‘07 Jeep Wrangler, Just Another Jeep?
Ever since DaimlerChrysler announced its plans to release the 2007 Wrangler JK (replacing the TJ) I’ve read a whole lot of criticism about the new Jeep. Honestly I can’t blame the critics. This Jeep, like most, is really easy to criticize: It isn’t particularly attractive, it has a new unproven V6 engine that is replacing the reliable inline six which has been available in Jeeps in some guise for over 30 years, did I mention it’s not very good looking. Well for the all the straight-six lovers out there all I can say is that change is inevitable. But for those who think the new Wrangler is lacking in the style department I have news for you; THERE ARE NO PRETTY JEEPS. We Jeep owners may like the styling of our Jeeps, but that’s because they belong to us. You don’t here new mothers calling their infants ugly either.
The point of a Jeep, especially the Wrangler, isn’t to be beautiful. The Wrangler was built to be functional, and quite frankly it looks like it will get the job done when the roads get rough. The new motor puts out respectable power figures, the JK still has a solid front axle with coil sprung suspension, and Jeep is still making the Rubicon edition which caters to those who want a rig with more off road prowess right out of the box. It seems to me like the new Wrangler JK will do an excellent job of keeping the Jeep name alive and well with Jeep’s core supporters—off road enthusiasts.
I’m curious to see what other folks think about the new Wrangler.
Click to read a full review from JP Magazine.
-Bill Mertz
March 14th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
The new Jeep-only (for now) version of the BFG mud terrain on the JK Rubicon grips better than the old BFG muds and better than the Goodyear MT/Rs on the ’06-and-earlier Rubicons. We really like these Jeep wheels and can only hope BFG will offer them in more sizes.