It's not a car, but...

Greetings from New York (again). SUVs aren't my usual beat -- that's Jason Fogelson's area -- but I just got to take a quick spin in the new 2007 Jeep Wrangler, specifically the Unlimited version, courtesy of Larchmont Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge (thanks guys). This is the all-new version of the Wrangler, and the biggest news is the doors -- there are four of 'em in the Unlimited. How does it drive? Like a tamed Jeep. The driving position is much better than the old-model Rubicon that Jason recently test-drove. The new model's ride is just harsh enough to make you feel like you're in a Jeep, but it won't have you regretting your purchase a week after you buy it. Gone is the old 4.0 liter straight six with its agricultural feel; the new 3.8 V6 is much smoother and quieter, though I'm sure the serious off-road folks are going to miss its low-end grunt off road -- that old hunk of iron could practically carry a Wrangler up the side of a house at idle speed. Will the new kinder, gentler Jeep be rejected by the old-guard Jeep-isti? Some how I doubt it. No matter how hard-core those folks are, they still have to drive to the grocery store every once in a while -- something that's way more pleasant in the 2007 model than in any Wrangler that has come before. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Daimler-Chrysler