Not every used Jeep enjoys the same kind of popularity as the Wrangler, yet many of them offer incredible value for the money.
There are two kinds of people in the world. First, come those who love themselves a Jeep and are proud of calling themselves Jeepsters, for life. The second kind is the one who does not like most Jeeps and even if they do like one or two, they don’t quite live the Jeepster life.
We agree with a bit of both the ideologies for Jeep has made some great models and examples over the years but on the flip side, some disappointing rides as well. But some Jeep models have gotten a bad rap over the years, and get sidelined by prospective buyers when in actuality, they should be celebrated.
So, if you are looking to buy a Jeep, and someone tells you to avoid any of these ten models, think again. These used Jeeps were great in their prime and have plenty of life left in them even now.
Despite being one of the longest-existing Jeep nameplates, the classic CJ-5 is one of the most underrated Jeeps of all time. These classics were in production for almost 30 years between 1954 and 1983. So was the CJ-6 which was the CJ-5’s stretched variant, with a slightly longer wheelbase.
The best model years would be 1972-1975 CJ-5 and CJ-6 examples. AMC had taken control of the company in 1970 and this brought forward many performance- and feature-related upgrades. A clean 1975 CJ-5 model is currently selling for peanuts at Hemmings.
A refinished first-year 1947 Willys Jeep Pickup went for just $22,000 recently and a restored 1951 version went for just $28,600 at Barrett-Jackson a few weeks ago. This is dirt cheap for a “war hero” pickup truck that stands for Jeep’s origin story.
These civilian workhorses are also credited for setting the stage for the huge demand for pickups in the US today. With a 2.2-liter Go-Devil inline-4 mill mated to a 3-speed Borg-Warner T-90 manual transmission, Willys trucks had a rather iconic front grille and round headlights for classic styling.
The Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle used a massive 5.9-liter V8 to crank out 245 horses on a flawless all-wheel drive. This translated into it being a great hauler, as well as a good and dependable off-road vehicle as well.
Somehow, it slipped under the radar, and instead of receiving a spotlight, it quietly disappeared off Jeep’s roster, and today, excellent refurbished examples sell for just $20,000. Remember, for off-road junkies, it’s an excellent machine.
The Jeep Gladiators from the 1960s are remembered for their unique, versatile, powerful, and virtually indestructible builds. However, we’re in a pickup-saturated world today and these legendary Jeeps are long forgotten, going for a paltry sum on the classic trucks' bazaar.
You get a stunning 1966 classic Jeep Gladiator in excellent condition like this one on Hemmings for just $26,000. It comes armed with Jeep’s all-wheel-drive to take you everywhere even when you got hefty loads to lug.
Throughout its entire legacy, Jeep has ruled the market belting out many awe-inspiring vehicles. One of them is the Kaiser Jeep M715 that’s fondly remembered as the go-to lightweight military truck of the Vietnam War.
It was the military equivalent of the Jeep Gladiator, so it carried Jeep’s very own Tornado engine under its hood, a 3.8-liter straight-6 putting out 132 horses and 210 lb-ft of torque. However, nobody is buying these unforgettable trucks these days, because of rust and old age.
The X trim of the haloed Wrangler sits in the middle of the Base and the Sport trims. In the early 2000s, if you wanted a 4.0-liter V6 that had plenty of torque, this was the least expensive option available.
It’s a capable off-highway machine that will get you to places you would otherwise never dare to visit. These bare-bones Jeeps go for around $15,000 on the used market nowadays, and you get a competent V6 machine making 190 horses, and a piece of Jeep’s glorious legacy.
Another Wrangler edition worth mentioning is the TJ Unlimited Rubicon. It’s also the first Unlimited nameplate offered with the 2004½ Jeep Wrangler. This generation of Jeeps is dubbed as one of the most popular ones of all time for its unwavering on-road and off-road traits.
You can climb steep inclines with this Jeep with pure pride and become a legend in the Jeepster community. Today, you need only $20,000 to own this piece of automotive history.
The WK Jeeps were the third-gen Grand Cherokees that debuted in 2004 with an optional 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine. But the real deal was the SRT8 trim that housed a 6.1-liter HEMI V8 putting out a massive 420 horses with an equal amount of torque.
You get these for about $20,000, and they are of immense value for money any given day. They are also considered as potential collectibles at the moment so now is the time to invest in this performance Jeep.
These classic post-war Jeeps are a great bargain now. They were once revered as the best Jeeps in history but are mostly forgotten by true classic Jeep cognoscenti. The Jeep CJ-3A, CJ for Civilian Jeep, debuted in 1949 and was in production until 1953 rolling out close to 132,000 units from the assembly line.
This bare-bones Jeep was powered by Willys Go-Devil inline-4 mated to a 3-speed Borg-Warner T-90 manual transmission. It cranked out 60 ponies and a distinctive one-piece windshield with wipers at the bottom is a worthy reminisce of the most important era in Jeep’s past.
The ZJ-generation Jeeps are the original Grand Cherokees that arrived on the scene in 1993. This is when the Grand Cherokee began its never-ending journey. Considered as Jeep’s crusader in the 1990s, it was stuffed with luxurious features, modern tech, and Jeep’s legendary off-road machinery.
Under the hood, it had the option of a VM Motori inline-4, two AMC inline-6s, and two Magnum V8s; putting out between 114 and 245 horses. The best bet would be the V8 ones, and nowadays, they are great bargains in the used car market.
Sources: Hemmings, BringaTrailer, Barrett-Jackson, CarGurus, iSeeCars, Carfax, classic.com
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Arun Singh Pundir has been a longtime media crackerjack and worked most of his life in sales and marketing. In 2018, he officially flipped and switched sides to the editorial. He lives with his wife, two rascally sons and is a car and motorcycle nut in his free time. Not that he has too much free time. He currently writes news, features, and listicles for HotCars on anything that has any number or kind of wheels. He is also penning pop culture, lifestyle and all things rich for TheRichest. For now, he considers his Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, Suzuki Ciaz, and Royal Enfield Classic 500, the three current flames of his life. His dream is to drive around the world; even if it takes more than eighty days.
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