OT-anyone drive a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

ksmyrl

Major OT here. SWMBO and I are truck shopping and I've always been a Chevy man. Been in a full size truck since I was 18. But we like the idea of having a 4 door Wrangler. Would be fun for us and the kids. But...we need this to be our truck. Mainly, it needs to pull an 18ft bass boat most weekends between March and November. Not far, but often. Towing specs say 3500 lbs. But I've pulled enough boats over the years to know ideally I want my tow vehicle to be rated more than double what I'm towing. This is barely at that threshold. Just curious of other's experiences with the family man's Jeep? This will also be my daily driver and I'm not interested in making a $36k+ mistake. Thanks y'all.

fishlessman

the towing rate on those is the deal breaker for me. i do like the looks of it though. did you look into the fj cruiser, better towing and resale but i think this is the last year for them or maybe it was last year

NPHuskerFL

Had my Jeep for 16 yrs. It would tow this spec design. But, hitting any sort of incline etc and it became very doggy.  Loved that old Jeep! It was the real deal and would crawl through anything I threw at her.  But, I haven't looked back since getting my 2500HD Silverado LT3 it was just time. 

eggo

What a neat way to fish.

Smokinpig

I had a 99 wrangler for 16 years, recently sold it. Although different than the newer 4 door version you are looking at a Jeep is always a compromise. Ride quality, handling, road noise(soft top) just are not as good as a typical suv or truck. These are still more purpose built to get off the pavement, other than a 4runner I don't think much else have live axles still. On the other hand top down doors off on a nice day is tough to beat. JEEP, Just Empty Every Pocket, they are like eggs, you will want to accessorize. I switched to a new Grand Cherokee and love it, for 36k it is near your budget take a look at them.  

NPHuskerFL

@eggo It was a blast fishing with the Jeep. 

ryantt

My wife has the Wrangler unlimited and loves it. She likes the idea of a convertable that doesn't get stuck in the snow. Truth be told it's fun to play in the mud with, and will pull a boat just fine.  I'd second taking a look at Grand Cherokee, way nicer ride and comfort.  

johnkitchens

I would love to have a Wrangler as a weekend toy. Not happening though. 

fishlessman

ryantt said:

My wife has the Wrangler unlimited and loves it. She likes the idea of a convertable that doesn't get stuck in the snow. Truth be told it's fun to play in the mud with, and will pull a boat just fine.  I'd second taking a look at Grand Cherokee, way nicer ride and comfort.  

pulling the boat is not the problem with jeep wranglers, its stopping the boat thats the problem and most definatley the reason for the low towing capacity. jeeps are not designed for braking under loads, especially when towing

Smokinpig

They make excellent toys!!!

Chubbs

My brother had a CJ7 he bought in 1995. He sold it in 2002 for 3k more than he paid for it. That was a hell of a jeep and it was fun as hell to drive. 

Not it sure about the new ones. I would like one for a toy maybe but can't let go of my Tundra

ShadowNick

I have a Jeep sport and use it too occasionally tow the family boats to and from the mechanic at the beginning and end of season.  Has no problem with the waverunner but the 18ft Four Winns gives it trouble, especially on hills.  Personally, as much as I love my Jeep, I wouldn't want to use it to tow something that size regularly.  My dad's F-150 handles the big boat much better.

Ladeback69

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh261/OutlawDaytona/f0efa4e7.jpg

I just found this on a Jeep Forum page and the guy says he is using his 4dr Wrangler to tow a 3500 lb boat.

Focker

Fish summed it up.  The Jeep(all models including SUVs) short wheelbase is not good either.  Kudos to you for pulling smart.  Plenty of jackwads out there.  

Was shocked that a close friend's 2014 Liberty even had a hitch with such a low tow capacity.  The only model worth considering would be a Grand Cherokee, and it isn't ideal for reasons mentioned.  

Crooked manufacturers and dealers will throw a hitch aka "tow package", on just about anything. 

SmokeyPitt

I have a Wrangler Unlimited.  Mine is a 2010 and they changed the engine in 2012 to the Pentastar that has a little more power.   I can tell you that I wouldn't want to tow much with my jeep unless it was really flat and I didn't have to go very fast.  The jeeps just don't have that much power and it would be PITA to try to merge on a highway or just pull out into traffic.  

I love my jeep- but one other thing I always caution people on is the back seat. It is really uncomfortable.  It was fine when my kids were young but now that a couple are adult size they don't want to ride back there for more than a couple of hours. 

ksmyrl

Thanks so much for all your opinions, very much appreciated. I drove a 2015 Wrangler yesterday and while I was impressed with how far they have come (I had a 91 Wrangler for a few years) I don't think it will work for my daily driver. Like I said, I'm towing a boat at least 2 days a week for the better part of 9 months with SWMBO, 2 kids and a dog, not to mention luggage/gear.  But I'll keep looking and thinking. 

I also like what I read/see about the new Chevy Colorado w 7000 lbs. towing capacity. I love my full size truck, but with my job I'm in and out of parking garages several times a week and driving in downtown Atlanta often. Something a tad smaller might be nice. Anyway, I hate car buying but love car shopping/researching/test driving.

Ladeback69

Focker said:

Fish summed it up.  The Jeep(all models including SUVs) short wheelbase is not good either.  Kudos to you for pulling smart.  Plenty of jackwads out there.  

Was shocked that a close friend's 2014 Liberty even had a hitch with such a low tow capacity.  The only model worth considering would be a Grand Cherokee, and it isn't ideal for reasons mentioned.  

Crooked manufacturers and dealers will throw a hitch aka "tow package", on just about anything. 

The 4 dr Wrangler is bigger then the Grand Cherokee.  I had a hitch on my old Cherokee XJ, but it was more for recovery then towing.

grege345

My closest friend was a jeep guy forever. Loved them. He found out quick that long ATv towing was not a lot of fun. Pulled like hell. So he ended up with a Honda ridgeline. I laughed at him when he got it and one trip to the hatfield McCoy trails I wasn't laughing anymore. The thing pulls amazing  (3 large atv, two motorcycles,plus trailer) and has all the functionality of a small pickup and roomy for 4 grown men.  Rides amazing and not bad on gas. He drives it back and forth to NYC every day. He did a few things to make look a little more like a truck instead of the stock version. Even he'd tell you there its not as fun as a jeep but he has no regrets. My .02

Jeepster47

If this is going to be your daily ride, then the Wrangler is not a good choice.  Not bad for a 20+ year old to use for daily commuting, but not fun for the rest of us.  It really shines as an "extra vehicle" in places like Arizona where off road riding is a part of the scene.  Even there, compromises drive you up the wall in deciding which to buy ... the unlimited is smoother on the highway and the standard gets around better off road.

If you want it primarily for towing, then a relatively short wheel base (116" for the wrangler unlimited) isn't the best choice in any vehicle.  But, a long wheel base vehicle is a **** to park in tight spaces.  Compromises again.

If you have any interest in a Jeep, then try out the Grand Cherokee.  The towing capacity is 6200~7400 lbs ... match up the 8 speed transmission with the V8 engine hills are no problem (of course you could put the diesel in it and level off the whole USA) ... comfort is great ... wheel base is just under 115" so parking and maneuvering is no problem.  For me, the Grand Cherokee is the right fit ... and has been for about 15 years now.

Lowflyer

Weekend Warrior here, wouldn't want to daily drive unless it was a short commute.