It’s a lifestyle vehicle.
Trading in an old car to a dealership to help finance the purchase of a
new one is common. Few people need more than one car, and keeping the
old one sitting around while you drive the new one seems cruel. So, why
not get a few bucks out of the old rust bucket? While people often trade
in competing makes and models, things are a bit different at Jeep. According to Jeep North America Director Scott Tallon in an interview with Muscle Cars and Trucks, people aren’t trading in competing SUVs for the Wrangler, people are trading in American muscle cars.
The Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and even the Dodge Challenger all get traded in a lot, according to Tallon. It may seem odd that fans of two-door American muscle would trade in their car for an SUV, but it’s not that far of a stretch. The Jeep Wrangler is a lifestyle vehicle much like the trio of muscle cars currently available. People who buy the Wrangler range from casual commuters to hardcore off-road enthusiasts.
But Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers aren’t the only vehicles being
traded in en masse for the Wrangler. Tallon said in the interview that
full-size pickups such as the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado
are also traded in for the rugged off-road beast. While these trucks
aren’t lifestyle vehicles like muscle cars, they are distinctly American
vehicles, as Muscle Cars and Trucks notes. It appears
customers aren’t going from muscle car to SUV. Instead, they’re drifting
from one bold American offering to the next.
There’s a good
chance that the muscle cars being traded in are a victim of the growing
crossover craze. Customers are flocking to larger vehicles in general,
and if a Mustang or Camaro owner is looking for something iconic and
American, then why not something as American as a Jeep Wrangler?
