Thinking of getting a used Wrangler to drive for fun when the weather is nice. I don't know much about 'em so what do I need to get / not get and what should I look out for?

Thx!

I'm coming up on two years in my 23 JLU Sahara. No issues and no complaints at all. While I like the look of the hardtop, I bought the one-touch top. I use it as a convertible and frequently open it to run around town. For occasional use, go with more basic model (sport s) and update wheels/tires and stereo at your pace or just leave as is.

Lifter/cam issues are fairly common with the 3.6 pentastar and typical jeep warranty is only 60k miles. I just ducked under as I started ticking at like 57k miles.

Got a '21 JL Willy two door last year for the same purpose. Love it! I replaced the hard top with a Bestop soft top…..can take all sides off and throw the top back.

Not sure what to tell you at them.

Curious why you're only looking at 21-23.

The JL came out in 2018.

Was thinking something newer might be nicer...but could be totally wrong. I'm open to older model years as long as it has a backup camera.

What about the engine choice...V6 I'm assuming? Pros and cons of a hard top vs soft top? Anything else to look out for?

Also, how is the ride quality? Obviously it's not a luxury vehicle, but want to make sure Mrs. Sully is comfy enough for a longer drive.

TIA!

The ride is impressive on a decent road. JL is improved over the JK. I drove an LS 430 (arguably the smoothest and quietest vehicle on the road) for 17 years before buying my jeep and I'm very happy with the ride. Hard top is quieter, but I just turn up the radio on the highway in my one touch. I'm old and its very comfortable for me on long drives. Just drove 600 miles r/t last tuesday/wednesday.

I have the V6. My daughters 2018 JK is a V6 too.

I have a '19 JLUR with about 35k on it. I put the Bestop Sunrider in to replace the Freedom tops. Best $800 I've ever spent. Occasionally the radio freezes up and it doesn't like the Pedal Commander mod. Happy with mine

https://www.aggielandchevrolet.com/VehicleDetails/used-2021-Jeep-Gladiator-Overland-BRYAN-TX/5916964310

what about a '21 Gladiator?

Here are a few things to know when searching.

2018 was a transition year so both the older JK style and the newer JL were produced.
In Jeep speak, Unlimited means 4 doors

The Rubicon is the only model with both front and rear locking axles and the JL has an electronic swaybar disconnect.

Not stuff that a HS girl is going to care about.

As far as the engines are concerned, I've driven all 3 (not counting the Diesel).

• The 2.0L Turbo 4 cyl is great in straight line acceleration and the turbo lag isn't really noticable
• The 2.0L Turbo 4xe with the plug-in hybrid is really good in straight line acceleration but the electric only portion is relatively useless as it only provides about 20 miles of range. It does provide a nice acceleration boost while it lasts. Takes a few hours to charge. In my experience, it might help your fuel economy by maybe 2 mpg.
• The 3.6L V6 is what I have and it's great. I'm approaching 70,000 miles and haven't had any engine problems at all. Drivetrain is a different story.

For me, the biggest adjustment was getting used to the 8spd automatic transmission. It took a long time for me to get used to that. And one valuable piece of information I've started using is to put it in Manual shift mode when descending hills offroad. Thanks to jetpilot86 for that tip.

Obviously there are tons of aftermarket modifications you can make to Jeeps and a huge community of enthusiasts. Once you start driving a Wrangler, you become part of an informal club. And there are plenty of formal clubs out there that you can affiliate with.

I've driven my Jeep between California and Texas several times and most recent long trip was Nashville, TN to Galveston. I'm 6'3" and frankly, I find it to be borderline unbearable on long road trips. It's probably better if you're shorter. Around town, it's great but my threshold for switching from enjoyable to tedious is about 50 miles. If I know I have a long road trip and I'm not going to need my Jeep, I prefer to drive my 1999 Ford Expedition due to ride quality.

I really don't recommend getting this vehicle for a HS aged kid but a girl probably isn't going to do as much stupid stuff with it as a boy and his dumb friends would get into.

Since you mentioned safety, one thing I noticed when I rented a 2024 Wrangler JLU Sahara 4xe recently was the front head side airbags. My 2020 JLUR doesn't have those.

Nice! But I'm looking for a 4 door Wrangler.