10 Signs a Jeep is a Mall Crawler

1. Clean as a Whistle

A clean, unscratched Wrangler is the biggest sign this Jeep has been babied, and a babied Jeep is a Jeep that doesn't go off-roading. If you don't see dirt, scratches, and dings, the odds are the Wrangler is either brand-new, or the owner just likes the idea of Jeep, and not the adventure that comes with it.

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2. Low Profile Tires

No off-roader will ever put low-profile tires on their Jeep, they will all bend on the very first off-road trip. This is by far the biggest sign that this Wrangler is a mall crawler, it is also a big sign this Wrangler offers no traction off the road, which means the owner bought an off-road monster, and made it incapable.

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3. 40s on D30s

We all love the idea of monstrous 40" tires on a big, beautiful Wrangler, but if the axles are stock, then you've got a mall crawler. Big tires like that would break the axle when you go over rough terrains, so if the 40-inch tires are there for off-the-road, you should see aftermarket axles with them, not the D30 stock ones.

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4. Brand-New Rock Slider and Skid Plates

Unless the Wrangler is rolling right off the shop that installed the rock sliders and the skid plates, there should be plenty of scratches on them. The odds of going off-roading without scratching the bottom off-road components are slim to none, in fact, true off-road enthusiasts welcome the scratches, as they are the battle scars of the fun adventures.

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5. Lowered Suspension

You wouldn't think that any Wrangler owner with the right state of mind would lower their Jeep, but unfortunately, it happens. If you do see a Jeep that looks lower than the stock height, then you have a big-time mall crawler. If you plan on taking your Jeep on the easiest of terrains, you should keep it at stock-height or go up, but never, ever down.

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6. Stick-On Chrome

There are two facts about stick-on chrome parts: they fall off when you abuse your Jeep, and they look horrible when they are dirty. Off-road lovers don't waste their money or time on stick-on chrome parts, simply because it is almost impossible to keep them shiny when you're constantly spraying them with mud, rocks, and dirt. If you see pretty chrome buttons like the Jeep in the photo above, you've got a mall crawler.

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7. Nice Rims

It is always nice when you see aftermarket rims on a Wrangler. In fact, they tremendously complement its beauty and aggression, but when you see beautiful rims without any scratches, you're looking at a Jeep that never saw dirt. If you take your Wrangler off-roading, you will have scratched rims immediately. It's part of the Wrangler's character.

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8. Well-Spooled Winch Cable

If you're a true off-road enthusiast, you probably use your winch a lot, and when you use your winch a lot, you start not caring about spooling it perfectly and pretty, simply because you know you will use it again soon. A clean, well-spooled winch is a winch that is there for the looks, and will probably never see what's beyond the paved road.

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9. Colorful Suspension Parts

Having shiny and colorful suspensions could mean two things: you spent extra money to get the colorful ones, and you probably don't go off-roading. No off-road maniac would spend extra money on colorful suspension, because they only show the dirt more, they are pricier, which is money they can spend on other off-road components, and they will get scratched up and look bad in a matter of a trip or two. Another sign the Jeep is a mall crawler is when they look shiny and clean, simply because it is extremely difficult to truly clean them after a crazy off-road adventure.

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10. Shiny Tailpipes

Finally, if you're driving behind a Jeep Wrangler and you see beautiful, shiny exhausts, you probably have a mall crawler. Unless you wrap them in bubble wrap and take them in the shower with you every day, no off-road car should have shiny exhausts. Although the shine looks amazing on a Wrangler, the more you go off-roading, the more the shine slowly fades away.

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