Jeep owners...opinions please!!!

[marshman]

Thinking of buying a jeep wrangler in about a month or so. I never owned one and would like to hear from current/past jeep owners as to what they thought of them. It wont be lifted or have oversize tires or anything, just the plain run of the mill off the dealer lot jeep. What I'm looking at is the sport "s" wrangler with the 6 speed manual transmission and a soft top. I know the hard tops should make for a quieter ride, but are the newer soft tops that noisy? This won't be my main vehicle, I also have a GMC Sierra. This will just be a 2nd vehicle.

[stitch]

I've had jeeps all my life........I currently have a hard top and the 4 door (Unlimited)........

You can rig up your garage so you can take the hard top off / on rather easily wit a simple pully system........but i take my top off in the april and leave it off until November.....hard top is the way to go, not just for noise, but you will thank we in the winter as well. I hated the 4 door Jeep when it cam out........now I don't know how I lived without it

[khound22]

I agree w stitch, get a hardtop. Of course your gonna want some style of soft top as well. I just got a trektop nx and like it. Also, start a jeep modification fund. There will always be something you want for you jeep, you just don't know it yet

[blkdout]

Bought a 4 door back in December and love it. I went back and forth on 2 and 4 door but glad I got the 4 door now ,just easier to get kids in and out of. Mine is a second vehicle also and wouldnt waste the money on the hard top if buying new, go ahead and get a soft top because once summer hits and you take it off you will find yourself not wanting to fool with storing it or putting it back on. I had a hard top, sold it and bought the trektop nx and love it but that was my plan before hand. You may tell us or be telling your wife to make it sound better that you wont lift and run bigger tires but it will happen . Because once you start adding mods and if you haven't looked there are a ton out there for jeeps, it never stops. My lift is sitting in the garage waiting to be installed right now just got to finish some other projects before i start that one. But good luck with the purchase.



If you are looking for a 2 door I have a buddy trying to sell his. 2008 Sahara, silver, hard top, spacer lift with 33 mickey thompson tires, around 30000 miles for $20000 if your interested!

[Wingman]

Crooks love soft tops. A box cutter is all they need.

[MudHog]

hardtop.

I had an '83 CJ7 with hard top and a '97 TJ with soft top. I loved my hardtop that much more and as it is the hardtop was rarely on the Jeep to begin with. I had drain plugs in the tub and bought me a cover for it. Soft tops are noisy, but they stretch and get loose and flap, the windows fade, zippers hang up. As mentioned you can mount a winch and pulley to pick up the hard top. I had a boat hand winch on a pipe with a couple plleys that I used, but that can just as easily be inside a garage. I used straps and a shackle, but they sell an actual tube frame kit to hook the cable too.

It being your non-primary vehicle, go for it. You say it will be stock, but you will lift it eventually. Even a 4" lift and 33's changes the look of a stock Jeep dramatically. Only thing to remember is that JEEP stands for Just Empty Every Pocket. It being your non-primary vehicle will give you the urge to fix it up even more.

Are you dead set on buying brand new? Jeeps hold their value and they don't work much on pricing. You can find good used Jeeps at decent prices and not have to deal with the lose of value when you drive it off the lot.

[duckter]

I made a hoist for our hardtop - Lowe's has a pulley lift system for bicycles - bought 2 at $26 each and works like a charm. Also bought 2 "cleats" to tie-down the ropes.

[grnhed]

Love my CJ5. Its just a second vehicle for me, and I drive it all the time. Ive had it for 2 years and havent even put the hard top on it. I just keep the bikini top in the jeep, and Im good to go. I wouldnt waste my time or money fooling with a soft top for all the reasons everyone said.

khound is right. Go ahead and start putting money back, because you will always find a new little project.

[Drakeshead]

JEEP=Just Empty Every Pocket

[marshman]

Thanks yall. I may be leaning towards the hardtop after reading these posts.