Where's the love for the 2dr JL

[Timmyjoe]

I hope the 2-door doesn't go away, but I've got mine, and don't plan on ever parting with it. Have loved Jeeps since I first considered buying one in 1979. Always the 2-door. Like others here have mentioned, the 4-door isn't a Jeep to me, it's an SUV. Yeah, it's an SUV based off of the Jeep, but it's still an SUV like all the millions of other SUV's on the road.

The 2-door on the other hand, that's a Jeep.

Best,
-Tim

Sponsored

 

[ads75]

The 2-door is definitely getting short changed. No diesel, Sahara trim, Select Trac, Moab, etc.

No Sahara/Select Trac/Moab are all pretty much the same thing. The Sahara trim is marketed as the "luxury" version, so I understand it not being available for the two door. There is a chance I would've gone with it had it been available, but probably still would've gone Rubicon. If there was no 2 door Rubicon, I probably would've still gone Sport S.

I guess someone could also say no skytouch, but how many of those actually sell? If they sold really well, at their price, FCA would probably develop one for the 2 door, but realistically, why bother.

I doubt Jeep would kill the 2 door, even though the 4 door significantly sells more. The fact is, 2 doors still sell. It is what most people think of when they think Jeep. It isn't a huge change to the manufacturing process, a lot of the parts are the same. Where I work, I think I have seen 4 JLs in the parking lots, 1 Moab with Skytouch, and 3 Rubicons, all two door. There may be other 4 door JLs in the lot, but I haven't noticed them. I think the manual is a bigger risk of getting killed than the two door. And I don't see that going away unless they develop new powertrains.

The biggest problem for the two door is the after market support, which I understand. Not everyone makes 2 door rock rails. Also it seems a lot of lifts/shocks are designed for the weight/geometry of the 4 door. There are two door options out there, just not as plentiful.

 

[Jennalee]

My dealership was skeptical, to say the least, when I factory ordered my 2 door Punk'n Orange Rubicon, with a manual trans, and all the options. They thought that if I changed my mind, they'd never be able to sell it. Then when it finally showed up, they told me that they had people coming up to check it out all day long

I felt like mine was too. He asked me, ”are you sure you want me to put the order in?” Then he didn’t put the order in until the next day. He was probably waiting to see if I would change my mind. I had a feeling he didn’t want to get stuck with a 2 door soft top that would be hard to sell.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

I felt like mine was too. He asked me, ”are you sure? Do you want me to put the order in?” Then he didn’t put the order in until the next day. He was probably waiting to see if I would change my mind. I had a feeling he didn’t want to get stuck with a 2 door soft top that would be hard to sell.

They were afraid I wouldn't be able to get a loan for mine. They just thought I was some dumb kid with eyes bigger than my wallet

 

[multicam]

Tanner, I disagree with the position expressed in your statement. A wide stance 4-door is not a Jeep (commonly accepted definition), it is an SUV. By todays nanny standards it may fit, but to me it is just another factor in the evolution of this enjoyable hobby. A wider stance came along somewhere in the mid 80s due to a bunch of reckless yayhoos that did not respect the vehicle they were in control of. Their poor behaviour became a legal liability to AMC so management tasked their engineers to accommodate government pressure concerning safety standards.

I will admit there were more pucker factor events with the old axles in the narrow track variation. Your point concerning stability is well taken and truly is a concern with the current marketing audience. The current audience is more risk aversive and lean towards a comfy ride during their off-road exploits, differing from the audience of just 30 years ago. Go back 50 years and Jeepers were mostly self sufficient in nature and possessed a pioneering spirit.

I do agree it is a sad time for fans of the traditional Jeep. And, I also accept the rights of others to do as they please with their enjoyment of the hobby, within legal limits.

I think you misunderstood me. By “should always have been four-door with a wider stance” I meant like since its origin as a military vehicle. Look what replaced it- the HMMWV, which I believe does the job much better than military jeeps used to do. I understand why the original jeep was so small, and it worked in its day, but over time we outgrew it. Maybe in the late 60’s - early 70’s they could have looked at upscaling the jeep instead of replacing it. The current 4-door is just an effort to keep the brand alive and thankfully it’s working.

 

[Lou Bunn]

I get the nostalgia for the old stuff, but c'mon, I grew up in the 70's. The old 60's muscle cars that sell for crazy amounts now at auctions - hell, they were just old used cars to us. They were cheap, simple, ran fast and handled like crap. We all had wide back tires, skinny fronts, air shocks, 8 tracks, no power streering, brakes, windows, door locks, AC etc. I use to keep extra clothes in my trunk because by the time I got to my girlfriend's house my back was wet with sweat from the August heat and those wonderful vy-nell seats! My first car was a 1972 Z-28, LT1 with 4 speed and 4:10 posi, my dad must have had a hell of an insurance policy on my ass to let me go out at 16 with a car like that! Now, cars are much easier to drive and have computers to save you when you do something dumb. Me? I scared myself enough to learn NOT to do dumb stuff, got out, thanked God and went on with life, a little smarter. Things change, it's a continious deal, I wouldn't want my kids (well, they're in their 20's) but still I wouldn't want them out and about on an old CJ-5 and I anybody else would either.

 

[Laststand]

I get the nostalgia for the old stuff, but c'mon, I grew up in the 70's. The old 60's muscle cars that sell for crazy amounts now at auctions - hell, they were just old used cars to us. They were cheap, simple, ran fast and handled like crap. We all had wide back tires, skinny fronts, air shocks, 8 tracks, no power streering, brakes, windows, door locks, AC etc. I use to keep extra clothes in my trunk because by the time I got to my girlfriend's house my back was wet with sweat from the August heat and those wonderful vy-nell seats! My first car was a 1972 Z-28, LT1 with 4 speed and 4:10 posi, my dad must have had a hell of an insurance policy on my ass to let me go out at 16 with a car like that! Now, cars are much easier to drive and have computers to save you when you do something dumb. Me? I scared myself enough to learn NOT to do dumb stuff, got out, thanked God and went on with life, a little smarter. Things change, it's a continious deal, I wouldn't want my kids (well, they're in their 20's) but still I wouldn't want them out and about on an old CJ-5 and I anybody else would either.

Damn, you had me having flashbacks. 1967 Olds Cutlass with a Rocket 400 V8 - it did have seatbelts (not that we ever thought to use them, at least with any consistency). Old restored cars look great but give me the modern ones any day for daily driving.

 

[aldo98229]

I used to dream of owning a 1968-73 Dodge Dart Swinger; I love those cars. One day I found one with low miles at a good price, so I went to test drive it.

It had a 3-speed TorqueFlite on the column, which was state-of-the-art back then. It had no power brakes so I had to stomp on the pedal to get the thing to stop. The steering wandered all over the road and the wheel was as thick as my pinky. The bench seat was higher in the center, so I kept being shoved against the door, and the seat had this ceaseless bounce. It had no AC, no power windows, no power locks, and an AM radio with a speaker in the middle of the dashboard.

We forget but that’s how cars were back then.

It was a good experience, though. Since then, whenever I see a mint SJ Wagoneer or a vintage Dodge Power Wagon, that test drive brings me back to reality. I then turn on the heated steering wheel and crank up Pandora through my million-speaker Alpine sound system...

 

[2k6_tx_Dad]

I've had my 2020 JLR for 3 weeks now, love it. It's a 2 door 6spd, making it the least popular combination. It's going to be un-sellable. Which is fine by me, I'll just have to hang on to it.

Shown here in what I call "Bronco mode"

 

[Sharkbite22]

Nothing but 2 door manuals for me through the years:

And, wrong type of 2 door manual but I still miss it!

 

[Pappy11]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]Well If it Makes you Feel any Better I just traded in a 2 door JK

 

[3TV]

I think you misunderstood me. By “should always have been four-door with a wider stance” I meant like since its origin as a military vehicle. Look what replaced it- the HMMWV, which I believe does the job much better than military jeeps used to do. I understand why the original jeep was so small, and it worked in its day, but over time we outgrew it. Maybe in the late 60’s - early 70’s they could have looked at upscaling the jeep instead of replacing it. The current 4-door is just an effort to keep the brand alive and thankfully it’s working.

The original Jeep was a military vehicle, built to meet the military's required specifications. The Military wanted them small, narrow, and lightweight, so they could transport more of them, easier, on transport ships, landing crafts, airplanes, etc. The original Jeep had to be "less than x-inches wide, less than y-inches tall, etc.

 

[multicam]

The original Jeep was a military vehicle, built to meet the military's required specifications. The Military wanted them small, narrow, and lightweight, so they could transport more of them, easier, on transport ships, landing crafts, airplanes, etc. The original Jeep had to be "less than x-inches wide, less than y-inches tall, etc.

Oh I know how the acquisitions process works, I’m saying that as needs changed, and as they required more and more payload, capabilities and different configurations, they could have developed a larger Jeep to meet those needs. Instead, AM General stepped in with the HMMWV.

 

[Kluk Ztopolovky]

It was a nice Jeep. All pictures are gone about two computers ago, and the rest were stolen by Photobucket.

that's too bad but the pictures are probably well alive in your memory and that's what counts most

 

[Mikeoso]

Ok, first...I've been driving Jeeps since the 60s. My first one was a '49 Willys. My current ride is a 2 door....as were all of my previous ones.

However, I cant worry about the distinction between a "Jeep" and an "SUV" and a "truck". The original nomenclature was "truck 1/4 ton 4x4", and automotive historians agree that Jeeps were the first SUVs.

I'm not bothered by too many non-2 door Wranglers or too many non-Wrangler Jeeps.... I always thought as a name Wrangler was a dumb replacement for CJ. There have been Jeep products that didnt look like an MB since the '40s.

I'm also not bothered by too many people driving Jeeps, or by people driving Jeeps that never go off-road. I'm not even offended by people in Jeeps who dont wave. To me Jeeps are not a hobby or a lifestyle or an exclusive fraternity, and they dont have a thing to do with my identity, masculinity, or attitudes about the world. I dont feel special because of how many doors are on my ride.

Jeeps are vehicles, of various conformations, with varying uses. Jeep builds what they think will sell, and people buy what they want to drive.

Sponsored