I have owned two other Wranglers in the past, and routinely beat the living tar out of them. Every repair becomes an upgrade, anyhow (stronger axles, better driveshaft, etc) The first was a 79 CJ which the tub had rotted into oblivion and I sold it to a guy that was going to make it a competition crawler. The second was a 97' Wrangler which was still in pretty good shape when I got rid of it. The only reason I broke down and bought this one is because it was the last year for the "straight 6" 4.0 liter (which, as someone has mentioned, is all but bulletproof), and I'm not too keen on the new "V" 6's as they have not been in use as long as the in-line 6's, but that's another conversation altogether. In fact, the best engine I have seen in a Wrangler is a Cumming's Diesel that someone had shoehorned into it (talk about some torque 
)
Bottom line is that a Jeep Wrangler NOT a "comfort" vehicle, nor is it marketed as one. It is a vehicle for the more adventurous type that doesn't mind a little mud/wind/water on the skin. It is a a vehicle of function more than form and , as such, does not come with most of the creature comforts that other SUV's may have.
There is not a lot of head/leg room (I am short, so I don't care)
There is not a lot of cargo space ( but you would be surprised at what can be strapped on the roll bars) and what doesn't fit inside goes on the cargo rack.
It's loud. ( I can deal with it being that the trade's is being more "in" the environment as opposed to being shutoff from it.
It's slow and a bit bumpy (I can't go fast or ride "on air", but I can go damn near anywhere I please, when I please to do it)
There are security risks, but locks only keep honest people out, anyway (besides, if I needed to hear loud music, I'd fire up one of my 3000W PA systems that I use for my DJ Busines) If you need to steal the axe strapped to the front or the shovel strapped on the back, you probably need it more than I do.
If a Wrangler is "more capable from the showroom floor" as Widewing has stated is a matter of statistics and testing. Whether my Wrangler is "better" than another vehicle is a matter of total opinion.
I love my Wrangler, my kids love my wrangler (to the extent that if I lend it out to a friend for a joy ride and they wash it first for their SWMBO, they, including my daughter, call said friend a wimpy girl), and my wife loves my Wrangler (especially in this crappy snow we have been having).
So............... no matter what anyone's opinion is, the OP hit the nail right on the head.....
There is nothing else like it..
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2011 will introduce the Pentastar V6 with more than 300 hp. The current V6 is a reworked version of the 3.8 in the Caravan. It's pretty much bulletproof. There are some reputable companies doing Hemi conversions, with Chrysler factory warranty.
Head room? Drop the top!
Storage? There's just me and the wife. The rear seat folds with a fingertip, or comes out completely in 10 seconds. I bought a storage rack that mounts on the spare tire carrier. Haven't installed it yet. I found the best rack system around for high lift jacks and shovels. I use an Allen spare tire mount bike rack. Holds the high lift and two spades. Pops on and off in about 30 seconds and fits on a 12.5" section tire. Oh yeah, it holds three mountain bikes too.
We've strapped a Kayak and two boogie boards to the roll cage.
Gas mileage... Here's where the JKs shine compared to the TJs. I get 17+ mpg around town, 25+ mpg on the highway (hardtop on and buttoned up). That's the big advantage of the V6.
As to my JK, I've not had a single problem with it in 18 months of ownership. Completely reliable.
Upgrades are minor. 33" Dunlop Rover MT Maxx Traction tires on 17x8 Black Rocks. TeraFlex wheel spacers. Olympic 4x4 rock sliders. Skid Row Off Road armor for the steering gear and evap canister. Heavy duty dif covers. Rugged Ridge steering stabilizer. Mirror relocation kit. Fire bottle. EMT type trauma kit. Dune pennant. CB radio. Recovery hooks. Recovery kit. High lift jack and so on.... No lift kit... Don't plan on rock crawling. I got that out of my system with the CJ-5 and the YJ.
One little detail that makes the Jeep easy to own... A lifetime bumper to bumper warranty. As long as I own it, everything covered by the 3/36 is covered forever.
Finally, one thing that is rather astounding. According to Kelly Blue Book, my JK is worth $700 more than I paid for it (I negotiated $4k under sticker with the rebate) in August of '08. An '08 Hummer H2 with the same mileage depreciates 30% from its purchase price, even with the $2500 rebate offered then.
Right now, especially where I live, the demand for 2 dr JKs exceeds the supply. My dealer offered me $22k on trade if I wanted a 2010 Unlimited. I don't want one. They would mark it up $2k to $3k and sell it within a couple of days. I saw a low mileage 2006 LJ on their lot priced at $19,500. It was gone within a week.
My brother drives a 2005 LJ, one nephew owns a 2003 TJ his brother drives a 2001 Cherokee. We also have my wife's 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara, which has proven itself driving through 2 feet of snow. Center locking differential does a nice job of supplying torque to each wheel. With only 8" of ground clearance, its no rock crawler. It is, however, perfect for snow or the beach and far more stout than the soft-roader compact SUVs (really just cross overs).
My regards,
Widewing
