Twelve years ago, I got my dream job on the engineering team of the only new Jeep that really matters anymore: The Wrangler. I was a 21-year-old recent college graduate attending meetings I had already attended before in my dreams, the most memorable of which involved an old-timer (and my friend) Jim Repp defending the Jeep’s solid-axle heritage from a suspension engineer who was missing the forest for the trees in an effort to meet his dynamic handling goals. Two years after my 2015 departure from Chrysler to become a car journalist, I had the rare privilege of being one of the first to review a product I had helped develop. But as much as I loved the new JL Wrangler, it’s now eight years since the launch, and I still don’t own one. That’s going to change soon; here’s why.
The obvious answer is: It’s the only vehicle whose engineering I had a significant hand in (I was in charge of cooling system design). But there’s a good reason why I haven’t plunked down the cold, hard cash yet for a Wrangler, and that’s because, for the longest time, I’ve believed that the Wrangler is not a vehicle worth buying new, or even new-ish.
I’ve said it before: Off-road capability has not increased much since American Bantam showed off what would become the World War II Jeep back in 1940. Yes, you read that right: If you were to take a World War II Jeep and put it in an off-road comparison with a base Jeep Wrangler, you’d be shocked by how well the World War II Jeep does. And sure, the Rubicon model with lockers would leave the World War II Jeep in its dust in plenty of scenarios, but as a platform, the World War II Jeep is arguably just as good due to its combination of low center of gravity (thank you Go-Devil flathead motor!), short wheelbase, narrow track, flexy frame, and decent overall geometry. Install a few lockers into the WW2 Jeep’s diffs (if you want shorter gearing, grab a CJ-2A for those 5.38s), chuck on some 31-inch all-terrains and that thing will go toe-to-toe with a modern Wrangler Rubicon. And even if it’s still a bit shy of the Rubicon, the fact that it’s in the same ballpark is remarkable when you consider how far in the dust a 1940s sports car would be left when raced against a modern sports car.
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This is one of the reasons why I’ve foregone buying a new Wrangler. I already own a CJ-3B and a Jeep Wrangler YJ, both of which are plenty off-road capable. I just haven’t seen the advantage to buying a modern off-roader, and that became doubly true when I bought my BMW i3 daily-driver; the refinement upgrades of the modern Wrangler over my old Jeeps just aren’t that valuable since I already have a daily.
Why would I spend $30 grand on a new Wrangler when I can get similar off-road capability for a quarter of the price? And why would I want to off-road a vehicle so valuable? I’m just going to damage it. To me, especially since I can easily keep an older car on the road with my own tools, there’s really no point in spending a bunch of money on an off-road vehicle. At least, there wasn’t. But now things have changed.
Since the launch of my son Delmar (Not His Real Name), I’ve begun thinking about my old vehicles differently. My Wrangler and CJ are vehicles that I know I cannot reasonably use to daily-drive my child around. They’re deathtraps. Maybe I can give Delmar a ride around town every now and then, but that’s about all I’m comfortable doing.
This means that, if I ever want to take my son on the freeway (which is what LA people call “the highway,” which you basically have to use to get anywhere around here), I have to take my i3. And look, I love my i3, but what’s the point of having a bunch of other cars I can barely drive? Whereas before I drove my old cars all the time, I now have a human barnacle attached to me pretty much 24/7, rendering most of my vehicles as just toys. It’s fine to have toys, but it’s harder to justify having seven of them than it is to justify having maybe one toy (the Willys, whose max cruising speed is 45 mph) and six potential daily-drivers for single-David.
Basically, with the birth of my child, all my classics have now become toys.
This is where a new Jeep Wrangler becomes appealing. For the past four months now, anytime my wife and I have gone somewhere with Delmar we’ve taken her car, the Lexus RX (yes, the i3 could work, too but it’s a bit small for his infant car seat). For the foreseeable future, I see myself having to drive that Lexus all the time except for when I commute to work. This isn’t ideal.
I think the Lexus is a great car at fulfilling its intended purpose (be safe, be comfortable, work reliably, keep the BS to a minimum), but it’s not me. And right now, the only time I get to drive a me-car is when I’m in traffic heading to work three times a week, or when I want to do a solo drive to the grocery store in one of my now-toy cars.
I want a fun car I can drive everywhere, with wife and child. I’m tired of the Lexus.
The answer, at some point, will probably be the Scout Traveler since I love the efficiency and ease of maintenance of an EREV, but I cannot drop 50 grand on a car. Delmar’s college fund — and just being able to live here in LA, period — is more important than having the latest-and-greatest machine to drive around in. Plus, I knew that, at some point, I would be buying a new Jeep Wrangler, as I was on the engineering team. Now seems like the right time.
It will allow me to drive around in a car that I genuinely love, daily, while keeping baby-Delmar and Elise significantly safer than if I drove them around in my old Wrangler YJ.
The only issue is that the JL Wrangler I want is basically hen’s teeth. I want one of the few 2024 four-door models made with the old JL grille (as I understand, Jeep had some kind of shortage of the new grilles, so they kept using the old ones for a few months on Sport and Sport S trims), but with a stickshift (and Jeep did a stop-sale on stickshifts that year due to clutch issues). I find the new grille to be hideous, I like the 2024+ interior, and I like that the 2024+ models have safer rear restraint systems, per IIHS.
Finding a 2024 four-door with a stick and the old grille will be incredibly tough, but I’m in no rush. I’m grateful we have my wife’s Lexus, and of course, I’m grateful to have my old Jeeps too. I also understand that not everyone has the privilege to drive their kids around in modern cars, so even being able to have this discussion is something I’m grateful for.
My search will start in about a year, when 2024 Wranglers start coming off lease. This strategy helped me find my Holy Grail BMW i3 (in 2024, just as three-year leases were ending; finding highly-optioned BMW i3s has since become borderline impossible). Hopefully 2024 models will depreciate a bit more, as four-doors are commanding almost $40 grand now, and that’s way too expensive for my blood. I might have to just buy a 2019 or 2020 model (in which case, maybe I just go with the Rubicon like the one above), or wait a bit longer so I can keep the costs down. Either way, some of my old Jeeps are going to have to go.
Top graphic image: David Tracy
Could you just swap out the grille?
I once remember an upcoming baby rationalizing my decision to dump my 1965 Corvair in favor of a 1987 Monte Carlo SuperSport. Kids make us do weird things.
I traded a ’94 SHO 5 speed for an ’00 300M because the car seat would not fit.
That actually seems like a good trade – I had an early 90’s Taurus and it became a maintenance headache – on the brakes of all things. We replaced literally every brake component and still had issues.
Ha! Meanwhile, when I was a kid, an early 90’s Taurus was the new kid haulin’ vehicle in my family.
And then when it became my teenager-gets-the-old-car vehicle had tons of brake issues as well.
Dude, we’ve ALL already figured out you named him Rumplestiltskin.
We all know he’s “JJ” It’s short for “Jeep Jeep.”
Heh.
Two years, huh?
How many cars have you bought/sold/wanted/thought about buying/fell in love with/fell out of love within the last two years?
I mean, it’s fine. This is your jam. I’m just amused that you have a plan for two years out, is all.
About the only thing I might make a solid bet on is that the Lexus will still be around. And maybe your XJ sitting up in Michigan.
Anyone else laugh when David says some of his jeeps will have to go? We all know that he has the best of intentions to sell them but somehow will keep holding on to them for a long time.
Out of whatever number of Jeeps David has at a given time, if he says “some will have to go”, that means half will stay twice as long as he indicates they should, and the other half will go, but will be replaced in less than a year by the same number of Jeeps, which are no more than 5 years newer than whatever left.
David, dad of four here. Lemme ask you a question: when was the last time you were in a car wreck? Whether it was your fault or not?
Because here’s the thing, and stats back it up: the biggest indicator of whether or not you’re going to be in a car wreck isn’t speed or age or even where you live. It’s have you been in one before. And the more times you’ve been in one, the more likely you are to be in one in the future.
So what I’m saying is if you’re a safe driver, drive what you want. I’ve transported kids in everything from a motorcycle to a minivan. Haven’t lost one of ’em yet.
And everyone who wants to come at me and say “But you can’t control what other people do!! One of them might hit you!!” Yup. They might. But statistically, they won’t.
Trust me, DT. You’ll be fine. Your wife will be fine. Delmer will be fine.
It’s definitely a bit of paranoia, I must admit.
Some of it is also just practicality, though. I helped engineer the JL, it’s a four-door with space, it has a stickshift, it’s relatively new and thus reliable — not a bad family daily for me!
Only time I ever got in a crash was in college; someone failed to yield and just ran right into my lane. Minor damage.
Maybe, but shit still happens.
All it takes is catching a deer/buck on the highway at night while doing 75 heading to VT for the weekend. If you’re in the wrong car, you’re dead. And if not, you walk away, watch the blood steaming on the hood, and wonder if the insurance company will total the car or not (they didn’t, it was my then-gf’s parents’ minivan and I was crapping my pants before making that phone call).
Had I been in my DD, a late 80s Regal, the buck would have been in my lap and I wouldn’t be typing this comment.
And that’s just one way it can happen.
Here on the right coast, people are more distracted than ever, in larger and faster vehicles than ever, and there’s more of them than ever before. That’s a bad mix and not one that compels me to put loved ones in classic cars that can’t hold a candle to modern vehicles from a safety standpoint.
Have a toy to tool around in yourself on a leisurely Sunday or even to commute to work when it’s just you…. Sure.
Load up the car seat, wife, and dog (assuming you can even fit that) to drive somewhere…. no thanks.
Bit of survivorship bias here – Pose this question to anyone who hasn’t fared so well.
Yes, it’s statistically improbable, but will you *really* have that much more fun in an old Jeep, worrying about this, than a new Jeep, and not worrying nearly as much?
21-gun salute to David for wanting to daily a stickshift Wrangler in L.A. traffic. He can skip leg day at the gym, henceforth.
Nuff said.
Like “the floor is lava” as kids…
I’m guessing a lot of people, like you and like me have found and use this simple technique for driving a “manuel” in traffic.
This comment made me realize all my LA friends drive only stickshifts, so either all my people are gluttons for punishment, or it’s just not that bad.
“Twelve years ago, I got my dream job on the engineering team of the only new Jeep that really matters anymore: The Wrangler.”
David, I respect you, and your opinion, but I would argue that the Gladiator should be lumped in with the JL, even if it hasn’t necessarily been a runaway sales success.
Fair; the JT was lumped in with the JL program when I worked there. I got to do cooling system design for it, too.
I would kind of like you to be my Guiney pig on a used 4XE please. I kind of want one, but not enough to gamble that Jeep did it right by the battery system. I know it lack the ugly grill, but please consider this 4XE and let us know how it does on Fuel in LA traffic. Also how it drives compared to Jeeps of yore. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/vdp.action?listingId=419880258&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d3134&sourceContext=google&cgfv=0.59&cgfr=4&cgfab=Q&ax8324=503&px8324=p2&dnetworktype=r&cgfdate=2025729&cgfloc=en&type=&kw=&matchtype=&ad=&placement=&device=c&devicemodel=&adposition=&cp=20489805974&adg=&fi=&tid=&lc=9023263&lm=1013962&tgt=&aceid=&cgsp=sp303443&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20489804105&gbraid=0AAAAAD9Jm5ZCrZomObJAh9ChqH-5qafq2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4qHEBhCDARIsALYKFNPzXTHM2u7ijU8grOL9xNXuCUCAN6FzObip7fWBfQ4z7_uMB942kLkaAimlEALw_wcB&pid=view_vdp_listing_btn#listing=419880258
I would never buy a 4xe as a forever car; it’s going to be a nightmare in the future. Far too complex, especially for 2015-ish Fiat Chrysler engineers, who frankly were leaning heavily on penny-pinched suppliers for system development.
Dang.
That is the most brutal answer to a question I have heard recently.
I do, however, appreciate the honesty and the reasoning.
I was benchmarking an old Buick LaCrosse mild hybrid when I was there. Chrysler’s EV/hybrid knowledge was quite weak, and the company had to hire old Chevy Volt engineers for help.
Wow. The idea that one of GM’s “mild hybrids” was the benchmark is serious weak sauce. However, I would think former Voltec engineers would be a good thing. It may have been a very early EREV but the Volt was a solid well executed car. Source: drove a 2012 Volt for 3 happy years, phenomenal car aside from weirdly requiring premium fuel for the little lump of a range extender, which that issue was fixed for the 2nd gen Volt
I have a 2024 4xe Willy’s. I get concerns about the longevity of the system, and it has not been foolproof through the 15,000 miles I have had it even, but I appreciate that I can run it gas free most weekends, have the top down and carry a family of five. It’s the only vehicle I know of that can do that.
I too hated the grill when they first did the refresh. Having the black grill on the Willy’s mitigates that some, and looked into buying a new one to have painted, or a used part from someone that wanted angry Jeep face. For me personally, I don’t notice it anymore though roughly a year and a half into ownership.
The LaCrosse was a really nice implementation of the mild-hybrid concept. It drove better than it had a right to. You did lose some trunk space for the battery. It was a really important step in the evolution of modern powertrain technology.
Well darn, I hoped you would be the one to sway me either way, guess you did a bit without incurring the cost.
Buddy of mine picked up a Sahara 4xe maybe 2 years ago now. Overall it’s been reliable. Mid to upper 20mpg city driving, low-ish 20 on highway drives when it can’t leverage the hybrid assist. Also fast as hell off the line when that battery is charged. Not sure if he’s had the recall completed or not. I think it’s a ’21 that he bought used.
Boom.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d1f7f23a-2fc1-469c-a6ce-36fe8f7f1b0b/Edit: Dammit, that sure looked like a manual at first.
Think I found one…
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/745435169?allListingType=all-cars&city=San%20Luis%20Obispo&endYear=2024&makeCode=JEEP&modelCode=WRANGLER&searchRadius=0&sortBy=distanceASC&startYear=2024&state=CA&transmissionCode=MAN&trimCode=WRANGLER%7CSport%20S&zip=93405&clickType=listing
Does that have the skytop too? Probably the best roof option for a dad in California.
I have no idea… But looking at picture 10 and 13 it looks like it might?
Holy crap! (not cheap, though!).
When looking for a VERY specific mix options / specs that weren’t particularly popular when new and only offered for ~3 months it makes finding a deal a bit harder.
Honestly though, if I were you I’d just “casually browse” over the next couple years and be ready to buy when the right combo shows up. Just please find one outside the rust belt… Preferably a CA car.
None of my cars are “special”, and they are all 15+ years old, but when I’m looking for something I’m VERY specific it usually takes me 12+ months of searching before I find it. “The thrill of the hunt” is how I found my 2007 Silverado 2500HD Classic Crew Cab Long Bed 4×4 w/ the LBZ Duramax, 2004 Jetta Wagon GLI TDI w/ 5-Speed Manual, and 2010 LX 570. I’m the odd one on this site though, because all my vehicles are white.
Jeep does have some pretty good lease deals, < 300/mo. You could keep the Scout pre-order and assuming it would be roughly a $600/mo payment, just start saving an extra $300 now in the Scout fund. In 3 years when you’re ready to get delivery of the Scout it’ll already be partly paid off Only downside to having a lease vehicle is you can’t scratch it, modify it, do dumb stuff with it, etc. which kind of ruins the whole point of having a Wrangler.
FWIW, in two years, Delmar (Not His Real Name) will start to be able to go forward-facing, so the i3 should end up a lot more usable (I got the front passenger seat in my Mazda2 back once my kid went forward facing).
Legally could go forward facing in 2 years, but safetywise, it’s best to stay rear facing as long as possible. So if the carseat they have and Delmar’s height/weight can be rear-facing in 2 years, I wouldn’t turn him forward just to make the i3 more comfy.
Somehow my job dreams never included attending meetings and I find them the bane of my existence (reference second sentence).
I read the Voyage of the Dawn Treader to my kids several years ago. In the book, the ship gets close to the Island of Dreams and the crew gets excited. Then some poor sailor from the Island comes to them and tells them to leave NOW. It IS the Island of Dreams. But not the daydreams. The actual dreams you have at night. The crew flees in terror.
This is for Dream Jobs too. Instead of designing the next super vehicle, you wander into a room thinking it’s a bathroom and finding a pop quiz in Algebra instead (or worse, a meeting to remind you about the mandatory training on Harassment).
Unfortunately if you want to work on modern, complex things like automobiles you are going to be working on a team – and therefore have lots of team meetings.
The older the company… the higher the probability of extensive levels of hierarchy and vertical silos by some SME And the higher the nunber of handoffs between vertically siloed teams to GSD. With leaders that “contribute” by sitting in meetings all day asking ‘why does it take so long to develop anything?”. When the organization is working precisely how it was designed.
If that sounds like your jam… join an old company.
If not find a young conpany
Me: “How bad could the redesigned grille be? I wonder if I’d even notice a difference.”
15 seconds pass during Google search
“WTF did they do that for?!”
To make it resemble a Patriot? It looks… terrible.
most think the older grill is too wide and ugly. So they tried to make it look more CJ I guess.
Did the same thing. Nearly lost my lunch.
If only the manual trans JL was worth driving.
I too was an engineer on the JK and JL that got to drive M-plates. My preference was to always drive a manual JK. I know I’m in the minority on this, but the shifter was so satisfying to use. The auto 5 speed felt like a penalty box in comparison. Uninspired, slow, and no fun at all.
The JL manual had such a bad clutch pedal, shift feel, and gear ratios that I couldn’t ever enjoy it. Plus that 8 speed ZF is so good. I basically never drove a manual JL unless I had to.
The manual is unfortunately not very good, but it’s at least not as boring as the auto to drive.
Well if this will be a daily driver why does it need to be exciting to drive? Isn’t that what the “toys” are for. Plus you don’t need to worry about taking your hands off the wheel and you can focus more on the road.
I’m never going to buy an internal combustion engine-powered car with an automatic. There are too many drawbacks vs. an EV. A stickshift, though? Way more fun than any EV.
The stock clutch was trash… many of us (including me) have swapped out for an ACT or Centerforce.
A friend of mine once mentioned the engineer over the manual on the JL learned to drive stick on the JL…
It all sounds entirely reasonable. This means that the transformation is now complete.
Welcome to Parenthood! It’s a wonderful institution that you’ve joined. Your finances, body, mind and spirit have fully converted to being a Dad. Been there for 26 years. Cars come and go but adulthood is forever.
Sometimes you can keep ‘the’ car. And that parenthood you speak of turns ultimately into grandparenthood which is categorically the best of times.
Sell the Lexus, buy a Bronco from Galpin Motors using the employee discount, but also buy the Jeep later on. Both with enough safety and removable doors, your son will love it later on.
I cannot sell the Lexus; Elise loves the brand because it has been good to her. I can respect that.
There’s no place in a successful marriage for respect, whether mutual or self-.
You know…they make a really good Lexus off-roader I hear…
I respect the want though. Can you just grill swap a more easy to find later model?
I know, but there’s no way I’m spending $70 grand on a gas-guzzler.
The Lexus isn’t his to sell! Elise NHRN brought it to the marriage!
You’re not going through with the Scout preorder?!
I rented a Wrangler 4xe in Albuquerque a week ago. I picked it because it was an interesting choice and I had never driven a Wrangler of any kind. Honestly, the love for them never really made much sense to me.
But I’ll say it made me a fan, and for a reason I didn’t expect. I realized that it’s good because it’s bad.
So few cars these days have any kind of real character. The Wrangler is kind of agricultural. The interior is tiny. It barely drove in a straight line, and I had no idea where the wheels were under me.
But it’s also clearly made for fun. I loved the removable doors with the wrench size stamped on the hinges. All the little Easter eggs. And of course its ability to go off-road. I really didn’t get to scratch that itch much. I did a little bit of sand and gravel. But I don’t need to review its off-road prowess. We all know.
I could see it being a passable daily that can go on adventures over the weekend.
I just wouldn’t get the 4xe. I have no idea who that’s for.
I haven’t driven a Wrangler either, but I think I would get it. A year ago or so, my wife’s van needed a week or two of repairs, and a friend loaned us a 25 year old Highlander (which is smaller than a Rav4 today). It had a shocking amount of personality compared to a newer car.
My wife and I called it “honest”. The steering turned stuff, the brakes moved things, the suspension absorbed things. The engine made noises. Not all this was great sounding or great feedback, but it was there in a way that doesn’t exist in modern cars.
I don’t know if there are many Honest cars left. Miatas, Wranglers, Perhaps Broncos and not many others.
Henceforth I just might refer to a birth as a “repro launch”.
It’s a bit friendlier – though less accurate, I think – than “barnacle launch”. 😀
Delmar still has that new human smell…well I guess that smell changes, so not as desirable as new car smell
I hadn’t thought about it. New Car smell is strong, but is better than New Human. Old Car smell is also very strong and obvious, and better than old Human car.
It’s the middle aged Human and Car that smell about exactly the same. I think Taco Bell bottles and markets this smell.
Why not just swap the grille?
This guy has gone full California.
Seems like only a few months ago that DT was washing suspension parts in the sink. Now he is making car decisions using an actual adult themed brain.
Ok “adult themed brain” is amazing.
Said with love, my friend!
It seems like the grilles swap over, so you might have more options than you think.
Here, hilariously, is a thread full of people wanting to swap to the new grille that you hate:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-wrangler-2024-grille-swap-install-complete.118428/
Man, loads of people on there thinking the slightly larger grille openings is going to drastically reduce engine temps. With modern cooling systems, that just seems bonkers to even remotely expect that on anything other than the highest strung engines/performance vehicles. It’s a freakin’ Jeep Wrangler. My basic assumption is that the cooling system is significantly more capable than what the engine requires.
Yeah, I’m not endorsing the reasoning behind the swaps, just pointing out that not only does it seem feasible, but that it might not even be hard to find someone with an older Jeep in the correct color who wants to trade.
Yeah, I didn’t think you were. I just poked through the thread and loads of people on there were saying it was a good idea because of increased cooling and such, which to me seems to imply that there were cooling issues before. That could be true, but I’ve never heard about it (not that I’m a JL expert, far from it in fact). All the complaints I seem to hear about the JL are: reliability, corroding door hinges, reliability, poor on-road vehicle dynamics, reliability, pricing.
I’m guessing most (if not all) the people using the “it will get better cooling w/the new grill… are simply stating that and telling themselves that to justify the swap” logic or facts be damned
Perhaps just as illogically, I would prefer the smaller grill openings for an off-road vehicle because it feels just slightly more protected from potential hazards.
That’s especially hilarious given we’ve got the guy who designed the cooling system over here wanting the old grille. Although clearly those folks don’t read over here or have logical expectations.
Grille opening is indeed a big deal, but for the most part it only makes a difference during conditions like Davis Dam.
That said, the swapping of the grille concerns me. It’s not just the grille that ensures proper airflow, it’s an overall system, which includes optimally-placed seals.
The first part of the statement seems at odds with the second.
Unless you’re planning to go up Davis Dam, either grille should work fine for LA traffic, even if not everything is “optimal” after a swap.
At least that’s how it works in my head. But I didn’t design the cooling system.
It’s an engineer thing, we wouldn’t understand.
I *am* an engineer though lol.
Determining where optimal performance is strictly necessary and where it can be compromised in the service of other objectives is the crux of engineering.
Now, my engineer brain says I can barely tell the difference between the two grilles and wouldn’t care even if I could, but all of us are allowed a bit of irrational thinking at times.
Oh no, you’re right on point. The potentially-imperfect sealing associated with a grille-swap likely will not matter in my daily-use.
But I…simply…cannot drive something knowing that I’ve made it less optimal. I can’t do it.
Let’s be real here. Almost nothing in any car is optimal. It’s simply good enough.
Indeed every car (like any highly engineered product) is a series of compromises.
Part of the fun is finding what works best for you and appreciating what you have already.
Use Child Induced Paranoia in your favor here.
So, you can justify the nicer grill AND a bigger radiator if you do it right.
But would it actually make it less optimal? For all we know, the design changes could have been purely visual and overall cooling capacity was in no way changed. It also doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable that it’s possible that grille swapping–even if it means imperfect sealing–doesn’t actually impact cooling at all. We simply don’t know.
For a guy who makes a lot of “good enough” repairs (I’m not being negative about that, “good enough” gets the car on the road and used, which is great; perfect is the enemy of good) this whole take seems incredibly weird to hear.
Yeah, I can’t see the grille being the bottle neck (or close to it) in the cooling system either and I can’t imagine the new grille really making any difference. I’d bet money that the system as a whole can move more than enough air to accept the cooling load produced by the engine, AC, power steering, etc and is probably limited more by radiator surface area and/or coolant flow.
LOL, sure sounds like the EV protagonist that must “be able to tow 10,000lbs and refill the tank in 5 minutes” argument.
Before anyone comments that this can’t happen because David must have a car with rust, there is a loophole:
https://www.theautopian.com/owners-are-furious-about-the-jeep-jl-wranglers-corrosion-issues/
Just to be that guy.
“Well, akshually, that’s not rust. That’s corrosion. Rust specifically refers to iron oxide. The hinges are aluminum!”
(I’m not being serious).
I remember reading this and thinking it was my last straw of ever owning a Wrangler. Only FCA could make aluminum parts and STILL suffer from corrosion issues.
If aluminum is going to see ANY environmental conditions it needs some kind of surface treatment. Which can cause headaches, because the easy, cheap chromate conversion (that is less likely to ruin your parts than anodizing) can be tough to get paint to stick to. Not listening to the old-guy engineer or just forgetting past experience leads you to making the same mistakes over again. There are reasons that more experienced engineers get paid more :-). And listen when the old-guy asks questions, because s/he has learned not to say “you f’ing idiots…,” because that would result in an admonition (in today’s world a PIP) for not being a team player, and instead just asks a question like, are you sure you have enough corrosion protection…