Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

I saw one of the four door Wrangler models a couple weeks ago. The top
was off and at first I thought it was a shrunk version of an H2 sport
truck. It was a gun metal blue color.

What surprises me is how quickly and quietly Jeep has introduced the
four door Wrangler on the showroom floor. You would have thought it
would have been at the '06 auto show with a lot of hype about its
upcoming debut. Instead DC kind of throws it out there without much
launch hype. I guess that's a reflection of the shortened design
cycles in Detroit these days with CAD/CAM. Heaven knows Jeep has done
a gazillion concept vehicles based on the Wrangler so maybe they
finally just spun the spoon and picked one.

IMO I think it's a good move albeit five or six years too late. The
four door Dakar concept Wrangler should have gone to production
immediately after it appeared at auto shows. The fact that it didn't
and now there is a four door Wrangler five plus years later shows how
poorly Jeep and Daimler Chrysler understand their market demographic.

Jeep missed a lot of additional sales in those intervening years. I
can't tell you how many people have told me "I would have bought a
Wrangler but it was so impractical with kids". Yep. I had four young
ones when I bought mine and it was the most impractical decision I've
ever made in my life. Somehow a Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and
....gag... the Commander don't have the romance and adventure of a
Wrangler. So they all bought a run of the mill SUV instead.

I like the added width of the '07. There have been many times I've
wished for a few more inches to extend my left arm. There's only been
one or two times I've been in an off-road situation where six more
inches would have been an issue.

The added length makes an automatic transmission feasible although this
capability came with the original Unlimited. I test drove an automatic
when I bought my 98 TJ and without a 5th gear overdrive it was overly
noisy and no doubt a gas hog. As much as I've hated shifting the
manual in commuting traffic I've never once regretted not getting the
automatic.

As for the four doors, my kids wish I had them. Now they are much
bigger and getting in and out of the TJ is a pain for them not to
mention the absence of leg room. They'd rather we take another vehicle
most times. The four door I saw and pictures I've seen look like the
second set of doors is particularly narrow. But I suppose any door is
better than no door.

I've driven the H3 and even with the 3.5L was surprisingly impressed.
They've upped the displacement to 3.7L for '07 - still not enough for a
4500lb vehicle at high elevation IMO, but an improvement nonetheless.
The 33 inch tires and off-road package is nothing to complain about.

I no longer live in a location where off-roading is a primary
recreational activity but it does snow thirty or more inches a year. I
think of it as "the trouble comes to me now instead of me going looking
for trouble". Given $35,000 for a new off-road capable vehicle it
would be a difficult choice. My loyalty is to Jeep but the H3 is more
appealing. The only negative is GM reliability. My 98TJ has been
virtually trouble-free in 100,000 miles and I expect the next 100,000
will be about the same.

mc
98 TJ Sport

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

<michaelcjeep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161562120.597155.63910@m7g2000cwm.googlegrou ps.com...
>I saw one of the four door Wrangler models a couple weeks ago. The top
> was off and at first I thought it was a shrunk version of an H2 sport
> truck. It was a gun metal blue color.

I will say the four door with the full doors and no top is butt ugly....

>
> What surprises me is how quickly and quietly Jeep has introduced the
> four door Wrangler on the showroom floor. You would have thought it
> would have been at the '06 auto show with a lot of hype about its
> upcoming debut. Instead DC kind of throws it out there without much
> launch hype.

??? You didn't see the fire department hosing down a pile of mud revealing
the new Wrangler underneath? (Chicago PD I think.) In Detroit they had it
drive through the front window at Cobo Hall. (I think that was the KJ, but
not sure.) Point is there's been plenty of hype.

> IMO I think it's a good move albeit five or six years too late. The
> four door Dakar concept Wrangler should have gone to production
> immediately after it appeared at auto shows. The fact that it didn't
> and now there is a four door Wrangler five plus years later shows how
> poorly Jeep and Daimler Chrysler understand their market demographic.

The huge sales of upscale SUV's happened since the Dakar concept, which
after all was almost 10 years ago.


>
> I like the added width of the '07. There have been many times I've
> wished for a few more inches to extend my left arm. There's only been
> one or two times I've been in an off-road situation where six more
> inches would have been an issue.
>
> The added length makes an automatic transmission feasible although this
> capability came with the original Unlimited.

4-speed autos were intro'd in Wranglers in 2002. Unlimited autos are the
same.

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

<michaelcjeep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161562120.597155.63910@m7g2000cwm.googlegrou ps.com...
>I saw one of the four door Wrangler models a couple weeks ago. The top
> was off and at first I thought it was a shrunk version of an H2 sport
> truck. It was a gun metal blue color.

I will say the four door with the full doors and no top is butt ugly....

>
> What surprises me is how quickly and quietly Jeep has introduced the
> four door Wrangler on the showroom floor. You would have thought it
> would have been at the '06 auto show with a lot of hype about its
> upcoming debut. Instead DC kind of throws it out there without much
> launch hype.

??? You didn't see the fire department hosing down a pile of mud revealing
the new Wrangler underneath? (Chicago PD I think.) In Detroit they had it
drive through the front window at Cobo Hall. (I think that was the KJ, but
not sure.) Point is there's been plenty of hype.

> IMO I think it's a good move albeit five or six years too late. The
> four door Dakar concept Wrangler should have gone to production
> immediately after it appeared at auto shows. The fact that it didn't
> and now there is a four door Wrangler five plus years later shows how
> poorly Jeep and Daimler Chrysler understand their market demographic.

The huge sales of upscale SUV's happened since the Dakar concept, which
after all was almost 10 years ago.


>
> I like the added width of the '07. There have been many times I've
> wished for a few more inches to extend my left arm. There's only been
> one or two times I've been in an off-road situation where six more
> inches would have been an issue.
>
> The added length makes an automatic transmission feasible although this
> capability came with the original Unlimited.

4-speed autos were intro'd in Wranglers in 2002. Unlimited autos are the
same.

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

<michaelcjeep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161562120.597155.63910@m7g2000cwm.googlegrou ps.com...
>I saw one of the four door Wrangler models a couple weeks ago. The top
> was off and at first I thought it was a shrunk version of an H2 sport
> truck. It was a gun metal blue color.

I will say the four door with the full doors and no top is butt ugly....

>
> What surprises me is how quickly and quietly Jeep has introduced the
> four door Wrangler on the showroom floor. You would have thought it
> would have been at the '06 auto show with a lot of hype about its
> upcoming debut. Instead DC kind of throws it out there without much
> launch hype.

??? You didn't see the fire department hosing down a pile of mud revealing
the new Wrangler underneath? (Chicago PD I think.) In Detroit they had it
drive through the front window at Cobo Hall. (I think that was the KJ, but
not sure.) Point is there's been plenty of hype.

> IMO I think it's a good move albeit five or six years too late. The
> four door Dakar concept Wrangler should have gone to production
> immediately after it appeared at auto shows. The fact that it didn't
> and now there is a four door Wrangler five plus years later shows how
> poorly Jeep and Daimler Chrysler understand their market demographic.

The huge sales of upscale SUV's happened since the Dakar concept, which
after all was almost 10 years ago.


>
> I like the added width of the '07. There have been many times I've
> wished for a few more inches to extend my left arm. There's only been
> one or two times I've been in an off-road situation where six more
> inches would have been an issue.
>
> The added length makes an automatic transmission feasible although this
> capability came with the original Unlimited.

4-speed autos were intro'd in Wranglers in 2002. Unlimited autos are the
same.

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.

B

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.

B

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.

B

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

It is bigger than my Grand Cherokee. Something over 13 inches longer, 500
pounds heavier and has a worse base engine.

It does offer a little bit more ground clearance than my Grand in case you
need that extra height... Hmmmmm was it 1/10 inch or 1/4 inch?........


"Brian" <bsheller@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:bsheller-97E4CE.21104722102006@comcast.dca.giganews.com...
> What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
> than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
> wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
> hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.
>
> B

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

It is bigger than my Grand Cherokee. Something over 13 inches longer, 500
pounds heavier and has a worse base engine.

It does offer a little bit more ground clearance than my Grand in case you
need that extra height... Hmmmmm was it 1/10 inch or 1/4 inch?........


"Brian" <bsheller@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:bsheller-97E4CE.21104722102006@comcast.dca.giganews.com...
> What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
> than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
> wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
> hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.
>
> B

Re: 2007 Unlimited Spotted
 

It is bigger than my Grand Cherokee. Something over 13 inches longer, 500
pounds heavier and has a worse base engine.

It does offer a little bit more ground clearance than my Grand in case you
need that extra height... Hmmmmm was it 1/10 inch or 1/4 inch?........


"Brian" <bsheller@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:bsheller-97E4CE.21104722102006@comcast.dca.giganews.com...
> What I think is wild is that the 4-door Wrangler is bigger in every way
> than my XJ. It's noticeable longer, wider, taller. Personally, I
> wouldn't want anything bigger than the XJ, except a truck for reasons of
> hauling stuff. The XJ is a decent size for a family hauler.
>
> B