50 year old CJ review...

[crenca]

The car mags have never been all that good at evaluating off road vehicles/tech IMO, but they used to be more thorough:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a73464614/1976-jeep-cj-5-and-cj-7-renegade-archive-test/

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[Baja Bronco]

Loved the CJ-5!!! Had a few of them back in the day. Last one was an ‘80. If it wasn’t for Ralph Nader, probably would have lasted a lot longer.

 

[Y2KFirehawk]

Definitely agree on the thoroughness.

Still have a lot of fun with my brother's 84 CJ-7 today

 

[UncleBrad]

The car mags have never been all that good at evaluating off road vehicles/tech IMO, but they used to be more thorough:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a73464614/1976-jeep-cj-5-and-cj-7-renegade-archive-test/

I read that just this morning. The first thing that struck me was the lack of vitriol against the manual transmission which savages used to employ in the 1970s. And where is the outcry against the maddening lack of two extra doors? The reviewers seemed to actually understand purpose-built vehicles, embracing the reality of BOTH their strengths and shortcomings.

I enjoy my 1988 YJ simply for what it is.

 

[wjtinfwb]

The car mags have never been all that good at evaluating off road vehicles/tech IMO, but they used to be more thorough:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a73464614/1976-jeep-cj-5-and-cj-7-renegade-archive-test/

Ha! I read this last night, what a trip down memory lane. That CJ-5 with a V8 and 3 speed manual sounded like more fun than should be allowed. And I guess it is in 2026! We had a '77 CJ-7, 258 and a manual. I don't remember it being as refined as C/D thought their 7 was.

 

[UncleBrad]

Ha! I read this last night, what a trip down memory lane. That CJ-5 with a V8 and 3 speed manual sounded like more fun than should be allowed. And I guess it is in 2026! We had a '77 CJ-7, 258 and a manual. I don't remember it being as refined as C/D thought their 7 was.

I knew a guy in the 70s with a CJ-7. All the guys wanted to be like him, and all the chicks thought they could change him.

 

[SFCMarauder]

I luv my 1984 CJ7 ! It was the first new vehicle I bought. $12500 at 12% interest but I got her in Germany while in the Army and the insurance company consider it a RV and cost only $50 a month to insure it . Sadly after 7 years, I had to sell her because I couldn't get all the 3 new kids in the backseat. LOL

 

[Imaginary Friend]

A buddy still has his V8/manual CJ5, although I don't think it's seen daylight in a while.

He lives on a gigantic rural property that used to be farm land but had long ago been allowed to go back to nature. At night we used to load up a small cooler with beer and pop the Jeep into 4-low and let it creep itself around at idle under the stars while we perched on top of the seat backs and chatted about nonsense, my buddy steering occasionally with a foot. Good times.

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