An Observation on the Jeep Wrangler

Recently I got a ride in my co-worker's 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, my first time in the legendary offroader. Considering how many I see roaming American streets and the generally positive reviews I often read in magazines, I was expecting an enjoyable ride. Sadly, what I discovered is that the Wrangler is not a very good car.

I know this may be a controversial opinion. And in no way am I claiming that it is an incapable trail specialist. We never left pavement but I trust that it is more than competent off the beaten path. However, on the road the ride is rough and the chassis communicated all of the bumps very clearly. There was also lots of body roll, due to the tall ride height.

The interior was also inferior. Because the doors and roof are removable, they are essentially just a sheet of metal and feel and look very cheap from the inside. Furthermore, the window controls are on the central console for the front seats and the overhead support bar for the rear seats. Not only do these switches feel flimsy, but they clog up the central stack up front and are difficult to reach in the back. The seats were a bit hard and flat, and overall the materials on the dashboard did not feel up to par.

But while I was observing all of these faults, I also came to a realization. I realized that I didn't care that I could feel every jarring bump through the hard seats, that the doors were essentially sheetmetal and didn't feel very safe, that the dashboard cluster was a bit chaotic. I realized why so far this year it is the 9th best selling SUV in America. Despite all of these issues, I felt extremely badass. The ride height and the iconic looks and the removable doors and roof all made me feel 100 times cooler than the surrounding drivers. Most Wrangler customers won't take it offroad, but they want to be able to say they can. It is a car that is bought off of image. It is a confidence-boosting slice of Americana.

And that's what makes it so great.

Top Ten Current Car Model Names

10. Chevrolet Sonic
This bold name fits the striking front fascia of the Sonic perfectly, and the exposed head and taillights always reminded me of a subwoofer on a speaker.

 9. Bentley Flying Spur

The Flying Spur originally was a designation for the sedan variant of the Continental, but it became a separate model in 2013. While there was a British tea ship known by this name in the late 1860s, I've found no direct link between the clipper and the über-luxury sedan. Nonetheless, this is one cool, elegant, and slightly mysterious name for the Conti sedan.

8. Chevrolet Volt
Although not quite as glamorous as the Flying Spur, the "Volt" name works because of just how appropriate it is. A volt is a unit of measure relating to electricity and movement of current in an electric circuit, which fits perfectly for the plug-in hybrid electric Chevy. It sure is a lot better sounding than it competitor, the Nissan Leaf.

7. Porsche Panamera
While this name is derived from the endurance race "Carrera Panamericana," which took place four times in the 1950's in Mexico, that was not why I included it on this list. Phonetically, I think it rolls off the tongue perfectly and also looks very nice when written, most likely because of the semi-symmetrical nature of the "a-n-a-m" section.

6. Dodge Durango

This tough SUV has a very appropriate name in the "Durango." Called this for the city in Colorado, it has a particularly rural, cowboy, Wild West feel to it, and when said aloud the "a-n-g" produces a Western twang.

5. Maserati Quattroporte

Though I wasn't a fan of the fifth generation Quattroporte, I have always loved the stylish-sounding name. In Italian, "Quattroporte" simply means "four-door," describing the Maser's sedan body style. But to non-Italian speakers, it sounds exotic, and quite luxurious.

 4. Dodge/SRT Viper

Just look at the slinky Dodge sports car, and try not to think of a vicious, venomous snake. This is one of the most aptly named cars of all time, especially considering the fifth generation's sleeker curves and even more aggressive front fascia.

3. Jeep Renegade
When the ambitiously styled Renegade Concept debuted in 2008 and was immediately designated as a design study, I was disappointed that I wouldn't ever see a Jeep Renegade production model. Lucky for me, the name revived for a funky subcompact crossover in the 2015 model year. The rebellious nature of this name fits in with the "all-American" Detroit advertising scheme which Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram have been using of late, and matches Jeep's slew of other outdoorsy, patriotic names, including the Cherokee, Commander, Wrangler, and Patriot.

2. Aston Martin Vanquish

One of the greatest recent designs from Aston was paired with paired with one of my favorite names of all time. The powerful grand tourer features many strong, backward sweeping character lines, which is accurately mirrored in the swooshing sound that is produced by the "i-s-h." Also, while the word sounds elegant, its means "to defeat thoroughly," showing the Aston's performance aspirations.

1. Ford Mustang
While the term "mustang" refers to a small, wild horse, the legendary sports car was actually named for the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane produced by North American for WWII (Though the horse was chosen for the logo). But the key similarity between the beast and the machine is their small structure and fast, aggressive nature. This is exemplified is the car's iconic trapezoidal grille, angled headlights, and bulging rear haunches. Overall, the qualities of speed and size seen in the Mustang's inspirations make the name a perfect fit for the classic pony car.


Honorable Mention- Tesla Model S, III, X
While it is quite juvenile, I, as a 16 year-old boy, appreciate Elon Musk's current plans to eventually have a model lineup consisting of the Model S, III, and X for the not-that-subtle sexual innuendo.