Ronald Reagan once said, ”If people don’t start buying Jeeps, they’ll never know about the great places in life they can drive to!” With this thought in my mind, I made the decision to buy a Jeep Wrangler; mostly because they are amazing and arguably the best vehicle ever to own. I have owned my jeep for slightly over 3 months, and it is has given me some of the most amazing, fun, and eye opening experiences I have ever had. In this short amount of time, I have learned a few things: Jeeps are not cheap, they are a ton of fun, and they are not just a car.

Jeep Wranglers are simply not cheap. Jeep= Just-Empty-Every-Penny. You pay for every mile. Your money is spent mostly on the gas you use, because Jeeps burn through that expensive volatile substance in abnormally quick periods of time. Depending on how much you drive, it could be nothing for you to make a trip to the gas station every week. Not only does gas cost money, but so do the constant repairs/maintenance that are required of any used Wrangler with over 100,000 miles. Jeep Wranglers however do hold their value very well. This makes them hard to get ahold of, but they are a good investment because you can usually get what you put into them back out of them.

Enough about the downsides of Jeep ownership. Jeeps can be quite enjoyable! If it’s 70 degrees outside, just drop the top, take off the doors, and go! But what if it’s 30 degrees outside?!? No worries-pray for snow to play in! And no, I’m not talking about snowballs and sledding kind of playing… I’m talking about OFF-ROAD!! This is only one of the three natural states of any real Jeeper- refueling, repairing, and off-roading. We talked about the first two, but the fun doesn’t happen until the third state. Just driving your Jeep is tons of fun; but whether it’s in the dunes of the great beaches, in the rugged glory of Utah, or even in your own back yard; going off-road can be fun. Off-roading can also be dangerous, so please wheel responsibly and always have a spotter.

Owning a Jeep is not like owning any other vehicle for the options are endless. You can really do anything you want to customize your Jeep (as long as you don’t make it look stupid with huge rims and spinners). Jeeps don’t have to be perfect and spotless because amongst Jeepers a common phrase is “beat not babied.” The more dents (free tattoos) you have, the more it shows that you have used your Jeep for what it’s made for – or you were just stupid and did a stupid thing. The feeling of driving a Wrangler is different from driving any other vehicle, because they are truly unique in every way. Being a Jeeper is more than just owning a Jeep Wrangler… there is a sense of pride. With every little niche there are things you don’t know about until you’re a part of them. I’ll let you in on something from the Jeeper community… every time you pass another Wrangler, you wave. Almost like bikers, but cooler.

Every vehicle has its ups and downs, and owning a Jeep can be expensive, but it is also a lot of fun, and a privilege to drive. I can pride myself in owning a Jeep, but if the hard work, dedication, and unlimited fun you can have with a Jeep intrigues you, then you should get one too 😉

Gavin