Is a Jeep Practical? I Guess It Really Is a Jeep Thing!
Posted: Saturday, May 27, 2006
by Bruce Horst
WryteStuff
I've wanted a jeep since I was 8 years old, but my family was a practical bunch and I was constantly reminded of how impractical a jeep would be for me. I guess I grew up in a time and place where men didn't really have hobbies or leisure activities.
30 years later I found myself driving the most practical car in America, a 1991 Honda Accord. The car just wouldn't stop. It was the first car that my wife and I owned that outlasted its' car payments by a significant amount of time. 10 years after the last payment, it still did everything that you would want a car that size to do, and it had COLD a/c. I thought that I would be a fool to trade that car in at a dealership where it would probably fetch only a few hundred dollars, but I had enough of living a life where I did what everyone else said was practical, I needed something that was practical for me and my family.
From the drive home from the dealership I knew that things were different. I had a 4x4 truck pull up beside me at a red light and rev his engine because he wanted to race. (I declined.)
I realized that I was instantly part of a new "club" of jeep owners as other jeep owners would casually wave and smile when passing, as if to say, "Yeah, we understand." This is not to say that jeep owners look down on those who don't drive a jeep. I think one thing that jeep owners have in common is the understanding that there is more to life than keeping a schedule. Sometimes life is about the ride.
Remember what it was like right after you first got your driver's license and you volunteered to go to the store for your mom because you just couldn't wait to drive again? My wife and I have experienced that all over again!
It really is true that you look at the World differently if you own a jeep. You start to see the World like there are two kinds of people: those who own a jeep, and those who don't. Sometimes I look at the other drivers on the road and wonder if they actually choose to own the car they are driving, or if someone else choose it for them. They sure don't look like they are enjoying the ride. Again, I'm not looking down on those who don't drive a jeep. I just hope it was their choice.
Before buying the jeep, I read somewhere that if you don't consider life an adventure, you probably wouldn't want a Wrangler. I think that is pretty accurate. My Wrangler has become my hobby, the first hobby I ever had because it was just something I enjoyed. And I receive a steady flow of Acme jeep Parts and Quadratec catalogs with options and accessories in case I ever get bored! I've got a friend who "gets it" and she tells me that my jeep is like a big Lego truck for me. She's right! I don't mind at all the fact that when I need to put the windows up, it takes me 5 minutes of latching/hooking/zipping instead of simply pushing a button.
We have 3 boys, and they love the jeep too. The first accessory that I had to buy for the jeep is a 3rd seat belt for the rear seat so that our entire family can ride safely. Now I offer to drive the mini-van if we need to go somewhere which requires highway travel or a ride in the hot sun, but they always decline. My oldest is currently learning to drive. We've offered to get him his own vehicle to reduce the cost of insurance, but he says only if it's a jeep!
We traded our jeep for a friends' SUV one week when we had out-of-town visitors which required more passenger seating when we traveled. When we swapped vehicles I explained to our friends that they shouldn't consider the jeep a regular car or they would be disappointed. Instead they should consider it a luxury go-cart and that would help them keep it in proper perspective. This analogy seemed to work well for them but this brought up another thought: I occasionally take my boys down to the local Mountasia where we can play video games, mini-golf, and ride go-carts. At Mountasia they charge $7.50 for 8 minutes of driving their little go-carts around the track, which is nearly $50 per hour. I get the same thrill, but I get to drive (legally) on the roads and highways any time of day or night that I want, for a lot less than $50 an hour!
I also wonder how in the world SUV's came to be called SUV's? I mean, sure they can be Sporty, and they are Vehicles but what about them deserves the word "Utility"? I think that if the floor boards don't have drainage holes so that you can hose out the interior when it gets muddy, it's not really a utility vehicle.
If I haven't convinced you by now that you need to buy a jeep yourself, that's ok. Not everyone can drive a jeep, there needs to be someone left to pull out of the ditch at the end of the day.... (just kidding). As it turns out, a Jeep Wrangler has been the most practical vehicle for me and my family and if you don't understand that, then it really is a Jeep Thing, you wouldn't understand....
My jeep can be seen at http://GeekWithAJeep.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Eugene- I don,t own a Jeep but I know where you are coming from. What happened to your geekwithajeep blog?
hi bruce, my daughter always wanted a jeep, but i thought they were too dangerous. my best friend has one and loves it. i think i know how you feel about your jeep, because i feel the same way about corvettes, and when this stinking divorce is over, i'm there! i had a '74 white, t top stingray when i was 23, and wrapped it around a tree after a world series party! i promised myself i'd someday get another one. i'll send you a picture when i get it! i liked your story, too. best regards, sue thom
Jeeps are great. Especially for country back roads.
I own a Jeep Grande Cheeroke at them moment, its great, lots of room, very dependable, and I love it cause it had 4 wheel drive, and where I live we have major snow storms, major! And I have 2 little boys that I have travelling with me most of the time. I feel safe in this vechile and I would buy one again. BUT I did own a Jeep Islander back in 1989, it had the soft top and hard top both. I wouldn't have one of these again. I near froze to death in the winter....LOL But If I were 20 again I would have one, there great fun riding around with the roof down. Plus I love 4 wheeling in the mud as well and they are great for that.... Yup Jeeps are not to bad I have to say
Hi Bruce. Here's a public thank you for helping me get my most recent article published. I own a Jeep Cherokee. I know...it's nothing like a Wrangler. That's what I always wanted. Ever since my high school days in The Field Science Club. I was a science nerd back then, but unfortunately it hasn't transfered over to computers. The Cherokee sort of fell into my lap and I couldn't resist it. The moment I sat in it, I knew it had to be mine. It fit perfectly and felt so right. As for utitlity...it's turned out to be practical as well as fun. I've taken it off road while rock hunting and it got all of our supplies home for laying our laminate flooring. It has brought home two new recliners and even a new range/oven. We bought it used in 2000, but it still has a lot of miles to go. The day it stops wanting to go anymore will be a very sad day indeed. Thanks for your great article. It was fun to read and a reminder of how it felt to bring my Jeep home for the first time.
I've always wanted a Jeep, but like you, I've tried to be practical. After reading this article, I want a Jeep more than ever. Will I ever have one? Who knows?
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