Many people have a difficult time deciding what type of vehicle to purchase as their first car. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by advertising campaigns touting that the newest, greatest, most exciting thing is the best choice, and it’s even easier for them to make up their minds based on looks alone.
But more often than not, this leads them down a path they may regret later. In This article, we are going to look if a Jeep Wrangler is good for first-time drivers.
Is a Jeep Wrangler a Good First Car?
In short, a jeep wrangler is not a good first car due to a number of reasons including poor fuel economy, complex to drive, and maintenance cost issues. I would also add average ride comfort as a negative as well.
Of course, this is not to say that it’s a bad car it’s actually a very good car, but it is not one that comes highly recommended by most automotive experts among the young adult demographic.
Wranglers are fun cars and offroad beasts and for first-time car owners, a wrangler is not a good choice for daily driving. Gas mileage is not good and you will see a lot of gas stations on a weekly basis. Also, the comfort for the driver is not as good as other cars (this is just my opinion and research).
What Makes a Jeep Wrangler, not a Good First Car?
Fuel Economy
The big issue with a wrangler is the fuel economy which clocked at an average of 17 cities and 22 highway for the 6-speed manual transmission.
But if you have the automatic transmission, expect to get just 15 mpg in the city and 19 on the highway. These types of fuel economy numbers are more associated with a V-8 powered full-size SUV than a tiny 4 cylinder Wrangler. So to put this in short the fuel economy is not so great for a first car owner
Ride Comfort
The ride comfort is not as great as most other cars. wranglers are noisy and bumpy. The ride is not as comfortable as other cars. It’s a rough, bumpy, noisy ride. You will feel every road imperfection and there are lots of bumps in the road which will make your drive hard.
Maintenance Cost
Jeep Wranglers are expensive to maintain and repairs cost a lot of money. The maintenance cost is also high. If something breaks, expect it to cost you a lot of money to repair. for someone who has never owned a car before there is a high chance, something may break and to get that fixed is relatively costly as Jeep parts are of quality and come at a hefty price.
The shorter wheelbase and high center of gravity
For inexperienced drivers, the car may be difficult to turn, especially when crossing railroad tracks due to the short wheelbase. Also, the high center of gravity height increases the possibility of a roll-over.
The high rollover risk is another reason why Jeep is not a good first car for inexperienced drivers. this comes as a disadvantage because a shorter wheelbase and a high center of gravity make a vehicle prone to flipping.
Leaks and Rusts
The Jeep Wrangler is notorious for having rusts and leaks. Rust and Leaks top the list of common problems on Jeep Wranglers.
The metal body of the car is usually thin and it will rust as fast as the paint dries in a matter of weeks if you don’t take care of it. If you do the metal rises to the surface and is very visible. You can also start leaking from the body as well if it is not sealed properly.
The interior of the Jeep is made of plastic and any time you subject plastic to high temperatures it will start melting and warping. Also, the plastic interior parts of Jeep Wranglers are prone to wear out rapidly and become a source for leaks. Leaks occur when the seams in place are damaged by heat, dust, dirt or water.
Relatively Expensive Parts
Jeep Wranglers as a whole are relatively expensive to maintain and repair. Parts for these vehicles are not available at your local car dealership. You will have to go to specialty shops and the owner of these shops is making most of his income off of products made for Jeep Wranglers.
Which Jeep Model is Good for First-time Car owners?
Jeep Patriot, Most Jeep patriots are purchased by first-time car owners who value the good looks of this vehicle. The owner can customize this vehicle to their liking and enhance its performance. what makes a Patriot good as a first car is the fact that it is affordable, cheaper to maintain, great fuel economy, and exceptional commuter vehicle.
Final Thoughts
Jeep wranglers are very good stylish and rugged vehicles they perform exceptionally well offroad, are good in the snow, and have a lot of capabilities and customization options available, taking nothing away from those facts, however, I wouldn’t recommend it as your first car. As a second or third vehicle, you can never go wrong with a Wrangler.
