2007 Jeep Compass Base Sport Utility 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Blake Anderson drives an over-the-top patriotic Jeep

Comedian Blake Anderson is seeing growing success as one of the stars and co-creators of the Comedy Central show Workaholics. Not surprisingly, when you get your own TV show, there's a deep desire to celebrate with a big purchase, a car perhaps. Anderson did just that, but as opposed to plunking his money down on a Porsche or Mercedes-Benz, he took a much more patriotic route. Anderson described his ride as "an American Jeep" in an interview with Conan O'Brien, and he didn't mean that it was from the AMC years of the off-road brand's ownership. Instead, this one is as patriotic as they come thanks to a beautifully regal bald eagle covering the hood with the nation's flag as the background running up at least to the windshield. Hear Anderson's entire story of buying this red, white and blue off-roader in the video above.

Millionth Jeep Wrangler JK to roll off line this morning

According to a report on the Chrysler Communications Facebook page and one fairly grainy image of the production line, at around 11:00AM Eastern this morning, the one-millionth Jeep Wrangler JK will roll out of the company's Toledo assembly plant.
The third-generation or "JK" Jeep Wrangler has been around since the 2007 model year, and has obviously been more popular than ever. With a greater than ever number of trim levels, two-door and four-door Unlimited models and hardy off-roading Rubicon packages, the JK offers more to choose from than ever for those looking for something in a traditional Jeep. In fact, with the modern 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 powering it, the 2012 model year saw more than 140k Wrangers sold here in the US; the best-ever figure for the model.
With a model refresh due out for the Wrangler in 2015 (along with the likely addition of a diesel engine option), we expect that sales will continue to roll right along, too.

Some Jeep Cherokees and Chrysler 200s to get standard stop-start in 2015

Automakers the world over are striving to find ways to make their models more efficient, and Chrysler has a solution for some versions of the 2015 Chrysler 200 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee (2014 model shown). The Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the 200 and the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 in the Cherokee are getting a slight boost later this year thanks to the addition of Chrysler's Engine Stop-Start system as standard equipment. The company predicts modest gains - a three-percent improvement in fuel economy and a three percent reduction in CO2 emissions with the new tech compared to without it. While it's not much, those who sit in traffic a lot may see a difference.
Chrysler's stop/start system uses a high-speed starter motor to restart the vehicle in a claimed a third of a second. It works by detecting when the vehicle comes to a stop and turning off the engine. A more powerful battery maintains all of the model's accessories while it sits. When the driver lets off the brake, the car starts up again to drive away. There is even a button in the cabin to turn the ESS off, if desired.
The Jeep will be the first to receive ESS in the third quarter of this year to coincide with the start of production of the 2015 model-year version. The 200 will follow in the fourth quarter as a rolling change in production.