shabbernigdo

i dont really mind the mainstream part so much as the people that come along with it. for example people who buy a jeep then cry about fuel economy or cry about it not riding and driving like a benz. jeeps do have some valid issues but people who just nitpic the small shit get really anoying really fast. o yeah and people who pay 20 30 k for a jeep then slap the cheapest crap they can find on it for mods or mod without knowing what they are doing then blame the jeep when it rides like shit or dosent work properly. this kind of turned into a rant : p

feroxjb

Concur. Concur!!

tramp

been driving a wrangler since 77
never worried about it

saharaharry

We have had Jeeps in the driveway since 94, Wranglers since 97. Back then in the age of TJs you were quite a bit unique. The wave was answered 9 out of 10 times. The 10th, perhaps the driver was not paying attention. Now, who knows. A Wrangler 2 doors or 4 doors is an entirely different vehicle. So its appeal has broadened. I like seeing these Jeeps now-adays and wonder after these people actually know what they have done to it or how to use it properly. Can't get in the way of progress, keep driving, keep waving and ENJOY yourself!

arjeeper

I think it's great. There have always been Jeep owners that don't get the Jeep culture.

But for every Jeep sold, we have a chance of another convert to Jeep fanaticism and that helps build and protect the brand.

Some good friends of mine recently bought their first Wrangler, a 2013 JKR. They had to bring t over to show me.

I took them out to an offroad park and showed them some basics. We had a blast. Maybe another life long convert!

If we can get this many people to buy a solid front axle vehicle we really do have hope of keeping the Wrangler real!

bbolander

I think that Jeep going mainstream with the JK has had big benefits for us. Much more comfortable, modern interiors and conveniences, a lot more power and better mpg, better ride and still all of the 4wd capability. Makes it easy for the JK to be a daily driver and a long tripper as well as a most capable off-road vehicle. We're the winners!

Has nothing to do with how many are sold, who drives them or who waves for me.

datblackjk

not really, i just hate all the soccer moms that dont wave back smh

mr72

Uh-oh. Not the dreaded SOCCER MOMS!

For three decades or more now there has been a contingent of "moms" or other suburbanites who have chosen off-road capable SUVs mostly for their tough appearance, the feeling that since they are heavy and tough they must be safe, etc. Used to be everyone made a body-on-frame midsize SUV with part-time 4WD, many with solid axles, etc. Ford Explorer, XJ, 4Runner, Pathfinder, Montero, Land Rover Discovery, Grand Cherokee, Bronco&Tahoe, the old Grand Wagoneer, Xterra, etc. Even the earlier "crossover" SUVs had a modicum of toughness and off-road capability, at least in their DNA and appearance, including the first Honda Pilots, Rav4s, etc. But today, almost all of these vehicles have either been discontinued altogether or have evolved into a unibody crossover that's a lot closer to a mini-van or a slightly jacked-up station wagon than a real off-road capable SUV.

So now that you can't buy a LRD, Pathfinder or Cherokee with solid axles and a ladder frame, this class of buyers is left with fewer choices, and many of them are buying JKUs. Suffice to say, they are not buying Jeeps because they have any interest whatsoever in the "Jeep culture" whatever that is. They are buying Sahara JKUs with hard tops because they feel like they are in a solid, safe, tough vehicle. 20 years ago they would have bought a Ford Explorer, an XJ Cherokee or a Land Rover Discovery. They have no Jeep affinity. They just want to feel safe and look tough.

It's not so much that the appeal of the JK has expanded, as much as it is that there are fewer competitors with the Wrangler's classic appeal. And of course the addition of the 4-door has opened up a huge market segment just at the time when it is being underserved by other automakers.

warpeg

No, it does not.

mr72

It's kind of chicken-and-egg, right? Did the JK appeal to more buyers because of these improvements, or did FCA make these improvements because more potential buyers demanded it? Probably a little of both. Probably FCA sees everyone else tapering off of the old-school SUV template and they figure they have a platform that can be enhanced to appeal to that market segment, so they lengthen the chassis, add two more doors and a much more usable back seat, way more cargo space, AND improve the ride and interior trim and power and fuel economy, wound up making a vehicle that can appeal to a broader base of buyers and meet the demand where other automakers created a vacuum.