Jeep's Rear-Seat Dilemma Across Generations

Automotive writer David Tracy argues that Jeeps have consistently underdelivered on rear-seat space since WWII, with wheel-well humps and a narrow floor limiting to four passengers; he traces the evolution from the MB to the CJ-2A and beyond, contrasts with rivals like the Toyota Land Cruiser that offered more seating, notes rare exceptions such as Reagan-era CJ-6 jump seats, and explains safety and roll-bar constraints that kept the cramped layout, making group off-road adventures difficult despite Jeep’s off-road prowess.