Looking at 2012 Wranglers

jeepskate · **Posted:** Tue May 08, 2012 7:13 pm

If you buy a Wrangler as a commuter vehicle, be sure you have a good handle on what her fuel costs will be. I do understand the Jeep Thing, but if she's got an 80-mile round-trip commute, you will be sucking down the gas and piling up mileage that squanders the best part of the Jeep's lifespan on pavement. If it's possible, buying the Wrangler for fun and a cheap, solid used car for the commute would be the way to go. I speak from experience and wish I had taken my own advice: I have a 100-mile round-trip commute in my KJ, which now has 260,000 miles on it, and I spent $760 on gas last month. You've got much cheaper gas prices in N.M. than I do in CA, but it does add up.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Tue May 08, 2012 7:15 pm

Wait for the JK CRD to show up on the US market :SOMBRERO:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Tue May 08, 2012 10:18 pm

jeepskate, I completely understand where you’re coming from. When you get time, read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=64810

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Tue May 08, 2012 10:22 pm

tonycrd wrote:

Wait for the JK CRD to show up on the US market :SOMBRERO:

How long do I have to hold out:?: If I knew a diesel Wrangler was coming out in 2013, then I might be tempted. But I also don't want to pay $35,000 for a diesel Wrangler, unless it averages 32 mpg. :mrgreen:

jeepskate · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 1:48 am

dieselenthusiast wrote:

jeepskate, I completely understand where you’re coming from. When you get time, read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=64810

I hear you. There's a lot to be said for drive what you love. That's the reason I didn't take my own advice. Personally, I hate the low driving position of cars in the heavy traffic we have in California. I like to be able to see above the traffic; it saves a ton of wear on the brakes and my front bumper.

But I also wish I'd spent a lot more of those 260,000 miles on dirt instead of pavement. It's a crime to waste a Jeep like that. If I had it to do over again, I would do it differently.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 12:27 pm

jeepskate wrote:

dieselenthusiast wrote:

jeepskate, I completely understand where you’re coming from. When you get time, read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=64810

I hear you. There's a lot to be said for drive what you love. That's the reason I didn't take my own advice. Personally, I hate the low driving position of cars in the heavy traffic we have in California. I like to be able to see above the traffic; it saves a ton of wear on the brakes and my front bumper.

But I also wish I'd spent a lot more of those 260,000 miles on dirt instead of pavement. It's a crime to waste a Jeep like that. If I had it to do over again, I would do it differently.

Jeepskate, you and I are in the same boat, so I completely understand. I’ve weighed all the options and looked at difference case scenarios. I tried to be a good steward of our money, so being fiscally responsible alone weighs heavily. If I were to identify one problem, I would say that Jeep has missed the upper mid-range mpg market for a moderate sized SUV. We were very tempted to buy a Patriot because it does yield higher mpg, plus it also provides us with the ability to get in and out of our property. I know I sound like a broken record, but a solution to the problem would be Jeep adding a diesel to the Wrangler that averaged 30 - 32 mpg. I’m not sure what mpg the overseas diesel Wrangler gets, but I’m sure it’s not 30 – 32 mpg.

Going back to your situation, you could always put in a new engine (as needed) and rebuild your transmission (as needed). At that point, you’ll be like new again.

If we used the Wrangler as a commuter, my goal was to log a ton of miles and perhaps, eventually, replace the entire powertrain/drivetrain with a diesel. But gesh, it could take us 15 years to log 300,000 miles on the gasoline motor. The gas mileage wouldn’t be the best, but I know that the Jeep Wrangler will be worth something to us in 15 years whereas a fuel efficient car with 300,000 miles will be meaningless to us in 10 years. So hopefully my madness makes sense. Although, mathematically, the fuel that we would save from a fuel efficient car (such as the VW TDI) might pay for the car, so again, it’s an argument that can’t be easily solved. There are too many factors and too many variables.
:dizzy:

jeepskate · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 12:52 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

jeepskate wrote:

dieselenthusiast wrote:

jeepskate, I completely understand where you’re coming from. When you get time, read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=64810

I hear you. There's a lot to be said for drive what you love. That's the reason I didn't take my own advice. Personally, I hate the low driving position of cars in the heavy traffic we have in California. I like to be able to see above the traffic; it saves a ton of wear on the brakes and my front bumper.

But I also wish I'd spent a lot more of those 260,000 miles on dirt instead of pavement. It's a crime to waste a Jeep like that. If I had it to do over again, I would do it differently.

Jeepskate, you and I are in the same boat, so I completely understand. I’ve weighed all the options and looked at difference case scenarios. I tried to be a good steward of our money, so being fiscally responsible alone weighs heavily. If I were to identify one problem, I would say that Jeep has missed the upper mid-range mpg market for a moderate sized SUV. We were very tempted to buy a Patriot because it does yield higher mpg, plus it also provides us with the ability to get in and out of our property. I know I sound like a broken record, but a solution to the problem would be Jeep adding a diesel to the Wrangler that averaged 30 - 32 mpg. I’m not sure what mpg the overseas diesel Wrangler gets, but I’m sure it’s not 30 – 32 mpg.

Going back to your situation, you could always put in a new engine (as needed) and rebuild your transmission (as needed). At that point, you’ll be like new again.

If we used the Wrangler as a commuter, my goal was to log a ton of miles and perhaps, eventually, replace the entire powertrain/drivetrain with a diesel. But gesh, it could take us 15 years to log 300,000 miles on the gasoline motor. The gas mileage wouldn’t be the best, but I know that the Jeep Wrangler will be worth something to us in 15 years whereas a fuel efficient car with 300,000 miles will be meaningless to us in 10 years. So hopefully my madness makes sense. Although, mathematically, the fuel that we would save from a fuel efficient car (such as the VW TDI) might pay for the car, so again, it’s an argument that can’t be easily solved. There are too many factors and too many variables.
:dizzy:

Yeah, you've got to do what you think is right. As far as my KJ goes, I've actually done both of those things already. Engine replaced at 200K and the transmission at 230K. So it'll keep rolling for a while.

Draco · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 11:15 pm

How about a diesel rally car as a commuter alternative? Bet that gets better mileage!

http://wot.motortrend.com/mitsubishi-motorsports-goes-diesel-for-2009-dakar-rally-658.html

Or what about a Subaru? Not a diesel, but your wife could probably drag herself to and from work in this.

And here's another diesel, a Volkswagen Touareg

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/0810dp_2008_volkswagen_touareg_v10_tdi/photo_08.html

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 11:57 pm

Or, she could keep her current job, in which she walks to work, while saving $30,000 on a Jeep and an additional $2,000 dollars in fuel per year. :idea:

That was the conversation tonight.

CRD Joe · **Posted:** Fri May 11, 2012 12:36 pm

Buy a used (1999 to 2004) TDI Jetta. Ive got a 2001 and I average 58-60 mpg on the highway. Ive gotten 65mpg a couple times.

Looking at 2012 Wranglers

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