Newtybar

Hello,

Ive been stalking the forums for the past few days after I decided I needed to drive something more practical (hah! more practical you say!? yes... ineed it is more practical than my two seater with no trunk).

Jeep made a stride to gain market share and increase its owner base with the new 4 door Unlimited, it worked... for me at least.. I want one.

I know you old timers are all about rugged rugged rugged... and it must be rugged.. "bah electric windows! scoff! whhaaat why have heated seating?! BAAH! Nice interior WTF FOR?! we are offff roooadddinnn!" ... I get it.. but that's not totally me.

I appreciate the additional doors... the increased space... the smoother ride and better interior... It's a compromise I'm looking for somewhat practical enough... but still fun.

I'm 25... establishing a career... looking to still have fun.. but will need more space now... my car has stiff suspension so I am used to a harsh ride.. although I probably won't like the slowness of a Jeep. I am looking to pick up a new hobby and off roading fits the bill.

I plan to lift it 2 - 2.5" and get 33s. Still deciding on auto or manual... I love manual but it may be different on a Jeep and considering I'm new to offroading auto may be easier.

I have a few questions... do you think I should rent for a week before I buy or will a test drive be enough?

I see these lifts called "levelers" what exactly are those.. I noticed theres a 1.75" one but does not offer new struts or springs... does this harshen the ride? ... and im guessing it wont do anything to increase suspension travel.

The hardtop ... do you guys just leave it in the garage or can it be folded and stored in the rear?

Theft... I plan on getting a MyGig in dash nav and entertainment system or the Pioneer AVIC... with the hardtop in the garage what theft deterrent is there? Is the mygig removable? Should I just get a softop that can fold down.. but Im tired of windnoise hahaha.

Is there snowboard racks available for the JK... i cant find any.


Thanks guys!

Newtybar

Oh and yes.. Ill be waving no matter what... I am used to the exclusive vehicle club.. from motorcycles to sports cars... waving is a must.

black_sahara07

I went from an RX-8 to the Jeep... I have to say that the jeep is a lot more fun on the weekends, but one way to have more fun on the weekdays is to take the top off or pop open the freedom panels. It's a different kind of fun than cornering fast or speeding down the street.

My Girlfriend still has the Nissan 350z if I want to go fast.

Play with it stock before you decide what you are going to do to it. A stock JK is very capable.

Test drive, talk to your friends who own jeeps... go off roading with them once or twice. You'll get it.

The hardtop is solid fiberglass, and is delicate. You have to leave it in the garage and protect the edges with a towel. Mopar offers a caddy for the hard top... or you could build your own.

That's all the questions I could answer... I am new myself.


edit- I have the MyGig... and it is awesome. The best factory installed nav system I have played with. I have been impressed with it since the day I bought it. Not sure about your security questions though. I leave my hard top on to protect it for now.

only_in_my_jeep

#1Ive been stalking the forums for the past few days after I decided I needed to drive something more practical (hah! more practical you say!? yes... ineed it is more practical than my two seater with no trunk).
Jeep made a stride to gain market share and increase its owner base with the new 4 door Unlimited, it worked... for me at least.. I want one.
I know you old timers are all about rugged rugged rugged... and it must be rugged.. "bah electric windows! scoff! whhaaat why have heated seating?! BAAH! Nice interior WTF FOR?! we are offff roooadddinnn!" ... I get it.. but that's not totally me.
I appreciate the additional doors... the increased space... the smoother ride and better interior... It's a compromise I'm looking for somewhat practical enough... but still fun.
I'm 25... establishing a career... looking to still have fun.. but will need more space now... my car has stiff suspension so I am used to a harsh ride.. although I probably won't like the slowness of a Jeep. I am looking to pick up a new hobby and off roading fits the bill. [QUOTE]

Answer: To this I say no need to defend the choice here most of us own a 4 door for much the same reasons. BTW if you mean slow by sports car standards yes a jeep is slow otherwise....

#2 I plan to lift it 2 - 2.5" and get 33s. Still deciding on auto or manual... I love manual but it may be different on a Jeep and considering I'm new to offroading auto may be easier.

Answer: A JK without a lift is a good solid vehicle. If you want to srive something that is good out of the box get a Rubicon well worth the money. If you like building a vehicle get an X. Either way wheel it stock for a while before you settle on any lifts or other mods just to get a feel for it and what you need.

#3I have a few questions... do you think I should rent for a week before I buy or will a test drive be enough?

Answer: It depends do you want to see if offroading is for you or to see how a JK feels? If check out offroading then rent if not a test drive should work.

#4The hardtop ... do you guys just leave it in the garage or can it be folded and stored in the rear?

Answer: It has to be stored to be completely off. The front panels come off like a sunroof and can be stored but the rear part is a one piece hard unit that must be stored.

#5Theft... I plan on getting a MyGig in dash nav and entertainment system or the Pioneer AVIC... with the hardtop in the garage what theft deterrent is there? Is the mygig removable? Should I just get a softop that can fold down.. but Im tired of windnoise hahaha.

Answer: I no nothing about a mygig. The rule of jeep ownership states leave nothi ng in your jeep that will piss you off if it goes missing. Hardtop or softtop. A hard top and be broken into if folks want something bad enough but it is hard. A softtop all you need is a knife. If you dont like wind noise and more security you want a hardtop and never take it off otherwise learn to either chance it, store it in an installed aftermarket security cabnet, or do without.

#6 Is there snowboard racks available for the JK... i cant find any.

Answer:Not specifically however I kow somewhere I saw a post where a guy put a track mount of some sort on his hardtop for a ski/snowboard rack. I think it might have been skibum but don't quote me. I am sure there are going to be some or people will figure out a way around it as that is what happens here all the time.

Yes I know I left out a question but I know little about lifts and what a leveler is so I leave that to others.

Newtybar

Going in for a test drive today. Hope I like it!

only_in_my_jeep

good luck an remember a jeep is not for everyone DO NOT GET IT IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT and hope it will grow on you.

Newtybar

I drove it today. It was awesome.

I don't get it... everyone says its so harsh, bumpy, loud, not practical.... I didn't get that vibe at all.

In fact... it is a lot smoother than my current car whi..ch has really stiff suspension. My current car's engine is right behind the seat so it is also much louder.... and my convertible top is about the same as the Jeep. All in all the Jeep is a lot more comfy and practical ride than what I have right now.....

Only gripes... sleezy salesman... cheap feeling interior...and it's sorta slowwwwwwwww... but not that slow.

07 RBY

It'll loosen up and get faster when it's broke in. At least that's what they tell me.

only_in_my_jeep

They do. I have actually had mine up to 90 in what seemed like nothing flat. I went from driving a suburban and a Ford e-350 van neither of which had a lot of pickup. They had power to spare but were what I consider slow. Now of course it's a jeep and not a sports car either but it has some speed and power in it especially after about 6000 miles.

only_in_my_jeep

Can't do anything about the salesman. The interior not only looks cheap it is as the plastic will scratch with a fingernail. That said it is a jeep and scratches everywhere come with ownership. I do think the interior should have been designed better. Slow is a relative term. If you are compairing a jeep to a sports car it is like the sweetness of an apple to the tartness of an orange not a good compairison. Both have sugar in them and both in thier own way are sweet just not similar. You need to look at other offerings in the same size/class of vehicle. The ride will be stiffer but the jeep performs well when compaired to like things. It also outperforms them offroad where the real performance of a jeep is measured.