jpaecorr

Hi. I am looking at two possible rubi's. Both 4 doors, one w/dual top group and the other w/half doors and a soft top.

I think I prefer the half doors myself but after driving it on the highway for 3hrs today I am not sure that my wife thouroughly enjoyed talking over the noise, it isnt horrible at 40 but at 70 it is a little too loud, or at least loud enough to have to raise our voices to conversate. I also discovered it is harder to hear my son talking to me from the back seat (6 years old). I personally think I can live with this bc in the warmer weather its a trade off for the half doors.

The problems/quirks I wanto to find out about is this:

At 70mph I got 14.5mpg. This is absolutley rediculous. I also have an 00 Deville with a larger engine and a curb weight of 4400lbs that get 28mpg on the hwy @ 70mph. Is this something that *will* get better as the engine breaks in or is this the way it is? Kinda sad that I nearly emptied a 23 gallon tank driving about 250 miles. That is gonna REALLY hurt when gas goes from 2/gal back to 4. Also, another important factor is does this get worse or better in the summer when the top and upper halfs of the doors are removed?

The other really important problem is the back seat comfort. I know its a Jeep and compared to my last the ride is alot cushier but the tempurature control in the rear is bad. (its like 5 degrees in Iowa today) My 6yo constantly complained of having cold feet. I know there is not a factory rear heater option but do any of you know if there is an aftermarket rear heater for the back passengers? The ambient temp wasnt bad but the foot area was pretty cold. Next year at this time we will have a 6month old also riding back there (hence the four door) and I need to make sure that they are warm enough. Just curious if anyone else was in a similar situation and what you did.

I read that the soft tops were only good for 3 to 4 yrs, any truth in this? I have seen some older wranglers with some beat up tops so thats why I ask.

And lastly, at least that I can think of is in the summer with the top off and the upper door halves off (or windows rolled down if I go with the full door version) is it still possible to talk on cell phone w/o crazy wind overpowering the area? What about talking to a passenger in front/rear?

Sorry if I sound like I am not a Jeeper, to the contrary I love Jeeps. My wife was in an accident a couple weeks ago and my WJ was totaled. :-( Her and the baby are fine but we still need to replace it. I had already sunk alot of time and money into it w/32" tires, 4.5" lift, new shocks, all the little add ons to put the geometry back in place, larger steering stabilizer, optima 6pack battery(red), and 4.11 gears in front/rear, etc. My son and I both loved to go out and play but when we were done we could hose it off and be on our way. In warm weather I always wanted to have a wrangler but in the winter I was glad I had the grand cherokee. Not that I have to get a new one I am having a hard time deciding. I hate that they soccer-mom's the 05 grands with independant front suspension so that is out of the question.

Thanks for all your input.

btw, the insurance company is really screwing me on their settlement. They want to charge me 2k to buy the car from them. If any of you know anybody who wants a lift kit, tires, shocks (pro comp 6w adjustable), etc I will buy it back from them and sell it for 2800 so I can recoup my 2k for buying it from them plus a little for all the equioment on it. I doesnt drive so whoever wants it would be responsible for getting it. Ill try to post some before and after pics.

-Jeff

Thantos

http://www.quadratec.com/products/92060_00.htm

That would cover the heater

saltman

Jeeps are noisy, have poor climate controls to the rear, get horrible gas mileage etc. It doesn't sound like you would be happy with the half doors and probably not with a Jeep.

jpaecorr

thanks for the heater link. I did notice it was quite comfy in the front, had to close the vents when turning the volume to keep from baking my fingers and I had to turn down the temp when I had it pointed to the front feet to keep from baking my toes. The one downside is that if the heater isnt running, aka the Jeep is off the heat leaks out in a minute. Understandable since its a cloth top. lol. Just gotta make sure the kids feet dont get frostbite.. cant say the wife would be happy if our sons toes turned black. Other than those things I love it and would pray for a nice summer where I can have the top off more than on.



-Everytime you call a Jeep a car god kills a kitten. Seen that somewhere and had to use it.

jpaecorr

One more question. I do have the option of getting a 6spd instead. Its been a few months since ive been in gear math mode but from looking at the link below it looks like that auto actually has a lower rpm gear for fourth that the stick does for 6th. Do you agree with that or am I looking at this wrong?

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/jeep/...r-JK-SPECS.htm

tuber

My kids (7 & 14) haven't complained yet this winter about the heat in our 4dr, and we've had a number of -30 Celsius days over the past 2 or 3 weeks. I usually have the defrost and center vents on, and have the heat set to the 3 o'clock position.

glennco

You are correct on the gear ratios. The stick is a bit lower. Where you'll really notice the difference is around town, the auto is a dog in 1-2nd gears.

I came from a WJ myself and there is quite a bit of difference, so I understand where you are coming from. If I were you I'd go with a hardtop/dual top, it'll be better in the Iowa winters.

My gas mileage on the road is close to 20, unless there is a headwind, the JK is essentially shaped like a brick, so mileage won't ever be that great.

pearl-drum-man

Regarding the fuel economy, that seems a bit low for a stocker. I can get my two-door over 20mpg in the summer (if the top is on). Did you hand calculate or were you relying on the computer number? Hand calc to get an accurate reading, the Unlimited had a 21.6gal fuel tank for 2007 (though I have seen that it may be 22.5 now). That said, many report an improvement in power and economy after a few thousand miles (I did as well). Whatever your economy is, you'll probably notice a drop with the top off completely, mine seems to be 1-2 mpg lower.

As for the softtop longevity, I would expect it to last longer than a few years if it's not abused. The top on my former 2000 TJ is still pretty decent, and it has 125K miles on it and has been through harsh winters and seen lots of use in the summer.

Though the half doors are really cool, sounds like the dual top would be a good choice for you, especially if keeping the wife happy plays into the equation.

08UnlimitedSahara810

With small kids, I would say to avoid the half doors. Many may not agree with me, but the convienence of solid windows that go up and down with the poush of a button is great. I like the fact that I can remove my fronts and leave the rears on so the kids are protected. I prefer the coverage of the full door also. Just my 2 cents.

JPop

First of all, glad your family is OK.

My preference is for dual tops, it erases the issues with longevity of the soft top with it being out of use in the winter. The hard top also does a better job of retaining heat for the winter and better noise reduction.

Half doors don't do anything for me. I'd rather go doors off weather permitting than have the other issues associated with half doors. Certainly looks cool, but lots of limitations. I clean and treat the soft top once a year and it will last every bit as long as the Jeep does.

Not sure what the temperature was but it sound like a couple mpg were given up because of the cold. It's not going to be a fuel efficient vehicle, but the best way to squeeze a few more mpg's out of it is to go with a manual transmission. Also a change to a high flow air filter and a different can for the exhaust will show some mpg improvement.

The heater should be a non issue. The key is keeping the air moving by not turning down the fan, but rather dialing down the temperature. That should keep better tabs on cold feet in the back than any electric heater.

Windows down, top off I find it nearly impossible to talk on the phone at highway speeds. Around town is a bit better, but the air and sound definitely rolls over the top of the windshield.

With a family a Wrangler makes a lot more sense as a secondary vehicle than a primary one. You can certainly live with it and many do, but you just didn't ask many questions about what it's purpose and functionality are really all about. I knew going in that there were lots of creature comforts I would be giving up, but that wasn't what I based my purchase on.