2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Ultimate Off-Road Tool
By Nina Russin

2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

If I was to rate the off-road courses I’ve driven on a scale of one to ten, the Rubicon trail just outside of Lake Tahoe would be eleven. It’s easier to walk the trail than to drive it: faster too. Vehicles without four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case need not apply. There are few times, if any, that all four wheels of any given vehicle will make contact with the ground. Going forward on two is not unusual.

When Bob Lutz was Vice Chairman of Chrysler, he decided to make the Rubicon trail the litmus test for all Jeep products. Jeeps that have the guts to go end to end in tact are called “trail rated.” Having driven the Rubicon trail in a Wrangler, I can attest to its durability.

Because visibility is so important in off-road driving, the doors of the Wrangler come off, and the windshield flips down. The wheels have tons of travel. Skid plates beneath the truck protect the chassis against rocks. The Wrangler can go through deep water without intrusion into the engine. There are tow hooks to the front and rear. Best of all, the whole interior is designed to hose out after the adventure is over.

Rubicon is also Jeep’s designation for the top-grade Wrangler, one of three trim levels. The Rubicon has a base price of $26,090: the test car with a removable hard top, upgraded stereo, side airbags and automatic transmission retails for just over $31,000.

The Wrangler Rubicon has larger front and rear axles than the lower grades, special wheels and off-road tires, locking front and rear differentials, an electric disconnecting sway bar to give the wheels more travel on trails, and a more sophisticated two-speed transfer case.

All of this makes the Wrangler Rubicon either the best or worst active lifestyle vehicle on the planet. For off-roading enthusiasts, it’s manna: for triathletes, probably not. For example, the Wrangler doesn’t have a lot of storage space with the rear seat in place. The second-row seat tumbles forward to extend the cargo floor, but the space is still too small to fit a bike in easily, even with the front wheel removed.

The real deal

One of the coolest things about the Wrangler is its styling, evolved front the original 1941 Willys Jeep. Its exterior doesn’t change much: the distinctive front grille and round headlamps look pretty much the same as they did fifty years ago. Innovations such as the three-piece modular hard top are crafted to blend in with the classic Jeep styling.

The Wrangler is obviously a no-nonsense car for people who like to live life on the edge, or at least drive on it. Despite the availability of both hard and soft tops, it’s basically an open-air car. The Wrangler seems most at home with the top removed, blazing down a dirt trail, with bungee cords holding down the cargo. Everything the driver needs to survive a tough trek in the wilderness is easy to get to: the rear-mounted full-sized spare tire, locking center console, electronic locking differentials, transfer case controls, power points, etc.

The new cars have a few more concessions to the civilized world: more passive safety features, available power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, and satellite radio. The new hardtop comes with a rear window defroster and wiper. The glass flips up and out of the way to make loading cargo easier.

Improvements for ‘07

The 2007 models have a more powerful V6 engine, paired up with a four-speed automatic transmission. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Wrangler Rubicon has more low-end torque. It’s easier to merge onto the freeway, and to pass other vehicles at speed.

Engineers made the frame stiffer, which translates to fewer squeaks and rattles. They also retuned the shocks and suspension to keep the vehicle flatter on paved roads. The sway bars keep the Wrangler flatter in the corners.

Visibility with the hard top in place isn’t great. The rear window is relatively small, and the brake light blocks some of the view. The side mirrors do an acceptable job of compensating for blind spots, but I wouldn’t want to try a series of quick maneuvers in thick traffic.

The new models are more spacious inside. There is more room for both front and rear passengers. It’s still hard to get into the back seat since the Wrangler is a two-door vehicle, and rear passengers have to climb up and around the front seats. The front seats flip forward, but there still isn’t much room, due to a fairly large B pillar.

Electronic stability program and antilock brakes are standard on all models. The test car also has side air bags: a $490 option.

All models have a grab bar mounted on the instrument panel for the front passenger. It works pretty well when the vehicle is at a sharp tilt going over a gnarly group of boulders. Since the doors are usually removed at this point, side airbags won’t work.

Most off-road driving takes place at extremely slow speeds: under five miles-per-hour. As long as the Wrangler doesn’t roll, the passenger should be able to use the grab bar to keep from sliding out of the seat.

Small but functional cargo area

Designers made the best use out of the limited cargo space by adding a small under-floor storage area, and equipping the cargo floor with plenty of tie-downs. Flipping the second-row seat forward is easier with the headrests removed. Once that’s done, it’s basically a one-step operation. With the seat folded forward, there’s enough room for some camping gear, but the space is still too small to comfortably house a bicycle. The rear gate opens sideways, and the glass flips up, so access to the back is good.

Towing capacity for the Rubicon is 2000 pounds with either automatic or manual transmission: not enough to meet our ALV requirements.

More luxurious interior

The test car has the optional stereo upgrade: a six-disc changer that’s MP3 compatible, and AM/FM/ satellite radio. The new modular hard top ($1585) comes with a rear window defroster and wiper. The three-piece top has separate removable sections for both front passengers, and a third panel for the rear seats.

The cloth upholstery is soil-repellent and anti-microbial: an asset for those of us who get sweaty enough to soak the seats. There are two large cupholders in the center console and two power points in the instrument panel. The doors have map pockets but not bottle holders. There’s a large flat work surface between the two front seats, and plenty of small cubbies to hold things like cell phones and PDAs. The center console also has a locking compartment to store valuables when the hard top is removed.

Considering the fact that the hard top doesn’t provide much insulation, the air conditioner works surprisingly well. It can cool the vehicle down quickly in the late afternoon, when temperatures here in Phoenix reach into the triple digits.

Off-road performance for city dwellers

While the Jeep Wrangler has always excelled in extreme off-road conditions, it has not been a particularly practical car for everyday use. The new Wrangler comes a lot closer. It’s got a smoother, more refined ride, a better engine, more comfortable interior, and more safety features. Don’t expect the ride and handling of a passenger sedan: that isn’t what the Wrangler is about. It’s a niche car for people who want to blaze their own trails, and eat plenty of dust in the process.

The Jeep Wrangler is produced at Chrysler’s Toledo, Ohio assembly plant, and is currently in showrooms at dealerships nationwide.

Likes: An extremely capable off-road vehicle with exceptional wheel articulation, traction, and durability. The new Wrangler Rubicon is a better road car than the outgoing model, with a more powerful engine, stiffer frame, better suspension, and more comfort and convenience features.

Dislikes: The cargo area is small, even with the second-row seat tumbled forward. The second-row seats are hard to get into. Visibility to the rear is limited with the hard top in place because of the small rear window.

Base price: $26,090
Price as tested: $31,125
Horsepower: 202 Hp @ 5000 r.p.m.
Torque: 237 lbs.-ft. @ 4000 r.p.m.
0 to 60: N/A
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: N/A
Fuel economy: 16/19 m.p.g. city/highway
Towing: No
Off-road: Yes
Bicycle friendly: No
First aid kit: No
Comments: Base price does not include a $660 destination charge.

2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca

By Jim Woodman

2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca

It’s not surprising that Subaru made a move into the SUV market with last year’s introduction of the B9 Tribeca. After all, Subaru prides itself on all-wheel drive vehicles and a big strike against them was the fact they never had a vehicle large enough to appeal to larger families or those who use their vehicles to store their sports toys.

“B9″ is Subaru’s internal designation for its powertrain and chassis while Tribeca is short for “Triangle Below Canal Street,” a fashionable and hip Manhattan neighborhood.

The B9 Tribeca is one of those love-it-or-hate-it styled vehicles. My wife’s immediate reaction was “I love it. It’s really funky and different.” I, on the other hand, find the front styling downright ugly but find the rest of the exterior to be pretty cool looking. Again, this is why some people like chocolate and others prefer vanilla. Using ice cream terms, the Tribeca could be classified as Ben and Jerry’s “Chunky Monkey.” My wife loves the front styling and she’s a Chunky Monkey fan.

The Tribeca comes in a 5- or 7-passenger arrangement. I test drove the 5-passenger model though, with three young children, I would’ve really liked checking out that third row. As it was, we could easily get our three boys across the back seat - one in a car seat and one in a booster.

And speaking of car seats, getting to the tether hooks and safety latches was very easy. We had our two-year-old’s car seat securely installed in well under five minutes.

All the Creature Comforts

Inside, the Tribeca has all the creature comforts we’ve come to expect lately. Power everything, including a moonroof, and leather trimmed upholstery give the Tribeca as very classy and elegant look. The instrument panel has a funky but very ergonomically laid out instrument panel. Some nifty driver and passenger climate control knobs allow you to switch the temperature up or down by simply turning a dial knob clockwise or counter-clockwise. A digital temperature display is centered within each of the knobs.

The AM/FM stereo features a 6-disc CD changer in the dash and is MP3 compatible. I also liked the auxiliary audio jack that allows you to plug in your Ipod or other portable music device. With the proliferation of portable digital music, this is becoming a must-add feature for the automakers.

My Tribeca was also outfitted with a GPS Navigation system that had some good and bad points. On the good side, I noticed the route guidance always gave me better direction than the Honda navigation system I have on our family Odyssey.

For example, there are a couple obvious shorter ways to get to my house from certain locations. The Honda unit never suggests those while the Subaru did every time.

What I didn’t like is what a reach it was to get to most of the functionality. Yes, there are redundant buttons on the dash, but most of what I had to do involved touching the screen. The Tribeca also won’t allow you to enter data while moving more than a few mph.

While I understand the safety aspects of this feature, there are many times my wife is entering addresses while on the move as I drive. I also didn’t like the fact I couldn’t find category stuff near me unless I chose one of the nearest five cities.

But what happens, as so often does in most large cities, when you’re near three or four cities and want to find the closest Chinese restaurant? You guessed it. You have to search each city individually. If there was a way to “sort by nearest” type of function, it certainly wasn’t obvious.

My Tribeca’s navigation screen also doubled as a reverse camera with sensors. While it’s very cool to have the camera show you any obstacles behind the vehicle, the wide angle lens makes it very difficult to judge distances. Fortunately, there are color coded bars that show you how close you are to what you see on the screen.

I’m not sure I could ever get used to not relying on actually looking through the back window while in reverse. That said, I could definitely do without the rear sensor alarms as they’d go off every time I backed out of my driveway and there was nothing behind me but the street curb.

Zippy Acceleration

I was pleasantly surprised at the Tribeca’s zippiness. Acceleration was very snappy from a start or slow speeds but somewhat sluggish at mid-range or highway speeds. I find this very acceptable as I’m the kind of driver that likes to get off the line fast.

Of course my heavy foot kills me at the fuel pump and the Tribeca is fair at best with an EPA of 18/23 mpg city/highway. Keep in mind, if you’re purchasing a mid-size SUV you’re certainly not doing it for fuel economy. I can’t wait for better hybrid engines to start infiltrating the mid-size SUV segment.

The Tribeca is powered by a 3.0 liter, six-cylinder engine that delivers 250 horsepower and 219 pounds-feet of torque. The five-speed automatic transmission also features normal and sport shift modes.

Subaru’s Symmetrical full-time all-wheel drive normally splits power 45/55 front/rear and adjusts as traction conditions change. While I never drove the vehicle on wet roads, it was very comforting to know I was getting excellent traction on just about any surface.

Cargo Capacity

On my 5-passenger model there was plenty of room to load my bicycle and other toys in the cargo area. All I had to do with my bike is remove the front wheel. I imagine with a third row option, you’d be hard-pressed to put a bike behind the third row.

I especially liked how easy it was to open and close the lift gate. I literally barely had to push the gate down to feel it securely lock in place. The rear seat was also configured for a 60/40 fold down split if you need more room to haul your gear.

Factor in safety equipment like standard anti-lock brakes, front and side curtain air bags, symmetrical AWD and traction control and you’re certainly comforted by the fact the Tribeca is a very safe vehicle.

Taking everything into account, there’s no question the B9 Tribeca will be on my short list of vehicles when replacing our family mini van. The Tribeca just looks and feels the part of a fun vehicle to drive and own. Plus it’s just different enough, assuming I can live with that front grille styling, to give me a little individuality in an otherwise overcrowded arena of SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Quick Facts:

Base price: $34,495
Price as tested: $37,033
Horsepower: 250 @ 6,600 rpm
Torque: 219 @ 4,200 rpm
0 to 60: N/A
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: Standard
First aid kit: No
Towing: Yes
Off-road: No
Bicycle friendly: Yes
Fuel economy: 18/23 mpg city/highway

2008 Lexus LS 600h

Uber Hot Hybrid
By Nina Russin

2008 Lexus 600h

My car is looking at me. I use the term, “my car,” loosely: technically, I don’t own the Lexus LS 600h sedan. The first six-figure Lexus has a price tag that exceeds what I paid for my town home. But on a nice, sunny day in Pasadena, the good folks at Lexus have given me a couple of hours behind the wheel on the Angeles Crest Highway. It certainly beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

That the car is looking at me is no exaggeration. There’s a camera mounted on the steering wheel that monitors my head movements. Every millisecond, it takes a picture. If I should happen to doze off and drift towards a guardrail it will set off an audible alarm. If the alarm doesn’t work, a flashing red light appears on the instrument panel. After that, the car takes over, setting up the brakes, seatbelt retractors and steering wheel for what Lexus engineers call a “pre-collision assist.” In other words, the car will help me avoid an accident by applying the brakes faster, and helps me survive by tightening my seat belt.

The driver monitor camera is a first for Lexus, but the biggest story is the LS 600h engine: the automaker’s first fully hybrid V8. The 5-liter engine works in tandem with electric motors to produce the equivalent of 436 horsepower. The sedan accelerates from zero-to sixty in 5.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 130 miles per hour. It’s all-wheel drive, and rides on standard 19-inch wheels with low profile tires. It brakes on a dime. It’s a very comfy hot rod.

Prius on steroids

Lexus uses the same basic hybrid technology in the LS 600h that Toyota uses in the Prius. But while Prius engineers used the hybrid synergy drive to produce exceptional fuel economy, the Lexus engineering team had power as its primary target. While the 20/22 mile-per-gallon fuel economy ratings for the LS 600h are much better than traditional gas engines with comparable power, they don’t come close to the 60/51 m.p.g. rating for the Prius.

One reason is vehicle weight. The LS 600h has a curb weight of just over 5,000 pounds: 700 pounds more than the other LS sedans, and 2000 more than the Prius. All of that cushy leather inside the car makes it bulky, as does the extensive list of comfort and convenience features.

The biggest difference, however, is performance. Hybrids are known for their ability to accelerate hard, since the electric motors develop maximum torque at very low speeds. The LS 600h is a rocketship. Goosing the accelerator, the car will jump from forty to eighty. Because passenger cabin is so quiet, and the continuously variable transmission doesn’t downshift, it’s easy to lose sight of just how fast the car is moving.

Unlike some luxury sedans, the 600h is very solid in the corners, due to adaptive variable suspension. The driver chooses from three modes, ranging from comfort to sport, using a switch behind the shift lever. The sport mode keeps the car level during aggressive driving maneuvers. An optional active stabilizer suspension adjusts the front and rear stabilizer bars according to the steering angle and vehicle speed. In other words, the speed at which a driver can maneuver through a series of S-turns depends strictly on the driver’s skill. The car will stay flat and in control at warp speed.

Since the car can’t downshift, engineers have developed a braking mode that gently applies the brakes to slow down the car. The amount of braking depends on vehicle speed. While all of the Lexus hybrids I’ve driven feel a bit nose-heavy compared to their gasoline-powered equivalents, that front bias is much less obvious on the new sedan. The sequential braking does a pretty good job of keeping the car under control through tight turns on a downward slope, as long as the driver keeps the speed somewhat reasonable.

Electronic traction controls adjust the system for slippery surfaces. A power mode minimizes control when the driver wants to go fast, and have more interaction with the steering and suspension. The hybrid mode is for normal driving: a compromise between the two extremes.

The sedan’s 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires provide a large, stable footprint. The air suspension prevents the ride from becoming too harsh. All-wheel drive is standard equipment, in case the driver wants to cruise along some unimproved roads. Ground clearance is a mere 5.3 inches, so I wouldn’t recommend trying anything where roots or large rocks are commonplace.

A pure-electric mode allows the driver to go short distances on the electric motors alone. Depending on battery charge, the range is 30 seconds to three minutes. It was described to the journalists as a “sneak into the garage feature,” although I can’t imagine why anyone who can afford a $104,000 car would need to sneak into his own garage.

Taj Mahal on wheels.

Entering the cabin, the first thing one notices is leather everywhere, from the 16-way power driver’s seat to the hand crafted leather instrument panel. The power tilt and telescoping steering wheel is leather and wood veneer. Center consoles: leather. Door panels: leather. Alcantara headliner: suede-like. It’s all very touchy-feely, though not vegetarian friendly.

The standard navigation system is easy to read, with a large screen and clear color graphics in the middle of the instrument panel. Buttons on either side of the information display help the driver and front passenger navigate through the system, which displays climate, audio, and fuel meter settings. The two-tier glove box is huge, as is the bin in the front center console. Inside is a tray to hold small electronic devices, a 12-volt outlet and MP3 plug-in. The two cupholders are large enough for water bottles. There are map pockets in the side doors.

A Mark Levinson, 19-speaker, 450-watt surround sound system is standard, as is satellite radio. Bluetooth technology gives the driver hands-free phone operation through the audio system. The navigation graphics are clear and easy to understand, with controls that are easy to reach from either front seating position.

Like all new luxury cars, keyless ignition is standard. The driver enters the car with the key card in his wallet and pushes the start button. Just don’t forget to give the card to the parking valet, or he won’t be able to turn the ignition off.

The rear seats have as much leg, shoulder and headroom as any sedan I’ve been in. The power moonroof lets plenty of ambient light into the second row. A  rear-seat center console incorporates a storage bin and cupholders, similar to the one in front. Second-row passengers have separate audio controls, heated and cooled seatbacks, power reclining and headrest features, and a cooler box behind the center console. No passenger in this car rides coach.

The trunk is unusually small, partly because the nickel-hydride battery pack and electric motors are positioned between the trunk and rear seats. Lexus claims that the trunk will hold four golf bags: it certainly won’t hold a bicycle. There’s a small cargo net on the left side to keep a grocery bag or two in place.

Electronic safety systems include vehicle stability control, traction control, antilock braking and eleven airbags. Air suspension with three settings is standard. The test car has dynamic cruise control that maintains a preset distance between the Lexus and the car in front of it, parking assist, and LED headlamps that swivel to light corners in the road. Lexus Link emergency roadside assistance, electronic variable effort steering, and liquid filled engine mounts that reduce noise and vibration are standard equipment on all models. The Starship Enterprise seems like a tinker toy by comparison.

Limited edition

Lexus execs expect to sell about 2000 of the LS 600h sedans annually. The $104,000 base price doesn’t include a $715 destination charge. There are three option packages. A special launch edition of the sedan being marketed in collaboration with Neiman Marcus sells for $121,000. Average transaction price will be in the mid teens, according to the marketing folks.

The LS 600h is being built at Toyota’s Tahara assembly plant in Japan. Look for the first models to appear in dealerships stateside this summer.

Quick facts:

Base price: $104,000
Price as tested: N/A
Horsepower: 389*
Torque: 385 lbs.-ft. @ 4000 r.p.m.
0 to 60: 5.5 seconds
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: Standard
First aid kit: Yes
Towing: No
Off-road: No
Bicycle friendly: No
Fuel economy: 20/22 m.p.g. city/highway
Comments: * Estimated horsepower for the V8 engine and electric motors combined is 438.