We would like to introduce the latest addition to 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine's stable of vehicles: the '07 Jeep Wrangler JK. Once the rumors of a four-door Jeep started to surface, we were completely intrigued by the JK because it has the potential to open the doors to a whole new market of enthusiasts. We are of course talking about the folks who have always wanted to own a Jeep but couldn't because the vehicle just wasn't practical for the one- or two-car family.
This was the starting point for the Jeep's journey home: Detroit, Michigan.
The four-door JK Rubicon gives Jeep admirers the opportunity to finally step into a Wrangler. The Jeep now fits a family's lifestyle, needs, and aspirations of adventure. There is more than enough room inside the new four-door Jeep to put the kids in the back seat, along with a full day's worth of shopping behind them.
The formidable TJ Rubicon certainly had an impact on the off-road market and knowing it has a good thing going, Jeep has taken many of the Rubicon's features, such as front and rear air lockers, traction control, solid axles, and that all-important Jeep tradition, and rolled them into a spacious Jeep capable of conquering trails like the famous Rubicon Trail. Chrysler has also thrown in a front electronic sway-bar disconnect, so there's no more crawling around in the dirt struggling to disconnect the sway-bar links.
This vehicle may or may not make the hard-core, long-time Jeep enthusiast jump with joy (we have heard some grumbling that Jeep has departed from tradition and toughness, and admittedly even we were a bit skeptical at first), but after driving the new JK on the Rubicon Trail and over 2,482 miles of America we have to tell you that we are quite impressed. Our take on the new Jeep is that simple: It is what it is and we like it.
Before the four-door JK hit the dealerships, we had the opportunity to test one out on the Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevadas. We were a little worried about the extended wheelbase of 116 inches, but we drove it up, over, and around every obstacle in front of us. The fuel tank is now located between the passenger-side inner framerail and the driveshaft. With proper placement of the vehicle and using the tank's skidplate as a slider, we overcame the vehicle's extended wheelbase and kept the Jeep from getting high-centered. Market research statistics show that very few new Jeep owners (and average Jeep enthusiasts) will ever attempt a trail of this difficulty level, but just knowing the capabilities their Jeeps possess is peace of mind enough. And don't forget: Any vehicle can be modified.