Why?!

[lovemachine]

Look at it from another perspective, that of the manufacturer. If you can provide a product that sells and is cheaper than the higher priced 4 wheel drive version, has lower insurance premiums, lower overall maintenance and is less complex to work on by almost a third, why not produce and sell it if the demand is there?
In that market, it is just a rugged looking convertible and you can bolt parts onto that doesn't need 4wd, but it still looks like those that do so you can fit in with the rest of the sheep that bought one with 4wd that never take it offroad but still bolt lots of parts onto.

Lots of rental TJs on Hawaii had the front drive shaft removed to keep the idiot tourists from going places they shouldn't. Now the rental places can get a 2wd version and not have to do the maintenance on the T-case and associated bits of the drivetrain, so it's better for them.

Would you rather see a well decked out 2wd or overhear the following conversation?
Wow, that's a nice looking JK, how much do you have in it? Oh, about 70 grand. Really? Where do you go offroad at? Are you kidding me? I've got way too much money in it to take it out and scratch it!!

Jeep did their research and the demand was high enough that they are a very viable product. Especially the 4 door versions and I could easily make the case from my own biased viewpoint that 2wd belongs on the Wrangler as much as 4 doors do. My point of view is if you want a 4 door, go buy a Grand and leave the wheeling to the 2 door versions. Just because you want to take your crotch fruit with you doesn't mean Jeep should screw up the Wrangler.

I don't really feel that way but I could enthusiastically enjoy that discussion and debate the merits thereof.

LMAO @ crotch fruit

 

[Bird]

Funny you mention that about Hawaii.
We rented a Jeep wrangler in Lanai only to find this very thing, front drive shaft removed.
Took it back for a 4X4 and actually needed it.

 

[macox49]

maybe we should start a most notable quotes thread.first one should be mr. blains.{Just because you want to take your crotch fruit with you doesn't mean Jeep should screw up the Wrangler}this is funny stuff right there

 

[Chris]

Lots of rental TJs on Hawaii had the front drive shaft removed to keep the idiot tourists from going places they shouldn't. Now the rental places can get a 2wd version and not have to do the maintenance on the T-case and associated bits of the drivetrain, so it's better for them.

I can speak of this personally. When we went to Hawaii (we go every few years), I noticed that the driveshafts were removed on the Jeep Wranglers they rent. The guy who runs the place told me that it was indeed to keep idiot tourists from trying to go "off-road" where they shouldn't be.

You're supposed to stick to the trails, and every trail they have is absolutely nothing you would need 4 wheel drive for.

 

[Bird]

I can speak of this personally. When we went to Hawaii (we go every few years), I noticed that the driveshafts were removed on the Jeep Wranglers they rent. The guy who runs the place told me that it was indeed to keep idiot tourists from trying to go "off-road" where they shouldn't be.

You're supposed to stick to the trails, and every trail they have is absolutely nothing you would need 4 wheel drive.

If you get the chance, vist Lanai.
As beautiful a place as it is we keep talking about the offroading there, the best to this day.

 

[bobthetj03]

We've visited most of the islands, but not Lanai yet. Like Chris says, there isn't a trail you can find short of trespassing on private land that requires 4wd on the islands.

 

[StG58]

Look at it from another perspective, that of the manufacturer. If you can provide a product that sells and is cheaper than the higher priced 4 wheel drive version, has lower insurance premiums, lower overall maintenance and is less complex to work on by almost a third, why not produce and sell it if the demand is there?
In that market, it is just a rugged looking convertible and you can bolt parts onto that doesn't need 4wd, but it still looks like those that do so you can fit in with the rest of the sheep that bought one with 4wd that never take it offroad but still bolt lots of parts onto.

Lots of rental TJs on Hawaii had the front drive shaft removed to keep the idiot tourists from going places they shouldn't. Now the rental places can get a 2wd version and not have to do the maintenance on the T-case and associated bits of the drivetrain, so it's better for them.

Would you rather see a well decked out 2wd or overhear the following conversation?
Wow, that's a nice looking JK, how much do you have in it? Oh, about 70 grand. Really? Where do you go offroad at? Are you kidding me? I've got way too much money in it to take it out and scratch it!!

Jeep did their research and the demand was high enough that they are a very viable product. Especially the 4 door versions and I could easily make the case from my own biased viewpoint that 2wd belongs on the Wrangler as much as 4 doors do. My point of view is if you want a 4 door, go buy a Grand and leave the wheeling to the 2 door versions. Just because you want to take your crotch fruit with you doesn't mean Jeep should screw up the Wrangler.

I don't really feel that way but I could enthusiastically enjoy that discussion and debate the merits thereof.

Oh man, crotch fruit! I HAVE to borrow that phrase... LMAO!

Being a new JKU owner, I get your point. I'm just starting to research how to get a JKU to go the same places that my TJ SE goes. Not looking very promising at this point, and the wheeling that I do isn't very tough or very technical. When the wife finds out what it's going to take, and how much it's going to cost she's going sub-orbital. And, it's her Jeep.

 

[Bird]

We've visited most of the islands, but not Lanai yet. Like Chris says, there isn't a trail you can find short of trespassing on private land that requires 4wd on the islands.

True....with the exception being Lanai.
Very few resorts, very little population.

 

[Chris]

True....with the exception being Lanai.
Very few resorts, very little population.

Yes, Lanai doesn't have much going on in terms of population. We've been meaning to check it out next time we go to the islands.

 

[bobthetj03]

Yes, Lanai doesn't have much going on in terms of population. We've been meaning to check it out next time we go to the islands.

We wanted to go there last time we stayed in Maui, but it didn't happen.

 

[Chris]

We wanted to go there last time we stayed in Maui, but it didn't happen.

We've wanted to go as well, but it will have to wait until the kids are older. Usually we go to Maui, since the kids enjoy it the most. Kaui was fun, but it wasn't as kid friendly as Maui is.

 

[bobthetj03]

We've wanted to go as well, but it will have to wait until the kids are older. Usually we go to Maui, since the kids enjoy it the most. Kaui was fun, but it wasn't as kid friendly as Maui is.

Which side of Maui do you like the best? We stay on the Kaanapali beach side. Kehei is too pricey for us. Gotta love some Eskimo Candy though. We like to kayak La Perouse Bay. Anyway, I digress. No 2WD jeeps for me.

 

[Chris]

Which side of Maui do you like the best? We stay on the Kaanapali beach side. Kehei is too pricey for us. Gotta love some Eskimo Candy though. We like to kayak La Perouse Bay. Anyway, I digress. No 2WD jeeps for me.

Our favorite site is the Kaanapali side. We always stay in those resorts over there (namely the Westin by Whaler's Village). Plus, that side of the island is where Lahaina and all the tourist stuff is. When we go on vacation, that's a good thing (since we have kids and all).

 

[bobthetj03]

We took our girls when they were younger. I hated Oahu. Only went once and will never go back. Had to see the Memorial, so that was worth the trip. Big Island was fun, but I hear you can't hike out on the lava fields anymore. Coffee tasting was crazy!

 

[Chris]

We took our girls when they were younger. I hated Oahu. Only went once and will never go back. Had to see the Memorial, so that was worth the trip. Big Island was fun, but I hear you can't hike out on the lava fields anymore. Coffee tasting was crazy!

Yeah, we'll never go back to Oahu, I don't care for it at all.

The big island is nice! I would say that Maui is out favorite and the big island is our second favorite.

Actually, I really liked Kauai a lot. My issue with it was that it's more of an island for adults. Going there with young kids isn't fun, because there's not nearly as much for them to do as there is in Maui.

 

[bobthetj03]

Yeah, we'll never go back to Oahu, I don't care for it at all.

The big island is nice! I would say that Maui is out favorite and the big island is our second favorite.

Actually, I really liked Kauai a lot. My issue with it was that it's more of an island for adults. Going there with young kids isn't fun, because there's not nearly as much for them to do as there is in Maui.

Agreed, Maui is our fav too. I'd like to go back and re-visit Kauai though. I was sick when we went, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Plus, while we were there, the vog was real thick and missed a lot of views.

 

[Chris]

Agreed, Maui is our fav too. I'd like to go back and re-visit Kauai though. I was sick when we went, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Plus, while we were there, the vog was real thick and missed a lot of views.

Yeah, that would do it!

There's a lot of pretty places there such as the North Shore, Hanalei Bay, etc.

It's a really pretty island, it's just not as touristy as Maui.

 

[bobthetj03]

If you go back to Maui when your kids are a bit older, stay a night in up country at a B&B, then get up early and take the road to Hana backwards. You'll be the first to hit the state park and hike the bamboo forest, and you'll miss all the crazy traffic on the way to Hana. Learned that one from a local. Most of the road is paved now.

 

[Chris]

If you go back to Maui when your kids are a bit older, stay a night in up country at a B&B, then get up early and take the road to Hana backwards. You'll be the first to hit the state park and hike the bamboo forest, and you'll miss all the crazy traffic on the way to Hana. Learned that one from a local. Most of the road is paved now.

I'll have to check that it next time! I have driven the road to Hana many times back in the day. However, since I met my wife, she refuses to do it because she gets really car sick on roads like that!

 

[bobthetj03]

I'll have to check that it next time! I have driven the road to Hana many times back in the day. However, since I met my wife, she refuses to do it because she gets really car sick on roads like that!

I can see that happening. It's crazy twisty. If my wife gets queezy, I let her drive. That sometimes helps.