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TJ vs. JK

Jeep Wrangler TJ vs 2007 Jeep Wrangler JK

Posted December 12 2006 09:19 AM by Jp Editor 
Filed under: Editorials, Jeep Enthusiast Culture, John Cappa

You might think I’ve been getting full page ads, big screen TVs, wads of cash, and lavish trips to far off countries from Jeep judging by my positive evaluations of the new ’07 Wrangler JK. I sometimes can’t even believe the stuff that comes out of my mouth. But the truth is, Jeep doesn’t advertise in Jp Magazine and hasn’t done so in years. The last Jeep ad to hit the pages of Jp was when the Liberty hit the streets! And you know how much I love the Liberty.


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Anyway, you could say I know TJs pretty well. I’ve driven one for five years, put over 115,000 miles on it on- and off-road, personally bolted on all sorts of aftermarket stuff to it, and now I’ve driven the JK. I’ve got nearly 1,000 miles under my belt. It’s not a TJ but in most aspects it’s a better Jeep. Yes, it really is much better than a TJ! However, at this point if you’re the kind of person that wants to run a big lift, bolt-on 37-inch tires, swap out drivetrain parts, and build a monster rock-crushing Jeep then the JK might not be what you should be looking at. A TJ may be a better Jeep for you. The JK is a more refined Jeep that caters more to the masses while still being the most capable stock Jeep ever produced. Adding huge lifts and tires negates many of the advantages the JK has over the TJ. Right now there are a lot of new products available for the JK. Many of which I feel are not thought out all that well, but built simply for the sake of having something to put on the JK display shelf. Lots of these pars are leftovers from what was done to the TJ. I don’t think that’s the way to go about this. I like to see companies think out of the box. We’re eventually going to build-up our new JK, but we’ll wait for the aftermarket dust to settle a little rather than slapping on the first lift kit we can get our hands on. I plan to build our JK using aftermarket products that enhance the JK’s advancements, and if that means it’s not going to be an extreme rock-crawling Jeep then that’s fine. I’m not building a TJ, but if I were, that’s what I’d start with.
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Reader Comments:
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1. I am sorry but the TJ is getting a bad rap.Come on the inline six is proven its self over the years to be a reliable motor the minivan v6 sucks we lease them at work and they are cheaply made give me the old amc inline anyday.It just burns me up people downing the TJ because it they have to promote the new JK.Even my Jeep mechanics would not own one.Qoute they would not even use it as a paper weight.I love my TJ an would not give it up for the world I have owned 8 jeeps and know that they redsigned the wrangler I do not know if a JK will be in my future buys but I know one thing I am not going to let go of my TJ.

mikjeepen    - Posted December 13 2006 01:34 PM

 
2. I'm still dying to find out how much extra ft-lbs/HP can be squeezed out of the minivan engine, using an airtube intake, throttle body, exhaust headers & a catback system... maybe even a retuned ECU... (K&N, AEM, Pacesetter, Magnaflow, Borla, Banks, Gibson, JetChips, Hypertech, are you listening?) Can the aftermarket find a way to salvage this pig of an engine?

MarkH    - Posted December 28 2006 03:43 AM

 
3. I've been looking at the Wrangler brochure and at Jeep.com and finding things I don't like. The brochure says you can get the locking rear Dana 44 on the other models, but jeep.com's "build and price a Wrangler" doesn't show it as possible. I really don't like the full hard doors, and jeep.com says you can get the half doors at no extra cost, but if you try to add them, you get the $500.00 side airbags added on whether you want them or not. I've been driving Jeeps for 33 years and never needed a side impact airbag; whose idea is this to protect me when I don't want it? (Yes, it's Big Brother government. I vote against 'em, but...)

SlimChance    - Posted December 28 2006 09:33 AM

 
4. Interesting thing is I just got some dyno numbers back and it's not the pig that you might think. If you drove a brand new one...I agree. It's a pig. After 650-850 miles the computer either takes the engine out of break-in mode or it learns your driving habits. I was bent at the lack of power at first. It didn't even compare to the test models Jeep let me drive. But now that I've got nearly 1000 miles on the thing it's pretty fast.

Jp Editor    - Posted January 3 2007 07:21 AM

 
5. Maybe after a 1000 miles your butt dyno has been recalibrated. I once had a though in my head that my 2000 4cyl S10 was fast and then I quickly came to my senses and sold it. I do like the new JK though stopped by the dealership and think that they have done a nice job

Nicster    - Posted January 14 2007 03:00 PM

 
6. No way! I mean the thing was slow! Like oh-my-gawd-what-did-Jeep-do! slow. I also drove a 4-door with 6,000 miles on it back to back with the new 2-door. The 4-door spanked it at first. Now that the 2-door has miles on it it's wayyy faster. You can tell.

Jp Editor    - Posted January 18 2007 07:05 AM

 
7. I agree that the new JK is a great Jeep and that it is better than the previouse TJ. I went out recently and purchased a new Jeep. A 2006 Unlimited TJ Rubicon. The reason that I chose this over the new JK is that I like the narrower stance and the added inches on the wheelbase, compared to the 2 door JK. I did look at the new JK and enjoyed the extra elbow room. My Buddy is looking at purchasing the JK Unlimited because he likes the extra room for his 3 children in the back. For 22k he gets the X package with a locking rear differential and 4.10 gears. For a family cruiser this is a great package, Low range first gear is 49 to 1 and comes with the Dana 44 in the back. He is running 33" tires and a winch on the front. Dollar for dollar its a better value than a TJ with the same options.

Iron Jeep    - Posted March 10 2007 11:06 AM

 
8. has anyone besides me noticed that the new jk stance is not even on each side . I have an 07 with a 2.5 " skyjacker lift , w/ 35/12.50/ 17 . ON 9" wide mickey classics. If you look at the tires reveal on the drivers side they stick out about 1 1/2 " . On the passenger side they are almost even. Any answers to this would be great . By the way my jk is leeps and bounds better than my tj. That facks kills me too!!!

rob nc    - Posted April 16 2007 01:35 PM

 
9. Has anyone noticed the fact that the JK drives like the parking brake is on?
I rented one for a week to give it a test drive for planning to buy one for the wife.
I currently have an '06 Rubicon Unlimited. The JK was so underpowered that while driving on the interstate at 65-70 mph it would just slow down if you weren't paying strict attention to the speedometer. Every time I looked down the thing was rolling along at a sweet 50-52 mph. I'd have to mash the pedal down to get it back up to speed & just as soon as you would look down the speedo read 50 again. Canning the 4.0 & putting in the 3.8 is a MISTAKE!! We drove it for 1300 miles in Colorado that week & it made so much wind noise that you could hardly hear the person sitting next to you. No doubt the suits at Chrysler came up with the JK by shortening J o K e!!!!!
Never the less I'll be getting the wife a left over TJ or a Used TJ if the new ones are gone....

RubiconULTD    - Posted July 3 2007 11:36 AM

 
10. Uhhh, sounds to me like you were lugging the engine. Something the 4.0L can and has to do because it is not designed to rev. The 3.8 on the other hand should be driven above 3,000-3,200 RPM if you are trying to make power. It's not the fault of the engine that you were simply trying to drive it outside of it's powerband. Also see post #4. Not sure how many miles were on your test Jeep though.

I have driven through Colorado lots of times and had the same problem with a stock TJ, till we put the supercharger on. The it would hold a gear on the climbs.

Also the auto, 4.0L or 3.8L is a joke. Get the manual transmission. It's what a Jeep is supposed to have.

Wind noise? Wow. I spent over 100,000 miles in a TJ and the JK is light years quieter.

Jp Editor    - Posted August 8 2007 09:58 PM

 
11. I had a 99 sport auto Wrangler and regret getting rid of it. Now I have a 2004 Grand Cherokee and am selling it to get an 06 Wrangler. After seeing Jeep royally f'd up and mangled the new Wrangler, it is just a sign of the coming years. When you first meet someone, is it not attraction that turns you on? The JK is putrid. It is the ugly person with no personality to boot. Face it- the interior is the same as the PT Cruiser. Really. Apparently form follows function with the JK. It's looks are so bad a toy matchbox car replica WILL look identical. Look at the Toyota FJ... same scenario- a stinky rehash. Seriously, are people buying these JKs to have the "latest, greatest" Jeep or to incur an (overly) expensive loan? Lifetime powertrain warranty you say? Yeah right, we all know Chrysler warranties. Everything is NOT covered. The 4.0 IS BULLETPROOF. One of the finest 6 cylinders ever made. By the way, I had an auto and I didn't drive offroad. Topless cruiser. Blasphemy? No, just a different view on driving...

curtise    - Posted October 4 2007 03:49 PM

 
12. Does anyone else hate the auto throttle in 4 HI? It is set too high and I have to ride the brakes to keep it where it should be, speed wise anyway. I also don't like that you can drive it around the block, up to 20mph or so, in 2HI. Its a 2007 X Unlimited, my first Jeep and I'm really disappointed.

bjamieson    - Posted October 11 2007 10:36 AM

 
13. I meant to say you can drive up to 20mph without touching the accelerator.

bjamieson    - Posted October 12 2007 06:32 AM

 
14. Reply to Post #12: As I understand your post, your Jeep goes into sort of a "high idle" mode when in 4-high, forcing you apply the brake constantly to control it at lower speeds. Does this occur when the engine and drivetrain are cold, or when warmed up to their normal operating temperature, or both?

I'm very interested in the editor's response to this . . . I've just ordered a JK from my local dealer, and such a problem would indeed be annoying. Thanks.

Perzuki    - Posted October 15 2007 05:36 AM

 
15. I do understand why people like the JK, it has all of the creature comforts jeeps of the past have lacked, but jeep is straying from it's heritage. I owned a 98 sport and this thing took a beating like you wouldn't believe, and it took with a smile. The 4.0 will never be matched, especially with a minivan V6. I drove a JK when they arrived on dealers lots in late 06 and realized I needed to get my hands on what I know works, a TJ. I purchased a brand new TJ with great rebates and I plan on keeping it until one of us die. The biggest mistake I've made is getting rid of the 98 I owned and I won't make it again. The JK may prove us traditionalists wrong, but come man, what was jeep thinking with making the grill plastic and putting a town and country engine in it!

cleg    - Posted November 2 2007 12:13 AM

 
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