A first look at a vehicle that owes much to basic training

By: Ron Amadon
MarketWatch

DAMASCUS, Md. (MarketWatch) — It was sitting there at the service station being looked over by one and all, still in its Army colors and the white military lettering on the sides of the hood.

The GI Joe version of the Jeep, and no one could have invented a more basic set of wheels. And yet here it is, still running after conquering all the wars and winning the hearts of thousands of GI’s.

This tribute to all things basic was spotted while on route to the unveiling of the redesigned 2011 Grand Cherokee. It had soft leather seats in place of canvas, air conditioning in place of the open air, a pulse-setting audio system in place of a guy whistling a Glenn Miller tune. However, when it comes down to the basics of what makes a Jeep a Jeep they could not be more similar.

Both will take you where you want or need to go and back regardless of whether it’s halfway across the Sahara Desert, along the Rubicon Trail, or off to a Saturday golf match at the club. And both would draw a crowd.

There are three 4×4 systems in the new Grand Cherokee although rear-wheel drive is available if you don’t, like most owners, ever fancy yourself going off road. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Lawrence Ulrich
New York Times

WHAT IS IT? A four-door all-terrain conquistador.

HOW MUCH? Base price, $32,800; as tested, $35,975.

WHAT MAKES IT RUN? A 3.8-liter V-6 (202 horsepower, 237 pound-feet of torque); 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic.

IS IT THIRSTY? Does a Jeep drink in the woods? The economy rating is just 15 m.p.g. in town and 19 on the highway.

ALTERNATIVES Land Rover LR2, Toyota FJ Cruiser.

REUNIONS are often a letdown, as anyone who’s been reintroduced to a high-school flame can tell you. (Who is this psycho and why does she want to dance to “Lady in Red?”)

So when a Jeep Wrangler appeared on my doorstep, I kept my expectations low. I had a serious crush on a Wrangler Sahara I owned in the ’90s, but I was single and carefree then. The Jeep’s kidney-shaking ride, intermittent heat and nearly useless back seat were all part of its charm.

I knew that the Wrangler was still around, doing its woodsy, back-road, ski- and beach-bum thing. But as with a Facebook “friend” from the old neighborhood, being aware of the Jeep’s existence didn’t mean I wanted to rekindle a relationship. But then it happened. After a 10-minute reintroduction to the Wrangler, I was ready to hightail it to the nearest mountain hideaway or find some muddy ruts to wallow in.

The Wrangler is as fun to drive as ever, even in unlikely places — like my cobbled Brooklyn street. And while “icon” is used loosely in the auto business, the Wrangler — like the VW Beetle or Mini Cooper — certainly is one.

The Jeep, of course, is a direct descendant of World War II military vehicles, and the Wrangler name can be carbon-dated to 1987. And from its school-bus-style manual shifter to its painted-metal interior and fold-down windshield, the Jeep’s authenticity and stout, old-school feel could melt the hardest automotive heart. Read the rest of this entry »