Should my first mod be trading in the KJ for a JK?

[bowerss2]

My liberty has 82k on it, and its starting to show its age. The cats have gone, the suspension is due for replacement soon, i am going to be needing new tie rod ends and ball joints, ect...

so should i start modding the Liberty, or should i just bite the bullet and trade it in on a Wrangler Rubicon?

A few questions on the Wrangler.... Will i hate my life driving it daily? How does the ride compare to the liberty (i am expecting a bit rougher)?
How is the quality? and Should i get the hard top?
Automatic VS Standard?

cheers all

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I have driven 3 JK, all were Unlimiteds, two were X's, one Sahara, one 2wd, two 4x4's, one stick.

They ALL ride smoother than the KJ, more controlled. They didn't feel as nimble, but more campy which I like a lot. I would definitely get the dual top group...

 

[Dave]

The only newer (JK) one I have driven both on/off road is a 07 Sahara 4 dr.

It rides good on the highway and has good traction off road. I have put 500-600 miles on it behind the wheel on pavement and about 50 off road miles so not not like I put thousands of miles on it or anything. It doesn't bother me driving it. It has the 2 tops and they are good but the hardtop is bigger and harder to maneuver on and off than a TJ in my opinion. But I only did that once.

I think it all depends on your personal likes/dislikes.

I need the towing capacity of the KJ or I would get one (but a 2 door) in a heartbeat. But that's me.

Dave

 

[J-Thompson]

They are wranglers that want to be more "plush" but still go off road
can not have your cake and eat it too
want a good ride then an SFA rig is not for you
want to go off road then it is
want to have good low end torque then the I6 is for you
want a smooth quiet running engine then a V6 is for you

The way I see it is this
the KJ is a good road rig with some off road ability
the wrangler ,CJ ,YJ ,TJ ,is a great off road rig that you can drive on the road
I have driven a few JK's on and off road and they ,well, were not impressive
when you factor in that you can pick up a TJ for a lot less that is the only way to go
Put it like this
I own both a TJ and a KJ and the KJ will be going by-by very soon
it can not even come close to following the TJ off road and does nothing great on road
kind of like the AT's that it has on it
great at nothing but ok at a bunch of things
my .02 is simple want an off road rig then get an off road rig
want an on road rig then get one
buying some thing like a KJ or now even the JK is going middle of the road

"walk on left side road ok"
"walk on right side road ok"
"walk in middle of road sooner or latter squish just like grape"

 

[tjkj2002]

I've driven many CJ's/YJ's/TJ's/JK's,they all ride the same(like s#@t) and ride/handle worse when lifted.The KJ rides good and is pretty dang good offroad,when properly outfitted it can hang with/surpase what a stock/mildly modded TJ/JK Rubicons can do,well at least mine could but knowing how to drive acounts for alot of that.

Basically it's your choice,don't expect any better mpg's either(expect worse).

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Odd why people think JK's ride worse, they felt better than the KJ to me....almost like my old WJ...

 

[yellocoyote]

The list of things that are *wrong* with your KJ are all wearable items... do you have any kind of mechanic ability, or a friend who does? Most of what you have listed is pretty easy to fix in your driveway with basic tools... and maybe some tools that you can borrow from your local parts store.

At 82K miles, you're just starting to break it in.

 

[ridenby]

The list of things that are *wrong* with your KJ are all wearable items... do you have any kind of mechanic ability, or a friend who does? Most of what you have listed is pretty easy to fix in your driveway with basic tools... and maybe some tools that you can borrow from your local parts store.

At 82K miles, you're just starting to break it in.

X2