drivetofive

It’s a Jeep thing – and I definitely don’t understand it fully – but after spending a few miles behind the wheel of the all-new 2018 “JL” Wrangler Rubicon (with a huge grin on my face) I can definitely see why Jeep culture is so strong.  It’s just a shame I had to experience it in the urban grid of central Phoenix as opposed to the red rock Mecca of Moab.  Maybe next time I’ll sneak away for a more “extended test drive” (wink, wink).

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) hosted a handful of members from the Phoenix Automotive Press Association (PAPA) last week for an up-close look at some of the brand’s new products, including the the Wrangler, refreshed Cherokee, and all-new Ram 1500 pickup truck.  With typical generations lasting upwards of 10 years each, engineers have to work extra hard to make sure their vehicles will withstand the test of time both mechanically and aesthetically.  The Wrangler’s iconic shape has changed very little over the years, and that’s for good reason.  But its underpinnings are as advanced as any modern vehicle should be.

We received a demo from representative Trevor who showed us how the soft top mechanism operates and how the windshield folds completely flat.  Did you know that the fold-flat windshield feature dates back to wartimes, when Jeeps had to be packed as tightly as possible into crates for overseas transport?  I think it’s cool how Jeep has preserved some of those nostalgic features.

The entire vehicle has been built to endure any kind of abuse thrown at it.  Pre-production JL Wranglers were put through 16 hour “mist tests” with non-stop exposure to water, and all of the dash and electronic components still operated successfully.  There are a total of 5 USB ports in the vehicle.  Just when you thought there was a competition to incorporate the most cupholders in a vehicle, Jeep has now done it with USB ports.  Cuz you gotta have your iPhone fully charged to capture video of that next summit up Hell’s Revenge trail.  Yikes!

The Rubicon that I drove was a 6-speed manual, 4-door in Firecracker Red.  It took me a minute to get accustomed to the clutch engagement point but once I made my way out of the parking at Lon’s at the Hermosa, I was enjoying every minute of having the wind my hair and the sun on my face.  The Wrangler is just an all-around fun vehicle to drive – and for being such a capable off-roader, it surprised me how gracefully it handed city surface streets in and around the Paradise Valley area on my 6-mile drive loop.

My favorite Ram was the Bighorn in white – a truck so advanced, it practically drives itself… through any terrain… with a trailer.  Throw a task at this truck, and it will probably reign victorious.  Ram trucks are now available with a largest-in-class 12″ touch-screen, 100+ safety & security features, and a 360-degree surround-view camera.

Some of the other features I found impressive were related to towing.  The truck itself is long enough to begin with, but adding a boat or camp trailer behind it makes for a pretty nerve-wracking driving experience.  FCA engineers have lessened the stress by developing a blind-spot-monitoring system which smartly takes into consideration the length of the trailer AND the truck combined.  Now that’s smart trucking.

Thanks to Scott Brown, Carrie Owens, and others who made this midday press preview possible!

Fellow automotive journalist Jeff Koch who’s photographed my cars for Hemmings

Refreshed Jeep Cherokee – now with more conventional headlight design

Ram Longhorn 1500:  20″ wheels, heated seats all around, and genuine wood & leather interior.

Fancy!

Might need to get me one of these babies!

This entry was posted on May 21, 2018 at 1:29 pm and is filed under PAPA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.