With the Jeep Wrangler JK nearing the end of its 10+ year production, is the time right to buy one rather than the new JL?
Mention the words “Jeep” and “Wrangler” to enthusiasts and long-time owners, and surely you’ll hear something about the car’s illustrious history. Dating back to the 1940s with the original Willys CJ (for “Civilian Jeep”), the Wrangler, as its now known, has endured for the better part of seven decades. Now in its fourth generation, the Wrangler JL has hit dealership lots, propelling sales and leading the nameplate to its best sales month ever in March. But there’s a twist to this story.
While most cars see new generations every four years or so, the JK Wrangler went on for a whole decade. The TJ model that preceded the JK also lasted 10 years in its production run, and the YJ lasted nearly ten years as well. Okay, so these cars have a long lifespan – in itself, that’s fairly unremarkable. However, the “last-generation” JK is still being produced – albeit not for much longer – alongside the new Wrangler JL. While JL production ramps up, Jeep is still building new JKs as well. Not only that, but people are trading in their old JKs for the brand new model.
Large inventory = lower prices?
Thanks to supply and demand, that creates a problem: JKs are piling up in dealer inventory. At our local dealership in Boulder, Colorado, 75% of Wranglers in current inventory are JKs. We approached our local dealer to ask them about the current JK situation, and the dealer had taken in several JK trade-ins for the new JL the week we were there. With plenty of inventory to choose from, is now the best time to buy a Jeep Wrangler JK? What’s happened to prices against the new model? Find out in today’s TFLcar video!
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