Jeep does spend a LOT more time than other manufacturers on suspension work off-road and in general, making sure it'll go over almost anything you point it at, and it's way smoother off-road, with good road manners compared to pretty much anything else. They're at basically the same price point as comparable SUVs, and are typically smaller on the outside than the SUVs they're competing with.
I was also thinking that new Jeeps really sucked in general, but recent experiences with a '18 JL Rubicon have lead me to realize that they're NOT that bad like everybody says they do. I mean I have my personal issues with AMC engines and the 3.6 sounds like it's kind of in a similar boat, but the 2.0L in the Wranglers is great, and frankly those 3.6s and AMCs aren't THAT bad. Especially when it's in a well-sized vehicle that will go pretty much wherever you point it.
As much fun as I had with that JL I was kind of thinking it would leave me soured on the Wagoneer, wanting to do a 4-link and all that kind of stuff on it. Getting back in it though, I'd forgotten how much lower to the ground it is without being THAT much less capable, and the bench seats are great! It gets better mileage, and because of the leaf springs out back, it has more truck-like capabilities than a JL, and quite frankly is better behaved on the street. For what I'm doing this is a FAR superior design, as I'm doing a lot of pavement driving and primarily using the 4-wheel-drive for snow and ice and such.
Starting to come back to the realization that Jeeps are a lot better than I'd been giving them credit for, and FSJs are legit very solid vehicles for what I'm looking to do, and proud to be a Jeep owner again
