Home » College Town Clunkers: 1996 Dodge Van vs 2004 Jeep Liberty

College Town Clunkers: 1996 Dodge Van vs 2004 Jeep Liberty

Sbsd 5 22 2023
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Good morning! It’s Monday, and we’re going to start the week off with a couple of cheap cars for sale in midwestern college towns. But before we head back to school, let’s see which one of Friday’s sports cars earned a passing grade:

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Easy win for the Z car. Myself, I’d pick the Trans Am, mainly due to its condition. And also, as I’ve mentioned before, Japanese cars weren’t really part of the landscape when I was growing up, so I don’t have any nostalgic attachment to them. Firebirds, on the other hand, were everywhere.

For today’s choices, we’re heading to the college towns of Champaign/Urbana, Illinois (or “Chambana” to those in the know), home of the University of Illinois, and West Lafayette, Indiana, home of my wife’s Master’s degree alma mater, Purdue University. If there’s one thing nobody seems to have a lot of in college, it’s money, so we’re looking at just about the cheapest viable cars in each town. Let’s see what a couple grand’s worth of financial aid slopover buys you.

1996 Dodge Ram 2500 conversion van – $2,395

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Engine/drivetrain: 5.2 or 5.9 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Champaign, IL

Odometer reading: 194,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yep

Dodge built these vans for approximately seven hundred years, it feels like. Okay, not quite, but thirty-two model years is a hell of a long run for any vehicle. But it’s a box with an engine; if it ain’t broke, why fix it? A couple of sheetmetal freshenings and some engine and transmission updates were enough to keep it chugging along. And for all that time, it remained a popular platform for RVs and conversion vans.

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That’s what we’ve got here, that most American of road-trip machines: the conversion van. Take one stripped-out cargo van, add captain’s chairs, windows, a flashy paint job, and a host of power features, coat the whole thing inside in wall-to-wall carpet, and hit the highway. This van’s color scheme is green, so we get this lovely green velour all over everything. It also has an unusual sideways-facing bench seat behind the four captain’s chairs, which I imagine folds down into a bed.

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This van is being sold by a towing company, and as a result, we don’t know much about it. They’re not exactly forthcoming with details as to its current condition either. They do say “come take a test drive,” so I have to assume it runs and drives all right. They don’t tell us which engine is in it, but it will likely be a “Magnum” V8, either 5.2 or 5.9 liters. The 3.9 liter V6 from the Dakota was also available, but I can’t imagine a conversion van company choosing it.

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It looks pretty good overall, though there’s some trim weirdness on the side barn doors that might be hiding some rust. But for the price, a little rust isn’t much of a worry. The gas mileage from a big V8 van isn’t ideal for a broke college student, but there’s plenty of room. Just ask everyone to chip in for gas.

2004 Jeep Liberty Sport – $2,250

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Engine/drivetrain: 3.7 liter overhead cam V6, four-speed automatic, part-time 4WD

Location: West Lafayette, IN

Odometer reading: 315,000 miles

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Runs/drives? Very well, they say

Here we have something a little easier to park on campus: Jeep’s Cherokee replacement, the Liberty. This little 4×4 has been a fixture on the low-end used car market for a while now. It has a less than shining reputation for reliability, but this one has managed to rack up more than 300,000 miles. Whether that’s through careful maintenance (as claimed by the seller) or dumb luck (more likely) hardly matters at this point. It’s here, it’s cheap, and it runs.

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Inside, it has held up remakably well, especially given Chrysler’s reputation for cheap interior materials. The seller says everything works, including the air conditioning. They also say it runs and drives “like it was designed,” but the check-engine light is clearly visible in one photo of the dash. You can make your own joke about mid-2000s Jeep reliability as to whether that’s how it was designed or not.

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This Jeep has suffered mightily in one regard. Rust–that old automotive nemesis–never sleeps, they say, and it looks like it didn’t even get a little bit tired working on this one. The bottoms of the doors are absolutely gone, and there’s not much left of the rocker panels either. Is it structurally compromised? You’d have to look underneath to find out. If it’s still intact enough, you could probably get a year or two more out of it. But a car in this condition has to be seen as a temporary solution.

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But until the rust takes it, you’ve got a good-driving runabout with four wheel drive and working AC. And there’s zero chance of it being stolen, no matter where you park it. Lend it to friends without worry. Try your hand at off-roading without fear of damaging a nice car.

College is a rough time of life to be a gearhead. You have no money, no time, and no place to park a project car, so you have to make do with whatever comes along. Neither of these is anybody’s idea of a dream machine, but if they’ll get you home for Christmas and haul all your stuff back home for the summer, they’ve held up their end of the bargain. Which one will it be?

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(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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rctothefuture
rctothefuture
1 year ago

This one was damn easy.

The Liberty is the answer to the question of “What’s one of the worst Jeeps ever made?”. The Ram Van is a practical, easy to fix, dead nuts reliable hauler that will get you where ya need to go.

Plus, it makes a great second room outside of your dorm. Remember the old adage? If the van is a rockin’…

AdamVIP
AdamVIP
1 year ago

Easiest choice ever. That van is clearly superior in both aesthetics and utility. Engine repairs are a bit of a bitch with that style van though and having to rip apart the interior. Id still take it over the jeep though. Those seats look awesome.

MATTinMKE
MATTinMKE
1 year ago

Look at all the space for activities!

Shaggin Wagon for the win.

MAX FRESH OFF
MAX FRESH OFF
1 year ago
Reply to  MATTinMKE

Shaggin’ Wagon! That was the nickname of the ancient conversion van I drove for a while in college. I had to warn passengers not to touch the actual shag carpets on the ceiling because carpet fibers would fall and get in their eyes!

World24
World24
1 year ago

If the towing company selling the van didn’t seem sketchy* at all, I would’ve gone with said Ram Van.
But, at the same time, it’s a nope on any Chrysler 3.7.
I’ll just sit this one out…. just an all-around NOPE.
*Just feels like it to me. Fully understand 99.999999999% of people may not feel the same way.

Last edited 1 year ago by World24
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
1 year ago

If you buy the van you’ve pretty much GOT to start a band so you can tour in it

Huja Shaw
Huja Shaw
1 year ago

I’d choose a bus pass over the Jeep Liberty so the van without doubt.

MATTinMKE
MATTinMKE
1 year ago
Reply to  Huja Shaw

I was thinking Schwinn, but the bus works as well.

IRegertNothing, Esq.
IRegertNothing, Esq.
1 year ago

I’ll take a shaggin’ wagon over a clapped out POS SUV every single time. The rear seat becomes a bed and most of the windows have curtains. Need I say more, young scholars?

A bonus is that if you graduate into a massive recession like I did (08’ FTW!), you can always park this van down by the river for low-cost living.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
1 year ago

…when you’re eating government cheese…livin’ in a VAN, down by the RIVER!!!

Squirrelmaster
Squirrelmaster
1 year ago

Van. Having spent many years in the great lakes region, anything with body rust as bad as that Jeep has is going to look infinitely worse on the underside and is certainly not roadworthy.

StillNotATony
StillNotATony
1 year ago

College is a time for stupid fun and crazy activities.

Everybody say it with me: DAJIBAAAAANNNN!!!

Dar Khorse
Dar Khorse
1 year ago

I’m not a Mopar fan, but it’s gotta be the van. One of my sons owned a Jeep Liberty so I can confidently say that is one of the most miserable, poorest quality Jeeps ever made. Add that to the fact that it’s literally disappearing beneath your feet and I wouldn’t drive that thing if they paid me $2250.

Last edited 1 year ago by Dar Khorse
Acrimonious Mofo
Acrimonious Mofo
1 year ago

I see you’re going easy on us on a Monday morning with an absolute no brainer. Though it looks like six people (so far) need to scrape the crud from their eyes and have another cup of coffee.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
1 year ago

Well it has to be the Van. But 27 years old and used in unknown ways? I can almost smell that thing through the laptop.

Dogisbadob
Dogisbadob
1 year ago

I like conversion vans more than I should, so I picked the green interior 😛

Too bad they don’t make new conversion vans anymore. I’ve never seen a Transit, Promaster, or Sprinter conversion van

Dogisbadob
Dogisbadob
1 year ago
Reply to  Vic Vinegar

that looks sooooooooooooo lazy, just the regular windows and a hi top.

It doesn’t have the airplane windows like the classic conversion vans have, including the green one on today’s shitbox showdown 😛

Toecutter
Toecutter
1 year ago

That van would make an excellent rolling tiny home. You could even line the roof with solar panels, and add an electric motor and some batteries to turn it into a parallel-drive plug-in hybrid.

M0L0TOV
M0L0TOV
1 year ago
Reply to  Toecutter

My father had a 94 B250 SWB conversion van (Mark III). I have a soft spot for these. Van all the way!

TheHairyNug
TheHairyNug
1 year ago

I want everyone voting for the Liberty to reply to this comment and immediately explain themselves

Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
1 year ago
Reply to  TheHairyNug

I didn’t vote for the Jeep, but I’ll play devil’s advocate.

Car buying can be as emotional as it is logical, and it is very dependent upon use cases. The college theme of today’s showdown put me in the mind of a college student searching for wheels. A van driver is perceived at best as someone who is available to help you move or at worst as a skeevy pervert, and I wouldn’t want to be known as either of those things in college. I can understand someone driving a heap of a Jeep to avoid either of those labels.

I wouldn’t do it myself, mind you. I would eagerly help someone move a sofa they found in the trash every weekend and regularly get turned down by potential romantic partners who just don’t feel comfortable stepping into an old van if it meant I didn’t have to drive the Liberty.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
1 year ago
Reply to  Duke of Kent

Okay of we accept your only 2 types of people drive Conversion Vans, call me a big skeevy pervert because i am done helping people move.

Soso Tsundere
Soso Tsundere
1 year ago
Reply to  TheHairyNug

I wouldn’t drive either, so I picked the one that would take up less space. And the Jeep is very close to being four tires and some seats sitting in a pile of rust, so clean up will be easy. Good luck dealing with that van and being the first person the cops check on for every amber alert or get nuisance fines and complaints from the HOA for daring to have it visible near their property.

TheHairyNug
TheHairyNug
1 year ago
Reply to  Soso Tsundere

this is a surprisingly acceptable answer

Boxing Pistons
Boxing Pistons
1 year ago

I thought half-doors was just a Wangler thing!

Buzz
Buzz
1 year ago

Having driven a Ford E-350 van during my college years, I was used to seeing 13mpg if I was light on the throttle. I was all set to pick the Jeep for the fuel savings, but that rust is an instant deal breaker.

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
1 year ago

The Van, and off to the wrap shop it goes for a full-on Rush-Fly By Night owl comin’ at ya.

Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar
1 year ago

Eagle from Breaker Breaker for me.

MAX FRESH OFF
MAX FRESH OFF
1 year ago

This thing is just crying out for an Iron Maiden Eddie graphic!

Outofstep
Outofstep
1 year ago

2 people voted for the Liberty so far. I guess Alfred was right, some men do just want to watch the world burn.

Cheats McCheats
Cheats McCheats
1 year ago

WHAT? who in their right mind would pick this liberty? It’s missing half it’s friggin doors.

This was a terrible this or that choice today IMHO

Van for the easy peezy win.

Man With A Reliable Jeep
Man With A Reliable Jeep
1 year ago

The fold-down bed in the back of that Dodge Ram 2500 conversion van is no joke. I’m 6’2″ and spent the better part of a trip from WI to ND sleeping through a blizzard while the driver was white knuckling it. A vehicle you can sleep in is not to be slept on.

UnseenCat
UnseenCat
1 year ago

The correct answer is “Never the Liberty.” Repairing the rust probably doesn’t even enter the picture considering the potential number and cost of other inevitable repairs on a Liberty.

The van is probably a more solid vehicle. And has… certain other advantages for, um, extracurricular activities…

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
1 year ago
Reply to  UnseenCat

Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death”. 21st-century car buyers say “Give me a Liberty and I’ll kill you”.

BigOldAndy
BigOldAndy
1 year ago

Old Jeep, and not a cool one, with 300k plus? The gravel driveway likely soaked up the dripping fluids. Conversion van for tailgating, road trips, and weekend getaways? Yes!

TurboCruiser
TurboCruiser
1 year ago

lol is this a joke? The liberty has 300k miles and is riddled with rust

That van is just starting to get to the higher miles and is super clean.

For the same price, this is apples to oranges.

Last edited 1 year ago by TurboCruiser
Matt Gasper
Matt Gasper
1 year ago

Currently sitting at 100% for the van. It couldn’t be an easier choice.

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