1982 Jeep Cj on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

Video charts evolution of Jeep from military vehicle to SUV powerhouse

Here's a fun new video from our car-obsessed friends at Donut Media. It shows the evolution of the iconic Jeep from its World War II roots to the forthcoming 2019 Scrambler pickup in a little over two minutes. Using illustrations and audio of Jeep engines and broadcast advertising spots, it's a fascinating look at the common traits that have persisted over more than 75 years and changing consumer preferences. Three companies originally responded to the U.S. Army's request in 1940 for proposals to make a quarter-ton "light reconnaissance vehicle" tailored to its specs — Bantam, Ford and Willys. The video starts by showing all three early contenders — the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, Ford Pygmy and Willys MB, which was based on the Willys-Overland "Quad" prototype, named for the 4x4 system it utilized. Willys eventually won the contract in 1941 to build 16,000 revised MB models for American and Allied forces. Willys would trademark the Jeep name in 1945 with its CJ-2A, a Civilian Jeep geared toward farmers. As the video shows, Jeep really started to diversify its body styles and colors in the 1970s and '80s under the ownership of American Motors Corp., which purchased the money-losing Jeep brand in 1970 from Kaiser-Jeep, which itself had acquired the brand from Willys in 1953. The '70s brought models like the CJ-5 Renegade and CJ-5 Laredo, and the video includes updates including the second-generation Wrangler Unlimited in 2004 and the Wrangler-based Scrambler pickup. Chrysler purchased Jeep from American Motors in 1987, shortly after the debut of the Jeep Wrangler, and has managed to hold onto the brand and ride it to success despite its own bumpy ownership trials and tribulations since then. Despite the many owners over time, Jeep has maintained its headquarters all along in Toledo, Ohio.

The biggest gas-guzzlers of 2024: 'The Meanest List' is the opposite of greenest cars

In some circles — especially some automotive circles — bigger is better. This explains the Hummer, for example. In its so-called “Meanest List” of a dozen models, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) makes no apologies for berating “the worst-performing mass market automobiles” sold in 2024 in the U.S. The most diminutive car on the list is a Chevy Corvette Z06. At the top of this particular heap is the Mercedes-Benz AMG G63, a gas-powered SUV that the environmental agency says was “the worst-performing vehicle of the more than 1,200 models assessed by Greener Cars and has an annual fuel cost over $4,000.” Not to mention its MSRP of around $184,000. Rank Make & Model Powertrain Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 Gas 20 $184,000 $4,242 2 Ram 1500 TRX 4x4 Gas 22 $98,335 $3,819 3 Ford F150 Raptor R Gas 24 $79,975 $3,777 4 Cadillac Escalade V Gas 26 $152,295 $3,388 5 Dodge Durango SRT Gas 26 $74,995 $3,332 6 Jeep Wrangler 4dr 4X4 Gas 27 $35,895 $3,260 7 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Gas 28 $91,945 $3,058 8 Mercedes-Benz G550 Gas 28 $143,000 $3,186 9 GMC Hummer EV SUV EV 29 $98,845 $1,746 10 GMC Sierra Gas 29 $37,700 $3,069 11 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Gas 30 $114,395 $3,169 12 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680 Gas 30 $234,300 $3,031 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles In terms of numbers, the dirty dozen of the meanest includes seven SUVs and three trucks. Lonely at the middle of the list is the sole electric, the GMC Hummer EV, which weighs in at 9,000 pounds. The council notes that “though EVs have lower emissions than similarly sized gasoline models, the Hummer demonstrates that size and efficiency, not just fuel source, are important factors in a carÂ’s environmental impact.” ItÂ’s also worth reminding prospective buyers that the average fuel cost of a vehicle on the “Greenest List” eats up only a fifth of the fuel cost of a vehicle on the Meanest List, “showing that greener options can also be more affordable.” The ACEEE also put out a "Greener List" of efficient gasoline and hybrid cars that don't require plugging in.  By the Numbers Green Cadillac Chevrolet Dodge Ford GMC Hummer Jeep Maybach Mercedes-Benz RAM Emissions Fuel Efficiency Green Automakers Truck SUV Electric Hybrid