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2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Alaska Cannonball | Oregon is on fire

Our man Jonathon Ramsey is driving a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on a 14-week, 14,000 mile journey across North America. Check out his first, second, and third installments.Port Orford, Ore. – On arrival at Battle Rock, just off the southern coast of Oregon, I had completed the (other) Trans-America Trail. It's a worthy Bucket List endeavor even before you get to the bits that challenge a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The first tests came in western Oklahoma, tiptoeing through and around swampy farmland. Once I got to Colorado, the difficulty scale increased with each day's driving. By the time I hit wildfires and constant detours in Oregon, I was ready for the trail to end. Here are a few more notes from the last half: When I filled up in Columbia, North Carolina just before getting to Oregon Inlet, the odometer showed 12,294 miles. When I filled up in Port Orford before heading north to Seattle, the odo read 18,008, for nearly 6,000 miles in three weeks. GPSKevin says his trail covers 5,184 miles, but detours are an unavoidable part of the experience. Utah wins my vote for the widest variety of beauty. Crossing into southeastern Utah from Colorado, the landscape is full of desert farms and endless visibility to mountains at the ends of the Earth in Monticello. It's plush high plains greenery on the way up and down Geyser Pass, then the rocky red pioneer-killing cauldron of The Spanish Valley and Moab. Scrub-filled rock formations stretch to Salina, then back up to verdant forests in both halves of Fishlake National Forest. A final rocky stretch west of Sevier, Utah fell into a rolling golden land past Black Rock, another trip into sparer mountains, then the final comedown to Baker, Nevada. Moab gets all the Jeep love, but there's plenty of fun all over the state. In Ely, Nevada I met a Harley rider headed east out of Oregon who told me, "It's all on fire. Whole state. On fire." The haze began not long after leaving Ely. By the time I departed Battle Mountain, Nevada hills showed their own scorched-earth scars, and science-fiction gray skies hid entire mountain chains. Detours were already longer and lengthier in the West because of closed roads, locked gates, and "No Tresspassing" signs. Now fire-centric detours and turnarounds joined the routine. The last day on the trail in Oregon, a 114-mile route from Glendale, through the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest to Port Orford, was the hardest.

Autotrader picks best cars for 2015's college grads

Summer is here and the school season is winding to a close. That means millions of students will be graduating college and (hopefully) entering the workforce. For many, that will mean buying a new car suited to the new stage in life into which they will now be embarking. That can be a bewildering choice, especially for someone who's never bought a car before. Fortunately, Autotrader has come up with a short list of recommended cars – new and used – which it recommends to the graduating class of 2015. Among the site's top choices are some compelling crossovers and hatchbacks, including the Buick Encore, Chevy Trax, and Jeep Renegade, as well as the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa Note, Mazda3 and Fiat 500. Can't stretch to buying new, or don't see the point? Autotrader has also identified the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and even the Lexus IS as smart buys in the certified pre-owned category. "Any time someone goes through a major life change, such as graduating college, they need to determine if their current ride makes sense for their lifestyle, from both a financial and functional perspective," says Autotrader editor Brian Moody. "For example, while that hand-me-down SUV from your parents was nice when you turned 16, you may want to opt for a safer, more fuel-efficient car as you transition into the working world." Autotrader Names 10 Best Cars for Recent College Graduates ATLANTA, May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For many, graduating college is a milestone like no other – it represents a new chapter, a proud accomplishment and, fortunately or unfortunately, financial independence. Luckily for graduates who are in the market for a new car to suit their post-college lifestyle, Autotrader's expert editors say now is a great time to make a purchase, as dealerships are flush with affordable models that are fun, fuel-efficient and thoughtfully designed. Autotrader Logo "Any time someone goes through a major life change, such as graduating college, they need to determine if their current ride makes sense for their lifestyle, from both a financial and functional perspective," said Brian Moody, site editor for Autotrader.

FCA to recall nearly 900,000 vehicles that don't meet emissions standards

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will recall 862,520 gasoline-powered vehicles in the United States that do not meet U.S. emissions standards, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday. The recall was prompted by in-use emissions investigations conducted by the EPA and in-use testing conducted by Fiat Chrysler as required by U.S. regulations, the agency said. EPA said it will continue to investigate other Fiat Chrysler vehicles that are potentially noncompliant and may become the subject of future recalls. The recall includes 2011-2016 Dodge Journeys, 2011-2014 Chrysler 200s and Dodge Avengers, 2011-2012 Dodge Calibers and 2011-2016 Jeep Compass/Patriots. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement the EPA announcement "has no safety implications. Nor are there any associated fines." "The issue was discovered by FCA during routine in-use emissions testing and reported to the agency," the company said. "We began contacting affected customers last month to advise them of the needed repairs, which will be provided at no charge." Its U.S.-traded shares were down 1 percent. "EPA welcomes the action by Fiat Chrysler to voluntarily recall its vehicles that do not meet U.S. emissions standards," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. "We will provide assistance to consumers navigating the recall and continue to ensure that auto manufacturers abide by our nation's laws designed to protect human health and the environment." Fiat Chrysler owners can continue to drive their vehicles, the government said. Due to the "large number of vehicles involved and the need to supply replacement components — specifically to the vehicle's catalytic converter — this recall will be implemented in phases during the 2019," the EPA said In January, Fiat Chrysler agreed to a settlement worth about $800 million to resolve claims by the U.S. Justice Department and state of California that it used illegal software to produce false results on Ran and Jeep vehicles. But that incident involved diesel engines. It is awaiting the outcome of a criminal probe. The hefty penalty was the latest fallout from the U.S. government's stepped-up enforcement of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen AG admitted in September 2015 to intentionally evading emissions rules.