crunked said:
Plain and simple, the Jeep lineup has been based on off road ability since its inception.
Disagreed - at least somewhat. Not every Jeep (as you point out) has been 4WD. More:
Yes, there are 2x4 Jeeps. The XJs were always available as 2wd, as were all of the modern SUV Jeeps. Those suvs are large market...the CJ/s and Wranglers NEVER were. Plain and simple, a 2wd universal is just WRONG WRONG WRONG.
What about the Jeepsters? Or 2WD J-Trucks? Or DJs, forward-controls, and others that weren't 4WD during the CJ era? Jeep has a long history of making 4WD vehicles and this is what most people associate them with - but in my mind, their vehicles have always been about being flexible in a general-purpose sense first, with off-road capability as a nice bonus
where specified.
Alot dont get put into 4wd much if ever...but you still CAN. The 4x4 wranglers are fine and the rubi's are great...but the fact is 4x4 is an OPTION.
True, but is a 2WD JK really any worse than, say, a 2WD or AWD KJ, WJ, or WK? In either case, the owner likely doesn't care about off-road ability; they just want something that fits their needs.
The very image of a Jeep is one of a capable vehicle and thats what people see when they see a Jeep.
Absolutely. But that's perception, not reality. And really, the people buying all the 2WD models are helping to subsidise production costs of the 4WD versions, in turn making
them cheaper and more accessible.
To defend my toyota statment earlier, a rear LOCKER in a new wrangler will set you back about 8 large over a base model 4x4...yeah you get a front one and a 4.0-1 xfer case with that.
Right, but this is still comparing apples and oranges. More:
Know how much one in a FJ cruiser will run? $340 with NO package requirements.
Okay, but a base FJ Cruiser runs $21,710 vs. $18,765 for a 2-door JK (and I'll admit that Toyota's website requires a plugin only supported under Windows in order to configure a car, so I can't do a more direct comparison right now). That $3000 difference gives you a lot of wiggle room in the specification of the Jeep - and as I understand it, a locker in only the rear in addition to the swaybar disconnect system is going to be made optional fairly soon on non-Rubicon models.
Im not saying the FJ will out wheel a rubicon, but for the price and reputation of reliability It is definitely worth a look. To me this is all about Jeep turning its back on what got them where they are. They survived kaiser back in the day, maybe dailmer holds a grudge.
I've noticed something interesting: historically, every time a new generation of Jeeps come out there's intially resistance to them, then people start using them for their intended purpose and after a few years they're gradually accepted into the fold. We're seeing the same thing here.
Plus ca change, plus ca meme.
