Nerobergstr
Well-Known Member
I actually have no issues with well executed unibodies either and as much as I do like solid axles, they are on borrowed time. I agree that as long as Jeep can keep printing money with the Wrangler (and those FWD minivans that bask in its off road glory), we get the benefit of a solid axle Jeep. Now Bronco comes into the picture and can do 99% of what most people use the Wrangler for, while still looking the part and simply driving better on the highway... seems like that might shake things up a bit. I think Maverick falls into the same category. It actually looks like a truck and has the credibility of a Ford, so that someone that wants a truck but doesn't really need an F150 can now make a better choice without buying a Ridgeline. I'll be watching Bronco and Maverick closely to see how this plays out. The other car that I keep coming back to is Subaru Crosstrek...Every time I took the Jeep out in the wood somewhere, I would come across someone in a Crosstrek with a Kayak on top. The only place I didn't see them was on the trails at Drummond Island, probably because there is not much to do out there other than climbing some rocks and testing your fording depth in the tank traps...neither of which is really that appealing to me in a $60k vehicle. After owning the Wrangler for a year, I kind of realized that most of the places I wanted to go seemed perfectly accessible by an underpowered unibody Subaru that costs half as much. They also have a decent and growing aftermarket (bumpers, lifts, winches, etc..) too. A Subaru is not a Jeep, but...I actually think the maverick makes sense for a large portion of truck owners. It reminds me of rabbit pickups.
I know this is a wrangler forum, but a well executed unibody is a great thing. A unibody today wouldn’t be a wet noodle like an xj. They offer much more stability when driving than a flexing ladder frame. Hell my WJ could be flexed out and still open the lift gate, something that took a prybar on my well worn XJ. I just wish Jeep would bring back a solid axle unibody vehicle, but it is not something that would make any market sense. While I am not a fan of the transverse motor fwd Jeep’s, those models are why we still have a hold out in light duty vehicles with solid axles. I was thoroughly expecting the JL to be released with at least IFS.
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