Jeep Wrangler TJ

For a lot of Jeep people, the TJ is the one that got everything right. For me personally, it sits in a strange middle ground. After Jeep stopped being cool, but before Jeep started being really obnoxious. Arriving in 1997, it brought back the round headlights the YJ had exiled, then made the real change underneath: coil springs at all four corners in place of the old leaves. The Quadra-Coil setup gave the TJ a comfortable ride and a big jump in wheel articulation, so it climbed better and drove better at the same time.

Power comes from the trusty 4.0-liter inline-six and its 190 horsepower. The one most want is the Rubicon, added in 2003 with front and rear Dana 44 axles, factory air lockers, and a 4:1 low-range transfer case, which is serious hardware straight off the showroom floor. Purists also chase the 2004-2006 Unlimited, the long-wheelbase LJ, built in small numbers and worth some real money today.