GUYS, I OWN A BRAND NEW JEEP WRANGLER! I OWN A BRAND NEW JEEP WRANGLER!
I honestly could cry. (Actually, I did cry.) A white two-door Jeep Wrangler has been my dream car for ever and ever and ever. I’ve just never needed one so I could never justify the cost!
But, FINALLY, I’m at a point in my life where I can justify both the cost and the need. Because I’ll be moving to the snowy mountains of northern Arizona (more on that later!), a Jeep Wrangler actually makes sense.
When I got a tentative job offer back in April (again, more on that later!), I started scouting out cars. While I haven’t had a car since 2015 — living in Chicago and then in Ukraine meant that I didn’t need one — I knew that I would need a vehicle in Flagstaff.
I originally planned to buy yet another compact. Because I’d be living so far away from home, and I knew I’d have the financial means, and — selfishly — I’ve had a shitty year so far, I wanted to treat myself to my first brand new vehicle. I automatically went straight to Ford (if you didn’t know, my parents are Ford retirees and my brother is a Ford engineer) to scope out the compacts.
Except… uh… there weren’t any? Apparently, sometime between when I bought my 2014 Ford Focus and now… Ford had just basically stopped manufacturing compact cars. Aside from the Ford Fusion — which I honestly wasn’t crazy about — Ford really just makes mid-size SUVs, trucks, the Mustang (other dream car, tbh) and the we-swear-it’s-coming-eventually Bronco.
So, I took a step back to reevaluate. If I was going to get an SUV… why not go all-freakin-out and get the SUV of all SUVs?
My DREAM JEEP WRANGLER!
I talked with my parents and some friends about the idea, and surprisingly, it seemed like a great idea! Given northern Arizona’s terrain, an off-road-capable vehicle would actually be somewhat practical. Wranglers have great resale value and they’re just really freaking fun to drive.
I overlooked all the glaring negatives (like the abysmal MPG), obviously, because I’m me and this is what I do.
I started looking into a pre-owned Jeep Wrangler, but it was really hard to find one with the specs (white, two-door, hard top, air conditioning) that I wanted.
So, I went to the first Jeep dealership — Cueter Chrysler in Ypsilanti — to look into the feasibility of just buying a brand new Jeep Wrangler.
And… it was a miserable experience.
I told the salesman on the phone that I wanted to test drive a two-door Wrangler. I was very specific about my desire for a two-door. The two-doors are a little more maneuverable and classic, and honestly, I don’t really care too much for the look of the four-doors. Plus, since it’s just single Randi over here, I don’t have to worry about what’s convenient for a family or anything. Nope, I can be TOTALLY selfish and get what I want. Which is a two-door.
However, when I arrived, the salesmen was like “oh, we just sold our last two-door a few hours ago.” I was upset because, again, I was very specific about how I wanted a two-door. I test drove a four-door anyway, and sure enough, I didn’t like it. I left and told the salesman to call me when they got a two-door in.
And then… he ghosted me. I followed up the next week with calls, emails, voicemails… nothing.
OK, way to just blow a $45,000 sale, I guess?
Anyway, my mom (bless her) ended up making me an appointment at LaFontaine in Saline. I arrived, and the saleswoman Lucy had a two-door ready and waiting with the top off. She even had a hair-tie in hand! My mom and I drove the Wrangler around and I practiced parking it, and I fell in love. I knew 100 percent that I wanted that damn car.
Any and all thoughts of finding a pre-owned Jeep? Gone. My spontaneity took over. I was getting the exact Jeep Wrangler I wanted no matter what.
So, I sat down with Lucy and began CUSTOM BUILDING MY OWN 2021 JEEP WRANGLER. WHAT. WHAT?!
Cost-wise, it actually wasn’t too bad! Because Chrysler was offering 0 percent APR on a new car loan, because I was able to pick my own upgrades — and because I was able to snag a friends-and-family discount from one of my dad’s friends — it actually ended up being only a few thousand dollars more to get a new custom-built Wrangler instead of a pre-owned Wrangler. I walked out of the dealership two hours later with a spec sheet in hand and a $500 deposit made. Then, the waiting game.
I had ordered a white two-door 2021 Jeep Wrangler JL Sport S with a hard top. I paid extra for the convenience package, which includes remote start and a built-in garage door opener, and also upgraded the media console. I had a hitch installed as well.
Because the Toledo factory was just about to start producing the 2021 models, I had to wait for my Jeep to come off the lot. Wanna talk about impatient? That was me. For SIX WEEKS.
Then, finally, I got the call that my Jeep was in. My mom and I went to the dealership to pick it up…
…and it was the wrong color.
I sobbed, guys. I felt so bad because I was just out of the Peace Corps, and I knew this was so trivial, and I was so privileged, and this was such a first-world problem, but I couldn’t help it. I had just spent $45,000 on what was supposed to be my dream car, I was supposed to drive my Jeep to Arizona the next day for my new job, and it was the wrong color.
I went home with my mom without signing the paperwork while Lucy started figuring out a solution.
God bless Lucy, you guys, because a few hours later, she had figured everything out.
She found a Jeep on a lot in a nearby state that was almost EXACTLY what I had ordered. The only difference is that it had a few internal upgrades — like an anti-spin differential rear-axel — so it was actually worth more than the Jeep I had originally had custom-built.
It was also a 2020 instead of a 2021, but honestly, I’m not superficial enough to care. It was still brand new, EXACTLY what I wanted and within my budget. Plus, as my mom pointed out, this one was built during the winter pre-COVID. She knows what summers are like working in a car factory (she was a casual laborer on the factory floor at Ford until she retired) so she said that it was probably best I got a Wrangler that wasn’t built during brutally hot and humid weather during a pandemic, because who knows what shortcuts could have been taken during the build.
The dealership felt bad enough, too, that in addition to honoring my original quoted price, they threw a few warranties in for free.
So, I signed all the paperwork, cried some more (happy tears this time) and then drove my baby off the lot to go say my goodbyes, hitch the UHaul to it and make my way to Arizona.
Yes, Jake and I literally started our drive to Flagstaff the day I picked up my Jeep.
The first stop was my sister’s apartment in Ypsilanti, so I could say goodbye to her and Duchess.
Jake had the idea to pop the front panels off in the parking lot of my sister’s apartment so we could drive to my dad’s without them and kind of experience what it would be like in the summer, when I could fully take the top (and doors) off.
It was a good idea.
As soon as I got to my dad’s house, I honked my horn as obnoxiously as possible in the driveway, shouted “GET IN LOSER, WE’RE GOING SHOPPING!” (no I didn’t, actually) and then took him for a drive down dirt roads and through the fields.
IT’S A JEEP WRANGLER! IT CAN GO ANYWHERE!
By the way? Her name is Liz. I’m keeping with tradition in that aspect.
So, now I’m about another $30,000 in debt, but honestly, I am absolutely in love with my Wrangler. I’m on a three-year payment plan, so hopefully, she’ll be fully paid-off by the end of 2023.
Now, time to start thinking about lifts and mods?
Arizona off-roading, Liz and I are READY!
This post was originally published Jan. 19, 2021. Its timestamp has been updated to better reflect the timeline of my Jeep Wrangler purchase.
