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Motor 1
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
It's a Jeep Thing. I Finally Understand
"Turn hard passenger. Ease it up, steady, steady on the throttle. Keep it going, let the Jeep do the work!" That's Nena Barlow, multi-time Rebelle Rally champion and professional off-road instructor, guiding me up a particularly hairy climb on Moab's infamous Hell's Revenge trail. At least, I think that's what she's saying—it's hard to hear with the blood pumping in my ears. This isn't an automaker's off-road test track, one specifically designed to show off a new model's prowess while keeping everybody safe in the process. This is legit Utah slickrock, with rubber marks rising and falling along sandstone ridges, often with two-hundred-foot drop-offs on either side. Barlow's first words of advice? "Look straight ahead. Don't look down." I take them to heart. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 I'm driving a four-door 2025 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe with cloth seats. It lacks the disconnectable swaybars, front-facing camera, and locking front differential many other Jeeps on the trail have, but the 4xe hybrid still has no problem climbing, crawling, and crunching along the trail in near-silence—punctuated only by metallic thuds and pings as I clumsily bang the Jeep's armor-plated belly on rock ledges. I lose track of how many times this happens; Barlow assures me that at crawling speeds, I'm not doing any harm. Still, I'm squeamish about damaging the $62,520 Wrangler. At this point, I should admit: I've never been a fan of the Jeep Wrangler. As cars, they're primitive, often expensive (see: $62,520 for cloth seats), and require constant steering corrections just to drive straight at highway speeds. And that's the point, apparently. Jeep owners, I thought, were mall-crawling bro-dozers willing to put up with awful driving dynamics, bare-bones interiors, and a steering phenomenon called "death wobble" in order to park atop snowbanks at Wal-Mart. As the saying goes, it's a Jeep thing. I didn't understand. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Enter Moab. An adventurous town of 5,000 full-time residents, hemmed in by two national parks, Moab is a world-class destination for hiking, mountain biking, and taking pretty Instagram pictures of rocks. But every Easter weekend, its population quintuples as roughly 20,000 Jeeps descend from across the continent. On the Hell's Revenge loop alone, I saw license plates from as far away as Vermont, Minnesota, and British Columbia. Moab is as central to Jeep's identity as perhaps any other place, including the beaches of Normandy and Stellantis' world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Red Rock 4x4 Club has organized the core Easter Jeep Safari event for 59 straight years, and each year for the past two decades or so, Jeep corporate tricks out drivable concept cars for the event. But it's more than a party or a car show. Jeep brings its vehicles and accessories here for trail testing, as well as gathers customer feedback. It's here, out on the trail, where I start to understand why the Jeep is such a beloved icon. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of brightly painted Jeeps pass our slow-moving convoy, giving waves of appreciation as we pull over to let them by. The builds are deeply individual, and several even have names stickered on hoods and windows. Plenty of folks brought the family—kids and dogs range in mood from tail-wagging enthusiasm to utter exhaustion. But out here, everyone is family. Tools, snacks, and stories flow back and forth, and the audience on Hell's Gate's 'Hecklers' Hill' cheer for each Jeep (and even a daring Bronco) that makes the climb. It's easy to be cynical about all this. An event that centers around the ownership of an expensive, limited-purpose vehicle is inherently exclusive. And Jeep brought me to its flagship cultural event in hopes I'd walk away with a positive opinion of its brand. But perhaps more than any other car event I've taken part in, Easter Jeep Safari seems to transcend materialism in search of something greater: Genuine community rooted in shared experience. There are night trail rides to stargazing spots and sunset campground barbecues. With the picturesque cliffs of Moab as a backdrop, there's a lot of just hanging out to enjoy. Given our intensely work-focused culture, I get why people come back here year after year, just to disconnect for a few days with friends. There's also a lot less bench racing and stat-sheet obsession than I've observed in the sports car scene. The only metric that matters here is 'did you make it up the hill?' And really, all these Jeeps are capable enough to answer affirmatively. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Jeep let us off-road its hand-built concept cars on a short loop trail, which tells you everything you need to know. What other automaker would assemble a group of journalists, toss them the keys to a fleet of unproven cars, point at a rock ledge and say, 'Have at it?' Eyebrow-raising name aside, I loved the J6 Honcho, a two-door pickup with a six-foot bed. It looks like a shortened Gladiator, but in reality, it rides on a four-door Wrangler platform. But my favorite was the Bug Out, a stripped-down Gladiator 4xe outfitted with power banks and a hammock for ultralight camping. Overlanding builds typically pack everything and the kitchen sink, and a lightweight camper with everything you need and nothing you don't is a statement on leaving no trace. Photo by: Jeep Photo by: Jeep Photo by: Jeep The more I drove the production Jeeps, the more I liked them, too. From the full-bore roar of the Wrangler 392 to the near-silent rock crawling of the 4xe, each variant had its own distinct charm and personality. In a world of homogenous, interchangeable crossover blobs, a Wrangler says its owner is adventurous, proud, and maybe a little stubborn. Who doesn't, on some level, want their car to make a statement about them? In recent years, Jeep has leaned into its military heritage to an extent that I would call "cringe." But with concepts like the Bug Out, Jeep proves it can look forward to a more hopeful America, not just wistfully back. Forget the "angry Jeep eyes;" the Wrangler is a deeply optimistic vehicle, and one we need right now. In many ways, the Wrangler represents an America we collectively no longer believe in, and that's a shame. No, it's not a particularly good car, at least if your daily commute consists of highways rather than mud bogs. But I respect its capability and commitment to what it stands for. So I won't roll my eyes when I see a Jeep trundling along at 50 on the highway (as long as it's in the right lane). I won't groan about inefficiency, loose steering, or a lack of amenities. There are many 4x4s, but only one Jeep, for better and for worse. And I finally understand why. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 The Latest From Jeep 2026 Jeep Compass: Everything We Know 2025 Jeep Wagoneer Overland Edition Is the One You Want Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What brand of car battery would you recommend?
A: There are really only about four or five automotive battery manufacturers that make batteries under different brand names. At AAA, our batteries are Interstate. Interstate is a battery-marketing and distribution company. Typically, Interstate batteries are manufactured by Clarios and Exide. When it comes to buying a battery, look for cold cranking ratings, reserve capacity and warranty. Q: I have a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. When I take my foot off the gas and the car slows down, the motor has a loud hum until it stops. It sounds like a truck. At idle, it is normal. Have you heard anyone else complain about this? When I take it back to Chevrolet, what should I tell the service technician? I had a 2016 Equinox, and it did not do that. A: I have not heard anyone complain about this issue. General Motors did have a problem with a transmission torque converter and even extended the warranty. This could be the source of the noise. At this point, I would do two things: Take a technician for a ride so they can hear and feel what you do. If they pronounce it normal, then ask to take another Equinox for a ride to verify that this is a characteristic of the model and not a problem. Q: have a 2019 Honda Accord that I love, but it is in the shop for the third time because the front radar camera got stolen and it's likely that rats ate some wires in my engine. It appears that this car is bait for both crooks and rats. As soon as the car is fixed, I am trading it in for, hopefully, a less hassle-prone car. I am looking at Toyota, Subaru and Mazda mid-sized SUVs. Are there any cars that are less rat-prone? Are there any cars that have less of a risk of radar camera theft? A: Unfortunately, rodents do not discriminate. They seem to like all cars. There was some thought that cars today are more appealing to rodents due to the more environmentally friendly products. I am not sure that is true. I think it has to do more with the rodent population. Honda does have rodent-proof tape containing a form of hot pepper that you can wrap around the wires. As for radar camera theft prevention, some car parts have particular value to thieves, such as air bags, wheels, catalytic converters and now, apparently, radar cameras. The same rules apply to preventing auto theft: hide valuables, lock the car and park in well-lit areas. Q: I hear a rattling sound as if something is loose in the engine area. It happens when I start the car cold. I hear it intermittently when I am driving. Any idea what I should look for? The car is a 2018 Honda CR-V with low mileage. A: The most common issue is a loose exhaust heat shield. When the engine warms up, the exhaust system expands and quiets the rattle. This should be easy to verify with the car up on a lift. Another common issue is with the rubber damper caps on the front struts. Remove the caps, and if the rattle is not present you can buy updated caps that will quiet the noise. Q: I recently purchased a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe with "Wildpeak Falken" LT285/70R17 116/1130 tires. This is my first 'hybrid' vehicle. The 'sticker' gas − only miles per gallon − was published as 20 mpg. I have had it for 12 weeks and I am getting 14 mpg. I have gone back to the dealership twice thinking I must be doing something wrong. Are these advertised gas mileages an average of all trim lines (and tires) or for the specific vehicle (with those specific tires)? A: The EPA gas mileage ration is not average of all trims but for your model. Yes, on the website, your model shows 20 mpg. They do not show a Falken tire option on the Wrangler-E. They do show the Falken vs Pirelli option on other models. The Falken tires are a little better regarding fuel economy. Keep in mind the gas engine does not break in for several thousand miles. Also, the winter temperatures have been cold. Idling, combined with the winter mix of gasoline, can reduce fuel economy. In my opinion, fuel economy is usually determined by the driver. John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@ and put 'Car Doctor' in the subject field. Follow him on X @johnfpaul or on Facebook. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What brand of car battery would you recommend? | Car Doctor
