I live in Michigan. My summer ride is a Buick Grand National, and hopefully soon a Dyna-Glide. May daily driver for the past 11 years has been my '95 Eldorado. While this has been by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned, and shows no signs of letting me down, it has 216,000 miles on it, and I am not sure how much longer it will last. I replaced my Chevy K15 4x4 about a few yeasrs back with a TrailBlazer because I started a family. But I don't like taking that to work on bad snow days leaving my wife without it. I also don't want a big gas-guzzling truck again.

My requirements are: Easy on gas, tow small trailer on occasion, 4-wheel drive, hard-top for winter heat containment, and American made.

sorry to say but if youre lookig at a wrangler, the gas mileage will be pretty close to your truck, sepecially if you get the 6 cyl for some light towing duty.
I typically get anywhere forom 12-15. The 4 cyl will be better, though wont be great for towing.

I remember before I got my first Jeep. I thought I wanted one of them hardtops too.

Well, ideally I would have both a hard and soft top for it. Hard top for winter. A buddy had a Jeep with a soft top, and he could never get that thing warm in the winter, and the plastic "windows" were always fogged over. I would like know if the hard tops work better.

Well, I have had 2 Jeeps (YJ's) with soft tops only, and never had an issue with keeping them warm in the winter. That being said, with my new Jeep and a hardtop, it does stay warmer and is much quieter on the road. I don't have issues with the top fogging up either, at least not any more than in my car...

I have a '03 Wrangler with a soft top. I lived just south of Detriot for a while and never had a problem keeping it warm sometimes I have to turn it down cause I'm too hot. Go with the 6 cyl. don't regret getting the 4 banger like me.