I have 2000 TJ (Sahara) with about 140k that I bought in 2004. So far the only problems its had have been a bad coil pack which caused the engine to run on 4/6 cylinders, buying a replacement on eBay solved the problem. I had leaking brake cylinders and a leaking water pump which I replaced. The biggest repair was a burned up transmission which cost $1200 to replace.
Its definitely a loud ride (soft top), when Im on the highway I use the same noise isolating ear phones that I use on my bike to listen to music. If you have a soft top the wind noise is always going to be there but you can reduce road noise by using different tires. There is no insulation of course, when its hot you need the A/C on full blase to stay cool and when its cold you need the heat on full blast. The thing that irritates me the most is the gas mileage, my average is 15 MPG but I assume the new ones are better.
That being said, I like it and I dont plan on selling it. One day I might get a grownup car for my daily driver and then Ill pimp my Jeep out, I love all the aftermarket options there are. Its very spartan, sometimes I wish I had a in-dash GPS or a 7-speaker sound system but when I can leave my top down in the rain and not worry about anything getting ruined and pull the plugs in the floor boards the drain water out its pretty nice.
There are tons of Jeeps around here and the stock 4-doors do look weird, however Ive seen a few 4-doors with lifts and they look pretty cool, its a big difference.
__________________
|