Inbox BY KEN BRUBAKER EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM
SUVOTY PRICE FACTOR I wholeheartedly agree that Four Wheeler provides the most thorough, comprehensive, and practical testing and evaluation in the industry when rating vehicles for SUV of the Year! This year’s test (“2022 Four Wheeler SUV of the Year,” Apr. ’22) was no exception, but it did leave me with one burning question: Is it time for the judges to start considering vehicle price in the overall ranking? The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the halo car for Jeep enthusiasts. It also costs $83,695! I would imagine that this price puts it out of reach for many readers (certainly this reader). Just like performance, most consumers consider price when choosing a new vehicle. On the final scorecard, the winning Wrangler tallied 82.39 points. The Ford Bronco (in Third Place) scored 75.12 points but did so at a price point of $49,475. Is that 7-point difference worth $34,330? To me, this makes the Bronco look like the most bang for the buck … and possibly SUV of The Year. Four Wheeler does an excellent job of reporting budget-friendly projects and awesome home builds. Why not extend this same sensibility to SUV of the Year testing? Price, like the other metrics, is an objective finding that can be weighted in the overall score. In this era of six-figure trucks and SUVs, adding price levels the playing field while making the results even more useful to the reader.
slipping and sliding in the mud, but when it’s all over the snow melts and your rig is basically clean. Also included is a photo I took while test-fitting tire chains in the garage. It’s better to know how to use them ahead of time. RANDY VIA EMAIL
NOAH VIA EMAIL
We totally agree and that’s why the price of each vehicle is factored into the Empirical category of both SUV of the Year and Pickup Truck of the Year scoring. So, the highest priced vehicle in each test accrues the lowest number of points for the “price” category The least expensive vehicle gathers the most points.
SNOW WHEELING THUMBS UP Snow is so much fun! (“Snow Wheeling: Thumbs Up, Or Thumbs Down?” Apr. ’22) It is as slippery as mud, which makes trails more challenging and fun. The scenery is AWESOME. Snow-covered trees are just magical. Plus, you can have snowball fights, make snowmen, slide down hills … all the fun snow stuff. I do pack more survival gear when I go snow wheeling. Just in case. I have two sets of Pewag snow chains, which fit my 35s. Rarely use them, but if conditions are ice, they are great to have, front and rear. Here is a photo of my Jeep at a ski area, which was closed for the season. I’ve been partway through the Rubicon in the snow, too. Oh, the best part of snow wheeling: It’s like
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6 SEPTEMBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
MANUAL T-CASE FAN As I am sure you know, a lot of us Jeep (Wranglertype) owners are also RVers. We flat tow (four wheels down) because trailers are very hard to park somewhere in a crowded RV park or campground, such as Moab in the spring. By far, the most popular tow car is the Wrangler-type Jeep for a couple of reasons; they are so useful when you get somewhere and they hook up and tow so well thanks to having always had a manual transfer case. There are no fuses to pull, driveline disconnects, or lube pumps necessary. Just hook up, put the transfer case in neutral and transmission in park (auto) or in gear (manual). I have owned and towed for many miles CJ3-Bs, TJs, JKs and JLs and they all have one thing in common, a manual transfer case! I still own three of these Jeeps, and they are all ready to tow. I became concerned with the recent issue of Four Wheeler (“2022 Four Wheeler SUV of the Year,” Apr. ’22) in the description of the Rubicon 392 where the transfer case is a fulltime MP3022 Selec-Trac. Does Jeep still approve this vehicle for flat-towing? I am an old guy and much prefer the good old ways, but I have been expecting Jeep to make some bad moves toward modernization, as with this transfer case, which makes it more like the ordinary family SUV. Please tell me that the manual transfer will not disappear from new model Jeeps! GREG VIA EMAIL
ABSCONDING T-CASE LINKAGE I have an ’06 Power Wagon that I’ve been wheeling since November 2005. I can tell you my linkage has failed two times (“Where’s My T-Case Linkage?” May ’22). First time it fell off while wheeling and was stuck in 4-Lo. I was able to use zip ties to temporarily function as the linkage. Now I always keep a spare in the glovebox. ROBERT VIA EMAI
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