Faults:

A hose cracked and broke that caused my check engine light to come on. It was fixed for $20.

The stock tires are dinky and make the Jeep look lame. I upgraded to 31" and you wouldn't believe how much better it looks. $500 spent on tires.

The soft top will leak. Anytime it has rained a lot, there is a mildew smell in the back of the Jeep for a few days. Sometimes the carpet is very wet too. I guess its just one of those things.

Creaks and squeaks. The Jeep always makes noises from somewhere, just get a stereo and deal with it. If this kind of thing drives you nuts, you may want to consider another vehicle.

The paint is thin and chips easy.

Theft is very common. The soft top can be cut through, and when the top is down its all out in the open. Don't bother buying an expensive stereo or leaving anything inside. The locking glove box and console can both be opened with a screwdriver pretty easy. Even the doors can be stolen with just a wrench.

General Comments:

Keep in mind this is a Wrangler people, you don't buy this vehicle for comfort. You will not get good gas mileage with this jeep either. I usually get about 14 in town and 16 on the highway. I sold my 1999 Mustang GT to buy this Jeep. That car got better gas mileage and was more comfortable, but when you live in Wisconsin, it was a summer only car.

If you enjoy being able to pass people and maintaining speed when going uphill then you need to make sure you get the 4.0 liter Sport model. The 4 cylinder is a dog. My advice is test drive as many as you can. The 5 speed much more fun to drive in my opinion, it shifts smooth and feels sturdy. Mine is an automatic because I couldn't find a 5 speed in the color and options I wanted.

Be prepared to drop a fair amount of cash on one of these, they seem to carry a high price from dealers. The good thing is they really hold their value. Well maintained and clean they will always go for over bluebook.

It was very hard to find a clean Wrangler hard top with low miles for a reasonable price. You don't want to have to deal with snow and cold in a softtop. They are very loud on the highway and the windows are plastic and cloud up over time from scratches. A new hard top alone is about $2000 so keep that in mind when you shop. Air conditioning is something else you really will want. In the brush or on the trail on a hot day you will be eaten alive by bugs if you have the windows down.

I always wanted a convertible, and I was sick of driving a junker all winter because I spent all my money on the cool summer car. The Jeep was perfect for me. I got the hard top so I wouldn't go deaf on the interstate and for the winter. I got the softtop too, which is very nice in the summer. The hard top weighs about 150 pounds and is a 2 man job to get on and off of the Jeep.

All things considered a Wrangler is my kind of ride. I am willing to sacrifice comfort and gas mileage for image, functionality and fun any day. The Jeep looks very rugged and with its four wheel drive system it goes anywhere. It's not practical, but it is fun. The 4.0 engine has a good amount of power too. You will have no trouble keeping up with traffic. The automatic is alittle bit of a downer compared to the 5 speed, but it is nice in stop and go traffic. I am very happy so far and I don't think you can get a more all around fun vehicle. If you don't need a car with a lot of space, enjoy offroading, don't mind spending a little more on gas, and like the look of the Wrangler, then go get one!

Faults:

Distributor cap froze up.

Paint chips easily from small rocks on highway.

General Comments:

Handles very well on road and off-road.

Great on roads during winters.

Back seat is a little hard to get out of.