Richard’s Ramblings

Deciding between the 2006 Jeep Rubicon and the newly redesigned 2007 has been difficult.

The Superficial Stuff

Color: Black, flame red, and impact orange are completely out of the running; not interested. The green and midnight blue models look nice, but not enough to go for one of those. The light khaki wasn’t light enough online, although close to acceptable in person. I just don’t care for the khaki with the ugly “different shade of khaki” tops, and the black hard top just wasn’t contrasty enough. That potentially leaves stone white, bright silver, and solar yellow. Fairly iffy about the yellow, white is a bit too “Daisy Duke”, and silver is a bit too “Lara Croft”. Still leaning heavily towards the white at this point.

Interior: While I normally prefer a lighter color interior, I like the look of the dark slate gray as opposed to the khaki, even though the khaki might be better at disguising dirt and grime. They just don’t seem to get “khaki” right for my tastes. A khaki interior is available only with the stone white, not the bright silver — although dark slate is an option with either color. Leaning towards dark slate; maybe it’s because the car I’ve driven for the past ten years has a beige interior. Granted, it’s also a white car, and for some reason I’m still considering a white Rubicon.

Power: 6-speed manual transmission. Automatic isn’t even an option to consider. It might be a bit hard to get used to the position of the 6th gear as it’s scarily close to reverse.

Options: I definitely want a set of metal half doors, probably in addition to the standard full doors. Still confused about various tops and how they work or don’t work with the different door options.

The 2006 TJ or the 2007 JK?

The 2006 TJ Rubicon comes standard with an AMC 190HP, 4.0L, Power Tech inline-six, considered one of the best off-road engines ever made. Also standard are 31-inch tall LT245/75R16 tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels. Music should sound pretty good coming from a 7-speaker system that includes a full center console-mounted subwoofer, 2 midrange speakers in the instrument panel, and 2 full-range speakers mounted in the overhead speaker pods. Cool!

On the other hand, the 2007 JK Rubicon has a standard Chrysler 3.8L, 12-valve, 205HP, V6 engine. Seventeen-inch aluminum wheels sporting LT225/75R17 mud terrain tires are also standard. The six-speaker stereo system has an MP3 input audio jack, ideal for my iPod. Rock rails are standard, unlike on the 2006. This next-generation Jeep is 5.5 inches longer and 1.4 inches taller than the existing model, with a 2.1-inch-longer wheelbase and 2.4-inch-wider track, but with a tenth of an inch less ground clearance. Despite it being taller, there’s a fraction less headroom in front and back in the JK, although shoulder room has increased in both areas. Where the 2007 exceeds over the 2006 is storage behind the back seats: over 17 cubic feet vs slightly less than 12 cubic feet on the 2006 TJ. Not sure I care for the single-hinge windshield vs two hinges. Both model years have dual Dana 44 axles, a heavy-duty transfer case with an ultra-low 4:1 ratio, and 4-wheel disc brakes. The optional security package for the 2006 comes standard on the 2007. Turning diameter is the same. Everything else is little details.

The Jeep forums are abuzz about which engine to covet. The die-hards are asking “why fix what works?” and the modernists are answering “better gas mileage, more power, newer technology!” The 4.0L of the TJ was introduced in 1987 with a Renault engine control system. In 1991, after Chrysler acquired the brand, the control computer was redesigned and the intake ports were raised. Chrysler also enlarged the throttle body and redesigned the intake and exhaust manifolds for more efficiency, and the fuel injectors were replaced with higher flowing units. Small changes were made to the cylinder head and engine block every couple of years until 1998, after which it has remained mostly the same. The 3.8L of the new JK was introduced in 1991 into Chrysler’s Fifth Avenue, Imperial, and minivans (yuck!) and it, too, has had some changes; the intake was redesigned in 1994 and the compression ratio was increased in 1998. The real claim to fame of the 3.8L is the addition of a variable intake system in 2001, increasing horsepower and foot-pounds of torque, but according to the forums the jury is still out as to whether it will have a negative effect on low, rock-climbing RPMs.

The “new” 3.8L engine just doesn’t seem so new to get all that worked up about since its genesis was only a few years after the 4.0L. So, do I get the last year of a proven classic, or do I wait for the as-yet-unpublished price for a newly designed Wrangler that will probably take a full model year to get the kinks out? And why is it that some aftermarket products don’t seem to be available for the 2006’s? I need some advice from a Jeep owner or two…

UPDATE: Yes, I bought the ‘06. And I absolutely love it!

If you liked this, you might also be interested in:

• WordPress Plugin: Devowelizer
• The Lug Nut Rule…
• New Car Comparisons…
• C is for Catch…
• Boycott Wal-Mart…