Picture a lovely California spring day, mid-1990s. I headed up to the Sierras with a friend in a 1982 Plymouth Reliant K car to meet up with my boyfriend and his fraternity brothers at a rock face they liked to climb. We’d missed them at the original spot and had to come back down the dirt, one-lane road that snaked up the hill. I carefully tried to ride the stiff ridges left by more adequate cars along a muddy stretch. I felt the K-car start to sink to the side, slowly becoming mired in the muddy grooves. Dusk was near, and in the interest of not becoming bear appetizer I jumped out the car, mud rising past my ankles (there went my white Keds), and had my friend slide behind the driver’s seat. I pushed as she hit the gas, the car eventually lurched out of the sticky mud, and I landed face-first in said mud.
Fast forward to my first new car, a 1995 Ford Escort GT. A friend and I decided to hop in the hooptie for a spontaneous road trip to Monterey. I found a brilliant shortcut across the Coast Ranges on my non-AAA-quality road map that should get us there in no time. When the road quicly turned dirt, I just kept on going. And going, with clods of hard dirt banging against the bottom of the car. Until the road was washed out, at which point we had to turn around and go back.
And I also can’t forget the time when I was reporting from near Campo, Calif., at the Mexican border, plowing through the dirt not-quite roads in a 2003 Camry when I heard someone following me in the desolate area frequented by drug traffickers and had to peel rubber to lose them.
In short, I have a long, illustrious history of taking vehicles into places they just aren’t built to go.
So when it came time to trade in my 2007 New Beetle convertible — first step was getting over the emotional attachment to Herbie, who brought me to the East Coast from L.A. and even had a stint in Denver where he got fitted with Blizzak tires — I decided to give in to my adventurous nature and get a car that could make it over a speed bump without bottoming out.
Since making my purchase Friday, I’ve been high on new-car smell. Or that could be the United Auto Workers reefer.
Say hello to the Jeep Wrangler that will never get stuck in border brush, will intimidate crazed DC drivers, and will never get lost in the fog. This the 2013 Moab special edition: Gecko pearl coat with dark saddle leather seats, shift-on-the-fly 4WD, 3.6-liter V6, foldable or removable rear seat, Kevlar-reinforced off-road tires, steel bumpers, premium softop that can open all the way or just as a sunroof, and all the hill assist and descent goodies.
Inside, there’s a 6.5-inch touchscreen GPS system with satellite radio, plus a 40GB hard drive to save songs and hands-free calling, with voice recognition software and complemented with a premium Alpine sound system. There are more touches like a vehicle information center with tire pressure display, how many miles until empty, etc. And random goodies like deep storage compartments, automatic headlights, illuminated cupholders, USB ports and power outlets, and more.
First Jeep, and I’m in love. Even if some stoned/smashed Chrysler worker put it together — the coverage on the car was enhanced by the dealer, including 6 years bumper-to-bumper, unlimited powertrain, and an extra coverage plan including tire and wheel repair and/or replacement, on-site windshield repairs, dent and ding repair, and key replacement.
Probably because of my occupation and being around Washington too long, when I saw “Moab” I thought not of Utah, the actual namesake of the special edition, but “Mother of All Bombs.” So naturally, the new ride gets a nickname fitting for the defense secretary most associated with the MOAB: Rummy.
Rummy’s first task was a Friday night trip into DC, where I ironically took this gas guzzler (17 city/21 highway) to an NPR (I’m a regular guest) Christmas party. Even though it was held at a poetry slam bar with eco-friendly cocktails and sustainable wine, Rummy was a hit and the NPR folks gushed over my new warmongering baby.
On Saturday, it was time to try out the car in more than just the urban jungle. I drove west to the George Washington National Forest, where the GPS system helpfully got me lost on a narrow, bumpy dirt and gravel road — with a locked gate at the end, so I had to reverse nearly a quarter mile to get out of there. By the time I was headed back, I really felt like I’d “broken in” the Jeep as it had a much easier time with the high-speed highway hills. Of course, this isn’t a fast-lane car to begin with. But I get to drive over stuff.
I quickly learned about the community of Wrangler owners when random strangers in other Jeeps started waving at me. As far as the community closer to home, the puppacita seems to enjoy the new car, as well — she’s a smidge closer to actually being able to see out the window now. If she stretches.
Welcome to being a Jeep owner!! My first (actually my Dad’s) was a 1953 model that was actually built by Jeep. My brother and I drove that thing all over the central Colorado mountains. Great jeep!! Graduated to a more civilized vehicle later in life with a Cherokee and currently drive a Toyota 4Runner and am currently looking for a good buy on a Wrangler.
Love those 4×4′s!!!
You DO realize that the benefit of owning a Jeep is that you can now get stuck in places only a Sikorsky Skycrane can extricate you from?
It’s funny you say that. I once had a Chevy Suburban (I was used to driving Jeep’s) and got it so stuck that I honestly thought I’d have to rent a sky crane to get it out. The road became narrower & narrower until the road gave way and I ended up the truck leaned sidways up against a tree. No way to move it at that point. The wife, our 2 young girls and I hiked/hitch hiked home.
However, I had AAA premium at the time and the local AAA office was kind enough to send out 2-4X4 wreckers to my location. It took one wrecker to pull the Suburban back while the other wrecker, through a series of block and tackles, pulled the truck sideways (to keep it from rolling into the abyss). After about an hour of pulling and adjusting we finally extricated the Suburban. Shortly thereafter we traded the Suburban for a Jeep Cherokee…
Never owned another Suburban and always carried AAA Premium thereafter.
Four wheel drive can easily get you into places out of which only a winch will get you.
Four wheel drive will also allow you the ability to gain more speed on snow & ice than your brakes have the ability to get rid of.
And the Wrangler can get you into trouble all on its own. Once was enough for me. Back in AMC days, I owned a new and very cranky W with a permanent oil leak (my other car was a well-used Pacer, ‘even better than the Gremlin’, the dealer said). In a moment of exhilaration, massive understeer and total brake failure, I drove the W — more accurately it drove me — into the Green River in Utah. It never recovered.
You may remember: Here Comes Wrangler, One Tough Customer…well, not exactly. They do sink well, though. For me, once was enough.
I was raised on a wheat ranch in Washington and for all of my life growing up there we had Jeeps, starting in ’56 when my dad took the ranch over from his brother. I have owned at least three since(2 CJs and a Wrangler) myself, and I drove them for an average of 10 years apiece.
The last one was a Chrysler product, with parts, including a hydraulic clutch that had a slave cylybder failure every 2 years, made by Renault.
I’ll never own another. Chrysler killed the brand. That and the UAW bailout for Chrysler means I’ll buy another jeep if I can get my hands on a 50′s Cj3 or if somebody other than a crony government car manufacturer buys the brand and makes them the way I remember them.
Who would put carpets in a Jeep?
I don’t want carpets anywhere. I have asthma and carpets are traps for dust and germs and mold spores. It’s impossible to get them clean enough where they don’t bother me.
That said, I like Jeep products.
Looks like Puppacita needs some type of “booster seat” that will let her look outside. Dunno if anybody makes such a thing.
Ditto on the no carpets. Not being a country guy, hating snow, and generally using motercycles on dirt, I own a 2003 Honda Element. NO Carpet was the deal winner. Not to mention its compact but still held my full-size front load washer. It also holds three fat friends. Sadly, Honda no longer makes them.
I could have been convinced back in 2003 to purchase a Jeep Rubicon but the salesman was rude and stupid. Their loss, Honda’s gain, and a good home for the 89 Vanagon Westfalia in Marin, CA (of course. insert std. joke).
Getting there BUT… the time to work on tomorrow’s hooptie starts now. A modest proposal includes Boadicea Blades on the chariot to cope with combat parking and lane changes, and maybe a set of razor sharp lugs. Plus a sticker declaring the universal truth that An Armed Society Is A Polite Society.
And don’t forget every urban warriorette needs to accessorize with a decent gun rack…
Dang. You almost make me want to trade in my Mercedes-Benz E350 on a CJ. But then I look at your CJ and think about summers here in Arizona, 117F heat, and air conditioning. I think I’ll keep my MB.
Welcome in the family !
Big Wrangler in here too, and it is the third Jeep.
And today I have a foot of snow out there. Without the Wrangler, we wouldn’t be able to go get the groceries for the week.
Enjoy it responsibly !!!!
JEEP; The dentist, orthopedic surgeon, and physical therapists best friend.
No explanation required.
Congrats on the new ride, it is S W E E T. Love the color. I also drive a Jeep, this is my fourth one. With 4-WD I never worry about the weather, just other drivers. And you are right, other Jeep drivers are a helpful bunch.
As an old timer at the off road stuff. let me explain something very important.
4WD is for getting home. Go as far as you can in 2WD, then when you get stuck, put it in 4WD.
As a Bonus; Don’t get a winch. If you get a winch, you will wind up doing things with it you shouldn’t.
I thought about a Wrangler, but ended up with a Commander because the dealer did not have what I was looking for. Its still fits well with my Zombie plan! I have been rear ended twice, one was a break failure on a very steep road. The other one involved two people paying more attention to the flashing lights of a cop car then traffic. One pulled into an intersection, saw the lights and froze, bringing traffic to an intent halt and the other was the guy one who plowed into me. Messed the poor kids Toyota up pretty bad. Both cases just knocked off some dirt from my bumper. Its my third jeep.
Started driving Jeeps in the Army, I have two Wranglers, 2d and 4 d. Love them both. Welcome too the Wrangler family……..
This is disgusting. Jeeps are made by union thugs (and Italians). I don’t care how good they are, I buy only Toyota trucks, made by good honest non-union Japanese people. Or maybe they are Americans, but who cares. Government Motors doesn’t get any more of my money until they rest rid of the union thugs and reduce wages to Walmart levels, thank you.
I still have fond memories of taking an Accord down Gram’s pass (I was following the guy in the Wrangler), and then trying to get it back up again (think 45 degree gravel and dirt slope).
Fortunately I did this while I was staffing a rally, and off road rally drivers have plenty of highly effective advice for getting sedans up and down steep crumbly roads. Apparently it is all in the momentum.
Bridget. Welcome to the Jeep world! Wrangler owners are good people. Mostly conservative and loyal to the brand. We have 3 Jeeps. My wife drives and loves her 1997 Cherokee with over 200,000 miles on it. My daily driver is a 2011 Grand Cherokee which I absolutely love. And I have a 2003 Wrangler Rubicon, slightly modified, which I have taken on trails all over the country, including the Rubicon trail in Califirnia. If you are interested in going trail riding, I would suggest attending a Jeep Jamboree, which are held all over the country, including several on the east coast. Great people, great fun. That is how I got started.
Still liking my Honda Ridgeline. Of course, I use the All-Wheel Drive to get moving in the snow.
For the last 26 years I have driven a truck. Current is a Toyota Tundra with the big 5.7 liter and 4×4, which I only use on ice or mud. I am a woozy and my truck can always take me anywhere I have the courage to go. If I won’t go any further in the truck, I have always been able to hike in from where I stop. No winch needed, but I do have a come along in case I ever get too brave for my own good.
Wranglers are rough riding gas hogs.
I have a great little Toyota HiLux crew cab pick-up with a lift kit for increased ground clearance. It is powered by a 3 litre naturally aspirated diesel that gets reasonable fuel consumption and is fast enough to exceed any speed limit.
I have never had a mechanical failure. The vehicle is 15 years old and has more than 200,000 miles on it.
It looks great and has an aluminum bullbar on it (good for bouncing deer and ‘roos), a reasonable turning circle and it fits in small parking places.
It has a canopy with an electric fridge on a slide out drawer and all the camping equipment you could want. If I get stuck (not yet) I have enough supplies so that there is no hurry to get out.
Modern Jeeps have no connection with America’s great little WWII 4×4 workhorse other than the name.
E15 Gas Warning If you’re driving a vehicle made before 2012 you might want to watch this warning on E15 Gas before you decide to fill up because E15 will destroy your fuel system, emissions system and engine at your expense. Lauren Fix is “The Car Coach” and she doesn’t work for Fox News or AAA. She’s an SAE Automotive Engineer and has worked in the auto industry for 30 years. If you doubt this information check with AAA or any independent ASE Certified Technician and see what they think about E15 gas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceW9Nc1hVHU&feature=player_embedded