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Comment by blakesterz | Hacker News Reader

Funny you mentioned Jeep, I remembered reading the Consumer Reports review of the 2021 Wrangler, it was bad. It's by far the lowest rated vehicle there. Pretty much everything is terrible on that thing. Road Test, 36/100, Reliability 1/5, Predicted Owner Satisfaction... 4/5. I had to go back and double check that again, just to be sure. Apparently people love those Wranglers, no matter what.

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I have a Tesla and also had a Wrangler until a few weeks ago. Nobody is buying either one for fit and finish. The Wrangler was a total piece of crap and it drives like a pregnant rollerskate. You feel like you could be seconds from death any time you get it up to 75 mph, it chugs gas like nobody's business and it performs like your typical John Deere. It was also awesome, tons of fun and the kind of car that would be every bit as cool in 20 years. I got it back when you could still buy an unlimited miles warranty from Chrysler so I didn't really care that it was junk.

I love the Tesla. I wouldn't say it's built badly, but it's not on par with an import in the same price range. I like it for other reasons. It's unlike any other car. I love the way it drives, I love the features, it feels futuristic. I would challenge anyone to drive a decked out Tesla for a year and then go back to a regular car as their daily driver.

Consumer Reports has hated on Wranglers for at least 15 years. They are indeed poor road cars, but that's not really what they are designed for.

Jeep has gone downhill quite markedly now that they're Fiats. I don't have any history with Fiat but I do know since the merger of Chrysler & Fiat in 2014 Jeep has gone downhill. As others have mentioned it's become a lifestyle brand instead of a utility brand. IMO once more people become aware of the significant reduction in their utility value then their sales will plummet. But I could be wrong. All I know is I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler with 220,000 miles on it and I found it worthwhile to drop a new engine in it. That was a cheaper and more reliable option than getting a new vehicle - even knowing in 2-3 years I'm going to have to put a new transmission into it.

Jeeps haven't been considered reliable or well made for decades, if ever.

They are very much a lifestyle vehicle. They offer an idea of "mobility" and "going anywhere", basically vehicular freedom to tackle any type of terrain, even if most people never will. Very American sentiments that resonate with Wrangler owners.

Yep! I own a 2012 Wrangler. It's a toy more than transportation. It gets me where I need to go but carrying more than one passenger is a pain. The windscreen fluid jet is poorly located and doesn't get the whole windscreen when I need to get rid of dirt on the windshield. I have had to JB weld the gear shift knob back together.

It's a completely impractical and inconvenient car. But I still love it because it's fun to drive and it can, in fact, go pretty much anywhere.

I think they also benefit from the fact that off road hobbyists really do use Wranglers. They just use ancient models which have been lovingly restored and modified over decades, but they're Wranglers.

So then the more aspirational type want to emulate them, but they want it newer and shinier and with a warranty, so they wind up with the substandard SUV which is the new Wranglers.

Exactly the same story with Land Rovers in the UK, incidentally.

There really isn't a competitor to the Wrangler if you're into offroading. Sure pickup trucks compete but the size of a Wrangler + the massive aftermarket support make it hard to beat. The new Bronco might eat some of the market but time will tell.

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