I think the Pentastar is the only option, right? Auto tranny though, which is really the only complaint from me.
At least now we don't have to hear any more ignorant 'it's not as good as the old 4.0' comments from people who don't understand why their 200hp 4500lb jeep wasn't fast. A 3.6/manual 2dr wrangler now runs the 1/4 in the low 15s!
BACK IN MAH DAY that was pretty fast for a sport sedan or sport compact. Now a 'base model' wrangler does it.
AAA membership
In reply to markwemple:
I didn't want to be a kill joy and point out that my friend is one more dealer visit from lemon lawing his 2015. He's already met the legal requirement but he's a lot nicer guy than I am.
In reply to Stampie:
Eh, it's a Chrysler product, what do you expect? At least the Wrangler has enough upside to justify owning one, unlike, say, a Dart or something.
In reply to Stampie:
Exactly. It's a Chrysler. And I'm a Wrangler owner saying this. They are fun but very poorly built
After putting over 100k miles on a 90s era Jeep, I wouldn't say they're poorly built (unless you happen to get a bad one), but they're definitely finicky. It's not hard to keep them reliable and solid, but you're not going to go years with nothing but oil changes. There will always be little things that need attention, parts that wear out, etc.
I drove a 2012 for 2 years and loved it (Previously owned, 1988, 1991, 1998). I had no issues with build quality or reliability.
She will love it!
In reply to markwemple & Furious_E:
No I get it. My friend says that he'll get another one after lemoning this one. I don't fault you guys at all. I really want a BiTurbo so I can't cast stones.
Vigo wrote:I think the Pentastar is the only option, right? Auto tranny though, which is really the only complaint from me.At least now we don't have to hear any more ignorant 'it's not as good as the old 4.0' comments from people who don't understand why their 200hp 4500lb jeep wasn't fast. A 3.6/manual 2dr wrangler now runs the 1/4 in the low 15s! BACK IN MAH DAY that was pretty fast for a sport sedan or sport compact. Now a 'base model' wrangler does it.
I'm not going to say the 4.0L was fast, but it would still be running after doomsday. Unsure how long-lived the Pentastar is.
NickD wrote: I'm not going to say the 4.0L was fast, but it would still be running after doomsday. Unsure how long-lived the Pentastar is.
Early 4.0s, yep. They'll run until gravity runs out. The later ones aren't as solid though. 96+ 4.0s have different pistons that like to occasionally break the skirts for no reason at all (not very common though).
And the 99/2000+ coil pack 4.0s with the 0331 head up until they updated the castings in 03/04-ish have a significant issue with randomly cracking the heads on the top side (doesn't take an overheat to provoke it and dumps coolant straight into the oil when it happens).
Plus the engineering overall seems 20 to 30 years old for no apparent reason. I'm not saying that they are so poorly engineered to be worthless, like a harley, just that you'll feel like you're in the 70s or 80s with the level of maintenance and repairs. Although, being my age, it just brings back memories. Plus there is a ton of support for them which is a big plus.
In reply to markwemple:
Would you prefer unibody and IFS/IRS?
What engineering aspects seem old? The CAN bus? The variable valve timing? Aluminum engine? The 5 speed auto? Im just curious. In my opinion the JK is light years ahead of the TJ and older Jeeps in driver comfort amd stock offroad-ability.
My name is Logdog. I am a Wrangler defender
Stampie wrote: In reply to markwemple: I didn't want to be a kill joy and point out that my friend is one more dealer visit from lemon lawing his 2015. He's already met the legal requirement but he's a lot nicer guy than I am.
We bought our 2012 new. Zero issues 87k miles later.
In reply to Cotton:
Your 2012 was designed and probably built pre Tony.
Stampie wrote: In reply to Cotton: Your 2012 was designed and probably built pre Tony.
It's a JK with the 3.6 and 5 speed auto. Regardless....its been a great rig just like our 99 xj with 190k miles. The wife is about ready for a new one, so we'll see what the 2017 wranglers look like when they come out.
The post-Fiat JK was a lot like the post Chrysler Corp YJ in that the programs got an infusion of cash to make the vehicles better.
I work with Lemon Law vehicles daily. Every manufacturer has them. Sometimes the car genuinely has a problem that cant be fixed (often a problem being looked into by quality engineering but a fix isnt finalized yet), This isnt an everyday occurrence but happens. Sometimes its a parts issue and the parts are on back order causing the vehicle to be down for 30 days. Most often its the dealer throwing parts at a car because they are not skilled enough or don't want to take the time to diagnose the vehicle, this happens every day.
In reply to logdog:
The dealer may well be my friends issue. After a return visit because the tech left the trans crossmember bolts loose the service manager said that he wanted to fire half his techs but couldn't. That said my friend's rear main seal has been replaced three times so far. I'm assuming the techs would have gotten that right.
Stampie wrote: In reply to logdog: The dealer may well be my friends issue. After a return visit because the tech left the trans crossmember bolts loose the service manager said that he wanted to fire half his techs but couldn't. That said my friend's rear main seal has been replaced three times so far. I'm assuming the techs would have gotten that right.
Unless the rear main isn't the actual leak and they're fixing the wrong thing.
Very valid point.
Good luck! I loved my 2014 but after the cylinder heads cracked at 18k and the oil pressure sender broke, it was down for a month and I decided it wasn't for me. If you develop a misfire at idle, drag it in and have them thoroughly test the heads. They say they have made some revisions but it still happens to the new ones too.
Other than that, 285 hp and solid front axle, they are very fun capable vehicles.
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