Do you have/have you had a JEEP? Tell me about it!

My only advice is to consider a hard top. Soft tops are extremely loud on the freeway! Other than that, we love our wrangler

their ratings for reliability are not great.. I would look into maintenance and repair costs. but then I am always practical and not looking at style. consumers report rates them 19 out of 26 for reliability.. (higher the score, the worse)

We have had both a basic hard top Wrangler, and now have a Willy’s retractable soft top, and wouldn’t have it any other way. The hard tops weigh like 150lbs, so you couldn’t take it off in your own, and it’s still super heavy and awkward for two people. We ended up putting a pulley system in our garage, which worked well, but took about 20 min to use. Also, if you do take off the hard top, you have to have a place to store it. It’s a bummer when you’re on a road trip and you can’t take it off for any of the above reasons.

The soft top is fabulous! One hit of the button and you have sky! You can pull it back as far as you want. Yes, it’s a little noisy (nothing like the old soft tops! A friend who had an old one was super impressed!)
It’s not a luxury vehicle…it’s meant to be an off road vehicle, so a little road noise doesn’t bother us. You don’t have to have two people to take it off, or have a place to store it. It’s absolutely perfect. We will never go back to the hard top!

Jeep gets consistently low ratings from Consumers Reports. The people I know who have one arw always taking them in for repairs

People either love their Jeeps or absolutely hate them (I’ve known both) but they have made somewhat of a resurgence in the last few years. I think because affordability (obviously depending on options). As others have said they have been consistently rated low for reliability, safety and value, but again there are a ton of them around so there are a lot who like them.

There is also a lot of difference between say a loaded grand Cherokee, a Liberty and a wrangler.  The people that I know that have the Wranglers do more off road driving and club type outings.  They are not the best riding but that is not why they are buying them.  I know quite a few people in this category.

I know a few who have had loaded Grand Cherokees and it has been a mixed bag on repair cost and reliability and love of them.  I’ve know a few people who have had the liberty and none were overly enthralled with them, neither the comfort of the ride or the reliability.

So basically, as with most vehicles, I think you are going to get answers all over the place.  I have always wanted a Wrangler as a kid to just tool around with (we had a really old one when I was a kid).  If I ever won the lottery you would find one in my fleet of vehicles. 👍😆😆 but as the fun car and not my daily ride.  I think that the only way you are going to decide is to go and try one.  And again if it is not your main vehicle and you are getting it more for fun and 4 wheeling there is not a lot else out there in that category.

All above is purely  my opinion. As I stated before you are going to find people who loved them and never had any issues with theirs and others that are on the other end of the spectrum and have had nothing but problems - but I truly think that is with all car makes and models.

Go test drive one and if you love it go for it.  Good luck.  I hate buying cars with a vengeance, such a huge output of money and such a crap shoot on whether you will love it, hate it, or just be ehhhh it’s okay.  😆

ETA - I know a few people who have just bought new Bronco sports.  All are in the early stages of ownership but seem to love them and be happy with them. They were not “cheap” but really no car is these days.

We have had a long history with Jeeps—my husband is a huge fan. Me—not so much because we live in the frozen tundra and if the sun is out he wants the top rolled back or off. My poor hair! And they are so loud! Lol. My husband has a company car so the Jeeps are third cars.

But the most fun we had with a Jeep was a two door Wrangler with a hard top. In the spring we would take the top off (we had a lift in the garage) and the rest of the summer, if we got caught in a rain storm, we just laughed. That thing was a blast to drive, we could park it anywhere and we sold it for $1500 more than we paid for it (it was used when we bought it)! We now have the Jeep truck and the neighbors joke that he washes it every weekend. So it’s love (for my husband, I’m still getting my hair messed up, lol)

They all get terrible gas mileage.

ps I just asked my husband what a Willy was so I reallllly don’t know my Jeeps! Love the color! 

I wanted to add that we have driven both of ours, the first to Florida Colorado and Vegas, and the current one to Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Vegas and never had any mechanical problems.

Two things…I would have had mine in my twenties, if I could have afforded it. It’s a “mid-life crisis “ vehicle, because that when most can afford one brand new. Some may have issues, but they hold their resale value, so used isn’t much of a deal.

We live within 20 min of a very affluent area, and there are loaded Jeeps everywhere. When I got mine, I told my DH that I wanted the most basic one we could get. I did not want to look like a rich soccer mom. 🤣 We have never added any crazy after market stuff. Our Willy’s is not basic, because it’s what they had that we loved, but it’s definitely not all decked out.

I'm on my 3rd Jeep

I'm a Jeep girl, love al of them. I still have my 19 Mojito Rubicon and just recently picked up my 23 Rubicon (392) in High Velocity Yellow

Both my Jeeps have the convertible sky top. I love it, I never have to worry about storing a top. Just push a button and I'm topless
My new Jeep isn't lifted yet. I have my wheels out being refinished. It looks so small not lifted and no big tires :lol:

We have had a few Jeeps.. The Wrangler was our new one (years ago).. we loved it except for long trips.. Noisy! It was a soft top. It was fun. Never any mechanical issues to speak of.

DH has had several old ones that he has fixed up.. old old... I can't really give an opinion on those since he was 'saving' them.. lol.. so yeah he spent time on the engines/body work. They were mostly reliable though.

I would most definitely buy a Jeep over a BMW any day.. not really a fan.

We tinkered with the idea of the Ford Bronco. But ended up with a Ford F-150 since we are pulling ATVs all over the place (Moab included)..

I've had a couple Jeep Grand Cherokees in the past and loved them. I'm just over the SUV stage in my life.

Dh had a Willy. He wasn't fond of it, it was good for off roading etc but for a regular vehicle, too rough riding and noisy etc. We drove it from MI to Hilton Head once and that was not a fun ride. Especially for dd's best friend who was with us and early in pregnancy (we didn't know yet). Poor girl did not have morning sickness but apparently found that ride a bit nauseating at times.

I have not owned a Jeep myself, but I have a good friend who is very brand-loyal to Jeep. She bought one new Grand Cherokee about 5 years ago, and I’m surprised with how often it’s in the shop for work. Like others have mentioned, Jeeps are rated rather poorly for reliability by Consumer Reports and JD Power. Forbes also puts out lists of new cars to avoid and several Jeep models always seem to make that list. That being said, if this is a weekend “fun” car, that may not matter as much as if the car was a daily driver.

I definitely understand the desire to have a car that you are passionate/excited about. I just got my dream daily driver six weeks ago, and I LOVE it! Whatever you decide, I hope that you find a car that you love as much as I love mine.

My first boyfriend had a 1975 white Jeep CJ5, the short one with the wheel well cut into the door, whichI was mostly a passenger in, but drove a fair amount. It had a soft top, and the soft doors, no radio, no locks, no anything you could steal. I was 18 and in the Army early 80s. We lived in Monterey CA and drove all over the central coast and valleys, it might have been loud, but we didn't notice. I loved that vehicle! 😍

My second one was a 1989 red Jeep Wrangler soft top, half metal doors, no radio, no locks, no anything you could steal, that I was leasing from my mother's co-worker/friend while he was over seas for a few years. I was 25 and living in South Lake Tahoe. Commuted back and forth to San Francisco to see my boyfriend, now husband, and later from San Francisco to Los Angeles, also to see my boyfriend. I was never much bothered by the rode noise in it. I loved that vehicle! 😍

I never had any real issues with either one of them. They both got regularly scheduled maintenance. The CJ5 we sold with over 300,000 miles. And last I heard, the jeep I leased is still getting around in San Francisco with its original owners kids at the wheel.

My sister recently purchased a 2022, tricked out Bronco. Holy cats does she carry on about her ride! 😈

All that said, I wouldn't want a bare bones Jeep again, but with some bells and whistles and a hard top I might be persuaded to get another. And my sister's Bronco is bitchin'!

We have had two Jeep Grand Cherokee Limiteds and both have been solid and comfortable rides.  I am currently driving a 2019 and it has been great.  The kids always want to ride in my Jeep vs my Dh's 2021 Rav4 Hybrid.