The Best Years For Jeep Wrangler (And Some To Steer Clear Of)

The first-generation YJ Wrangler ranked second on our list above, due in large part to the durability of its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and more robust inline sixes. For the Wrangler’s first few years, both the 2.5 liter I4 and the 4.2-liter straight six were fed fuel through a carburetor, which made them finicky when changing altitude or going up a steep grade. In 1991, Jeep began topping both engines with a fuel injection system made by Renix, a joint effort between Renault and Bendix. Although it had been previously used on the XJ Cherokee, the Renix system had a wonky knock sensor and was unable to store problem codes. Chrysler replaced it with a more advanced multi-port fuel injection system, but the quality of those early injectors was below par. Better injectors came in 1993, but standard transmission Wranglers made up to that point had a design quirk that made one particular repair task much more difficult than it needed to be. 

Until 1994, stick-shift YJs had the clutch secondary cylinder mounted inside the bellhousing of the transmission, and replacing it required separating the transmission from the engine and replacing the bellhousing along with the throwout bearing and clutch fork. You can buy an upgrade kit or swap salvage yard parts from a ’94 or ’95 YJ into an earlier model, but that, too, requires pulling the transmission. It’s best to seek out a YJ from those last two years with the external hydraulics.