Jeep - It's a lifestyle. Not for everyone

The best thing about a Jeep is the soft top. Yes, many people complain about it. But it's really a blessing in disguise.

Adapt your lifestyle to the Jeep instead of trying to transform the vehicle to suit your non-Jeep lifestyle. You will be glad. It will set you apart from the crowd and set you free of much unnecessary materialistic stress.

It was originally designed for the battle fields of WWII, not for satisfying a panel of consumer critics. What other car on the road has that in its history?

I have a 97 Wrangler. 32x11.5 tires. 3 inches lift. Soft top. No windows all the way around. I have them but chose not to install them until the rain season starts.
I allowed to force me to be simpler. I love driving it, especially to the mountains. Since I bought this vehicle, I've been going out backpacking much more than before, instead of sitting on the couch and channel surf every weekend.

And women dig it! I get jealous looks from guys in sports cars and SUV's all the time cuz their women keep glancing over. It's great.

Don't want hair flying in your face? A beanie hat or baseball cap solves the problem. Worried about your stuff? Don't leave it in the vehicle. Buy an insta-trunk and store a few small and medium sized things in there when you need to. Otherwise, leave it empty. There are numerous sizes of lockable storage in a variety of style you can get for the Jeep.

The engine noise is louder than any SUV. And I like that way. Gas mileage is on the low side when compared to a small SUV. So what. I get 18mpg mixed highway and city even with those big tires. It's not all that bad. But you drive a jeep! It's cool and rugged. So what if you gotta stop at the gas station a few more times. It's a small price for the what you get out of it.

Take out the back seat and it feels even more rugged and free. And it lightens the vehicle. The small turning radius is great for city parking. The short wheelbase makes it handle a bit twitchy at higher speeds. So before you get used to it, don't go speeding around those mountain swtichbacks... cuz you might oversteer and find yourself over-correcting. The ride is choppy. Yes, it's part of the "rugged" thing. It means this vehicle is built for driving on surfaces and over obstacles that those polished SUV's get stuck on.

The 97 and later models (TJ body) come stock with 4-wheel coil suspension so they're more comfortable on the road and also allow for better wheel travel for off-road.

Another big plus for the Jeep is the availability of aftermarket parts. Go to eBay, JCWhitney, or just do an internet search and see for yourself.