No you don't. They look cool and get you thinking you want them. However if you ever had to live with them instead of just looking you would quickly discover some of those cool looking things make for very annoying compromises and so you wouldn't want them.
"hi, dealership, I'm looking for a car that looks like an oversized Amazon package and rides like I'm in a trashcan being kicked by a mule. You say you have plenty of jeeps available? Perfect."
Jeeps, man. If you're looking for a comfortable, reliable, fuel efficient vehicle, you'd go elsewhere. But if you want the front windshield to fold down, and for it to perform better off-road than on-road, they got a box on wheels that's perfect for you.
Neighbor got a jeep. I was shocked to learn it gets 15-17 miles per gallon. I get that it is an SUV, but there are SUVs with more utility that get better gas mileage.
They have some models that have ok-ish gas mileage for an SUV. Then there's the Wrangler. It starts with abysmal gas mileage, and then you upgrade it, and every upgrade adds weight or reduces on road efficiency. It's really an offroad motorsports vehicle that somehow happens to be road legal.
I rented a jeep (Cherokee?) for the first time recently. Literally a worse driving experience than my old 2000 Mitsubishi Galant. Which was the worst ever, prior to the jeep.
I bought a Wrangler new for $27k, hit two trees with it while offroading, lost its spare key, and sold it without working heat 8 years later for 18k. 10/10, would do that again.
Though honestly, I probably wouldnt buy one again either. My wife and I want a light truck for house projects and her short commute, an EV for travel and my commute, and then I'd love a Polaris or something for fun. A Jeep ain't any of those
given your story, it sounds like you did your best to drive that thing into the ground (not judging). I’m glad you had fun with it, as that’s what they’re for, although, you probably would have gotten many more years out of it had you actually driven it like a car and on the street (also, regular maintenance). just sayin’.
given your follow-up, it was obviously not a long-term choice (is it for anyone?), and I’m glad you’ve found what works for you. I discovered that my vehicle of choice is the NYC Subway! But, fuck, I REALLY miss my 2001 Honda Accord EX Coupe! That car was the shit!
edit: I changed out the headers, injectors, and spark plugs, had a friend replace the muffler, and replaced the air intake, and took that ca from 195HP to 245hp. it was so light, that such an increase was huge, and the transmission was delightful, with a trick in the accelerator where you could get it to shift up or down if you knew how to tap it just right. and that spoiler? smoooooth.