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Fort Wayne Newspapers Review
By Jason Stein
Fort Wayne Newspapers
What's in a name? More than you might think.
Ask the Rubicon. Maybe it's fitting for 2003 that Jeep - that daring, grab-your-gear ride that has bounced around the auto scene ever since the Willys' models of World War II - went into the history books to tag its newest, wildest ride.
What's a Rubicon?
Metaphorically, Rubicon signifies the "point of no return," or the limit one commits to a course of action. The name Rubicon comes from historical Roman texts. It was the river in northern Italy, which divided what was then Gaul and Ancient Rome. Julius Caesar crossed it in 49 B.C., effectively declaring war and eventually taking control of the republic.
No retreat. No surrender. No missing the coincidence with what the new Jeep gives us.
Cross a river, conquer a new highway or just overtake a paved parking lot, Jeep's Wrangler Rubicon is a rolling statement that there's more than just fancy names floating around this staple of the industry. There's personality and capability to back it up.
No matter how you say it, Jeep has always been loyal to its heritage; its owners have returned the favor.
Looking for adventure? The four-wheel-drive Wrangler was there. Looking for a hip ride that is a kick to drive? See the Wrangler. This year, in this model, they upped the ante.
So - again - what is it? (Besides a little Roman history.)
In short, it's rolling proof that you finally have a vehicle that can tackle the other Rubicon trail, the one in California's 22-mile Eldorado National Forest near Lake Tahoe, and discover perhaps the real reason this vehicle is named what it is.
The Rubicon is basically a Wrangler Sport with many mechanical upgrades. It starts with a heavy- duty transfer case, creating more low-end torque, or grunt. It continues with beefier driveshafts, joints, axles, skid plates and all things that would make a trip into the trail more manageable.
In short, it means the Rubicon is an even better drive than previous Wrangler models, especially from the perspective of those who want to tackle the great outdoors. It's also meant to hit its target audience. Jeep owners have been clamoring for a heavy-duty Wrangler for years, some even went to great lengths to add their own after-market products in order to take on the big hills. Climb your own way no more.
What's in a name? How about a whole lot, because of what's in the Rubicon. It's a mix of plenty for a mix of climates. Our one week test included some good samples: Rain, snow, ice and dry weather. We also tested the Rubicon in the deep woods of a forest trail as well as on the Interstate. Our take: The name fits, but be aware of everything that means.
The Rubicon excels where it is supposed to and suffers where you would expect it to. But even when it wasn't at its best, the Rubicon wasn't as bad as I imagined it might be.
Off-road driving and tough, wintry conditions were a breeze. Highway driving was not for the LeSabre family. The Rubicon is meant to tackle all things unpaved. But on concrete, the vehicle felt like it was driving you - not the reverse - almost as if the Rubicon was asking for something more challenging, like no asphalt.
Now, onroad, I expected road and wind noise to be intense, and it wasn't. And that's by design. Jeep has changed the windshield seal for 2003 reducing exterior noise and, thanks to a $920 hard-top option, things were kept in check. A soft-top test earlier this fall (when the weather was perfect for top-down fun) was obviously more enjoyable but a little more work to remove.
Jeep doesn't hide that and its owners expect that. It's part of the appeal, it's part of the fun.
Want a Cadillac, buy one, Jeep owners say. Want a blast, try a Rubicon. And hold on.
Jeep worked on tweaking the ride in a 1997 redesign, a project intended to make the Wrangler less jarring. All Wranglers come with their share of bounce, or "lift" as they call it at amusement parks - that rise you get when the place where you are seated is no longer seated on bumpy roads. Again, part of the appeal. Take a corner, hit a pothole and your lift time increases. Watch those corners though. The Rubicon had a nasty tendency to at least feel like it was ready to lob us too far sideways, especially given a little more speed on the speedometer. Part of the fun.
What else is new with this ride? Plenty.
For the first time, four-wheel disc brakes are offered on the '03 Wrangler, and they're standard on the Rubicon. Five-spoke aluminum wheels have been added (dish-faced to lessen excessive damage on the trail) and the treads on the Goodyear tires wrap around the sidewall for better traction.
All trims have been bestowed with an all-new four-speed automatic transmission which is supposed to provide smoother-shifting, better highway fuel efficiency and quieter engine operation at highway speeds compared to the previous three-speed automatic transmission. Ground clearance is a breeze - almost nine inches from dirt to Jeep. And a new manual transmission give it an excellent crawl ratio. Crawl ratio? It means you can put the Rubicon in first gear and 4WD Low and tackle anything your heart desires without getting stopped or being thrown around the cabin.
Jeep knew what it was doing here. Last summer, during its launch, the automaker brought its Rubicon to the annual Camp Jeep, a gathering of Jeep owners who want the chance to tackle everything in sight. With the Rubicon, they threw in boulders, tree stumps and hills that had an 80-percent grade. The Rubicon was the hit of the party.
And if you have a taste for such a thing, it will be for you as well. Even if you are staying on the road, sit back and enjoy all the hardware underneath your right foot. There's a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that comes standard and gushes torque power at low speeds.
Inside, it is typically Jeep: Simple and effective. Gauges are within a fingertips' reach (climate control, radio, turn signals) and getting to the back seat is a snap with fold-forward front seats, also new for 2003 with additional legroom and higher backrests. It's a big step up from the street to the seat, but that's to be expected, too. Increased padding inside helps the Rubicon meet new federal standards for safety.
Cargo room is tight - a minimum of nine cubic feet with the back seat in place and a maximum of 46 with it removed, which is also easier this year - lifting one handle allows the backrest to fold and the seat to fall forward.
On the outside, there's a 22-inch long "Rubicon" graphic and diamond-plate sill guards bolted to the body sides. Like its cousin, the Rubicon has those distinctive round headlamps and front-mounted fog lamps.
All added together, the Wrangler is less of a trade-off than it used to be. For $24,385 (base) you are no longer getting the either/or option - offroad ability, on-road instability - and you are no longer having to pay tens of thousands of dollars to set your own up with all this gear.
It's time for fun. It's time for a little adventure. Funture? Now there's a name.
SPECS: 2003 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON
High Gear: Fun to drive with a classic look and a rugged approach to the outdoors, the new Rubicon is living proof you don't have to pay $100,000 for a hummer of a ride.
Low gear: In soft-top versions, there is a little learning curve when it comes to removal. Wind and road noise, as well as handling, might be an acquired taste for some.
Rating: 3
Fort Wayne Newspapers Review
By Jason Stein
Fort Wayne Newspapers
What's in a name? More than you might think.
Ask the Rubicon. Maybe it's fitting for 2003 that Jeep - that daring, grab-your-gear ride that has bounced around the auto scene ever since the Willys' models of World War II - went into the history books to tag its newest, wildest ride.
What's a Rubicon?
Metaphorically, Rubicon signifies the "point of no return," or the limit one commits to a course of action. The name Rubicon comes from historical Roman texts. It was the river in northern Italy, which divided what was then Gaul and Ancient Rome. Julius Caesar crossed it in 49 B.C., effectively declaring war and eventually taking control of the republic.
No retreat. No surrender. No missing the coincidence with what the new Jeep gives us.
Cross a river, conquer a new highway or just overtake a paved parking lot, Jeep's Wrangler Rubicon is a rolling statement that there's more than just fancy names floating around this staple of the industry. There's personality and capability to back it up.
No matter how you say it, Jeep has always been loyal to its heritage; its owners have returned the favor.
Looking for adventure? The four-wheel-drive Wrangler was there. Looking for a hip ride that is a kick to drive? See the Wrangler. This year, in this model, they upped the ante.
So - again - what is it? (Besides a little Roman history.)
In short, it's rolling proof that you finally have a vehicle that can tackle the other Rubicon trail, the one in California's 22-mile Eldorado National Forest near Lake Tahoe, and discover perhaps the real reason this vehicle is named what it is.
The Rubicon is basically a Wrangler Sport with many mechanical upgrades. It starts with a heavy- duty transfer case, creating more low-end torque, or grunt. It continues with beefier driveshafts, joints, axles, skid plates and all things that would make a trip into the trail more manageable.
In short, it means the Rubicon is an even better drive than previous Wrangler models, especially from the perspective of those who want to tackle the great outdoors. It's also meant to hit its target audience. Jeep owners have been clamoring for a heavy-duty Wrangler for years, some even went to great lengths to add their own after-market products in order to take on the big hills. Climb your own way no more.
What's in a name? How about a whole lot, because of what's in the Rubicon. It's a mix of plenty for a mix of climates. Our one week test included some good samples: Rain, snow, ice and dry weather. We also tested the Rubicon in the deep woods of a forest trail as well as on the Interstate. Our take: The name fits, but be aware of everything that means.
The Rubicon excels where it is supposed to and suffers where you would expect it to. But even when it wasn't at its best, the Rubicon wasn't as bad as I imagined it might be.
Off-road driving and tough, wintry conditions were a breeze. Highway driving was not for the LeSabre family. The Rubicon is meant to tackle all things unpaved. But on concrete, the vehicle felt like it was driving you - not the reverse - almost as if the Rubicon was asking for something more challenging, like no asphalt.
Now, onroad, I expected road and wind noise to be intense, and it wasn't. And that's by design. Jeep has changed the windshield seal for 2003 reducing exterior noise and, thanks to a $920 hard-top option, things were kept in check. A soft-top test earlier this fall (when the weather was perfect for top-down fun) was obviously more enjoyable but a little more work to remove.
Jeep doesn't hide that and its owners expect that. It's part of the appeal, it's part of the fun.
Want a Cadillac, buy one, Jeep owners say. Want a blast, try a Rubicon. And hold on.
Jeep worked on tweaking the ride in a 1997 redesign, a project intended to make the Wrangler less jarring. All Wranglers come with their share of bounce, or "lift" as they call it at amusement parks - that rise you get when the place where you are seated is no longer seated on bumpy roads. Again, part of the appeal. Take a corner, hit a pothole and your lift time increases. Watch those corners though. The Rubicon had a nasty tendency to at least feel like it was ready to lob us too far sideways, especially given a little more speed on the speedometer. Part of the fun.
What else is new with this ride? Plenty.
For the first time, four-wheel disc brakes are offered on the '03 Wrangler, and they're standard on the Rubicon. Five-spoke aluminum wheels have been added (dish-faced to lessen excessive damage on the trail) and the treads on the Goodyear tires wrap around the sidewall for better traction.
All trims have been bestowed with an all-new four-speed automatic transmission which is supposed to provide smoother-shifting, better highway fuel efficiency and quieter engine operation at highway speeds compared to the previous three-speed automatic transmission. Ground clearance is a breeze - almost nine inches from dirt to Jeep. And a new manual transmission give it an excellent crawl ratio. Crawl ratio? It means you can put the Rubicon in first gear and 4WD Low and tackle anything your heart desires without getting stopped or being thrown around the cabin.
Jeep knew what it was doing here. Last summer, during its launch, the automaker brought its Rubicon to the annual Camp Jeep, a gathering of Jeep owners who want the chance to tackle everything in sight. With the Rubicon, they threw in boulders, tree stumps and hills that had an 80-percent grade. The Rubicon was the hit of the party.
And if you have a taste for such a thing, it will be for you as well. Even if you are staying on the road, sit back and enjoy all the hardware underneath your right foot. There's a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that comes standard and gushes torque power at low speeds.
Inside, it is typically Jeep: Simple and effective. Gauges are within a fingertips' reach (climate control, radio, turn signals) and getting to the back seat is a snap with fold-forward front seats, also new for 2003 with additional legroom and higher backrests. It's a big step up from the street to the seat, but that's to be expected, too. Increased padding inside helps the Rubicon meet new federal standards for safety.
Cargo room is tight - a minimum of nine cubic feet with the back seat in place and a maximum of 46 with it removed, which is also easier this year - lifting one handle allows the backrest to fold and the seat to fall forward.
On the outside, there's a 22-inch long "Rubicon" graphic and diamond-plate sill guards bolted to the body sides. Like its cousin, the Rubicon has those distinctive round headlamps and front-mounted fog lamps.
All added together, the Wrangler is less of a trade-off than it used to be. For $24,385 (base) you are no longer getting the either/or option - offroad ability, on-road instability - and you are no longer having to pay tens of thousands of dollars to set your own up with all this gear.
It's time for fun. It's time for a little adventure. Funture? Now there's a name.
SPECS: 2003 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON
High Gear: Fun to drive with a classic look and a rugged approach to the outdoors, the new Rubicon is living proof you don't have to pay $100,000 for a hummer of a ride.
Low gear: In soft-top versions, there is a little learning curve when it comes to removal. Wind and road noise, as well as handling, might be an acquired taste for some.
Rating: 3
