General Comments:
The Jeep is absolutely the MOST fun vehicle I have ever driven, let alone owned!
I was very curious about the infamous wind noise issue I heard so much about with the soft top on at highway speeds. I quickly learned however that if the climate control is set to any setting that includes the floor vents, the resulting pressurizing of the cabin inflates the soft top and virtually eliminates road noise!
The soft top comes on or off in minutes, contrary to what most people seem to believe. You can even fold the windows and store them perfectly under the rear seat.
The hard top weighs a TON and is very awkward to carry because the rear window pistons constantly force the window out. And with no way to lock the window shut, there is really no way to carry it. I live in an apartment building and it took 2 hours to get it up 4 flights of stairs!
The hard top should be fully painted black or body color on the inside.
The bolts for the hard top are too easy to lose during installation/removal.
The Jeep has to be one of the most customizable vehicles ever, which allows me to really make mine different, unique. I even got 6x9's to fit in the sound bar, (with the proper tools) and even found a place to flush mount 10" sub woofers WITHOUT sacrificing cargo space!
Off road, this truck is KING. It has never let me down and has always been a blast.
The jeep is the perfect vehicle whether you live in a city or out in the country. In the city, it fits in tight parking spaces even some small cars won't, and out in the country it handles roads that would crush the suspension off of inferior vehicles.
With dual removable tops its the perfect summer vehicle to cruise around and take some rays and in the winter, it's high ground clearance, 4WD, and big rubbers (I've got 31's) make the snow almost a non-issue!
The windshield being nearly perpendicular to the road eliminates that annoying reflection of the dashboard when driving into the sun that hinders visibility.
The laid-in carpet makes it easy to clean both the carpet and the bed of the truck.
The center console is CAVERNOUS!
The visors are a little too small to really be effective, and most Cd organizers design to attach to visors hang over the sides AND get caught up on the clamps that hold the soft/hard top to the windshield.
Since the doors are on basic hinges, they swing open upon opening them, which gets a little annoying if parked close to something (tree, meter) and you've got things to carry.
The rear seats should have adjustments to slide them front and back, and to recline.
The rear door should be padded on the inside. Cargo has a tendency to scratch the delicate paint.
The hood should have a rubber gasket where it meets the truck body near the front grille. Any slight twist during closing will scratch the top of the front grille and /or hood.
The pedals are REALLY close together, which takes some getting used too and can be scary when you first get drive it.
The windshield is a bit narrow and makes it difficult to see traffic lights when stopped one.
The passenger seat should return to it's original position when folded up to the dash like the drivers' seat. It gets a little annoying to have to slide it back.
The brakes could be a bit stronger. It still stops on a dime with it's ABS, but its nothing like some of the newer cars or trucks. Did you ever feel the brakes in a 2002 Cavalier? WOW!
An 8 Cylinder should be an option. Sometimes the truck feels a bit underpowered during steady inclines, but that's nothing 2 more cylinders wouldn't fix!
Even with the minor drawbacks (and I was REALLY nit-picking), I sincerely feel that this vehicle is as close to perfect as a vehicle can get. Owning one is like having a pet. A bond definitely forms. You'll think I'm crazy until you own one!
21st Dec 2003, 15:31
I have a 1998 Sahara that has proven to be a very good automobile. It has 66000 miles on it and has had very few problem.The only problem was power steering pump went down and was replaced by local garage at a cost of 135.00 parts and labor. THIS IS MY THIRD JEEP. I love the jeep brand and will buy another when is time to buy another. I think they are great cars, mine actually does ride quite well. Fun to own to drive and cheap to operate. Thank you for this opportunity to voice my opinion to speak about my JEEP.