[GauravG84]

Harbir 1600 miles is along drive in a TJ dude..

I bought this TJ in Kansas City and drove down to NY this January... 1291 miles.... It was awesome...

But comfort wise .... its zero..

I am thinking of buying a second car... maybe a saturn sky and then will use the TJ only for the trails..

So where in NY are you? which car u driving currently?

[Harbir]

I work in midtown manhattan and live just across the east river. I have a Lotus Sport Elise, the one you see in a little picture of on the left under my name. (see my garage) and a rare 2007 Honda Accord EX-L V6 with the 6 speed manual transmission.

The Solstice/Sky twins look very hot but they are very undeveloped, rushed to market in a desperate bid to make save GM, but looks aside, the 2006-present miata just thrashes them on every single front. Quality, durability, handling, practicality, refinement, everything.

but I understand that looks matter. Good luck with whatever you decide. If you are determined on the Solstice/Sky, make sure you get the 2.0 Turbo, not the 2.4 normally aspirated one. the latter is a harsh rough engine.

[Raj1008]

Originally Posted by GauravG84

Hey Raj,

Good to here that ur interested in Jeeps

If u plan on buying one just for off-roading then u will have many options.... CJs from the 1980s to 1995.

However these are not very good for daily driving..

So if you plan on using it as a regular vehicle which you would offroad once in a while like I do... go for a TJ ...

Also keep in mind that Jeep prices have not really been affected by the recession and people even sell 96 TJs for 6 to 7 grands...

4 K would be a stock 96 TJ.. which you will really need to inspect ... Usually for underbody damage and rust... 96 TJs have been reported to have problems with the headers and the Cat-con...

Let me know if you have any particular jeep in mind and I can help you with it..

I am located in Princeton NJ..

Good to hear from ya.

Cheers!

Hey Gaurav,

Thanks for the pointers. As of now I am just doing a soft search. I am trying to learn more about them before I start getting serious.

What would you recommend as a must have in the jeep? Also if I am doing a long drive in the jeep to get to a trail does it rattle all your bones ??

Just a few things that come to mind. Once I have a better understanding I will prolly look seriously. And see how it effects my insurance.

I am very inclined to get one.

[GauravG84]

Originally Posted by Raj1008

Hey Gaurav,

Thanks for the pointers. As of now I am just doing a soft search. I am trying to learn more about them before I start getting serious.

What would you recommend as a must have in the jeep? Also if I am doing a long drive in the jeep to get to a trail does it rattle all your bones ??

Just a few things that come to mind. Once I have a better understanding I will prolly look seriously. And see how it effects my insurance.

I am very inclined to get one.

Hi Raj,

Sorry for the late reply. I have been travelling a lot for work lately so dint get a chance to come online.

First off, when you plan to buy a jeep in the states or canada for that matter, you need to decide whats your primary goal - off-roading or regular highway driving. If you plan to off-road a lot then you should look for a lifted jeep wrangler YJ or TJ. 3 to 4.5 inch lift helps in rocky OTRs. Also look for 33 to 35 inch tires.
I wont suggest that you buy a stock jeep and get everything else installed because the installation charges itself will rip you off, unless you could do it yourself.

If you want to buy it for regular use then a stock 1997 to 2006 TJ is perfect. You can have it lifted for looks but that affects the handling to some extent. A stock wrangler is comfortable on highways but afterall its a thorough bred off-roader so you cannot compare the ride to a sedan etc.

Engine wise look for a 2.5 lt 4 cyl if you want decent fuel economy. However the 2.5 lt engine struggles on OTRs when your 4WD is switched on. The 4.0 lt inline 6 engine has decent enough power aprox 200 to 220 depending on how old the engine is but its a gas guzzler - 15 miles to a gallon.

When you buy a jeep, inspect the gear box thoroughly for clean shifts if you buy a stick shift. I would suggest you go for a stick. Check the underbody espcially the differentials, transfer case and gear box for any damage or leaks. Check the radiator for rust and leaks and ask the owner whether the waterpump and hoses were changed. Waterpumps usually give way around 100,000 miles. Check all the fluids before and after your test drive. These are just some of the basic specs you should look into.

If you have any further detailed questions, ill be happy to help.

Regards,
Gaurav