[tebriel]

Hey guys,
I live in balmy Madison, WI and i'm super tired of having my saturns (i have 3) get stuck anywhere and everywhere. The roads here are crap, and they never plow. I've liked jeeps for a while and now find myself in the position to pick one up. I'm looking for tips and recommendations on what to look for. I'm not going to do any serious off-roading in it, but I for sure will take it off road when the situation presents itself. Driving on the roads here are practically off-roading anyway.

Couple questions: I'd like to get the best gas mileage possible (ha), is there any benefit to getting the newer 2.5l 4cyl over the straight 6 in this area? Or are the benefits in mpg so little that the extra power makes up for it?

Auto or manual? I prefer manual trans, but are there any reliability differences, or drivability differences between the two?
I'm going to try to test drive as many different possibilities this weekend to see what differences I can find, but I'd like to get some advice from the gurus.
Also are there any reliability issues for different generations? Is buying a jeep with 70k on it going to cost less/more than one with 140k in terms of fixing?

Oh and if anyone wants a 350hp turbo saturn, it's up for sale, let me know ;-)

-teb

[Artea]

Definately go with the 4.0 I6, much better and I didnt notice any difference in gas consumption(I have owned both). I would definately recommend one with lower miles, but I have seen some 4.0 L jeeps with 200k+ miles on them and still running like new. My old YJ had 150k and it didnt have a single problem.

I also recommend the manual. I prefer it for driving in general, and you can also pull a little better gas mileage(not much though) if you drive it more conservatively.

[tebriel]

yeah that's what it seems like, there's like a 1 mpg difference between the two. Also, from all the reading I just did, it looks like I'd only want the 4 banger from 2003+, because that original 4 was a total dog. good god, my saturn has more power than that lol.

How about handling and control, is the coil suspension superior to the old stuff? Does it make it worth buying a 97 over a 95?
-teb

[XJK]

Originally Posted by tebriel

yeah that's what it seems like, there's like a 1 mpg difference between the two. Also, from all the reading I just did, it looks like I'd only want the 4 banger from 2003+, because that original 4 was a total dog. good god, my saturn has more power than that lol.

How about handling and control, is the coil suspension superior to the old stuff? Does it make it worth buying a 97 over a 95?
-teb

the coil suspension will be a smoother ride on road which is one of the main reasons jeep made the switch. but if you plan on modding the jeep the leafs will be much cheaper to lift and easier overall.

i guess its user preference.

-Kyle

[Chilly]

I had a 94 YJ and after four years of being bounced around I traded it in for a 05 LJ and love the coil suspension, it's like a Cadillac. I also got an automatic because I like to go offroading and a manual is not recommended for offroading

[Artea]

I agree about the ride comfort. Coil is much better. My YJ beat the crap out of me going down the road at a max speed of 50 mph, but my TJ that is on a bigger lift and tires runs much smoother even at 75 mph.

[tebriel]

Ok I'll probably pick up a 97+ just for the suspension changes. I test drove a couple of them yesterday. An 08 sport, really nice on the inside, rode a little nicer than a 00, but it was huge and expensive. drove an 01 that was nice, but at 15k was overpriced. Brakes sucked and the trans was making some noise. The last one I drove was definitely base model, only 46k miles on it, and price at 8k. I was like wow what a price! Interior was beat up, had lifter tick, transmission noises, and.... it wouldn't drop out of 4wd! lol. no thanks.
-teb