Comments: 1-15, 16-23
Presently nothing has gone wrong with the vehicle. Runs like a champ, and has the familiar Jeep "growl" at higher RPM's.
This vehicle is a world apart from my previous 90 model Jeep Wrangler. The new suspension is incredible. It still has the familiar tightness, but it flexes and has a lot more wheel travel.
For all of you who are reading the "whiners" complain about a stiff ride. Please note: If you are looking for a vehicle that handles like a Cadillac, this is not the one. On the interstate, every bump in the road will be felt.
I ramped my 90 Wrangler off of sand dunes, rocks, <insert obstacle here>. This 2000 Jeep's suspension has the same integrity. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, can beat a solid axle for ruggedness. Like the Toyota trucks? Just wait until you bottom out that "independent" front suspension, and find out that 10 inches of "ground clearance" is now 2 inches. Want a big rugged Ford, Chevy, Dodge truck with a big V8? Just wait to see what happens to that 4500 to 5000lb curb weight, and long wheel base in the mud, sand, or on the trail. I don't care how much horsepower those V8 engines have; when both axles are buried up to the hood antenna, then all that power doesn't mean a thing.
Is it loud? It is deafening if you are comparing it to your previous car. I personally would not trade that wind noise for the latest model Lexus. If you are more concerned about the noise, then get a hard top. At 70-75 mph, it will be significant, but still comfortable.
These vehicles are NOT intended for soccer Mom's to ferry kids back and forth between practice. They are not intended to give a smooth, comfortable, and quiet ride. They ARE intended to be the single most rugged, indestructible, off-road vehicles ever produced. I keep reading all of the "engine" and "transmission" problems that others are having. I personally find it hard to believe that the engine that was produced in the early 40's is now all of a sudden a problem child. EVERY, and I do mean EVERY Jeep that you see on the road without the V8, has either the INLINE 4, or 6 cylinder engine that has been produced for 6 decades now. My last Jeep Wrangler had 180,000 miles on it, and not one serious mechanical problem.
Thanks
Did I hear an echo?
I read your survey/opinion with aligned thoughts. I recently purchased a 1999 Wrangler Sahara. I had heard nothing but comments about "Jeeps" being hot in the summer, cold in the winter, noisy, fuel inefficient and the list goes on.
Frankly, I find this vehicle quite different. As far as climate control, the heater/blower in this rig keeps me quite comfortable here in North Idaho. I generally get a little too warm if I don't keep the blower turned down. With the A/C and removable top feature, who can complain about not having the perfect options of controlling air flow and cooling?
As far as comfort/seating, the contour bucket seats are very comfortable compared to a lot of rigs I've owned in the past, plenty of firm cushioning and support. At 6'2" the leg room and head room are very adequate. I can actually wear my hat if I choose to, without having it come out looking like a beret, and I'm talking about with the top up, not down!
As far as ride/handling is concerned, I enjoy the feel of the road. The suspension is quite firm but certainaly not "bone jarring" and the handling is responsive and tight.
With the I-6 engine, I can negotiate the passes quite easily in 5th, with acceleration if need be, something I had not been able to do in my last two 4 cylinder vehicles.
Gas mileage I must admit was a bit on the low side at 15.7 with 70 percent/30 percent around town and highway miles respectively, but in comparing that with my worst mileage vehicle at around 10 mpg and my best at near 22, I'll live with it.
I suppose I have to look at it this way, if I had wanted exceptional mpg's, I'd have purchased a gas/electric hybrid, for comfort, probably a full size luxury sedan, but hey, I want to have fun and adventure in something that's both affordable and off-roadable... I'll stick with the "Jeep".
Yes, and the British just now got around to using toilet paper in the 20th century as well. Are the Land Rovers good vehicles? Yes. However, unless your are Bill Gates and can afford to scratch yours up on the trail. I guess the rest of us Jeep owners will just have to admire them from their owners driveways and on interstates. All of us know that is the only place those doughnut sized street tires that come factory on them will ever see.
I bought a Jeep so that I could get it dirty, not to sing "koombaya" with the rest of the yuppies who own them at the company picnic.
Hear! Hear!
If I wanted to spend $23K on something to sit in the driveway with a nice coat of wax on it, there's a ton of other "suv's" to pick from. But if you're looking to use your vehicle for actual (not simulated) "off-roading" (read: mudding, trail riding, rock crawling, dune running) then JEEP is the only way to go!
You WILL NOT find a more reliable, better performing, or cooler-looking vehicle anywhere. I'm sick of these yuppie (or yuppie wanna-be's) that buy their Jeep because the other Country Club idiots have one. Only to find that (read in a whiney voice) "oh, the ride is too rough on my tushy" or "gee golly, the wind makes so much noise" and "damn...my toupee!" These people should stick to their Land and Range Rovers, or worse, the BMW and Lexus SUV's. They'd be better off. And quite frankly, it wouldn't make Jeeps look so bad.
My 0.02.
Have you worked a Landcruiser FJ40 off-road?
I own a 1994 Wrangler S and at 49,000 miles my damn transmission went out on a highway in the middle of nowhere. I love my Jeep, but I have had to fix the transmission twice and I currently only have 71,000 miles on it. I think maybe Chrysler teamed up with Yugo on their 1994 transmissions. Either way the only way I would get rid of it is to trade it in for a new one.
Signed,
A JEEP lover.
Land Rovers are overpriced, over weight pieces of junk that will nickel & dime you to death. I know, I owned a 94 Defender 90. Now I am the proud owner of a 97 Wrangler & it will kick any Land Rover's butt off road. I also owned a 90 Wrangler & had to fix the transmission in it three times. I have had no problems with my 97, it is a much better truck.
Hell yeah-
Jeep Wranglers must be one of the best made off-road vehichles ever made. Though Jeep wranglers can be umcomfortable to the modern day- city loving person, who cares? Aside from the small noise it makes at high speeds on the freeway, this thing can go over anything. I rented one (stock) from Hertz rentals and took it up to moab, utah, and it easily crawled right up some of the steepest slick rock on the trails, right up a 60 degree angle slope, called Lion's Back. So if you're looking for an awesome 4-wheelin rig, get a Jeep, throw in a 3 inch body lift and 33 inch tires, and then youll never have to sit in traffic (Toyota Corollas are surpringly easy to drive over with a Jeep).
Just to chip in on the Jeep/Land Rover debate. I have to heartily disagree with both sides. I am a devoted Wrangler owner-- I love my Jeep. That said, I'm a big fan of the Land Rover too. Having grown up on a farm with 3 Land Rovers, one of which was a 1956 model that had over 230,000 miles on it, I can state that they're NOT just for the city. Does my Jeep handle well off road? Heck yes! Does it handle anywhere near as well as the old Landorvers I grew up with? Not really, maybe just barely. Unfortunately, because of import prices, Land Rovers have become yuppie vehicles over here and aren't used properly. (That and the Range Rover Land Cruiser has been classified as a Land Rover... which it's not. A Land Cruiser and Defender are to real Land Rovers what the Grand Cerokee and the Liberty are to Wranglers. Nicer, snootier cousins.) I'll never give up my Jeep. But if I did, the only car I'd give it up for would be a good solid Land Rover, the only car that can actually put the Wrangler to shame.
I own a 2000 Jeep Wrangler Sport with both tops. It is a stick 4.0 with out air. I am really enjoying this vehicle a ton. I have owned some very nice cars in the past such as a BMW 328, Bmw 318, Jeep CJ 7, Mercedes 450 SL and everything American from a mustang to a camaro to a Buick Regal. So I say this with conviction, "this is by far the most fun and interesting auto I have ever owned!" I smile at every dirt trail I see and can't wait to go off road and explore. I do have to get up earlier in the morning to get to my Wrangler before my wife gets it.
HELL YA!!
Mine is a 2000 Wrangler Sport 4.0/4wd stick. It is by far the best thing I have ever driven. My previous car was a Jeep Cherokee, and I thought that was a good vehicle. I will heartily agree with the previous comment -- my wife has a very nice Acura TL -leather, sunroof and all the bells and whistles, but it is a race in the morning to get to the Jeep. I have yet to stick the thing, but it is not from lack of effort; I certainly look differently at dirt roads -- hell no roads -- to wherever I want to go. I cannot believe this much fun is legal.
I own a 2000 Jeep Wrangler SE with the 4 cylinder engine... but don't let that thing fool you...it's a powerhouse off road! In 4Wheel Low, just about any Jeep engine will do the trick, V8, Inline 6, or 4cylinder, it doesn't matter, they all rock!!! I've heavily modified my Jeep for the trails, because that's what they're supposed to be used for!!! It's also my daily driver, and I have no complaints about it whatsoever... no mechanical problems, and I mean none, zero, zilch, nada! I've owned this Jeep since 1999, and it has not been in the shop once for a repair, and I bang the hell out of this thing on the trails! This is one tough little truck, and anyone who says that Land Rovers are better, just wait until your warranty runs out...you'll be crying all the way to the bank!! With 33 inch tires, a lift, and lots of other modifications to the axles and drivetrain, this Jeep has held together wonderfully... and if you're looking for a comfortable ride, then buy a Suburban or a Grand Cherokee maybe, and stick with the grocery store runs, and taking the kids to the mall! It's silly to state that a Wrangler is uncomfortable! No one ever accused this car of being luxurious, that's ridiculous... later all!
I have a 2002 Jeep Wrangler Sport. Bought it brand new. Now it has 29,000 miles. I took it on the most rugged trails I could find. And I also had a few 1000 miles "per day on the hiway". Not a single mechanical problem. An incredible adventure vehicle.
Comments from the UK:-
I think we have two problems here in the Land Rover versus Jeep debate.
Point one:- If you say Land Rover and mean Range Rovers, Discoverys or Freelanders these are NOT Off Road vehicles. Oh sure, they sell them as that, but knowing that they will only actually be used for going to the shops and back. The only exception to this is very early Range Rovers which were much tougher.
Point two:- If you say Land Rovers and mean Defenders, 90's and 110's then these are good off road vehicles, but much better in mud than on rocky trails. However I gather in America they are very expensive to run and maintain so probably not a good buy. In UK Wranglers are rare and expensive to run and maintain so, again, probably not a good buy.
Finally, what is this "toilet paper" of which you speak?
I am the PROUD owner of a 98 Jeep Wrangler Sport. I blew the Transmission in it. My fault. Off road issues and got it stuck. Hows this for stuck. An F350 dually had to pull me out, which is where I think the trouble with the Transmission came from. Off road this vehicle is almost unstoppable, but unless it is driven right, there are plenty of things that will stop it. On road, I have never felt more secure, more stable, and more unstoppable than I do in my Jeep. When hurricanes come though I am one of very few vehicles out surveying the damage. Pulling the other drivers of "SUV" out of the ditches, and water traps left by mother nature. I have been through places the The infamous Hummer has not been able to go. Wheel base is everything. On the freeway there is some noise, but turn up the stereo, and just roll on. If you want luxury, stay on the porch with the BMW's, Fords, Chevy's and other such "SUV", but if you want to run with the big dogs, go Jeep. This year I plan to go to Camp Jeep, and the Jeep Jamboree. Learn to drive this ultimate off road vehicle the way it was built to be driven. I will never own any other SUV, but a Jeep. Plan to get my girlfriend a Cherokee so that the family can come with us on treks.
I'm not sure we're talking about the same Jeep as the other reviewers because I've had nothing, but problems out of 2000 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0 from day one - literally!
On the way home from the dealer, the transmission went out before the odometer even got to 100. At 37,000 miles, both front and rear pinion seals were leaking. The next month, I got to take it back to the shop because the rear pinion seal was leaking again. I got to buy a yoke this time too. Also, by this point, the upholstery was coming apart in the driver's seat.
At approximately, 45,000 miles, the windshield wiper motor started shorting out and oil is slowly escaping around one side of the engine at the head gasket.
At 56,000 miles, the engine starts spraying coolant so badly that it's spraying up over the hood onto the windshield. Only now, my windshield wiper motor has gone completely out so I can no longer wipe the coolant off my windshield. That brings me up to date with the major stuff.
Right now, it's in the shop to stop the coolant leak. They've had it for a total of 5 days and they still can't find the source of the leak. They've tested the radiator. The head's not cracked or warped either (so they told me). They've talked with "5 Star" (whoever that is), and 5 Star concluded that I either need a new head or a new block! I've encouraged them to continue searching for the real problem because an engine *should* last longer than 56,000 miles.
All of the above is completely true. My conclusion is that if I had ever taken my Jeep off-road, it wouldn't last 5 minutes before the whole thing would break into a thousand pieces.