the xj has more room for kids and gear.

 

[opelboy]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

i like my 06 jeep liberty... that thing will go anywhere, but there seem to be quality issues that probably follow through their other models. my suspension and shocks were completely shot @ 60k so i upgraded to a ome 4" lift, the windows have all been replaced because of a defective window track, the seats stain really bad even if i just get water on them-the spots dont go away, the brake pads didnt fit right so i fried a new set before i knew what was going on- i had to grind the pads to fit loose enough to move right. and im having trouble keeping the rust off my stock rock sliders. my 96 chevy silverado with 210k seems to have less problems

 

[BigBlue&Goldie]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: roggom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I totaled my F150, after all was said and done I took the insurance money and picked up a 99 XJ (Cherokee Sport). Man I love that thing. Wranglers are cool, but the xj has more room for kids and gear.

</div></div>

Do yourself a favor and get reinforcing plates for the unibody where the steering box bolts in. I spent Saturday morning welding a Cherokee back together...........it had a steering box brace (worthless) and some other piece of shit bracket behind the box that was cracked as well. I think the kit I installed was a "C Rock" or something similar. I can't say for sure, it was my buddy's jeep and I was just doing the work. All I know is it's easier to do when before the body is fucked up.

My Dad has a 2007 JK and it's an awesome rig!!! No power at all, but it goes places where fully built jeeps have problems. My parents daily drive it in the winter, and it has been 100% reliable for 70,000 miles so far. I was going to buy one, but I'm too cheap. FWIW, his is a Rubicon with a simple 2.5" Teraflex lift with 35" BFG's. His next one is going to be a baseline model that we are going to build up bigger.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I just gave my '02' XTerra to my youngest daughter and bought a 2012 XTerra for my wife. The 02 was Mrs. Q's and only has 28,000 miles on it.

Back in 02, we looked at the Liberty and found it under powered and the cargo area too small. Of course, all my wife really needed was a replacement for the S-10 Blazer she had been driving and obviously doesn't drive a whole lot.

In looking for a replacement for the 02, we once again looked at the Jeep Liberty and based on reports from Edmunds.com, Consumer Reports and Kelly Blue Book, the Liberty ranked well below the XTerra in numerous categories.

The Jeep dealers were worthy combatants in parrying my offers and I for one am glad they refused my not to exceed offer! While the equivalently equipped XTerra cost a little more, I felt it was worth it and decided to buy another.

I'd suggest that Edmunds.com, Kelly and Consumer Reports are resources well worth exploiting when looking for a vehicle.

Good luck.

 

[MAG00]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

Well the goal is to get my wife into a suburban which would be used as our main vehicle if we all go together somewhere in town or travel. The jeep would be for me for daily use. So I we would be regularly all riding in the jeep.

What about a 4 door 4wd Toyota Tacoma (good used one) for me in lieu of the jeep? Get into something a little cheaper, still quality and still the usefullness of a truck.

I also, may have to check out a smaller SUV like the Xterra for myself if a good quality used one is priced right. Any other opinions on the Xterra?

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I've never owned any of the Toyota trucks but everyone I know who has them, loves them.

A buddy has a 02 Tahoe he loves so much that he put a new engine in his when at 280,000 miles!

I felt the used SUVs I looked at were over priced and given that I would be putting either my wife or daughter in them, didn't want the potential maintenance issues of buying someone else's problem.

I think the quality of Toyota is night and day above that of Jeep and, with careful investigation would be a wise choice.

Of course you still need that Suburban! Good luck!

I'm not a huge believer in CarFax...

 

[Jethro3898]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in a Jeep, I would caution against having one as a primary vehicle. They are TERRIBLE on fuel, ride like a mule and wagon, and are noisy as crap. If driven too much, the mystique wears off. However, from what I understand, the most recent ones are quite a bit more refined than the 2000 I drove.

Even considering the negatives they are a blast to drive for a short period of time (i.e. weekend, hunting, etc.).

I will one day buy one of the new 2012 or newer 4-doors, but it will always be a secondary vehicle.

 

[Turk]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I drive my 06 Ruby everyday. Gas mileage sucks, but other then that love it! While the newer one's are more refined, and have more features; the engine has issues. Oil consumption is not a good; sign and I wonder if it has to do w/ the 5-20 oil? Then again other manufacturers use the same viscosity w/ no problems that I've heard.

 

[Boomholzer]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I have been wanting a Wrangler for years. Maybe now that my 4x4 is pushing ten years it might happen in the future.

Is the 3.6L Pentastar that replaced the 3.7L mini-van motor getting any better MPGs? Is this the engine referred to with oil burning issues?

If it can really keep over 17 and hit 20, I can handle that. My 2002 Dakota with lift and 33" tires will pull 17MPG at constant 55MPG.

If the FJ wasn't so closed in the interior, it might be a option.

 

[phxfa]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I have the 3.6 in '12 Rubicon, 35's AT gets about 14.5 around town. This new motor/trans combo kicks ass.Thought the 35's would kill it but it still has plenty of power

 

[Switchblade]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I can only say to get your wife a big SUV to drive around if she pays attention when turning left, does not text and drive, or put make up on...well you get the idea...Big SUV;s are the most unsafe vehicles on the road when women don't pay attention and can cost folks tons of money

Case in point:

I of course am slightly biased for some reason

As to trading a perfectly good 4x4 truck for a jeep...bad idea unless you want more trail capability over transporting those home depot items...Jeep plus Trailer better idea for those big projects

 

[Turk]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


I'm not a huge believer in CarFax... </div></div>
Very true, Carfax is BS! Only thing I use it for odometer rollback issues and that's it.

 

[Palmershunter]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

We have an 08 and 11 both saharas fuel economy is ok around 20 but power sucks wish we waited until 2012 editions came out and bought one with the new engine. All in all great vehicle that's why we have two of course wife gets the newer one and I get the hand me down. Until my son takes it from me. Wish they would have came through with the 4 cylinder Cummings concept addition. I would buy one tomorrow if they did.

 

[DirtyDave]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I was just in a similar situation. Both the wife and I had paid off Z71 Ex cab trucks. Mine a 99 with 300k and hers an 05 with 75k. Needed an SUV for haulin the kids and family trips/camping etc. Decided to sell my 99 truck and buy a suburban or excursion. Since they dont make a 3/4 ton or big-block Burb anymore, we got an 05 Excursion Diesel 4wd. Makes towing the toy-hauler trailer a whole lot more fun than a 1/2 ton truck.

Since you are not towing, a Burb with a 5.3L would be the ticket for the wife/kids.
For yourself to drive I would not go with a Wrangler for a Daily Driver. They suck on the road. Better off with a Cherokee if you are set on Jeep brand.

Sucks not having a pickup truck though, so maybe trade down your crew cab Z71 for a few years older ex-cab Z71? The 5.3L is the best motor chevy has ever made. My 99 ran strong and had 300k when I sold it and the kid I sold it to still drives it daily.

 

[bassani]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

hate to say it...but with 3 kids...minivans are the best choice. your wife will be happier in that than in a suburban. keep the truck for yourself for the tough vehicle

 

[Kells81]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

No matter what you always need a truck... Get the Larger cab truck. My FIL picked up a Quad cab dodge the same time I got my Crew cab, It doesn't look like a big difference but the back seat comfort is very noticeable.

Jeeps are cool but drive 5 hours each way a couple times a week in one and the cool factors fly's right out the window. Biggest problem I had with mine was strapping the kiddo down in the back. She is a bit more self sufficient now but then was a total PITA. Gas mileage does suck but hell I have a 2011 2500 RAM and the mileage is about the same...

I have owned an Xterra and it was a POS, once something started to fall apart something else would follow. Was uncomfortable to boot.

My Cousin just picked up a 2007 Toyota Tundra and its actually a decent looking and riding wagon.

If you hold out you will be able to pick up a Diesel powered 1/2 ton truck which will be the cats ass.. I had a mid 90's 1/2 ton chevy in high school that got insane mileage for a truck. Dunno why they dropped the concept so quickly.

 

[Force_Multiplier]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

as a "Jeep guy"...

you'll find that you either are a Jeep (CJ, YJ, TJ...real Jeeps) guy, or you're not... everyone thinks they're cool, until they drive one daily, then most people grow to hate them.. and this is coming from a guy that has owned Jeeps for years and had only them as my main driver for the better part of the last 10 years.

Jeeps have a LOT of cons:
gas mileage
interior room
handling on the road/ride
they and their parts are expensive
they're hot,noisy, and they generally leak ( before anyone says "mine doesn't leak", I will say a hard top that never comes off won't leak, but then what's the point of a Jeep? )
there are more cons, but you're getting the picture.

the pros:
they hold their value.
TJs and older ( '06 and older ) are tough.
and they're just damn cool, what other full convertible can mud, rock crawl, etc... and what else can you take doors and all off of?

now the choice...

IF you're getting a daily driver, get a TJ.... hands down

IF you get it as a toy, get a YJ... they're the ugliest square headlighted bastard child of Jeeps, but they're cheap and tough, simple to work on, aftermarket parts are available, engine, axle, etc swaps are easy

here's an option that you ( and everyone else ) hasn't really mentioned, and it's what I personally think is best... get your wife the 'burb, trade your truck in on it, sell the SUV she has now, buy yourself a 2000-2006 TJ... you may or may not like driving it daily, but it's the one most people like the most, and IF you don't like it as a daily driver/ decide you need a truck for hauling, then keep it as a toy and get a small used pick up ( also older than you are probably thinking ), but it's easier to own older when you have a couple in case one is in the shop

people tend to want new ( model year ) vehicles for two reasons...

1: they want the newest, coolest, shiny one

2: they want "security" that it won't break down

well, I personally trust my 1992 Jeep Wrangler w/ around 110,000 miles, that I paid $3500 for more than I trust my wife's new Dodge Journey, that she paid $20,000 for... and the Jeep is cooler, it'll hold it's value better, it'll go off road, it'll pull a small trailer, etc, etc

I personally like the older Jeeps, they're tougher ( they used way less plastic ) 1997-2006 TJs even had too much plastic for me, but they are a good balance of tough vs comfort for most people.

I've daily driven a 1947 Willys CJ3A, 1978 CJ5, 1981 CJ7, 1997 TJ, 1988 YJ, 1992 YJ... owned ( for a short period ) and/or driven and wrenched on about everything else, including Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, and Jeep pick up trucks... I like them, but they're not a daily driver for everyone.

 

[Chingon]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

I got an 08 JK and I love it. The mileage sucks and it is a bit underpowered but that don't mean you can't sink some money into it and get the Jeep you want. That's the point.

A Jeep wasn't meant to keep stock. If that's your intention then you are really not gettting the full potential. Theese things are monsters once you pimp them out.

As for the resale value, Jeep only makes a certain amount of a model each year instead of flooding the market with them. Think of any collectibles, the smaller the amount, the more they will be worth because of the scarcity.

 

[MAG00]

Re: Vehicle change..opinions?-4 dr jeep vs. 4 dr truck

Well, it looks like I will be keeping my Silverado 4 door. We got rid of my wife's small SUV and got her a new suburban.

We sold my polaris razor to pay down and refinance my truck. Am able to refinance my truck at a lower rate, save a year on the loan and bring my payment down a little.

Also, eliminated a few other small bills. But they add up.

New truck payment along with suburban payment ended not exceeding current monthly cash outflow.

I didn't think we came out too bad. Got the versatility of a pickup and the comfort of the suburban for trips and hauling kiddos around. All with not adding to the monthly expenditures we are used to.