Jeep Wrangler YJ

The YJ is to the Wrangler as the 996 is to the 911; the headlights got everyone's undergarments in a bunch. When it replaced the beloved CJ-7 in 1987, the round-eye faithful revolted. They ignored that YJ was wider, more stable, and far more civilized on pavement thanks to sway bars and a lower center of gravity. They focused on the headlights, because people hate change. Personally, I find the YJ to be easier on the eyes than the TJ. Come at me, Jeep nerds.

Early cars made do with the wheezy 2.5-liter four or the old 4.2-liter six, but the better ones arrived in 1991 with the fuel-injected 4.0-liter inline-six, the same tough motor that powered the Cherokee. That combination of the classic 4.0 and a simple leaf-sprung chassis is the YJ sweet spot.

Clean, unmodified examples have quietly become the affordable entry point into vintage Wrangler ownership. Get one before the rest of the internet finishes changing its mind.