$3,500 Grand Wagoneer Quite the Star

By Detroit Steel - January 5, 2017

grand wagoneer

Jeep Grand Wagoneer Craigslist Gem Is the Perfect Fit for One North Carolina Family

If you aren’t a fan of the Grand Wagoneer, then it’s easy to see why you might find the appeal of the SUV a little odd.

Not that anyone here at JK Forum would fall into that category, aside from the usual trolls. But you still have to admit: a significant part of the Wagoneer’s claim to fame is tied to those wood panels, which would be laughed at on most other vehicles.

That said, Jeff and Harley Hall of Southern Pines, North Carolina provide a little more clarity on why the Grand Wagoneer is so popular, as highlighted in a Popular Mechanics report.

Three years ago, the Harleys found their Jeep on Craigslist for $3,500. Initially, they were going to buy a Land Rover Defender that they found in Italy. Jeff was there to testify at a court-martial hearing for a deserting soldier. But they couldn’t get authorization to ship the Defender back to the States.

“The guy at the port said it would never clear U.S. customs — the engine had some new parts that disqualified it from the 25-year rule that lets you import vehicles over that age,” Jeff tells Popular Mechanics. “When I got home, I looked for a different truck. We found the Jeep and bought it as a temporary grocery-getter until the Defender arrived. Years later, the Defender is still in Italy and we have the Wagoneer.”

The Harleys used the Jeep as an everyday driver for everything from routine trips around town to taking the kids to school. Jeff says one of the things he likes most about the Grand Wagoneer is how inexpensive it is to maintain the SUV.

“I’m not a mechanic, but everything on it is simple. I can usually fix it myself,” says Jeff. “I’ll go to the parts shop and ask for a fuel pump. They’ll say, ‘Sorry this is so expensive’ — then it’ll be $37. On our BMW wagon, it’s $1,000 every time something goes wrong.”

The downside? Well, it only gets about six miles per gallon.