Wrangler is "Last American Chrysler"

[haven]

According to LA Times auto columnist Dan Neil, the Jeep Wrangler is the "Last American Chrysler." While Fiat has plans to alter most Chrysler products, they are leaving the Wrangler alone.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neil11-2009dec11,0,3844554.column

Neil repeats the rumor that Fiat will put a diesel engine in the Wrangler for the 2011 model year. I'll believe it when I see it. I think Fiat will replace the VM Motori diesel with one of their own, but just for European sales. It's too complicated and expensive to make diesels meet USA emissions (for everybody except VW, apparently).

Neil shows a little tough love to the Wrangler, so the column may not be enjoyable for diehard Jeep true believers. For the rest of us, it's a good read.

 

[alosix]

Die hard Wrangler guy here, and the author is dead on Its a bit of tough love, but its true.

 

[Root Moose]

I dunno about tough love.

Everything he said is accurate.

But context is everything.

If this is your context:

"Also, unlike a Porsche Cayenne or Land Rover LR4..."

Then yeah, it may seem like an ox cart in comparison.

The Porsche is not an off-road vehicle.

The LR4 is well, an LR4 and let's leave it at that.

 

[Christian P.]

Extremely funny write-up!

 

[ExpoMike]

Yep, about sums it up.

 

[jingram]

According to LA Times auto columnist Dan Neil, the Jeep Wrangler is the "Last American Chrysler." While Fiat has plans to alter most Chrysler products, they are leaving the Wrangler alone.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neil11-2009dec11,0,3844554.column

Neil repeats the rumor that Fiat will put a diesel engine in the Wrangler for the 2011 model year. I'll believe it when I see it. I think Fiat will replace the VM Motori diesel with one of their own, but just for European sales. It's too complicated and expensive to make diesels meet USA emissions (for everybody except VW, apparently).

Neil shows a little tough love to the Wrangler, so the column may not be enjoyable for diehard Jeep true believers. For the rest of us, it's a good read.

or BMW. I think it has less to do with expense and emissions as much as it is perceived lack of interest. EPA and EuroV regs aren't that far appart.

 

[PhulesAU]

well while being truthful, that guy talks too much. if he'd just said that they weren"t going to screw-up the Jeep brand. most people would have been just fine with that. As far as the other " 4x4" vehicles mentioned, the response is "I 've got a Jeep" What's your excuse???

 

[Ruffin' It]

A diesel Rubicon Unlimited would be the only new vehicle that I could think of that I'd replace my FZJ80 with. I hope the rumors are true.

 

[Redline]

I mostly enjoyed the piece. The part I didn't care for is not his criticism of the platform, but that like many 'car focused' automotive journalists, his journalistic slant against the Wrangler is harsh because it appears 'cars' are his baseline, not 'trucks', real trucks. The kind that have been fading in recent years but the kind that one would compare with a Wrangler. The kind we like for overland travel. He's a very skilled writer none the less.

Then there is this little typo:

Take our test car, for instance. The Rubicon-package Wrangler Unlimited is full of drop-forged orneriness, starting with a couple of bigger-badder Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials; a two-speed transfer case with extra tall gearing; and electronic front sway bar disconnect, which will give you a little more wheel articulation when you're driving over, say, a Honda Accord.

As we know, the Wrangler has low gearing in the axles and T-case, not "tall".

According to LA Times auto columnist Dan Neil, the Jeep Wrangler is the "Last American Chrysler." While Fiat has plans to alter most Chrysler products, they are leaving the Wrangler alone.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neil11-2009dec11,0,3844554.column

Neil repeats the rumor that Fiat will put a diesel engine in the Wrangler for the 2011 model year. I'll believe it when I see it. I think Fiat will replace the VM Motori diesel with one of their own, but just for European sales. It's too complicated and expensive to make diesels meet USA emissions (for everybody except VW, apparently).

Neil shows a little tough love to the Wrangler, so the column may not be enjoyable for diehard Jeep true believers. For the rest of us, it's a good read.

 

[Jeep]

A Cayenne or LR 4 can trace it's heritage to the same spot a SRT Grand Cherokee can, luxury. Neither however can claim the historic and to me iconic status or off road capabilities of the conventional Jeep, the machine built to help win the war. Sure the creature comforts have crept into the beast but not to the degree that turns me off, except for the stability control in the new Wranglers-I just find it is always doing something for no reason. I am quite certain that Chrysler/Fiat won't give us IFS/IRS, a transfer case "button" with pictures of snow flakes, rain drops, and cactus' and continue to deny us of the tasteless body work of the past Renegade. If they do decide to decimate the product with the afformentioned plastielectrosemimetallic feces and destroy the foundation of my favorite utility vehicle I will have found justification in owning 4 of these ox carts from various eras of Jeep history. Maybe the author should have compared a Defender to a Wrangler, I found the Defender rough, choppy, and noisy. I've been looking for a deal on one ever since.

 

[Redline]

I like your choice of words sir.

For decades a 4x4 was a either a 4x4 pickup, or they were Utility Vehicles, NOT 'SUVs'. I've been dragged 'kicking & screaming' to conform to the term SUV, but still mostly use and prefer 'Utility Vehicle'. In my mind SUV is a silly marketing term, now much more befitting the car-based cross-overs, not a true 4WD utility vehicles with a low-range T-case, hopefully a ladder frame, and other features designed for rugged use.

I know, I’m both showing my age and I’ve lost the battle because everyone knows what an SUV is, but a utility vehicle?

The Jeep, be it MB, CJ, or Wrangler IS the purest Utility Vehicle there is (and I don’t own one).

snip.............If they do decide to decimate the product with the afformentioned plastielectrosemimetallic feces and destroy the foundation of my favorite utility vehicle I will have found justification in owning 4 of these ox carts from various eras of Jeep history. snip...........

 

[Jeep]

Thanks Redline. I like to base my posts on experience....jeez, now I'm feeling old too . I agree with your view on the terminology, I think the SUV market is a marketing scheme save for the vehicles that were around for more than 2 years at a time like the Suburban, Bronco, Ramcharger, Blazer, etc. Those vehicles were designed for the explorer in us.

Does anybody think the copy cat syndrome in the vehicle manufacturing world had anything to do with the colapse? I mean, Nissan built the Murrano, 3 weeks later everybody had a version of one and nobody had a profitable market left, seems like somebody builds something a little different or coins a new buzz word and the lemming auto industry hops on board and over saturates what was a comfortable niche market. It's no wonder a 1/2 ton 4x4 costs $50K in Alberta....damn cupholders are pricey. There must be some certain market blindness in Detroit though....nobody has knocked off the Jeep utility vehicle (Wrangler, TJ, CJ, YJ, etc) yet.