Jeep snobbery - RANT

[entropy]

Yeah, it is all matter of perspective. When you live in Calfironia, the rest of the country --with the exception of NYC-- seem so cheap!

It all worked out nicely for me though: I moved there in my 30s, and with the equity I accumulated in my home I was able to buy a nice house here in WA.

Thats my plan! lol. Maybe in 30years from now Ill be enjoying the WA wilderness in a Sahara JX.

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[OminousSkitter]

I've noticed location really matters on things like other Jeep owners waving back. I bought my Sport in the DC area. Virginia, Georgia, and Texas, most people waved first or back. Heber City (Park City), no one waved. Oregon, no one waved until I installed a winch, and then everyone did.

I probably can be accused of snobbery by some. Pulling into an RV park to visit friends, I don't want to talk to every single Jeep owner I pass -- normally at least 3 other wranglers on the weekends. Sure, stop by the campfire, enjoy a beer, talk Jeep, but not as I'm parking.

The only people that have told me I should have bought a "real" Jeep (read: Rubicon) were non-Jeep owners.

 

[aldo98229]

One thing we’ve noticed is it seems like they make and sell more rubicons than anything. On JKS, the sport was the huge seller. I love all JLs and find a benefit within all trim lines

brett

FCA won't break down sales by trim. But when I was shopping for a JL, I found roughly 2 used Saharas for every Rubicon. I ended buying new just because used ones cost as much as new.

But again, I think a lot of it has to do with FCA flooding the rental market with JL Saharas

 

[Ohio Hiker]

Perhaps the fact that FCA flooded the rental car lots with JL Saharas hasn't helped either.

can't blame FCA for that issue. those rental companies order what they want.

 

[jakebrake]

Here is my question when it comes to snobbery. Whatever you're buying, are you going to treat it like a museum piece?

If you're not, rock on! I'll see you on the trail. I'll be the guy driving the ugly YJ along with my wife driving the very nice JL Rubicon.

 

[Ohio Hiker]

I'm a Sahara owner but was originally looking at Sport S with the options I wanted. I ended up with the Sahara at a comparable price tag. Mine will eventually go froading. I've swapped in a Rubi suspension and Rubi tires. I'm going to say it will eventually go to a Mall too . I dont care what any snobs say, I got what I wanted and am modding it how I want. I see pavement princesses in every trim.People buy them for their own reasons. If they want to buy a Jeep and never go froading, that's their call. It doesn't hurt my feelings.

 

[nostatic]

Dick swinging happens in any community of interest/practice. For instance, I've been active for a long time on a bass guitar forum. Invariably there are those that routinely rant about expensive instruments - "waste of money", "poser", etc. Others will look down on those with cheap or "beginner" instruments. Some decry certain styles or techniques - "real players don't use picks", etc.

I have a pretty much stock Sport. In my neighborhood there are two JK owners with fairly modified rigs who regularly off-road. Zero attitude from either of them towards me or my Sport.

In any case, any population of people will have some who are cool and some who are dicks. Some are welcoming, some are exclusionary. Same as it ever was...

 

[conFUcius]

I’m building a Fast and Furious Street Jeep so I got a Rubicon just cause, haha.

Honestly, though, I don’t care what trim people drive. Don’t really care what people think about whether I overpaid for a Rubicon that may never crawl but just overland. Bought what I like and wanted that I thought I got a great deal on.

You do you and what makes you happy. I’ll wave either way at anyone I encounter.

See everyone at the mall!

 

[emptyminded42]

Do Sport owners get this too?

One of the nice things of being part of the Jeep community was the feeling of close camaraderie, no matter what Wrangler you drove. I never felt I had to justify to anyone that I drove a Sahara or a 2-door. A Wrangler was a Wrangler and that was that.

Feel free to reply, agree, disagree, joke, flame, share your hypothesis, but please let’s keep it civil.

If we do, I haven't noticed. Sometimes I feel slightly self-conscious about not having a Rubicon but I also know I got an absolute steal on my 4-door Sport S and frankly I'll probably never need any more capability than I already have, even with all-season light truck tires.

However so far this forum has had some of the most rude and inflammatory comments if you ever decide to have a contrary opinion on ESS or anything else that comes close to politics. I find that far more offputting than elitism about options/trim packages. Every enthusiast forum has people that spend way more than others on mods, options, and trim levels.

Hell, if I were gonna re-do my purchase and were OK with spending a few thou more I'd be in a 6MT Sahara with some options beyond a hard top.

I wave to every Wrangler I see on the street, period. And I get a lot of waves back.

 

[OminousSkitter]

so far this forum has had some of the most rude and inflammatory comments if you ever decide to have a contrary opinion on ESS or anything else that comes close to politics.

This.

 

[neil]

I've encountered it too in a month of ownership. New JLUR, but really had not spent time with anything past the non-fuel injected square headlight days. All of a sudden there are all these people telling me what I need-some of it's really great advise-and it is usually coming out of the mouth of someone my age who has 20-40 yrs off-roading.

The people who don't like my jeep:
1) Are not paying for it or maintaining it.
2) Probably don't fly fish as much as I do during the spring summer all over the place (32K miles this yr).
3) Probably have not camped out in their lifetime what I have this year.
4) More worried about the jones'.

I am looking at a full time 4wd jeep for the wife. Why, cause she wants one. And it's going to be loaded and stay stock and prob get subjected to more abuse than other's jeeps.

Get what you want, go enjoy it, and avoid those people.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

No Rubicon, no care. Your opinion is invalid.

Nah, that’s sarcasm. I think probably Rubicon snobbery is real to some extent but as an earlier poster stated, for myself as a Rubicon owner I see it in the opposite direction just as much. I’m amazed how many times I try to learn from “OG” Jeepers - you know, the guys who give you side eye for not having owned 2 or 3 of every model Jeep since the CJ days - and they give me grief because I should have “bought a base Sport to learn how to wheel “properly” because having bought a Rubicon off the bat I’ll never learn how to do it “the right way” with smaller tires, no lockers, etc., etc.”. These are the exact same guys that advise anyone who wants to learn race driving that they have to learn in a stock Miata and track it before they take their 911 out for a track day. I saw an instructor actually tell a guy this and he was serious.

I’m old and mature enough now to not take offense from blowhard know it alls. Some of them truly mean well. I learn what I can from them and ignore the “it’s only a real Jeep if you buy a Sport and spend years and tens of thousands of dollars building it piece by piece” rhetoric.

Not everyone has as much money as I do to put into a Jeep. That doesn’t make them any less than me. I don’t have nearly the money that some people do to throw into their Jeeps. That doesn’t make me any less than them. At the end of the day, I respect anyone’s Jeep and choices. Except angry grille Jeeps. They can all die in a fire.

Also, “should have bought a Rubicon!”

 

[Ohio Hiker]

Probably don't fly fish as much as I do during the spring summer all over the place (32K miles this yr)

Neil, I think you have an addiction. Should we start an intervention?

 

[aldo98229]

can't blame FCA for that issue. those rental companies order what they want.

That’s not entire true. Automakers will push certain vehicles onto rentals if they want to boost sales figures.

The % of Wranglers going into fleet sales went from near zero under JK to 25% under JL. FCA executives wanted to make sure that JL sales “looked favorably” relative to JK.

 

[neil]

Neil, I think you have an addiction. Should we start an intervention?

It will not end well as i've had discussions with concerned family members already. To have this discussion we must first go fishing and hike a peak or two, by then they see things my way.

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