2004-2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

[marvdmartian]

A Jeep driving buddy of mine says that the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is the cream of the crop of Wranglers, and well worth the money people ask for them, due to the fact that they will likely never really depreciate in value (so long as they're taken care of, of course!).

Opinions? I know there was a brief period, from late '04 to early '05, where Jeep had some problems with their oil pumps, but I do like the body style of that model, and the 4.0 inline-6, reportedly Jeep's most bullet-proof engine, was last put in the 2006 models.

Thanks for any insight you guys might give.

 

[apac]

Well, that's sort of a silly question because every vehicle loses value, unless you're talking about owning one for 10,000 miles and then selling it. Every mile adds wear to the drive train and interior, any time you take it off road you run the risk of anything from rock chips to body damage.

Basically if you didn't drive it at all I think it would holds its value quite well, but where's the fun in that?

That said, they are very expensive but great vehicles. The 4.0 is awesome. 2006 is the last year they used real Dana 44s. I'm not a fan of the 2 door unlimited body type, but they are pretty rare in the Rubicon trim.

Can I ask why you want a Rubicon? The sport configuration would easily be enough for anyone who isn't trying to run medium or hard trails off road. Basically any Rubicon is a lot of money for a car that only sees pavement.

 

[marvdmartian]

Well, the Rubicon is the cream on top of the cream, ya know?

That being said, I did ask my friend whether he would go for the Unlimited, or the Rubicon, if the U-R combo wasn't available, and he said definitely go with the Unlimited. His opinion is that the U-R combination is rare enough that they hold their value better.

 

[unokitty]

A Jeep driving buddy of mine says that the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is the cream of the crop of Wranglers, and well worth the money people ask for them, due to the fact that they will likely never really depreciate in value (so long as they're taken care of, of course!).

Opinions? I know there was a brief period, from late '04 to early '05, where Jeep had some problems with their oil pumps, but I do like the body style of that model, and the 4.0 inline-6, reportedly Jeep's most bullet-proof engine, was last put in the 2006 models.

Thanks for any insight you guys might give.

A friend of mine had a Cherokee with the 4.0 inline six engine and had great luck with it.

Its true that Jeep resale values seem to defy normal depreciation curves. Though, anyone that thinks that they don't depreciate at all is seriously isolated from reality.

For off road use, the Rubicon is considered the premier model. Though, if you don't plan on off roading, I don't know that that would be a good model for you.

If you look around, there are plenty of jeep forums where you could probably get more specific information.

My perception is that if you are a Jeep person, then there is nothing else that will work for you. If however, you are used to Japanese quality and are just looking for transportation, then there is a good chance that you will be disappointed with a Jeep.

Best of luck,
Uno