Americans are uncertain about many, many things right now — but the appeal of a Jeep doesn’t appear to be one of them. Survey data gathered over the past 30 days by YouGov BrandIndex shows that a little more than 16 percent of American buyers are considering a Jeep right now — a 2.6 percent increase over the period. That, for the record, was the biggest jump of any automotive brand over that time.
While the current crisis certainly may have doomsday preppers increasingly interested in a capable, all-terrain vehicle, YouGov cites several other more likely factors that could be at play. SUVs have been continuously becoming more popular with buyers, and the perception that foreign cars are better made has been declining. (Ford, Ram and GM also showed increased interest in the data.) Gas prices are way down, which presumably should benefit Jeep — a brand not known for its fuel efficiency.
If Jeep does see an increase in buyers in the coming months, the company should have the inventory to accommodate them. There were concerns about the backlog of both Gladiators and Wranglers on dealer lots before the health crisis began affecting American life. That excess inventory one reason we’ve seen so many crazy deals on the Gladiator, despite it being perhaps the most game-changing new vehicle of 2019.
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