Kei Vandenbos

My (dirty) 2015 Jeep Willys Wrangler that I enjoyably drive.

The 2015 Jeep Wrangler Willys is easily my favorite car. I am lucky enough to be able to own and drive it. I also am lucky enough to participate in the Jeep traditions such as “Ducking” and “Jeep Waving.” Ducking is where each time there is a parked Jeep, placing a rubber duck on the door handle means they like your Jeep. The Jeep wave is just a way to signify a friendship between jeep drivers. My collection of ducks is currently at seven and still growing. The classic Jeep wave will forever show the true bond Jeep drivers have. I truly don’t know what there isn’t to like about Jeeps.

My favorite part about Jeeps is the offroading aspect. Recently, The 2024 Jeep Wrangler was named Best SUV of 2024 by Cars.com meaning it is one of the best vehicles to either use daily or go off-roading. Finalists for the award include the 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe and the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The brand-new 2024 Jeep Wrangler ranges in price from $33,890-$93,440 if you were thinking of making a purchase.

The first Jeep that was created was the 1940 Willys Quad. It was created for military reconnaissance and was manufactured by three manufacturers: Ford, Bantam and Willys-Overland Motors. Willys-Overland Motors (or Willys for short) produced the most amount of Jeeps, and produced more even after the war leading to them rebranding and calling themselves, “Jeep”.

Even though the Jeep is one of the greatest vehicular inventions ever created (in my opinion), not everything is perfect. Obviously, due to its box-like shape, the gas mileage is where the performance lacks. My Jeep gets 16 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. To put that into perspective, the most popular car in South Dakota, according to dellsauto.com, is a Kia Forte. A brand-new, 2024 Kia Forte gets 30 MPG in the city and 41 MPG on the highway. If there was one thing I could change about my car, it would be to change the MPG while keeping the box shape.