I Don’t Want a Jeep
Of 477 cars surveyed, about 10% were Jeeps and 7% were pickup trucks.
Behold, the Weddington parking lot. Our lot is chocked full of everything from trucks, sedans, and most iconically: Jeeps. It is specifically our obsession with the Jeep that intrigues me. Almost 10% of cars owned by Weddington students are Jeeps. Considering that, it is my unpopular opinion that Jeeps are absolutely terrible cars to own. Allow me to elaborate.
To my understanding, there are three major benefits that Jeeps offer: the brand, the open roof (and doors), and its off-road capabilities. While these features sound great on paper, they aren’t really that worth much. First of all, it may say “Jeep”, but as far as I know nobody really finds that cool or unique. It seems every kid and their mom has a Wrangler here. In fact, you’re statistically more unique to own a pickup truck. Secondly, it is an uncommon occasion you catch a Wrangler with its top down. The reason is simple: convertibles and the like are impracticable. That is unless you like sunburn and not being able to hear the person in the seat next to you. Lastly, there is no reason to own an offroading-specialized vehicle in our suburban bubble. It isn’t like Weddington Road is a treacherous mud trail. To give it bluntly to you, these benefits that Jeeps are made to give have no relevance to us at Weddington. And, without those advantages, Jeeps are just normal cars. Yet they’re not even good at doing that!
Let’s think about the purpose of a car: to get you from point A to point B. A Jeep, specifically the Wrangler, will do that much but in a senselessly inefficient manner. If you’re lucky, you could catch 22-24 miles per gallon. Let me tell you something: the meer Prius gets over 50. On top of a poor five-seater fuel economy, Jeep insurance and maintenance is expensive. A set of Jeep tires is in the ballpark of $700! Furthermore, Wranglers are infamous for their poor safety ratings, scoring average at very best on crash tests. Specifically, the brand new 2018 and 2019 Wranglers are worth noting. They both received an embarrassing one-star safety rating by Euro NCAP.
It’s for these reasons I think Jeep Wranglers are bad cars, especially for high school students. Honestly, if you’re gonna drop 30 grand on a car, I’d recommend spending a little more and get a Tesla Model 3. It’s cheaper to drive in the long run, crazy safe, and it’s environmental science teacher approved! And if you still believe in Jeeps, you can keep your Jeep. Keep it and enjoy contributing to the deaths of millions of innocent sea turtles, your empty bank account, and everything else you destroy you debauched, dreadful human being.
(Okay, maybe not that those last parts)
Abbey Martin • Sep 24, 2019 at 9:12 am
Ayden– This morning when I saw your lovely article I was slightly taken aback yet not surprised. As your parking-spot neighbor and the proud owner of a 2016 Jeep Wrangler, I have plenty to say on this matter. I would primarily like to say that when you asked me questions about my car the other day, I was not told that what I said would be featured in your article, so maybe next time you use me as a source, let me know. Secondarily, I think that you are looking at this all from the wrong perspective. I do not like to assume things but I am not sure that you have even taken a ride in a Jeep before, and that might be important to do so you get some perspective on your topic before writing such a heavily worded article. I personally think my car is very fun and enjoyable for both the driver and passenger, especially when lacking doors and roofs. I have yet to suffer from sunburn, too, if you were wondering. And yes, the purpose of the general car is to take said person from point A to point B, but if that is so why are there sports cars and off-roading vehicles such as Jeeps? Because they are not only meant for the daily commute! I can take my car out to places designed for mudding or off-roading and have ten times the fun I would have driving to school and back. I can, however, agree with the fact that there are disadvantages to the car like you mentioned, such as gas mileage, but that is the case for every car. However I have to say that I can not seem to make the direct connection between the deaths of turtles and my car, and I did get a 5 on my AP Environmental Science exam, but maybe I will let that slide seeing that gas emissions are a problem concerning the entire Earth. I still must mention that those emissions also come from ALL cars, not just Jeeps. I also encourage you to think about how the manufacturing of some cars are powered by coal-burning power plants, so even if the car itself is not emitting as many greenhouse gases as the competition, the factory building them might be. There is no such thing as a perfect car, and each will have their own disadvantages, even your precious Tesla. On that note, I would also like to say that you are biased on that term: your father works for Tesla last time I asked. Either way, I think you let your own person feelings run a little too rampant over this article and forgot to look at the other side. As an environmentalist who wants the best for the world, I do find problems with the wastefulness of my Jeep, but that will not keep me from enjoying the wind in my hair when I take the roof off and go for a joy ride(and not et sunburned.)