Jeep Wrangler - fun, fun, fun

We bought our first Jeep this year. It's a 2001 Jeep Wrangler SE, soft top, with fog lights and NO center console. We love it. We also recognize that it does have its drawbacks.

First - the good points. It's fun. Very fun.

It's also compact - parking in the city is a snap. Even I can parallel park the thing (and that's saying something!).

It is a very sturdy car. We can drive pretty much anywhere, in any kind of weather with our Jeep.

It's fun. Very fun.

Now, the drawbacks. It can be hard to get into and out of. But I don't think there are a lot of arthritic people buying this type of car, anyway. When we take our grandparents places, we just take our other car.

The cargo space is a bit lacking. Even with the back seat removed, there's not a whole lot of room back there. On the other hand, how much stuff do two people need? On lengthier camping trips, we've had to squish a bit, but we've managed to fit it all in.

The engine is quite noisy. It's not like a car - it's like a truck. Once I realized this, and stopped expecting the Jeep to sound like a car, I didn't notice the engine much. Still, we have the soft top, and conversation can be a bit challenging on the freeway.

It's very easy to break into. So, we just don't leave anything very valuable inside.

The last drawback - once you take the top down, you're relatively committed. Unlike a convertible, if you get caught in an unexpected rainstorm in a Jeep with the top down, it's quite a process to get it all put back up. With practice, the process doesn't have to take much time, but it's still time that you're standing out in the rain.

All in all, though - we looked at the drawbacks, and still decided that we could live with them. We love our Jeep and wouldn't trade it for anything. It just comes down to the fact that we LIKE it!