2012 Jeep Wrangler

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler.

Regular TireKicker readers know of my fondness for purposeful, iconic design. Well, right up there with the Porsche 911 (but one heck of a lot less expensive) is the Jeep Wrangler.

Remarkably, I've never owned one. This, despite spending 16 years of my life in the High Sierras and 27 in the Desert Southwest. Came close once, in Reno in 1978. But the CJ (as it was then known) was crude, thirsty and expensive. I bought a Toyota Corolla instead.

Now, though, the Jeep Wrangler appears to be in a sweet spot...having acquired comfort, practicality and everyday usefulness (well, some of those things, anyway) without sacrificing its rugged go-anywhere capabilities.



A lot of credit for that goes to the new Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. 285 horsepower, 260 pounds per foot of torque...and it's standard in every Wrangler...even the base $22,045 Wrangler Sport. That engine brings with it a much better mileage picture, too...EPA estimated 17 city/21 highway.

Our tester was the two-steps-up Sahara, which adds air conditioning, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, power locks and windows, body-color fender flares, deep tint sunscreen glass, and 18 inch satin silver painted wheels. Base price for the Sahara: $27,970.

2012 Jeep Wrangler interior.

The other major improvement in the Wrangler? The interior. Chrysler/Fiat (or Fiat/Chrysler)'s attention to detail in the cabins has spread to the Jeep and it is now a remarkably nice place to be, while still maintaining the ruggedness of materials and construction a real Jeep needs.

Our Sahara also had a big batch of optional equipment...leather-trimmed seats (heated in front) for $900...Customer Preferred Package 24G (a remote USB port, electronic vehicle information center and Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth) for $385...a 5-speed automatic transmission with hill descent control for $1,125...Trac-Lok limited slip rear differential for $295...a body-color 3-piece hardtop with rear window wiper, washer and defroster and a storage bag for $1,715...a Media Center upgrade (AM/FM/SiriusXM/CD/DVD/mp3/HDD/Navigation system with SiriusXM Travel Link and a 6.5 inch touch-screen display) for $1035 (a bargain when you consider many nav systems are $2,000 or more)...and a remote start system for $200.

Fold in the $800 destination charge and the bottom line is $34,425. No, that's not cheap. But it's not outrageous, and it's possible to shave almost 12 grand off that price and still get the great engine, decent interior accomodations and off-road and poor weather capability.

The Wrangler is getting very close to being an offer too good to pass up.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Base price: $27,970.

As tested: 34,425.

Likes: New Pentastar V6 engine, vastly improved interior, and it's still a real Jeep.

Dislikes: Can I get back to you on that?

EPA estimate: 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway.

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2011 BMW 528i Review

A white four-door sedan...the entry-level model of its series.

Doesn't sound exciting...but it all depends on what that sedan is. If you haven't recognized the photo yet, I'll let you in on the secret. It's the BMW 528i.

And it just may be the most perfect car on the road.

I've always enjoyed BMWs, but I've had three outright revelations while holding a steering wheel with a blue-and-white roundel in the center:

The first, at the tender age of 17, entrusted on a winding road in the Eastern High Sierra of California with a friend's older brother's 2002tii. 38 years later, that still stands as one of the best cars I've ever driven.

The second, in the early 80s, stepping into a 635csi coupe with a price tag of $40,000 (astronomical at the time) and thinking "no car is worth this", only to be convinced after 5 minutes in the foothills west of Reno that it was not only worth it, but that it was, in itself, a reason to go make that kind of money.

And the third, most recently,  a week in the Z4 sDrive35i, which has raised the bar for sporting two-seaters to a level I wouldn't have imagined.

And now, the fourth revelation. The new 5-Series.

It is, quite simply, the best sedan you can buy, regardless of price. However much more money you spend on something else, you'll be buying power or features, not excellence and value. Cars simply don't come more solidly built, more thoughtfully designed, more perfectly balanced than the 528 i.

The one we drove for a week, courtesy Chapman BMW in Chandler, Arizona , came box-stock...zero options. But on the 528i, standard includes a list of features that are extra-cost with most other cars, that is if you can find an 8-speed automatic transmission in another car. Electronic limited slip differential? Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS? Dynamic Brake Control? Dynamic Stability Control? Dynamic Traction Control? 17-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires? Rain-sensing wipers? Fog lights? Power-adjustable, heated and folding outside mirrors?  All standard.

Not done. 10-way power adjustable driver's and front passenger's seat with four-way lumbar support and memory for the driver's seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors? Leatherette upholstery and dark wood (yes, real wood) trim? An AM/FM/CD/mp3 12-speaker (including 2 subwoofers) audio system with 205 watts of power, including HD radio (makes AM sound like FM and FM like CDs), prepped for satellite radio installation if you choose? Vehicle and key memory? Power moonroof?  Automatic climate control? Power tilt and telescoping steering wheel? Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control functions? Bluetooth? iDrive? Tire pressure monitor? All part of the package.

And now the best part...you get to drive it, too. BMW has forever made the sweetest six-cylinder engines in the world, and the 3.0 liter DOHC inline 6 under the hood of the 528i is no exception. Velvety smooth and pulls like a freight train. Its 240 horsepower is more than adequate for brisk acceleration (as in 6.6 seconds zero to 60).  That's 10 horsepower more than last year's model, and it packs and extra 30 pounds per foot of torque, too (see "pulls like a freight train", above).

Handling is direct and intuitive. Within minutes on the road, the car becomes a direct extension of your hands and your brain. There's immediate, controlled response. Chapman BMW asked me to keep the miles on this one below 200, so I didn't have a chance to take a nice drive on a winding road like Northern Arizona's Oak Creek Canyon (linking the town of Sedona with I-17), but I have no doubt the 528i would have aced it and had me even more impressed.

Icing on the cake: Pairing the 3.0 liter 6 with an 8-speed automatic transmission pays off big in the EPA mileage ratings: 22 city/32 highway.

Yes, 22 city/32 highway. And it's a bigger deal than you think. It means the 528i gets better gas mileage than many small economy cars. Really. Here are a couple of examples from upcoming TireKicker reviews:

Scion xB: 22 city/28 highway.

Kia Sportage: 22 city/31 highway.

So what's it cost?

Base price: $45,050. For the one we drove, add delivery charges, tax and license and you're done. No $45,000 isn't dirt cheap. But go back and look at that list of standard features. Add those to your typical $30,000 sedan and you're at or past $45K in a heartbeat. And is that car as well-built, quick, superbly balanced and does it get 22 in the city and 32 on the highway?

This one's a winner. And it proves BMW is about more than status. There's major-league substance here. Every other automaker should be taking notes.

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