skeptic

Let me tell you a story. When me and my wife got married I had a TJ. It was a soft top, a 5 spd, and on 33's. It was my favorite car.

My wife hated it.

8 months into our marriage it went away.

Then the 4 door jeeps came out. I took my wife for a ride in an automatic, hard top, hard doors. Wife didn't love it but could tolerate it.

Now I'm shopping for long arm lifts and 37" tires with the wife's support.

The point of my post is, if you want to keep your jeep and do stupid stuff to it like me (I mean, taking a 35k rubicon and putting another 10-15k into then taking it out and flogging it) then do everything you can to appease your wife.

Westbayou

As a family man myself, I'll put in my 2-cents. Hard doors absolutely. With kids this isn't a question just for safety sake. On top of that you have expressed a concern about how loud the Jeep will be inside, i.e. for cell calls and conversation. The full doors are MUCH quieter than the half doors. That said, you MUST get the power locks/window package to maintain your sanity.

As for the top, eh, I could give or take a hard top. I bought mine used at auction, and I only have the soft top and it is just fine. Quiet enough for me to make business calls if needed. Plus, then you have to store the hardtop somewhere. Seems like people are one way or the other on this. My opinion is it's a Jeep, it should have a soft top. If I wanted a hardtop I'd have bought a Grand Cherokee (granted, I do live in Florida...)

As for the transmission, I'd also say an auto is mandatory with a family if your kids are young. One less thing to worry about when one kid is pulling the other's pigtails. Plus, with the Rubi you already get the 4.10 gears (which I have in my 07' Sahara). With stock tires the automatic is just fine. I'm running 35's and I would still say the automatic is just fine. Gas mileage is decent all things considered, and I am still averaging over 14.5 mpg with 90% city driving.

I've owned 2 Grand Cherokees, a lifted ZJ and a WJ. The Wrangler is much more "rustic" vehicle than the GC ever was. That said, things like an automatick transmission, power windows and locks, and 4-doors make it much more liveable. Without those I wouldn't be able to have one as a daily driver with my family needs.

JPop

Understanding it's a mini van engine is half the battle and the other half is the automatic won't take as well to larger tires is the other half. Not trying to scare you off as you already know the experience of owning a Jeep is unlike most other vehicles. Just somethings you don't get to do twice and you'll probably be owning the thing for a long while.

biglynny

Holy ouch regarding the image of your wrecked rig and glad to hear everyone was ok. I vote for solid doors, hard top and I liked the idea of heated seats but those little after market heaters look interesting. Driving in -10 degrees I turned the temp down a bit and advanced the fan speed which helped to avoid baking us in the front but pushed more air around the cabin. Good luck with your purchase.

jpaecorr

That is hilarious. We get 32-35k Jeeps, dump another 5 or more in upgraded suspension, tires, etc and then take them out and put them in situations where we could possibly ruin them.

I am w/o a doubt now going with the dual top group. I can store the hardtop in the shed during the summer and put it back on in the winter. I am still torn between stick or auto. I personally like the stick but it is alot easier to start and stop on 45 degree inclines with an auto. Last summer a friend of mine who has a TJ and I took our Jeeps out and after a while of start and stop uphills and go-arounds he had to stop for a while because we were smelling his clutch. I dont go wheeling everyday and Im pretty sure I can get better MPG out of the stick but you cant deny the convienience of an auto when your out in the mud. Kinda hard to hold your head out the window, steer, and work a clutch.

My extra money for the next couple years will be spent on baby releated things so it will be a while before I go w/crazy tires and lifts etc but I do plan on keeping it until the wheels fall off (hopefully not literally).

Lastly as a personal commentary on the engine choice, I do wish that they had a factory v8 option. If they wanted to go with a v6 they could have put the 3.5HO engine from the 300M's in there and done way better I think. The 3.5HO put out like 253HP and if I remember right we would get 26mpg on the hwy with it. Obviously the mpg would be different in a box but the power would be alot better.

Westbayou

I think you just answered your question right there. Hard doors, auto. On the stock 32's the auto is great. I swore up and down back in the day I'd never own an automatic Jeep (something about them being for chicks....) but then I had kids.

JPop

<------ No Kids, Man pedal still intact.

Also, for those up hill clutch burning jaunts that hand brake thing works in situations other than an emergency.

jpaecorr

Ya. My son and I took the JK I have out for a weekend test drive to our "spot" here in town earlier today and I thought if I got into a position like that I could handbrake to hold the vehicle in place till the clutch caught. That works well. Ive thought it over quite a bit over the weekend and it really doesnt make much difference to me if I get the auto or the 6spd bc both of us can do either. I also got to thinking that if I have the front doors off I wont have to worry about being able hang my head out the window to watch for obstacles at my side, ill just lean my whole body out of the doorway instead.

jpaecorr

btw any of you know anybody who would want the WJ stuff (see 1st post)? The insurance company isnt giving me any more for it and I really dont wanna just give it to them. I dont have the stock stuff so I cant just take it off.

fftri

For me the 4dr was purchased after having a 2dr for a bit.
2dr Just wasn't working for the family and stuffs.
I was also of the theory that real jeeps have manual trannies.
But I guess I've gotten lazy and am enjoying my auto.
I also opted for dual tops for the option of either and the cost.
ANd you are wise to go with full doors with kids. Just that added piece of mind
especially with electric windows that you have control over them.

I had a Honda Pilot before the JK. Going into it I knew I was "stepping down" in comfort and would get about or slightly less in mileage.
However, the JK is WAY much more funerererer
Just go into this knowing what you can and cannot live with.
You'll love it!