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Which grill was/is the best?

Which grill was/is the best?


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Dynomite1371

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I think JL ties them all together perfectly.
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multicam

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For a little thread necromancy, Iā€™ll throw my carefully considered ranking in the ring.

GF > TJ > CJ > JL > YJ > JK.

Naturally, the GF wins. It cooks me food. If my jeepā€™s grille is ever hot enough to cook me food, we have issues.

Thereā€™s just something about the proportions of the TJā€™s grille that make it perfect in its simplicity yet complex in its awesomeness. The CJ comes next, because heritage. The JL is next. It does an excellent job of paying homage to both the CJ and YJ. The YJ is second to last for me. As much as I loved my YJ it just couldnā€™t match up to the other 3. Thereā€™s nothing particularly offensive about it though, and I never had issues with square headlights.

Last: the JK. That grille is an abomination of automotive design and an affront to every jeep before and after it. Why does it have the Jeep emblem? We know itā€™s a jeep. It would be like if Ford put the blue oval on the Mustangā€™s grille. The Jeep emblem leads to the next issue: proportions. The grille openings donā€™t go high enough up because of the jeep logo and if you take the logo off youā€™re left with the large empty useless space. Notice on every other Jeep the openings go more or less all the way to the top of the grille. Last, like the rest of the JK, itā€™s an unbroken flat surface without any character lines to break up the monotony of its huge ugly flatness. This is something the JL fixed all over the place, not just the grille.

So, uh... yeah. Thatā€™s my opinion on the grilles. Pretty sure itā€™s obvious that I just wanted to rant about the JK so... sorry bout that.

Edit: you know what? I take back my top three (after GF of course). The TJ, CJ and JL are all tied for first. TJ because itā€™s perfect, CJ because heritage, JL because it ties in design elements of all prior jeeps that matter: the placement of the signals on the fenders (TJ), the curve for the slot near the headlamp (CJ) and the rake (YJ).

The YJ is second, JK still last of course.
 
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eck

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For a little thread necromancy, Iā€™ll throw my carefully considered ranking in the ring.

GF > TJ > CJ > JL > YJ > JK.

Naturally, the GF wins. It cooks me food. If my jeepā€™s grille is ever hot enough to cook me food, we have issues.

Thereā€™s just something about the proportions of the TJā€™s grille that make it perfect in its simplicity yet complex in its awesomeness. The CJ comes next, because heritage. The JL is next. It does an excellent job of paying homage to both the CJ and YJ. The YJ is second to last for me. As much as I loved my YJ it just couldnā€™t match up to the other 3. Thereā€™s nothing particularly offensive about it though, and I never had issues with square headlights.

Last: the JK. That grille is an abomination of automotive design and an affront to every jeep before and after it. Why does it have the Jeep emblem? We know itā€™s a jeep. It would be like if Ford put the blue oval on the Mustangā€™s grille. The Jeep emblem leads to the next issue: proportions. The grille openings donā€™t go high enough up because of the jeep logo and if you take the logo off youā€™re left with the large empty useless space. Notice on every other Jeep the openings go more or less all the way to the top of the grille. Last, like the rest of the JK, itā€™s an unbroken flat surface without any character lines to break up the monotony of its huge ugly flatness. This is something the JL fixed all over the place, not just the grille.

So, uh... yeah. Thatā€™s my opinion on the grilles. Pretty sure itā€™s obvious that I just wanted to rant about the JK so... sorry bout that.

Edit: you know what? I take back my top three (after GF of course). The TJ, CJ and JL are all tied for first. TJ because itā€™s perfect, CJ because heritage, JL because it ties in design elements of all prior jeeps that matter: the placement of the signals on the fenders (TJ), the curve for the slot near the headlamp (CJ) and the rake (YJ).

The YJ is second, JK still last of course.
This is exactly what I would have wrote. Bravo.
 

Dagwood

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For a little thread necromancy, Iā€™ll throw my carefully considered ranking in the ring.

GF > TJ > CJ > JL > YJ > JK.

Naturally, the GF wins. It cooks me food. If my jeepā€™s grille is ever hot enough to cook me food, we have issues.

Thereā€™s just something about the proportions of the TJā€™s grille that make it perfect in its simplicity yet complex in its awesomeness. The CJ comes next, because heritage. The JL is next. It does an excellent job of paying homage to both the CJ and YJ. The YJ is second to last for me. As much as I loved my YJ it just couldnā€™t match up to the other 3. Thereā€™s nothing particularly offensive about it though, and I never had issues with square headlights.

Last: the JK. That grille is an abomination of automotive design and an affront to every jeep before and after it. Why does it have the Jeep emblem? We know itā€™s a jeep. It would be like if Ford put the blue oval on the Mustangā€™s grille. The Jeep emblem leads to the next issue: proportions. The grille openings donā€™t go high enough up because of the jeep logo and if you take the logo off youā€™re left with the large empty useless space. Notice on every other Jeep the openings go more or less all the way to the top of the grille. Last, like the rest of the JK, itā€™s an unbroken flat surface without any character lines to break up the monotony of its huge ugly flatness. This is something the JL fixed all over the place, not just the grille.

So, uh... yeah. Thatā€™s my opinion on the grilles. Pretty sure itā€™s obvious that I just wanted to rant about the JK so... sorry bout that.

Edit: you know what? I take back my top three (after GF of course). The TJ, CJ and JL are all tied for first. TJ because itā€™s perfect, CJ because heritage, JL because it ties in design elements of all prior jeeps that matter: the placement of the signals on the fenders (TJ), the curve for the slot near the headlamp (CJ) and the rake (YJ).

The YJ is second, JK still last of course.

I would agree totally except I would put the JL ahead of the CJ. The JK will not age well and is already old and boring looking. I really like the TJ front end but the JL takes everything that was right before it and amplifies.
 

macintux

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Last: the JK. That grille is an abomination of automotive design and an affront to every jeep before and after it.
I have long espoused the theory that Daimler bled Chrysler dry which led to the boring-ass JK front-end which led to the angry grille tragedy.

So Daimler: thank you so very much.
 

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Sean L

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Also, not to pick on the OP too much, but the MB had different grilles depending on who manufactured that particular Jeep. Also the CJ 2 and 3 had a different Grille than the CJ 5-8 models.
 

55WillysWagon

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I think the JL is the successor of the TJ grill and fender lights. It does combine all the features of the prior grills though. I really like the original MB/2A grill a lot for the flat simplicity (and 9 slots of the MB).
BTW, I am a little partial to the pointed grill of my Willys wagon....

2018-Jeep-Wrangler-150.jpg


2018-Jeep-Wrangler-151.jpg


2018-Jeep-Wrangler-152.jpg
 

eck

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Not related to the grills, but looking at those old Jeeps makes me content to keep things stock. They're not trying to be monster trucks, so they don't need lifts and massive tires. There's a certain charm that is lost when you do that.
 

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macintux

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Not related to the grills, but looking at those old Jeeps makes me content to keep things stock. They're not trying to be monster trucks, so they don't need lifts and massive tires. There's a certain charm that is lost when you do that.
I keep thinking about finding skinnies for my next tire purchase. Thereā€™s no school like the old school.
 

Hristo34

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Classic CJ for me. I actually think the JL grill is pretty nice looking, but those hideous fender lights ruin it. When I get one, they will be the first thing to go.
 

flyer92

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Always been a Jeep purist, so I love to see anything from MB thru CJ. Will miss the happy face of my CJ-5 when she finally sells šŸ˜­ :

Jeep Wrangler JL Which grill was/is the best? Front 4.JPG
 

Pig-Pen

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i love CJs since i was a little kid but looking at them now i think they look like they have bug eyes. i would have to say TJ or JL. i will never be able to fully accept the YJs lights so that goes last for me.
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