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Four Wheeler ... announced that the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has been named the winner of its coveted Four Wheeler of the Year award for 2007 . . . competitors included seven new sport-utility vehicles: The two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the four-door Jeep Unlimited Rubicon, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the Toyota FJ Cruiser, the Hummer H3, and the Kia Sorento.
Detailed results will be published in the February 2007 issue of Four Wheeler, on sale December 26, 2006.
Web coverage of the 2003 Four Wheeler Magazine's FWOTH (where Toyota finishes 1st and 3rd, ahead of the Jeep Rubicon) gives a good feel for "How They Test Them". Link.
I probably should have put this in the "Toyota FJ Cruiser News Articles" forum since from our perspective the news is that the FJ Cruiser lost, not that the Wrangler won.
Re: Jeep Wrangler is Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2007 Four Wheeler of the Year
After having wheeled a 2007 rubicon today, I can understand it.
Still love my 04 wrangler
would never sell my 07 FJC
but the 2007 Rubi with Solid front axle is a beast
Re: Jeep Wrangler is Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2007 Four Wheeler of the Year
Quote:
Coyote FJ previously said:
does anyone know if petersons4wheel did their sport utility shoot out yet? and if so was the FJ in it?
Yes. Yes.
Here's their 10/31/2006 press release which announces the Jeep Rubicon as the winner, "The complete test results and vehicle evaluations for the 2007 4x4 of the Year competition will be in the February 2007 issue, available December 12, 2006."
I've alway thought Petersen's did a good job with their 4x4 of the Year competitions. They're careful to state the test's components and to discuss each competitors strengths and weaknesses. Numerical category results are also presented. That means a discerning reader who weights the tests components differently can pick his own "winner" and defend their choice without being accused of being a fanboy. They also have lots of nice pictures.
If you want to get a feel for what goes into Petersen's competition, here's their 2006 4x4 of the Year report where the Dodge Ram 1500 was declared the winner.
I predict the Petersen 2008 4x4 of the Year winner will be the Toyota Tundra.
Re: Jeep Wrangler is Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2007 Four Wheeler of the Year
no big surprise, to be perfectly honest. the rubicon is unquestionably the better off-roader. its suspension, size, stock tires, and factory setup pretty much stack the deck in its favor. The FJ is definately a better vehicle overall, but measured from a strictly off-road standpoint the rubicon has a slight edge. Dont get me wrong, i would much rather have an FJ, im just saying that the jeep is the obvious choice for off-roader of the year and will be for the near future, unless toyota comes out with an off-road vehcile that is less of a compromise than the FJ cruiser.
"Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so called human rights ... liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost." - Robert A. Heinlein
Guns kill people like spoons made Rosie O'Donnell Fat
Re: Jeep Wrangler is Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2007 Four Wheeler of the Year
Quote:
Topless4runner previously said:
The FJ is definately a better vehicle overall, but measured from a strictly off-road standpoint the rubicon has a slight edge. Dont get me wrong, i would much rather have an FJ, im just saying that the jeep is the obvious choice for off-roader of the year and will be for the near future, unless toyota comes out with an off-road vehcile that is less of a compromise than the FJ cruiser.
But they don't score them from a strictly off-road standpoint. On road performance and civility make up a significant portion of the score (see the link above to Petersen's testing criteria). I don't think the Rubicon would have a chance in hades to beat out the FJ Cruiser if DCX hadn't upgraded the creature comforts of the 2007 Rubicon as dramatically as they did.
I have to guess the FJ Cruiser came in second and when the magazines come out, we're going to see a paper-thin difference in the total scores of the Jeep® Rubicon and FJ Cruiser. The hunch I have is that in so close a competition, the results turned on the Jeep's modular Freedom top with it's outstanding visibility and open feeling and compared to the FJ Cruiser.
The stock Rubicon might be a little better off-road, the stock Toyota might be a little better on-road. What's left? Visibility and a feeling of openness.
Luckily, we have the ability to choose our own personal 2007 4x4 of the Year where we vote with dollars, visibility be damned.
Jeep Wrangler is Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2007 Four Wheeler of the Year
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