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2019 Jeep Wrangler Moab order guide reveals plush, spendy trim

At the end of last year, members at the JLWrangler Forum first discovered a Moab sticker kit in the Fiat Chrysler parts catalog. A few weeks ago, the same forum found a Moab edition 2018 Wrangler near FCA HQ. The previous JK series Jeep Wrangler offered a Moab edition, based on the Sahara platform, but priced and positioned between the Sahara and Rubicon trims. JLWrangler Forum members have now found the order guide for the new Moab edition, showing the same build philosophy but a bigger price. Only available on the four-door Unlimited bodystyle with the 3.6-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic, the option is said to retail for $51,200 before a $1,495 destination fee. That's $52,695 out-the-door. That puts you at $8,200 over the price of a Rubicon with the eight-speed automatic, but the Moab has a different aim. As Jeep's website says, the Sahara targets those who want "a clean, polished look that's at home wherever you take it," whereas the Rubicon is for those who need to get an extreme kind of dirty. The Moab shoots the middle, going after Sahara buyers who want their additional premium equipment wrapped in real-deal rugged looks. To work that effect, outside there'll be the dual-vent Rubicon hood, LED lighting, a steel front bumper, black tow hooks front and back, a body-colored hardtop, and Mopar rock rails. The order guide lists hood decals, which would be a new item for the vented Rubicon unit. The Moab sits on 17-inch, low-gloss black Rubicon-style wheels instead of the standard 18-inch polished aluminum wheels with Tech Gray spokes, and 33-inch BFG Mud Terrain KM2 tires. That tire choice is novel, because Rubicon comes on 33-inch BGF ALL-Terrain KO2s. The Selec-Trac 4x4 system pairs with the Anti-Spin limited slip differential, both of them normally options on the Sahara. Inside there'll be the 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system piped through a nine-speaker Alpine audio system. Comfort treats include keyless entry and remote start, Mopar hardtop headliner, leather seats and leather interior group, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Jeep throws in blind-spot monitoring with cross-path detection and the ParkSense parking assist, and for a adventurous touch, there are Mopar all-weather floor mats. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lexus gets top brand marks from Consumer Reports; Ford, Jeep hit hard

Consumer Reports has released its 2014 Car Brand Report Cards, with Lexus again reigning at the top and doing so with the same industry-topping score of 79 that it registered in last year's Report Cards. This year, the institute credited its lineup for being "usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient," noting it's the only brand on the list "to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score." The Car Brand Report Cars list is meant to rank the best all-around vehicles based on CR testing and reliability results tallied by subscribers it surveyed. Each brand included must have sufficient test and reliability data for at least three models, a standard which left out 11 marques including Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche.
This 2014 Brand Report Cars edition is the first of a new format in which sub-brands have been broken out from their parent brands, with Acura using this year to move up the leaderboard into second place with a score of 75 for its "reliable, well-finished and somewhat sporty models." The top three was rounded out by Audi, climbing from eighth to third by scoring a 74 for "well-crafted interiors, nice handling and good gas mileage." Audi scored highest in the road-test portion, its improved reliability aiding its rise. The top nine was completed by Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz.
Ford and Jeep weighed in at the other end of the rankings, Jeep taking the lowest overall score in the road tests and hampered by "a mix of spotty reliability." Ford was sunk by reliability issues with its MyFord Touch infotainment system which consumers found troublesome enough to negate its cars earning "solid test scores" for being "very nice to drive." Perhaps the rumored switch from Microsoft to Blackberry's QNX for the next generation SYNC will help them out. Cadillac's score also took a hit for infotainment reasons after it was the leading US brand last year, the CUE system in the XTS dragging Cadillac to the bottom of all General Motors brands.

FCA's puzzling trademark spree includes Apache and Orange Peelz

Here's one for the Mystery Machine. As noted by the WagoneerFans forum and picked up by Motor1, Fiat Chrysler recently went on a one-day trademark application spree at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On March 6, the automaker applied for the names Apache, Farout, Orange Peelz, Shocker, Tomahawk, and Top Dog. All have been requested for "Land vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles," and the best guess so far has them being applied to concepts during next month's Easter Jeep Safari, which, assuming it goes ahead, will happen April 4-20. As for historical ties, one name has a connection to Dodge, another was a codename for a Dodge engine, and one was used on a previous Easter Jeep Safari concept. Tomahawk rings the loudest bell, that name applied to the four-wheeled, Viper-engined concept motorcycle that Dodge rolled out at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. The company supposedly sold nine examples of the "rolling sculpture" through Neiman Marcus over a four-year period. It doesn't appear FCA has used the name since, internally or otherwise. There is, however, a Cherokee tomahawk — not referring to a Jeep, but the light, short-handled ax used by the Native American Cherokee tribe. This one seems made for Safari use. Apache has a Dodge and a Jeep tie-in. At one time, Apache was the codename for the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 marketed as the 392 V8 on the Charger and Challenger R/T Scat Pack trims. That engine makes 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. But Jeep showed a Wrangler Apache concept (pictured) at the 2012 Easter Jeep Safari, built with a Mopar conversion kit for a 6.4-liter Hemi making 470 hp and 470 lb-ft. Mopar sold the V8 swap kits at least through 2016, but they appear to have fallen off the Mopar menu. At one time there were rumors of a supercharged Apache with more than 600 horsepower, and wouldn't that be a welcome surprise in Moab. The Farout could be a more or less extreme overlanding take on last year's Easter Jeep Safari Wayout concept, depending on whether one considers "way" or "far" more radical. The Shocker, Jeep might be disappointed to discover, already has an outside link in the Jeep Shocker stickers made for Wichita State fans who love America's 4x4. As for Orange Peelz, it's pretty close to Pedro's bicycling degreaser called Oranj Peelz, but a Jeep conception could be anything. Except maybe a paint color. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.