ShadesOfGrey

First of all, if your at all like myself, you've been reading all the posts in this forum to try & get a feel about what people are saying about thier new jeeps.

I must say, this is a very daunting thing as you read all these posts. By the time you've spent a few hours reading about everyones complaints and posts.... Your thinking, what the hell am I getting myself into?

I've been a wrangler owner for 8 years (TJ Sport). I got my TJ in 2001, sport 4.0, 5 speed, no ac, softop. I've had the thing up to its eyeballs in water, been off road, on the beach, in the snow, and of course plenty of day to day highway use. I had driven it 12+hrs each way on a trip, never had a problem. I found it comfortable and totally reliable. It never leaked a drop, never let me down.

Then I come here looking for info on the JK because I want to move from the TJ to the JK and I see ALLLLL this chatter about leaking soft tops, leaking hard tops, puddles in the floor, water running down the dashboard, Death Wobbles, Spontanious Combustion, Rusting by the minute, terrible gas mileage (Stock, much less with larger tires/wheels on it.) Etc.

However I can't resist, cause the thing is just too damn cool, and I pull the trigger on a new 08 Sahara Unlimited. Modded by the dealer with larger wheels/tires, 2" lift, Large spare tire carrier, & some chrome crap I wouldnt have necessarily chosen, but it grew on me anyway.

After the deal is done, as I watch the salesman pull off to fill the tank to give it to me, I'm thinking "JEsus! what have I done?! What if it only gets 10mpg! What if it leaks?! I must be crazy!"

Well, He brings it back full of gas, hands me the keys, and I hop in and drive off....

This thing is GREAT! It's more solid, rides better, sounds better, Handles better.... This thing is far superior to my TJ in EVERY WAY! I look down at the DTE and it reads 13.1mpg.... Not great, could wish for better, but im lovin it so far... next day 14, 3 days later 16mpg.. Nice it's getting better as it breaks in somewhat.

Then we get rain. I mean RAIN - monsoon type, can't see past the end of the hood rain. So I jump in the jeep. I Drive it around. First slowly, then fast on the highway, I come back and let it sit.... In the downpour. As I look everywhere for a single drop of water where it shouldnt be..... NOTHING! Bone dry!

Some have complained about the engine. I find it totally adequate. In fact it seems a little faster than my TJ. (And thats saying alot since my TJ was half the size, 5spd, and no a/c, and this is 2x bigger, a/c, and automatic.) Of course I would love it to sit and shake with the grumble of a Hemi & large cam, but its not a sports car - it doesnt need to lauch off the line, and it doesnt. Yes it would be nice to have a little more power on the highway at speed, but it's totally fine for what it is. (And remember, mine is lifted & has larger tires on it.) That says alot considering my other car is a 05 GTO 6spd with 400+ HP.

Bottom line is, if your considering getting one - don't let the posts & complaints you see on the forum discourage you. There is a VAST amount of people on this forum, and no one is posting about "I got one and its totally normal" - your seeing alot of the posts from people with problems. There are TONS of people without problems, and it can be misleading.

I have a new JK, it doesn't leak, wobble, & is totally drive-able with the V6 & auto trans. I am having an absoloute blast! This thing is a pleasure to drive, and can go just about anywhere. I think it looks cool as hell too.

Well, sorry for being so wordy, just offering a different perspective to those of you who are thinking of a JK and are reading post after post of issues.

I have zero issues! I've put on about 2000 miles in a week and a half and its been perfect! Almost hit 19mpg on the highway too!

Here's a couple pics:


ShadesOfGrey

TINMAN080

GREY- Congrats on your new ride. That wheel/tire combo is great with your color! Like you, I am a previous Wrangler owner, I owned a '95 Rio Grand- 5 speed, no air. I sold it in March '08, 198000 miles and still going strong. My wife and I went to Hawaii last year and we rented a 4dr and then a 2 dr JK. Loved them both, but the Unlimited was the one. Pulled the trigger in December. I now have 15,000 trouble free miles. Many problems are percieved on this site by folks that are filtering their Jeep experiences thru passenger car expectations. That is not to say that there are NOT folks with some serious issues, however the average guy is having pretty good luck. GET A TRANNY COOLER- that is the One true shortcoming of the new JK. Break it in driving it briskly, at about 4-6000 miles it will perk up. The vehicle will learn your driving style and respond accordingly. The best of luck and good wheeling!

x5tuu

Nice ride!

i love the coloured bumper centre panels, where these stock?!?!? if not where are they from?!

nclehmann

The silver center panels on the front and rear bumper are stock on '08 Sahara models in the US.

Congrats on your ride! Looks sweet!

pearl-drum-man

Congrats! Like you, I had a previous LTR with a TJ and drove and wheeled it all over the country to the tune of 120K miles and loved it. I can say, the JK is better in every way. So far I haven't had any major issues or leaks in my JK (now over 17K miles). I think a lot of the complaining that goes on really is a small percentage of the whole, it just gets magnified on a message board (not that there aren't some legitimate issues though). Enjoy!

flip2spin23

posts like this cost me 10 grand i Had a 08 rubi and now thank god its gone.....

nclehmann

Respectfully, if you're so glad your JK Rubi is gone, what are you still doing on the forum?

SCJK08

u have a Sahara and didnt know they had silver center bumper??

Keith615

The silver centers on the bumpers were only on the US bumpers (not the UK) and they were added for 08. The 2007 Saharas did not have them.

SCJK08

thanks, Im now an ass, lol