A very capable and enjoyable vehicle

First of all, this ain't no car. If you want a smooth ride, great fuel efficiency and zero road noise...save yourself the trouble and buy a car. The '97 Jeep Wrangler has many significant improvements over previous model years, but it is not a car.

Now let's get to the positive points. In my opinion, the best thing about Wranglers is customization. There are thousands of aftermarket parts and accessories to choose from. You can easily customize your '97 Wrangler with everything from chrome trim to suspension lifts and drivetrain upgrades. Even on a small budget, you will easily be able to find accessories to enhance your Jeep.

I never get bored with my Wrangler because it's constantly changing: Hard-top, soft-top, Bikini-top or no top. Rear bench seat in or out or folded up for more storage space. Windshield up or folded onto the hood during drive-in movies. Doors on or off (check local laws on this). There is always something new and exciting to do with the Wrangler.

The '97 Wrangler is off-road capable right from the factory. Let's get one thing straight, very few SUV's are true off-road vehicles. A stock wrangler will beat the hell out of almost any other stock SUV on the market off-road. With a few modifications, your wrangler will really go anywhere. Just take a look at any major off-road website or magazine. You will see Jeeps more than any other vehicle. The '97 Wrangler uses coil-spring suspension for better articulation and has an available 4.0 liter engine with plenty of power and torque for challenging terrain. Protective skid-plates are standard and the low-range 4WD crawls along nice and slow for better traction.

Since most SUV's never leave the road, this information might be of little concern to you. Still, it's nice to know that you could drive through that muddy field if you wanted to :)

When driving on the road, it is obvious that the wrangler doesn't handle like a car (see first sentence). Having said that, I still feel like the wrangler is very responsive and easy to handle on the road. Sure, it will roll over if you drive like a maniac, but a reasonable driver should have no worries about rolling. The '97 and up suspension, wheel base and center of gravity make this vehicle much less tippy than jeeps built 10 years ago. By the way, I have been an Emergency Medical Technician for over 10 years. I've never seen a Jeep Wrangler roll-over.

The 4.0 liter engine provides plenty of power. The transmission is geared low which translates to serious torque. In low gears, when you push the gas pedal, the wheels accelerate right away!

As far as repairs go, there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Wranglers are easy to repair. The bad news is that you will probably spend a little more time in the shop than you would with certain other vehicles. I wouldn't say that the '97 Wrangler is unreliable. It just requires slightly more routine maintenance than most cars. The only design flaw I am aware of is with the exhaust manifold (6 cylinder models only). The stock manifold is stainless steel. This is great for most exhaust components, but stainless manifolds tend to get brittle when hot. Since the manifold is all one piece, the steel is prone to cracks during the expansion/contraction that occurs with temperature changes. You may go forever without having an exhaust problem. If you do get a crack in your manifold, I'd recommend buying an aftermarket manifold with expansion bellows on it. They are cheaper and will last longer.

In fairness to the '97 Wrangler, I should mention that I work my jeep very hard. With normal use, you will probably be very satisfied with the reliability of this model.

Why should you buy a '97 Wrangler? First of all, this vehicle has many, many improvements over '95 and older Wranglers. By the way, if anyone tries to sell you a '96 wrangler, tell them they are full of it. There is no such thing as a '96 Wrangler (they spent the year developing the new '97's). The '97 and up models will probably have better re-sale values due to their improvements.

The second reason you should buy one of these Jeeps is that they look really cool. I know I sound like a 12 year old here, but I'm serious...It's a cool looking vehicle. Many have copied the looks of jeeps, but there's only one Jeep. You will definitely stand out in a sea of average looking cars. Buy one of these Jeeps and your life will change. You'll meet the man/woman of your dreams, get a big promotion at work and win the lottery! OK, not quite true, but you will win points in the cool-ness category. Also, other jeep Wrangler owners will wave to you when you drive by, and that's pretty...well...COOL!