So, I have a question, and I feel like a butthead (Car Talk)

Apparently I get way too attached to my vehicles. I just bought a Jeep Wrangler TJ. 1997, 114xxx miles on it. The 4.0 6 cylinder Sahara version, stick shift. I've wanted one of these since I was fifteen years old.

I have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 250xxx miles on the body, probably 130xxx on the transmission and engine, which were replaced in 09 or '10. It's a good Jeep. I love it. I have everything on it just the way I want it. But I have to sell it to pay for the Wrangler. I don't want to sell it. But part of the deal for getting the Wrangler (with my dad) was that I sell the Grand Cherokee (hereafter referred to as the ZJ)

I put it up for sale on CL, but no serious hits yet, and the more it sits in my driveway and the more I drive them both, I've realized I don't want to get rid of it. I love this Jeep. Probably too much. Never mind that it could crap out on me with so many miles on it. Never mind that keeping it means putting a new engine and transmission in it in the not too far future.

Never mind that I talked my dad into the Wrangler because of those factors with the ZJ, I can't bring myself to think about selling it to anyone. I'm actually considering selling the Wrangler instead and giving my dad his part of the money back. I don't know what to do at this point.

Because I begged and pleaded and groveled to get this Wrangler, and I just... don't love it. I love driving a stick again, but I don't love this Wrangler. It's even the same color as my ZJ, which sort of but not really doesn't help.

I have no idea what to do. Do I put the Wrangler up for sale and see which sells first? (The Wrangler will. More people want the TJ than want a ZJ) Or do I sell the ZJ and hope I fall in love with the TJ?

I've wanted one for so long, and now I just feel sick about the whole thing because I don't love it. It's a nice ride. It needs a little more work, but nothing I can't handle. But I just.. I don't know. I need some guidance. And I can't talk to my family because for the last month they've listened to me about how much I wanted a TJ, how awesome they are, ect.

So I feel like an a$s. I made a pros and cons list for each

ZJ Pros
More luxury.
Leather seats.
More crate room.
Aux input.
Easier to drive long distances, since it's an automatic.
Good tires that will last a long time still.
I know this car inside and out.
Great sound system I upgraded myself.
New spark plugs and wires run

ZJ Cons.
No idea how much longer the engine and trans will last.
Needs a catalytic converter to pass emissions.
Ghetto headliner held up by push pins.
Weird electrical short I can't track down.
Doesn't offroad as well as the TJ.
Gas hog.
AC Line has a leak somewhere and needs to be charged about every two months.
May have a vacuum leak somewhere, it's throwing the P0420 code, though that could be the cat, an o2 sensor or a vacuum leak, or an engine misfire.
Not worth much money. Doesn't hold it's value. There's a recall on them right now, but mine isn't affected. It's scaring people out of buying them though.

TJ Pros
Newer vehicle
Stick shift
Does have cruise control
Better offroad handling.
It's cooler.
Has many less miles on the car than the ZJ
Brand new wiper motor, radiator and TPS sensor.
Passed emissions with ease.
Easily modified with plenty of aftermarket parts, so I can put a small lift on it
No rust on the body.
New spark plugs and wires run
Holds it's value way better, and is worth three times what the ZJ is worth.

TJ Cons
I don't really love it.
If I put a lift on it, it will also be a gas hog.
Can't take the hardtop off by myself. Soft top is 500 dollars
Needs four new tires and a new spare because of dry rot.
Leak somewhere in the windshield gasket. Not hard to fix, but annoying to find puddles in my floorboards.
Smaller. By a LOT. Two crates, max will fit in the back.
Needs smaller items like the gas arms for the back glass
Needs privacy tint on the windows.
Easier to break into/steal out of.
Weirder to drive because of the shorter wheelbase. Steering is touchy, though this could just be me getting used to driving it.


If you read all this you get a cookie.



TL;DR

Wrangler vs Grand Cherokee???

My family still loves to tell the story of how, when I was really young, we went to trade in the family car, and I was screaming and holding on the seat belt as they tried to drag me out of it because I didn't want it gone. So I get the "attachment to a vehicle" thing.

Honestly? I'd sell the new car. I don't think there is anything wrong with saying "This didn't turn out to be right for me" as long as you can repay your father whatever he put in to it. I had a pick-up for a while (mostly for pulling the horse trailer) and everyone told me "Trucks are different, you may not like it". And I insisted on getting it anyway, and yup. I hated driving it. I did keep it a few years, but eventually dumped it. I spend way too much time driving to hate what I'm sitting in.

Your family might give you crap about it for a while, but "I wasn't going to know until I tried it" is a valid answer in my book.

Hahaha, I totally understand. I wrecked my Explorer (my first car) and I cried over it. Like, really really cried over it because it was totaled and I loved it.

I've been a really really good horse trader (haha) so far with vehicles, going from a '78 Olds Cutlass to a '91 Ford Ranger to the '96 ZJ and now I have a '97 TJ. This is the newest vehicle I've ever owned, and I feel like a sh*thead about not loving it. I have plenty of time to decide I guess, I'm not under any pressure for the next couple of weeks because I can get rid of the cat code for it to pass emissions and not worry about it (my birthday is in two weeks, it has to have a new tag sticker) for a while.

I just keep thinking, "if I do this, or this and this, I'll love it more" but right now I've put all the money I can put into it without selling one or the other.

It's just become a huge stress factor for me at this point, and every time I drive the ZJ anywhere I get asked why I'm not driving the Wrangler, and I have to come up with something acceptable to say. (Usually theres not gas in on or the other at this point, lol)


ETA
Also, I drove the ZJ to Colorado and back. And while there were a few hiccups, I fell in love with Colorado, and I know Colorado has nothing to do with which vehicle I choose to keep and drive, it's like this weird attachment issue. I don't throw things away (not that I'm throwing either away) because of the memories attached to them sometimes. Selling the car isn't selling the memories I made with it, but it sort of feels like that, if that makes sense.

Sell them both and get a Cherokee?

Sell the TJ. One of my friends ordered a car last year, it got here, and he hated it. Brand new car, and he sold it after a few months because he just didn't like it as much as his old car.

Despite the S4 being a gigantic piece of ****, I don't ever want to get rid of it. It's a car that's extremely unreliable and made even more unreliable by how heavily modified it is. It rarely gets driven. I still love it.

If you don't like it, you don't like it. And if you love the ZJ and have to sell it to keep the TJ, you're just going to resent the new car.

Sell them both and get a Diesel grand Cherokee!

Seriously though they will have to pry my GC out of my ands. I ave sat in TJs and no way would I down grade to that so I'm of no help.

I'd sell the TJ, too. Wranglers are TOO much work and a pita to deal with to not love them.

I have a 97, and I'm about to get ready to sell it because there is just too much going wrong with it compared to loving driving it.

There is nothing wrong with saying that the car is just not for you.

See, I am the same way but with cars. I tell myself, since greenie (my hunter green GMC Sierra) is almost paid for that it will soon be time to get another vehicle since greenie has over 130k on it & I know that even though it is running good, a new tranny is imminent sometime in the future.

Everyone says I should trade it in but I don't want to if I can help it, I'd like to have this one out at the ranch for my folks to use when they need feed & hay when I am not there. They also say to get a car, but I tried that & hated it :/.

Having owned both I can see where you are coming from.

We owned a 2000 GC Limited and loved it, but it had a list of issues.

My husband currently drives a 2005 Rubicon, Sahara edition and we both love it. It's been a solid vehicle except for replacing the brake master cylinder. Snow, rain, sleet it doesn't matter.

We also have a 4 Runner so if we want something a bit more cushy we take it...so we kind of have both worlds like you do now. I honestly don't think I'd be happy driving a TJ daily, but I like my leather and seat warmers. . However, the husband loves it so that is all that matters.

Honestly, why not do what Corrie said? Sell both and get a more reliable GC? You should be able to find a nice used one pretty cheap since like you mentioned they don't how resale value very well.

Sell me the TJ, sell the ZJ and get an XJ with lesser miles. XJ's get better fuel economy (unless you don't have a V8, I can't remember if you mentioned that...). The inline 6 in the XJ is the bomb. Or, sell the TJ to me, keep the ZJ and drive it til it dies. Then get another one. Lol!

I'm on my third XJ and I love, love, love them. LOVE THEM. I keep trying to talk myself into buying a short box pickup or a Wrangler, but I just can't seem to move away from the XJ's. Love them Jeepers.

Sell the TJ and keep the ZJ. Look at how you did the pros and cons. What did you put first. Your subconscious is telling you, you want the Zj

Keep what you love to drive. I hate the van I have, BUT I love driving it, even though its had problems I would go and get another one(ford freestar). I would just make sure certain things work on it.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I'm going to sit down with my husband and talk this over.

If only I could swap the auto into the TJ and the straight shift into the ZJ and then I wouldn't have an issue lol. They don't make straight shift ZJ's anymore unfortunately.

I'm going to sit on it for a while at least, and drive both, and see if I do fall in love with the TJ. I've only had it for about a week, and I've only gotten to drive about two days out of that week due to issues when I bought it and being sick.

I still feel like an a$s :/