Here is a thought that I had on this topic. We are a 2 Wrangler family, I have a '16 JKUR and my wife has a '01 Wrangler Sport. Both are modified to our needs (lift, bumpers, etc). While driving the TJ I notice that I get significantly fewer responses from JKs than I do from other Tjs and YJs. However if I am driving the JK I get equal response from all jeeps.
Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?
I recently parted ways with my TJ and replaced it with a JKU to accommodate family. I was against JK's for the longest time because they got rid of the 4.0 and replaced it with a minivan engine. I would snub JK owners because I believed they were part of the soccer mom movement and not the jeep lifestyle. With the TJ and previous models, the only option you had was a short wheelbase, a tight turn radius, and a whole lot of horrible highway driving in a box. It was not a practical vehicle by any means.
MY THOUGHTS
I believe the wave had more to do with the short wheelbase vehicles and hardcore jeep enthusiasts before it became a practical SUV. It is like corvette making a station wagon. Do you think the corvette car clubs would embrace the wagon or push it aside? Do you think the families would understand everything that comes with owning a corvette? The wave is dying out because the vehicle was marketed to a larger group than just hardcore enthusiasts.
That being said, I wave to all Wranglers, CJ's, and occasionally the built XJ. I usually get a return wave unless I am in my truck.