My biggest concern is buying something then ending up having to put a lot more money into it for it to run correctly. I don't know much about jeeps. Any advice?
Running correctly or not, it's been my experience that I spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about putting money & stuff into my Jeep. I traded in a KJ and bought a 2012 JK pretty much stock and I'm only few grand away from what I'd like at a minimum. Soon after I got it I spent about $600 at Quadratec on mostly cosmetic type stuff that I installed myself. Now I want better/bigger tires, possible lift, winch, spare tinted windows, tonneau cover, etc, etc. It's a sickness that I heard about but didn't experience til I got one (and I have no regrets--my wife, maybe, lol).
I always wanted a Wrangler and for one reason or another it didn't work out, but now I'm hooked. If you get one, you'll probably love it but count on spending money. There's no limit to customizing and if you decide to do some off road stuff, you'll probably need stuff and want stuff beyond whatever you already have. But it's worth every penny.