STARSHIP SUBS,
Soups, Catering, and
more...
Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2007 Jeep Wrangler by Cordell Koland Even with lots of new technology and mechanical improvements, the iconic Jeep Wrangler rumbles into 2007 as true as ever to its essential nature. The frame is now 100 percent stiffer and there¹s more room inside. And for the first time, a four-door Wrangler is offered. The illustrious Jeep could be called the result of a government program gone terribly well. In 1940, perhaps with unaccustomed foresight, the Army invited companies to propose a new light reconnaissance vehicle. Three responded. The current Jeep Wrangler is a direct offshoot of the original 1941 Willys MB, popularly known as the US Army Jeep and one of the most enduring designs in the history of the domestic automotive industry. Hoping to capitalize on a good thing, in 1945 Willys Overland produced the first civilian Jeep, the CJ-2A. You pretty much know the rest of the story. The concept slowly has evolved through a succession of corporate owners to its current status within the Chrysler Group, which manufactures Jeep vehicles in the U.S., Austria, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Venezuela, Argentina and Egypt. The new Jeep is offered in three models Wrangler X, Sahara and Rubicon. The Rubicon name has no direct relationship to the river that Julius Caesar crossed in 49 BC. In Jeep lore, the name is derived from the Rubicon Trail, a holy Mecca for off-road purists. It traverses a rugged part of the high-Sierras that begins about 80 miles east of Sacrament and ends at Lake Tahoe. The route is a brutal test of man, women, and machine, and has become a right-of-passage for Jeep owners throughout North America. The new Wrangler is equipped with a host of important safety features that include Electronic Stability Program, four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, electronic roll mitigation, dual-stage air bags, and seat-mounted side-impact air bags. The basic Jeep Wrangler equation, however, remains the same: body-on-frame construction, solid axles, removable doors, exposed hinges, a fold-down windshield and removable convertible tops. I was quite surprised to see an actual six-speed manual in our test vehicle. And yes, amenities are kept at a minimum. Our Rubicon model lacked power door locks and electric windows. You'll actually have to use a key to lock the doors. The net result is that the Wrangler remains a Jeep, pure and simple. An automatic transmission is available for those who need one. If you've even been to an off-road Jeep rodeo, you've seen that Wrangler owners delight in customizing their rides. Consequently, the new Wrangler offers dozens of different top, door and windshield combinations, nine exterior colors and a choice of 16-, 17-, or 18-inch wheels with big beefy tires. But you can still load up on extra spare tires, big gas cans and a winch. There are a lot of special features that make a Jeep so rugged and capable off-road. There are several concepts relating to the geometry of how the vehicle relates to the terrain that makes the Wrangler so formidable off-road. The new model offers the best-in-class approach angle of 44.3 degrees, breakover angle of 25.5 degrees, and a best-in-class 40.4-degree departure angle. What makes this geometry possible is the vehicle¹s short wheelbase and the fact that its big wheels are moved to the very corners of the vehicle, which allows you to step over almost anything. So unless you're a slave to testosterone, you¹ll rarely get stranded in the wild and wooly outback. But there are sturdy steel tow hooks in front in case the worst happens. While the Wrangler is without equal off road, it displays its roots in the 1930s on the highway. Cruising down the interstate, the Jeep¹s short wheelbase and stiff suspension take their toll. The ride is both hard and choppy. There is also a high level of noise generated by the big off-road tires and the fact that modern, wind-cheating aerodynamics are not in the Wrangler¹s list of engineering requirements. On the other hand, the six-cylinder engine is relatively smooth and quiet. Vehicle: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4 Price as tested: $28,130 Engine: Type: 3.8-liter V-6 Horsepower: 202 @ 5,000 rpm Torque: 237 lbs.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm Fuel economy, manual transmission City 17 mpg Highway 19 mpg Curb Weight: lbs. 4,104  Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
