Had 2 CJ's and 3 Wranglers. Learned stick in a circa '86 Cherokee when they first came out. Jeeps are jeeps. If you are buying one and looking for a scientific reason to own it, it's the wrong vehicle for you. It's an emotional one, a want, not a need. They do however, do incredibly well at hard core 4x4ing. You're not taking a Rav4 the same places a Rubicon can go. And you're not taking the top and doors off of a 4runner. Never had any serious issues with any of the Jeeps I had beyond death wobble on an 03 Wrangler - which the dealer eventually figured out was the traction bar (IIRC).
