nachorubicongladiator
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This is long, sorry! Feel free to skip to the TLDR.
I’ve been in the market to replace my very boring 2011 Honda CR-V for 2 1/2 years now. I’m getting older and want to treat myself to a vehicle that makes me smile every time I see it. The Wrangler and Gladiator are the only vehicles that do so. Every time I pass one on the road I get excited to an extent that’s pretty ridiculous.
I’d have bought a Jeep when I first started looking 2 1/2 years ago but there’s one thing that held me back. For most of my life when anyone would ask me what I looked for in a car I said I want something that’s safe, has a good sound system, and a lot of cargo space. As you can probably guess the middling safety ratings for the Jeep is what’s held me back.
Not a big deal for me. I’m a safe driver and have never been in an accident. And a questionable safety rating compared to the alternatives wouldn’t be a big deal if I was just talking about my life. But now I have a young kid and I don’t know how to square this in my head. I’d feel personally responsible if my kid was injured or worse in an accident that was made worse because there’s no side curtain airbags in the rear or because there’s a substantial chance of rollover, even in a front offset crash.
So I spent over 2 years looking for some other kind of car, suv, or truck that I could drum up a similar amount of passion for. I checked out the Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco, and RAM Rebel. I also went in a different direction and looked at some cool new EVs and other crossover to midsize SUVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, Honda Element (lol), and others. At the end of the day, though, I don’t want a ‘nice’ car. I want a ‘fun’ car. And I don’t think there’s anything else that strikes a chord in me like a Jeep does.
Note that my wife has a newer Honda CR-V as well (lol) that we’d be keeping so it would always be available as a safe family car alternative except for when I need to take my kid someone, like daycare.
How does everyone look at this? How do you weigh your pros and cons? Am I overthinking or exaggerating the Wrangler and Gladiator’s safety issues?
And are there any recommended builds that prioritize on-road? Such as steel or plastic bumper: which is safer in a high-speed accident? Any significant difference in on-road between a Sport, Overland, and Rubicon?
And what about improving upon the Jeep’s safety with aftermarket customization. Such as lowering the center of gravity, adding some kind of thick padding around the roll bar and Hard Top where a rear passenger’s head could hit?
Thanks for reading.
TLDR: I’m obsessed with getting a Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator but feel guilty using it as a family car due to its poor crash rating. What should I do?
I’ve been in the market to replace my very boring 2011 Honda CR-V for 2 1/2 years now. I’m getting older and want to treat myself to a vehicle that makes me smile every time I see it. The Wrangler and Gladiator are the only vehicles that do so. Every time I pass one on the road I get excited to an extent that’s pretty ridiculous.
I’d have bought a Jeep when I first started looking 2 1/2 years ago but there’s one thing that held me back. For most of my life when anyone would ask me what I looked for in a car I said I want something that’s safe, has a good sound system, and a lot of cargo space. As you can probably guess the middling safety ratings for the Jeep is what’s held me back.
Not a big deal for me. I’m a safe driver and have never been in an accident. And a questionable safety rating compared to the alternatives wouldn’t be a big deal if I was just talking about my life. But now I have a young kid and I don’t know how to square this in my head. I’d feel personally responsible if my kid was injured or worse in an accident that was made worse because there’s no side curtain airbags in the rear or because there’s a substantial chance of rollover, even in a front offset crash.
So I spent over 2 years looking for some other kind of car, suv, or truck that I could drum up a similar amount of passion for. I checked out the Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco, and RAM Rebel. I also went in a different direction and looked at some cool new EVs and other crossover to midsize SUVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, Honda Element (lol), and others. At the end of the day, though, I don’t want a ‘nice’ car. I want a ‘fun’ car. And I don’t think there’s anything else that strikes a chord in me like a Jeep does.
Note that my wife has a newer Honda CR-V as well (lol) that we’d be keeping so it would always be available as a safe family car alternative except for when I need to take my kid someone, like daycare.
How does everyone look at this? How do you weigh your pros and cons? Am I overthinking or exaggerating the Wrangler and Gladiator’s safety issues?
And are there any recommended builds that prioritize on-road? Such as steel or plastic bumper: which is safer in a high-speed accident? Any significant difference in on-road between a Sport, Overland, and Rubicon?
And what about improving upon the Jeep’s safety with aftermarket customization. Such as lowering the center of gravity, adding some kind of thick padding around the roll bar and Hard Top where a rear passenger’s head could hit?
Thanks for reading.
TLDR: I’m obsessed with getting a Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator but feel guilty using it as a family car due to its poor crash rating. What should I do?
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