Trail Rated designation ? Sales gimmick or desirable option ?

Decide for yourself:

https://www.jeep.com/trail-rated.html

Sales gimmick, in my humble and meaningless opinion.

Mine was included as an option on my build sheet.

And it was a stripper JK sport 2 door.

I would imagine you can walk into a dealer, order the cheapest Jeep with absolutely zero options and add the badge.



-Mac

Amazon:



Or, a far less serious version:

Acxman said:

Soo, it seems to me that the whole “trail rated” thing is a sales gimmick. If one can just order a badge when they buy their Jeep, then it doesn’t mean anything ? If no upgraded equipment is on a ”trail rated” Jeep, then the badge don’t mean squat !?? If they claim every Jeep is trail rated, then what’s the point??

Click to expand...

I'm going to disagree that it's just a sales gimmick. The fact that you can buy a badge and stick it on means nothing. Haven't you ever seen a car with a VTEC sticker that wasn't even a Honda? Or a V6 Mustang with a Shelby badge?

There was a time when all Jeeps were focused first and foremost on off-highway ability. That is no longer true.

All Wranglers and Gladiators are Trail Rated. All other models have a Trailhawk trim level, and only those upgraded models are Trail Rated.

A stock, stripper Wrangler or Gladiator is able to run the Rubicon Trail. That's mandatory. That doesn't mean you can run the hardest lines, but you can make it through. I don't think there are many (or any) other entry level 4x4's of which that is true. Certainly not at the pricepoint of a base Wrangler.

Since it’s on all the wranglers I would just say it’s a marketing thing .
Wouldn’t put to much thought into it TBH.
What really matters is the quality of components your planning for the Jeep .