Johns Creek, Georgia, is a quiet, posh suburb about 30 minutes outside of Atlanta. If you are resident of this community, you know that one car is so popular it’s become a part of the town’s identity: the Jeep, specifically, the Wrangler. A hardcore offroading machine with unparalleled capabilities, a car that can go literally anywhere. In most people's minds, the Wrangler is the Jeep (as I will be referring to it.) With nearly 19,000 sales per month, it is undoubtedly the most popular car in Jeep's lineup; everybody from teenagers, soccer moms, businessman dads to retirees wants this hardcore, offroading machine. Why? So they can pick up groceries from Target, commute to work or pick up their kids from soccer practice. In fact, most Jeep Wranglers will spend their entire lives stuck on the pavement, never to be used to their full potential. It is quite possibly the saddest and the most tragic sight on our roads. Here's why no Jeep deserves to live its life stuck on the pavement.
1. It wasn't built just to dawdle around the suburbs.
The Jeeps are adventure machines, designed to climb the trails of Appalachian, crawl through Tongass National Forest, dash across the dunes of Mohave or according to General Eisenhower, win World War 2. All the technology its designers crammed under its hood means that it can withstand nature's toughest obstacles while still being a decent road car. Its prowess on rough terrains are only matched by cars like the Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser and the Mercedes-Benz G wagon; all three of these cars costs three times more than the Jeep. It's a shame, then, that most people who drive Jeeps in town are soccer moms wearing those humongous Tory Burch sunglasses and teenagers who vape like chimneys; the sort of people who probably don't know how to use the electronic sway bar disconnect system or engage the four-wheel-drive.
2. Most owners will ruin it
This is how most Wranglers will end up looking like: lifted higher than God himself and festooned with hideous rims and tires that are about 15 times bigger than the owner's head (or intelligence.) Most of these modifications are purely cosmetic, serving absolutely no functional purposes both on-road and off-road. So do they make the car look better, then? No. Let's be honest, most lifted Jeeps look outright hideous. Not only do they look terrible, fitting excessively big lift kits and big wheels (like the one above) will dramatically worsen its fuel economy, reduce engine power and put tremendous stress on vital components, basically killing the car.
3. It's actually not that good on the road
It's not terrible on the road, but because it was designed to be so good off-road, the Wrangler compromises in quite a lot of areas. Its chunky off-road tires don't handle asphalt well and produce a lot of noise, its ride is about as composed as that of a barge and its boxy design means the car is about as aerodynamic as Donald Trump's hair. And because it gets about as same gas mileage as a minivan (17 mpg on city and 21 mpg on highway), it's also much more expensive to feed for a car of its size. Unless you're actually an enthusiast who intends on going offroading every weekend, the Jeep is a compromise that's just not worth it.
4. You don't need it
As I mentioned, the Jeep Wrangler comes with a sophisticated four-wheel-drive system, electronic sway bar disconnect and limited-slip locking differentials to aid drivers on the world's most unforgiving terrains and harsh conditions. An average American suburb is not exactly a mountainous peril, is it? The Jeep is just not necessary in the suburbs. So dear soccer moms, there is nothing wrong with picking up your kids from school or soccer practice in a Honda Pilot, leave the Wranglers to the enthusiasts.
5. Jeep makes other great cars, too
Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Renegade, Compass and Patriot; these are all great SUVs in Jeep's lineup that's aren't the Wrangler. People seem to forget that Jeep makes other great products that are actually more practical, more fuel efficient, safer and generally better suited for the road than the Wrangler. They all have four-wheel-drive, too, so although their systems are not as complex as the one in the Wrangler, they can still handle bad weather conditions or even some moderate offroading superbly well. Give these guys some love they deserve.
6. Offroading is a great fun
