XJ reliable? Eh. I mean it'll run forever, but mine at least has needed some serious attention everywhere. It's an old vehicle, things wear out and need replacing at this age. I've spent a TON of money keeping this thing going.

Still love it though.

Daily driver? No way, at least not for me and my 20,000+ miles a year driving to work.

 

We have a 2001 xj (our 3rd) and a 2003 Ranger 4x4 (our 2nd) and obviously like both. I would be happy with either, although the xj may work a little better in the extreme.

 

The problem with the Ranger for his use is that light back end. Unless you are going to haul some serious sandbags, which isn't going to help the mileage any....

 

I had a 4x4 ranger and it did great in the snow, as long as you were in 4x4.

 

20,000?! WOW thats a lot! We're a one car family right now and in the past THREE we've put on 10!

 

I currently daily 2 98’s. One stocker with 166,000 and one on 33’s with 218,000. Up until last year I was driving the two 98 and my wife was on her 5th year dailying an 01. We sold the 01 and got a VW. Gas mileage would be better if I could keep my foot from pushing that darn pedal down so far all the time.

 

Was just thinking about this thread. Now I am older and do not have a life. The mileage that most of you guys put on your vehicles in a week is probably what I drive in a month.

In my situation lets look at it this way. I have owned my Jeep for about 6 years now. With what I paid for her, all the work I have done to her, the cost of the parts I have bought for her, even the cost of paying somebody to work on her, I am thinking it has averaged out to costing me about $750 a year.

To own a vehicle that does what I need it to do for the most part. She has never truly left me stranded. There was the issue with the CPS. I was less then a half mile from home when she stalled where it was
a little touch and go if she was going to start again and I was going to get her home. But I did.

Property taxes are cheap cause of the age of the vehicle, I live in a state that sooner or later will probably start taxing me for the air breath, and that, insurance (which is also cheaper cause of the age of the vehicle), gas, etc are not included in the figure above. Just the cost of the Jeep, the money spent on parts, and even including times when I paid somebody to work on her cause I felt it might just be a little over my head.

I mean what is a new or newer used monthly car payment these days? Not to mention the insurance and property taxes that go with it.

I am OK with spending $750 a year to own what I consider a fairly reliable vehicle.

 

RUKM? Life is just BEGINNING!!

I have mixed thoughts about this. IIWM, I would get the XJ.

If it were one of my kids, I would say forget any vehicle until until you graduate. You need to concentrate on school and don't need the distraction or expense of a vehicle while you're there. I'm sure 4WD is not a requirement to get around campus. When you get 2 feet of snow stay in the dorm and study.

That said, I loaned my vehicle (this XJ) to all my kids during their junior and senior years after they demonstrated it would not take away from their studies.

BTW what's your major?

 

I think you misunderstand me. When I say I am older now I mean like I am hardly working now and will probably retire officially next year.
And I perfectly fine not having a life. LOL.
I want to spend my time eating, sleeping, watching tv, and putzing around with my Jeep.
I might get a part time job, 10 hours/week, maybe. If I could find one.
And I had to Google RUKM. No idea what that stood for. See how old I am? LOL.

 

Well you can see how that could happen...

 

I been retired about 2 1/2 years now and enjoy every day (well maybe not today because it's 41 degrees out and gonna rain again, and had planned on gardening and fishing and apparently that ain't gonna happen. Was also gonna change the motor mounts in the XJ but Quad has them backordered. Although after finding the condition of the transmission mount probably don't need 'em, but what the hey they're cheap).

IMO a successful retirement takes a lot of work.

 

You got that right! I'm busier now that I'm retired than I was when I was working! To supplement my SS, I'm delivering newspapers 3 nights a week. It seems to take all of my time and puts incredible wear and tear on my vehicles. My sleep/wake cycles are screwed up so I sleep and eat whenever, on the nights I don't work, I'm generally on this forum at 2 in the morning! This doesn't ever begin to take into account things that need to be done around the house.

 

20k is about where I'm at and I don't really have what I'd consider a long commute (35min with zero traffic, 45-1h realistically)..