Grey And Black 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports digs Mazda3, disses Jeep Cherokee

Consumer Reports has just rendered its verdict on two of the more important cars to launch this year - the Mazda3 and the Jeep Cherokee. Considering the value a "Recommended" rating carries with the public and the viciously competitive markets these two cars compete in, Consumer Reports' view could have some impact on their initial success.
For Mazda, that's a good thing. CR spoke quite highly of the Zoom-Zoom brand's compact sedan and hatch, testing both models, and citing the excellent fuel economy and snickety-snack manual shifter as high points. Downsides to the 3 included a ride that is agile but "nervous," a bit too much noise and a cramped back seat. Still, the 3 was good enough to earn its place in the ranks of the "Recommended."
The Jeep didn't fare quite so well, with CR calling the polarizing CUV "half-baked." Although both engines were tested, the magazine called the 2.4-liter four-pot underpowered and its nine-speed automatic unrefined and unresponsive. That's particularly damning, considering the 9AT's role in future Chrysler products, including the extremely important 200. Overall, the Cherokee missed out on the coveted "Recommended" rating.

New Jeep Wrangler caught nearly uncovered

Finally, after months of seeing Wrangler prototypes carefully covered up, we get a look at some prototypes with the bare minimum of camouflage. Starting from the front, the fascia looks just as it did in previously leaked images. In contrast to the outgoing model, the trademark grille slots are now taller, stretching nearly to the top of the grille surround. The headlights also intersect with the grille slots, resulting in slightly pinched slots at either end. Aside from the grille, we can get a clear view of the new horizontal, fender-mounted turn signals and the traditional exposed hood latches. Moving along the SUV, we find hinges at the base of the windshield, which seems to confirm that you'll still be able to fold it down for maximum wind exposure. And, as we've seen before, the doors have exposed hinges that indicate the doors can come off, too. We can also see that the Wrangler will be offered with both contrasting black plastic fender flares, and with body-colored versions. But unlike past models, the body-colored examples aren't completely painted, leaving a black strip along the edges. Interestingly, the fender vents seen on another fully exposed example of the Wrangler don't appear to be present on these prototypes. They could be covered, or they may be an optional appearance item. At the back, we now get to see the Wrangler's new taillights, which are LED units with an I-beam shape. The exposed gas filler cap is now gone, in favor of a permanently attached filler door. Both the license plate mount and rear window wiper have been moved, too. The license plate now mounts to the bumper, and the rear wiper hides at the base of the rear window behind the spare tire. The rear bumper also gets some red lenses that could simply be reflectors, or possibly rear fog lights. As previously reported, the new Jeep Wrangler is expected to make its debut at this year's LA auto show, with the first deliveries arriving to dealers not long after. It will be available with either a four-cylinder or V6 at launch, with a diesel coming later, and the truck sometime after that. Other new features to the Wrangler could include a roof with power sliding panels, and full-time four-wheel drive. Related Video:

Chrysler Recalls Jeep SUVs For Ignition Switches

The ignition switch defects that engulfed General Motors are now a rapidly growing problem at Chrysler. Chrysler said Tuesday it is recalling up to 792,300 older Jeep SUVs worldwide because the ignition switches could fall out of the "run" position, shutting off the engine and disabling air bags as well as power-assisted steering and braking. That's the same problem that has forced GM to recall more than 15 million cars over the last six months. Chrysler's recall covers 2005-2007 Grand Cherokees and 2006-2007 Commanders. The company said it is not sure exactly how many will be recalled, but said it will notify customers by mid-September. Chrysler said an outside force such as a driver's knee can knock switches out of the "run" position. Engineers are working on a fix. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker, now part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, said it knows of no related injuries and only one accident. But it said owners should keep clearance between their knees and keys until repairs are made. Chrysler has now recalled more than 1.7 million vehicles for ignition-switch problems. In June, the company added 696,000 minivans and SUVs to a 2011 recall to fix faulty ignition switches. Those recalls covered Dodge Journey SUVs and Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and Volkswagen Routan minivans - which Chrysler made for the German automaker - from the 2007 to 2010 model years. Tuesday's recall is the outgrowth of two investigations opened by U.S. safety regulators last month as part of a broader probe into ignition-switch and air-bag problems across the auto industry. The agency wouldn't say Tuesday whether its investigation could lead to recalls at other automakers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in June that it was investigating Jeep Commanders and Grand Cherokees after getting 32 complaints that a driver's knee can hit the key fob or key chain, causing the ignition switch to move out of position. The federal investigation is still open. The agency said Tuesday that it is requesting additional information from Chrysler to ensure that its repairs will be effective. The investigations and recalls come after GM bungled an ignition-switch recall of older small cars. GM acknowledged that it knew of the ignition problem for more than a decade but failed to recall the cars until earlier this year, when it recalled 2.6 million small cars such as the Chevrolet Cobalt.