My girlfriend is an outdoor type and we’ve been talking about getting a Jeep Wrangler. Is it as tough as the ones my grandfather had back in the 80s and 90s? We want to do serious off-roading.
No, the new Jeeps are not built as well at all. Look for an older one with the 258 or 4.0 straight-six engine. Lots of support for those still out there despite their age, people tend to run them forever. (Best to buy one that's still stock if possible instead of dealing with someone else's dubious "upgrades" and build it up to the way you wan it.)
Definitely not as good as older models. It is not only Jeep, all the manufacturers do the same, making it cheaper and cheaper. If you want to do offroad, get an older one and fix it up.
The new ones have all the tech and fancy gizmos but not rugged.
Old ones are rugged, but don't have all the tech and fancy gizmos.
In some ways the new ones are tougher, in others they're not. Rust resistance, for example, will be better on the new. Many of the suspension and drive train components are stronger on the new ones, and even if the parts are equal on paper, the old ones are, well, old.
But it's a totally different experience. The newer jeeps will ride smoother, have a wider (and more stable) stance, and generally more torque. The biggest advantage of the old is simplicity. DIY repairs - and field repairs - will be much easier on an old CJ or TJ than a JK.
No.
They’re off-roadable, but they’re poorly built, unreliable as they age, unsafe, don’t drive well - under the hood it’s typical modern Chrysler (lack of) quality.
Consider a 4Runner - it’s one of the last cars that are still built tough.
