Few Jeep officials foresaw the impact from introduction of the Wrangler Unlimited four-door version in the 2007 model year. Not even in their most hopeful mood.
“Otherwise, we’d have built the bigger one long ago,” said Joe Eberhardt, a Jeep executive when it became evident the company had a hit in its hands.
With a 20-inch-longer wheelbase than the traditional Wrangler 4-by-4, the Unlimited has proven so popular it has helped the Wrangler badges maintain a 2-to-1 sales lead over other likable Jeeps – the Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Patriot.
The Unlimited retains its ruggedness; it’s tough enough for most any offroad endeavor, yet is roomy and refined to the point of being a highway traveler.
It was for this softer, over-the-road duty that the Jeep came to us last weekend, carrying Ruth, Jan and me to Holyoke for a belated memorial service for my oldest brother Gene, who died in Houston in December. Gene was a car dealer at Wray and Holyoke for 40 years before retiring to Sun Lakes, Ariz., in the mid-1980s.
The 2010 Sahara model came with not only its hard-top finish, but also a canvas top that more closely matches its heritage. To remove the split tops over the front seat, twist loose three latches on each side, turn out a large screw and lift off first one side, then the other. It can be driven open-air overhead. The doors can be removed as well. The whole top can be removed easily and quickly and left at home or the campsite.
Under the hood, for which side latches are still used to release and secure, are a 202-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. I briefly tested the Command-Trac shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system, engaged with a floor lever; there is no electronic switch. It offers low-range transfer case and 10-inch ground clearance, and short front and rear overhangs give the Jeep outstanding approach and departure angles.
The four-door offers a decent ride from its extended wheelbase, and it’s a good handler.
Two-tone leather seats dress up the interior. Power window switches are hidden away directly in the center of the dash, as well as at the rear of the center console for back-seat passengers.
The Sahara was loaded up with $8,000 in options, bringing sticker price to $37,000. Among niceties are touch-screen navigation, premium sound, Sirius satellite radio, tubular side steps, rear window wiper/washer/defroster, remote start, trailer-tow package and engine block heater.
It is equipped with front airbags and front-mounted side bags, electronic stability, hill-start assist and skid plates for transfer case and fuel tank.
The Wrangler uses a rear swing-gate, which requires added clearance space over the normal liftgate.
Other models, besides the Sahara, are the cheaper Sport and the more expensive Rubicon.
Mazda3 boosts mpg with 2-liter
Though the second 2010 Mazda3 delivered to me within the past year was lesser-powered, it delivered improved fuel mileage and handled most acceleration duties in acceptable fashion.
The 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and 5-speed manual transmission slipped past 30 miles per gallon (30.1) in a 60/40 highway/city split of driving. Last summer, a 167-hp, 2.5-liter ’10 Mazda3 posted an average of 26.3 in similar maneuvers; it used a 6-speed manual.
This summer’s model was finished in red, with an open smiling grille out front and moonroof overhead. Its high rear deck offers good trunk space.
Light-colored fabric was attractive on the front seats, for which the seatbacks were well-bolstered and particularly comfortable. At highway speeds, lots of road noise invaded the cabin.
A Bose 10-speaker audio system, the moonroof and fog lights pushed the current Mazda3 sticker price to $20,825. Among standard items on the front-drive model were power windows/locks/mirrors, air conditioning, tilt and telescope steering wheel, keyless entry, halogen headlamps, rear-window defogger, four-wheel antilock disc brakes and 16-inch wheels.
Notes from e-mail
Q: Bud, I thoroughly enjoyed your article in the Sunday Denver Post on Mayor Stapleton’s (1947) Packard. My interest is due to the fact that my father was a Packard dealer in Long Branch, N.J., from 1937 through 1956 when they went out of business as you had noted. I grew up in the ’40s and ’50s and had the privilege of being around those great cars all the time. My father’s store was my second home. – L.M.
A: That must have been exciting for you, Len; a Packard was very special in those days. The parents of Dick Looney, a friend of mine in our high school days, owned a big four-door Packard. I remember three of us boys attending a drive-in movie with his parents, and enjoying all the room we needed in that spacious back seat. A sad note to those good memories, though; Dick died in a car accident before he was 21.
2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
$37,000
(price as tested)
MPG City 15 Highway 19
Vehicle type: Compact four-door offroader
Wheelbase: 116 inches
Length/Width/Height: 173.4/73.9/70.8 inches
Weight: 4,125 pounds
Engine: 3.8-liter V-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 18.6 mpg
Fuel tank: 22.5 gallons
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Toyota FJ Cruiser, Nissan Xterra, Mitsubishi Outlander
Built at: Toledo, Ohio
THE STICKER
$29,905 base
$1,625 Dual tops; hard/soft
$1,550 Media center, navigation, touch-screen
$1,035 Chrome tubular side steps, taillamp guards, fuel-filler door
$850 Leather seats
$185 Remote start
$750 Destination
PLUSES
Offroad capability
Five-passenger room
Rugged structure
Visibility
MINUSES
Fuel mileage
High step-in height
