Hi, everyone. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a 2011 XLT Supercab 4 Door, 4x2. auto with less than 30K miles as a car for my teenage son. He really wanted my 1995 Wrangler YJ but I cant think of a worse car for a new driver than the Jeep, so I'm selling that in favor of this. This one probably isn't the best option for a new driver either but my research told me that they added new safety features like side airbags and traction control in 2011 so I feel a little better. I wish is wasn't the 2WD but there could be worse things, I'm guessing. I won't upset anyone by saying how much (how little, really) I'm paying this unicorn....suffice it to say that we are getting the family discount from the current (2nd) owner, who also got the family discount from owner #1.

If it checks out at the mechanic this week (and I expect it will) it's a done deal. I'm looking suggestions for what I can do to make it as safe as possible for my son, above and beyond making him promise that his little brother will NEVER ride in the death trap jump seats.

Looking forward looking around the site and getting as much info as we can.

Thanks and Cheers.

JHT

 

Welcome to R-F!

Damn I can see why he would want that jeep lol but I definitely see where you're coming from.

If safety is your concern, there is one thing you can do in my opinion... Keep the truck stock and tell your son to drive responsibly. Awareness of what is going on around you goes a long way as well, so make sure he keeps that in mind.

At the same time, let him have some fun with it. He can make it a cool ride and his own without sacrificing safety. Could even lift it a bit and run some bigger tires. I'm sure he'd dig that.

If you have any questions on mods, feel free to ask.

 

When I first bought my rig back in 2003, I noticed I had sooooo much visibility. I also sat a little higher than your normal Camry or Accord.

With the mirrors adjusted correctly, t id a massively great job at lessening those blind spots. The more you see, the more you can avoid.

My Ex at the time drove a little Eclipse, and when she borrowed my truck, she had commented: "There's no sneaking up on me in that thing."

Hopefully, you won't have to find out about those airbags.

Isn't that mandatory?

Maybe a 1-2 inch body lift and some 31s on stock suspension will keep it controllable. I've had no troubles with mine with no body lift...just a little trimming