"Jeep's real customer base..." Article: How the Jeep Wrangler went from rock crawler to luxury SUV

[SH556JL]

Jeeps expensive... I work a senior blue collar position for a large employer. I should be able to afford my Rubicon and the nice 1 bedroom apartment in town on my income. That's not asking for much... My income isn't small by any means, in fact it's high for a high school drop out (I make college graduate income, if not more).

If I wanted the really nice apartment, I would need a paid off car...

EDIT:
We need the Suzuki Jimny.

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[YJdude]

@flyer92 You hit the nail on the head. There are plenty of fanboys on this site that will defend ANYTHING Jeep does or doesn't do....and that's cool, nothing wrong with it.
My 21 JL will also be my last, regardless of where prices go. The Wrangler has gone far away from what drew me to them. I don't want a luxury car..I want a Jeep.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

Who cares what ABC says. Make it your own, all you need is money and skill or more money and pay someone else with the skills. A stock sport JL is probably far more capable than TJ stock.

Wrangler SUV upgrades has been happening since 2007 perhaps 1998 depending on who you talk to. CJs were garbage, total junk like most 70's and 80's models from every manufacture.

As for price!!! LOL yeah they are way out their in lala land now. Not worth it after 50k in my opinion. Besides the special ones but even 392 is 20k too much.

 

[YJdude]

Morrison said the latest version of the Wrangler solves his one complaint with the SUV.

"I can now drive 80 mph and talk to my mom on the phone," he said.


ha ok! I guess I'll trade in my 2019 for the 2024 version with thicker carpets so I can also talk to my mom on the phone going 80 mph.

Chances are "Morrison" lives in his parents basement, eating free meals and talking mommy into helping him out with mod purchases while she does his laundry.

 

[SadRobot]

Chances are "Morrison" lives in his parents basement, eating free meals and talking mommy into helping him out with mod purchases while she does his laundry.

Ha well point taken but I believe they were quoting "Jim Morrison, Senior Vice President and Head of Jeep North America."

So I guess this was his pitch to get people to buy his product.

 

[LCW]

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/jeep-unveiled-114k-wrangler-sold-1-hour/story?id=99060728

We all knew the Wrangler was destined for this since the Rubicon was first introduced, but it's sad to see the blatant admission of it in print. Having driven everything from the WWII-era Willys MB to all manner of CJs, TJ, and now the JL, this is truly sad to see. When only "affluent people" (their words, not mine) can afford a vehicle that should be attainable for most people, coupled with terrible customer service and questionable reliability, it's clear that the brand has truly reached new low.

After decades of ownership, it's sad to say that my current JL is the last Wrangler I will ever buy. Even worse, is that it even affects other potential alternatives (Bronco, Taco, 4Runner, etc.) because it drives the entire market into the "...more premium space." This includes the pre-owned market too, leaving almost no reasonably affordable choice for middle-class America. Assuredly, this isn't how the progenitors of the brand envisioned its evolution, and is just another casualty of our declining economic/social situation. After all these years as a loyal Jeep owner, I'm simply heartbroken.

Maybe a Roxor is in your future.

 

[YJdude]

Ha well point taken but I believe they were quoting "Jim Morrison, Senior Vice President and Head of Jeep North America."

So I guess this was his pitch to get people to buy his product.

LOL!!! I believe you're right. Morrison sounds like a millennial.

 

[YJdude]

Maybe a Roxor is in your future.

I would absolutely take an early Roxor (the one before the appearance change) before buying another new JL.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

Roxor pushing 30k for all weather one.

 

[Shibadog]

The loaded JLU is trying awful hard to be a G-wagon. We’ve even got the 392 to compete with the AMG model.

 

[Kyanche]

When I bought my JL I was out the door for 32k with a vehicle that's miles more capable than any of the other Jeeps I've owned in the past 50 years.. and it still had lots of stuff I dont need. Not talking about safety features, either. 14 display readouts on the digital speedo, massive overkill on the base entertainment unit, trick lights and USBs everywhere, tinted glass.

First off, adorable picture!

Second: In a vehicle made in this day and age, those features come "for free". It would almost certainly cost more to make a 1980s style radio with a mechanical tuner and those clunk-clunk mode buttons. Especially if it had a cassette deck.

Likewise, the computer system for managing the engine has to be there. It's the only way you'll get so much horsepower out of a V6 that produces really clean emissions. The little LCD on the sport probably didn't even cost $10.

The lights and USBs are another way to cheaply add a lot of value. Again in this day and age with people wanting to charge their phones while they drive, and power things like dashcams and maybe even other stuff.. it's basically the electronic version of a power take off for running tractor equipment lol. Ok that one's a bit of a stretch.

I'd argue the push button start system is the same. I have no doubt that a mechanical ignition would cost more. Especially to make it properly (look at what happens when you don't - you either end up with the GM ignition shutoff scandal, or the Kia Boyz car theft scandal).

The base model radio is a weird exception. Since it has knobs and buttons built into it and uses a really old computer and screen, I wouldn't be surprised if the bill of materials actually cost more than a 8.4" radio today. Then again, those are probably just leftovers. The 2024 switched over to a 12" screen on everything that is probably just cheaper to make. An astute engineer would probably try and find the most common model used not just on Stellantis vehicles but cars by other companies, to come up with the lowest cost screen.

I think a lot of frustration comes not from the existence of said electronics, but in the name of cost cutting, a lot of bad decisions get made. For example, removing buttons and knobs! I hate it!! That's purely cost cutting! It's way cheaper to throw a touchscreen inside that handles everything - probably more reliable too since you just have 1 module that requires power instead of a dozen.

But then the really cheap wire harnesses with crappy connectors that fall apart when you try to remove your doors for example. Or the not-waterproof ECU or the cheap plastic fusebox TIPM thing. Those things are done purely for cost cutting reasons and they shouldn't cheap out on those features like that.

Anyway, the article.. I think they're sensationalizing a bit. A sport 4 door still has an MSRP of around $36 for now. That's $5k more than a base model Ford Mustang. (I know right?! That price sure went up!)

I remember when the wrangler unlimited first came out. IIRC the MSRP for a 4 door sahara was something like $28k. They were way the heck cheaper! They were also really badly made lol.

 

[Oncorhynchus]

Average new car price in 2023 is a hair under $50,000 so clearly many can or are purchasing them. $31k is a cheap price compared to the average in 2023.

This is an important point. Car prices overall are getting out of reach for middle class families.

 

[LCW]

I would absolutely take an early Roxor (the one before the appearance change) before buying another new JL.

Yeah the new front end is hideous. Damn legal.

 

[Paluss]

Progress and change is always hard to understand initially. I appreciate the enthusiast point of view of a base vehicle, but I also appreciate the upgrades that make the JL competitive in the SUV market. I like the leather heated seats and steering wheel, the Unconnect and all of its features, I like the remote start, towing package, etc.

Most car manufacturers that refuse to upgrade and invest in new engineering and technology usually fail. I owned 2 SAAB 900s turbo back in the day, SAAB was ahead of the industry at one point, with front wheel drive and turbo charging, and then they rested on their laurels and became obsolete.....

 

[Oncorhynchus]

Jeeps expensive... I work a senior blue collar position for a large employer. I should be able to afford my Rubicon and the nice 1 bedroom apartment in town on my income. That's not asking for much... My income isn't small by any means, in fact it's high for a high drop out (I make college graduate income if not more).

If I wanted the really nice apartment, I would need a paid off car...

EDIT:
We need the Suzuki Jimny.

Another vote for the JMNY. If Ford could do for pick up trucks what it did with the Maverick, one of the makers could do it for the 4x4 crowd. Wouldn’t be surprised if KIA does it. There is a reasonablly sized global market segment for a bare bones non-pavement capable box on wheels.

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