2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4 X 4 4.0 6 Cyl, Soft Top, Automatic, Black on 2040-cars

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BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

Jeep brings quartet of concepts to Beijing to show its Chinese style

Jeep is making a big play for the Chinese crossover market at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show. It has a quartet styling concepts for the Renegade, Cherokee and Wrangler that are inspired by Chinese culture at the show.
Among them is the newest member of the Jeep lineup - the Renegade. Its Zi You Xia concept (pictured above) comes from the Mandarin for "rebel," and it's painted in Warm Chocolate Gray with Dark Anodized Bronze trim, including the 20-inch wheels. The roof, grille surround, and mirror caps are done in a complimentary Dark Charcoal color as an accent. The interior is a mix of dark brown leather and Anodized Copper trim. This is one swanky compact crossover.
The Cherokee Sageland and Urbane concepts are meant to show to different sides of Chinese style. With inspiration from the Shangri-La Region, the Sageland has Ivory Pearl tri-coat paint with bronze trim on the outside, and the interior is covered in Gray Nappa leather with red and blue stitching. The Urbane's look comes from the nightlife in the country's cities. The exterior is a color called Maximum Steel with Hyper Black trim. Inside, it combines Piano Black trim with dark red leather seats.

Jeep Wagoneers will be separate from Grand Cherokee line

The new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be luxury SUVs that will sit at the top of the brand's lineup. Though they will be based on the Grand Cherokee, the reintroduced SUVs will be separate models, Automotive News reports. The new Grand Wagoneer is expected to be a more luxurious version of the standard Wagoneer. The model will be similar in size to the three-row Dodge Durango. The Durango rides on a stretched version of the Grand Cherokee platform. Comments from Jeep brand chief Mike Manley seemed to imply to Automotive News that the two might be high-grade trims on the Grand Cherokee, though a Jeep spokesman later clarified that's not the case. AN predicts the new Wagoneers will debut after 2019, as the Grand Cherokee was pushed back to late 2018 or 2019. Manley says the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer historically represent the best Jeep has to offer. Previous versions were based upon the the Jeep SJ platform that also underpinned early Jeep Cherokees. The Grand Wagoneer name was last used as a trim level on the 1993 Grand Cherokee. Related video: News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Jeep Jeep SUV Luxury