This issue’s Heap of the Week is featuring senior Kady Bezuidenhout for her 2006 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. She chose the car because it was the last year Jeep manufactured the 4.0 engine, which is praised as the best engine Jeep has ever produced. It’s also classified as an Unlimited, which means the body is wider than a regular two-door Jeep. She found the car in Las Vegas and purchased most of it herself for $15,000.  “Since I was little, having a green Jeep was the dream,” Bezuidenhout added. Owning a Jeep instantly connects you with a whole community of other Jeep owners. The “Jeep wave” is a popular way to greet other Jeep drivers on the road by lifting two fingers above the steering wheel. Bezuidenhout mentioned how she now enjoys using the greeting to say hi to other Jeeps on the road.

The Wrangler hasn’t been able to exceed 90 mph due to the infamous Jeep “death wobble,” where at high speeds you can lose control of your vehicle and the whole car shakes. However, it has great off-roading capabilities. “I did the dunes one time, that was cool. But it gets really dirty. You can tell when I’ve done something not residential,” Bezuidenhout said. They’ve never gotten into any accidents, but Bezuidenhout recounts how recently a Prius ran into the Wrangler bumper in the senior lot and left. The Wrangler came out unscathed but the Prius driver definitely earned some scratches from their mistake. The quirkiest thing about the Wrangler is because the tires are so big the suspension is quite different from a regular vehicle, so the car bounces you around. “It’s kind of embarrassing because if I go over a speed bump at the wrong speed, the whole car shakes and you look like a bobble head,” Bezuidenhout laughed. Her favorite part about the car is being able to take the top off in the summertime. “Anytime you can put a (surf) board in there or drive around with the wind. I think that’s the best.” Overall, the Wrangler is a beast of a car that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it – just maybe leave out street racing. 

[Bezuidenhout atop her beloved Rubicon, Image Credit: Clara Watson]