You're still not 100% Happy, and I get it.

[Trippin01]

You've had it for a while, or you purchased it a few months back. You feel like you got a pretty good deal, and that is a super nice feeling, no doubt. But as you try to use it, baby it, show it off and just be that proud jeep owner some of the little things you could do in your former rig are becoming annoying, bothersome and at times irritating. Auto wipers go haywire..... once in a great while, parking assist is a pain when you're allowed to enter the automatic car wash. You feel guilty scuffing up the bed when you role up that spiffy and shinny tonneau cover to put a Coscto size TP pack back there. Maybe it seems a little noisy for those Highway trips, and once those slick leather seats get broke in, I'm sure they'll be alot more comfy for the spouse, so they quit their belly aching and you can get back to enjoying your favorite ride. Then there's that thirsty gas tank, damn, 22 gallons? Why on earth is it so big?. It is super fun to drive around town, til we all get to that little parking spot at the restaurant, but at least the doors are small so it is easy to get out. I'd back into more spots but the license plate glare blinds my backup cam, sometimes rendering it useless. I'd pop the top on some of these beautiful evenings, but It's a preschooler's jigsaw saw puzzle, heaven for bid if you scratch it or your spotless bed by securing it there. Hmmm.............time to electronically make your payment (pause) ah. I wonder what the resale value is on a used JT? Hmmm, wow I wasn't expecting that, next year will be better. I'll give it a cool name ( I can't name mine her because it was deemed political, it's not, but rules are rules) and that is nice, jeeps can be personalized, which is super cool. Awesome color highlights, sweet rims, maybe even some off-road doors. But the off-road doors come with an uneasy feeling when you can't see it, no? So the expense of owning what you thought was going to be your dream Jeep/Truck/Vehicle isn't all that anymore. JT's get traded in after a year or two, very often by individuals with all these concerns. I see it here on the forum all the time, I live a life and don't camp on here like some of my haters,(S.P. for one) because I read about all the petty problems (1st world problems I might add) and I watch many of the new owners, post their hello's, like a few posts, attempt a few posts, take some super nice pics of them and their shiny new JT's and then fade into oblivion after a few months, or a year or two. Its definitely disheartening.

But wait, did you know there is a section of this forum that has longtime JT owners? Individuals that love their JT's and post regularly, and very positive posts. It's not the Daily drivers, there is no channel on this forum for Daily Drivers, and for good reason, the post would be of nothing but short term owners, complaining about their JTR always having some irritating discomfort and some spontaneous intermittent problem that is always grinding on them, like a tooth ache. I'm probably going to sound like a broken record to my haters with this next statement. Build your JT for adventures, and ditch it as a daily driver, its not only good at adventures, its great for them. The memories you make with it, when off pavement will have you falling in lust with it all over again. If you are still considering it your "Pavement Princes" and your adventures stop at Walgreens, then I predict once you aren't financially upside down in it, you will trade it in and you will be amongst the group when jeep talk arises, you will say "been there, done that" and "its not all that its cracked up to be." All I can say is, how unfortunate, not for you, but for the wasted life of a daily driver Jeep JT. I,m sure everyone has their opinion on this post, but the true jeep lovers, the true JT lovers get it, and the ones building their ride as they can afford it are the owners I can't wait to meet and share some real adventures with. I started with 33's and the mopar 2" leveling kit. Off to Ouray Colorado I went, and I did all the BOH trails there, and the true meaning of the jeep seed was planted. I could write more, ramble on, but I won't. It doesn't take much to get you out and off the pavement, treat your JT like a Lambo, take it out for jeep stuff and it will pay you back with many smiles, drive it as a DD, the lust will evaporate and you will move on with your vehicle evolution, and thats your loss.

See ya on the trails.
(I'll re-read, correct and edit this at a later time, but thanks for reading)

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[Dp7]

I don't off-road, my wife doesn't off-road, but we do live in the woods on gravel roads. Got a JL five years ago when I moved out here. A year later, my wife got a JL. A couple months ago she wanted to trade her JL for a JT...I convinced her to keep hers and trade mine for the JT, because she wouldn't want to drive mine (base Sport, no options), whereas now we have two decently-optioned Jeeps.

Rambling a bit, but, three Jeeps in five years, daily drivers (a bit less so for me, since I work from home). We love them. I'm sure they're worse on all road conditions compared to similarly priced trucks/SUVs. I'm sure they have fewer creature comforts as well. That being said, you simply cannot put a price on how much joy you get driving a Jeep....I am reminded of this every time I share the road with an asshole driver...I say to myself, I understand buddy, I'd be miserable too if I were driving your car.

 

[Macbrun]

Great post, and very true. Not everyone picks the right vehicle for themselves (just ask my wife - I've made a few automotive mistakes). You need to go into it knowing a vehicles cons as well or better than its pros. Also, you need to know yourself, your wants, your needs. The car I ended up owning the longest in my life (not including the minivan which was the family truckster for 12 years) was a 1991 base Isuzu pickup. And base meant carb'd, 5-speed manual, bench seat, crank windows, no a/c (in SoCal!), am/fm only head unit. A full decade. Know what's right for you, fix and/or live with the annoyances and move on in life.

 

[LOL WUT]

Jeeps are made to jeep. We bought ours specifically to introduce our kids to more outdoor experiences in a world where things become more digital by the day. Our friends think we are crazy for paying good money for a beautiful jeep to take off road and on adventures. But I’ve never been adverse to a little bit of crazy.

 

[LouisvEarlleJT]

Daily driver here, no complaints.

(The following soapbox was pseudo-verified by talking to salesmen about why so many low-miles used wranglers/gladiators are on lots) The vast majority of vehicle buyers think that, more or less, new cars/trucks all feel about the same. This isn’t unfounded because advances in modern tech have made it to where a sedan, mini-van, truck, etc all behave about the same with varying differences in ride-height and such (think of it like a bell curve where a Toyota Camry is right at the top of the curve and everything else is pretty close to one side or the other).

Then there are specialty vehicles, of which I’d include the wrangler and the gladiator. That, although they have many of the same creature comforts, are built very differently.

People buy one, find that out in a week, and either complain until the lease is up or they trade it in for a more “standard” modern vehicle.

Jeep will never market it as being “not for everyone” because that’s an awful sales tactic so folks will continue to buy them, and complain, and trade them for something else.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I daily drove mine for about 25k miles and had no complaints. My wife daily drove it for about 10k miles and it made her start liking the JT….subjective of course, but we love it all around!

I certainly agree with you…the JT shines off-road as advertised. It’s an amazing machine and kind of leaves me in awe sometimes. I can’t wait to get back out on some trails. It’s been too long, but there aren’t too many places near me left to explore. I’ll have to start going further out once my son is a little older.

It’s the best vehicle I’ve ever owned and I’ll likely never get rid of it. We’re throwing a rooftop tent on it soon, and we’ll create many great Jeep memories with our son. Adventure is always worth it.

 

[Flyboy2109]

No matter what yo are buying-there is no 5 star item. Somebody always reviews with a 1 star. Your own research before the purchase is the most important.

 

[Baxter]

Always wanted a Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator and finally got my Gladiator to stay with a midsize truck. Had a Tacoma previously. Bought it to be a daily driver. Only put about 800 miles on it so far but absolutely my favorite truck I have ever had so far. I just hope it is reliable in the long run . I think the Wranglers and Gladiators are one of those things that you either love or hate.

 

[Gvsukids]

You feel guilty scuffing up the bed

Installing a bed liner scuffs the bed too.

I'd back into more spots but the license plate glare blinds my backup cam,

There's a fix for that.

heaven for bid if you scratch it

You can always replace it if you want to resell at Mecum. Our top shows many branch scratches.

 

[GreatGladiator]

I really appreciate this post. Just like others before me have posted. As a long life time Jeeper, I understand it is not for everyone, but understanding what a Jeep is prior to ownership is important. I think some of this misconception falls on the manufacturer as they have tried to compete more and more with the “daily driver” minded folks who want the now expected luxuries. I come from a time when jeeps (CJs and Wranglers) were sold with literally nothing and the price reflected it. Hell, the back seat was an option! They were utilitarian in nature and I think in some regards have lost their purpose. To your point, if you enjoy it for what it was originally intended to do, I seriously doubt you will be disappointed. I know I have yet to be disappointed by any of the jeeps I have owned over the years (5 now over a span of 30 years… damn has it been that long?). That’s not to say there have not been problems. But that is the same with every single vehicle I have ever owned. That is an expectation of vehicle ownership in my eyes. Things break, don’t work right, or have electrical/technical glitches (especially that last one as we incorporate more and more computer technology into our vehicles). I guess what I am saying is, I agree with you. When it comes to a jeep, understand what they are before you buy. And after you buy, have fun with it. Know that if you drive it, things will ultimately break or stop working. When it happens, take the time to learn how to fix it or cough up the cash for someone else to. Ultimately, that is my advice for anyone who is about to purchase any vehicle. Buy what you want but know what you are getting yourself into. Congrats to anyone who has joined this family and following, and I am sorry to the ones who it did not work out for. I hope you find what you are looking for in another equally awesome brand out there. Keep on jeepin’ and enjoying the ride.

 

[KillerB87]

When my wife told me she wanted a Wrangler, I was sure she would hate it. We got it in 2018. She drove it every day. I loved it so much I got a JT in 2023. We both use them as daily drivers and have no complaints. I love the way feel on or off road. My only complaint is about Stellantis.

 

[arskemp]

Its all about knowing what to expect prior to purchasing. Mine was purchased primarily as a daily driver for my wife and second as another fun vehicle for myself for trails, camping, etc. Where we are right now, we only have space for two vehicles, so I need them to be dual purpose. While that's not ideal, I continue to be happy with our purchase and the vehicle has exceeded our expectations as a daily driver (as well as on trails) because we knew what we were getting into.

I'm a big proponent of driving something you enjoy. Most good "daily driver" vehicles I find boring. With how often someone drives on a day to day basis, I want something that I can find enjoyment driving on my daily commute or running errands.

An argument can be made that maybe my eyes are skewed because this is vehicle is not daily driven by me, but by my wife. Yes, that's true, although usually I am driving it at some point at least every other day. However, my primary daily is not any better. I daily a 2010 Miata. Remember how I said my vehicles need to be dual purpose? I was at a local track with it about 3 weeks ago and will be traveling to participate in another open track event in about 3 weeks. My car is set up for this (lowered, aftermarket suspension, 200tw track tires on it 24/7, rollbar, + many other additions). When I drive it on the street it is loud, rough on pothole ridden roads, easily scrapes on driveways, etc). I have no regrets about this and it's been my daily driver approaching 9 years now.

Like I initially said, you need to know what you are getting into prior to purchasing. I did weeks of research before deciding to purchase my gladiator, and then a couple months more of research while waiting for it to be built. While I'm not necessarily surprised people impulse purchase, I don't really understand why they don't do more research before making a commitment on a 40k+ vehicle.

 

[Firebird]

I love my Jeeps, and my favorite was my 1958 Willys CJ3B. Wish I had never sold it

 

[Beat Army]

“I love it, but it is a POS, don’t buy one” is what I tell people. I can put up with all of the “ it’s a Jeep thing” idiosyncrasies but an unreliable powertrain is completely unacceptable. And these things are not reliable vehicles.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I had an early model, one of the first the dealer received. It was an Overland equipped with every option available at the time. It was my daily driver, and I put 57k miles on it over 4.5 years. I never had any trouble with it. I traded it for a similarly equipped High Altitude about eight months ago.

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