First off I know it's not a "real" Jeep.
Secondly I know it's got a dog of an engine.
Both of the above seem to be very popular internet opinions mainly by lots of people that have never actually owned one.
I have owned a couple of TJ's and couple of YJ's and quite a few XJ's, all with the bullet proof inline 4.0. However I am looking for something a little more civilized than a TJ for everyday driving and commuting back and forth to the cabin, but something that's a little more trail worthy than the Jeep Patriot I'm currently using at my cabin commuter.
So I'm looking at an early model JK with two doors and a manual transmission. From what I read the 4 speed auto does the little 3.8 no favors, because the 3.8 makes its power a little higher in the RPM range.
I know there are some oil consumption issues on some of the 3.8 motors and I think at least one year had an issue with the rings that was covered by Jeep. but other than that those engines seem to be pretty reliable.
What about the rest of the early JK's? Interior, suspension, etc...
I had an 11. They are really great as far as the cool factor goes. But you pretty much nailed it. The engine is a dog. And not just a normal dog. A dog that chews everything and craps in the floor.
