Paul, F the Wrangler, it's too small to do any serious work. And if you're looking to be a homeowner eventually, you'll need something that you can haul house supplies in. I'd recommend a '99-'01 Jeep Cherokee (like mine). We know the cargo area is big enough to put a motor in
and the 4.0 is bulletproof. Only 8.5:1 compression, so it runs fine on regular gas. My truck gets around 14-15 mpg around town, and near 20 mpg on the highway. I paid under $11K last year for my '01, with just 48K miles on it.
The '99-'04 Grand Cherokees are slightly less reliable; my mom has had issues with hers, and they actually settled with Chrysler as part of a lemon-law suit. That thing would warp front brakes every 6 months!
And Ian, you'd sell out the XJ?