Coming This Fall...

...to a driveway and airport parking lot near you (probably).

For a variety of reasons, my time with the Jeep Liberty is coming to a close. It has been, and remains, a very, very good vehicle...it's utility is almost unsurpassed. My only complaint is the gas mileage (which my next vehicle won't rectify anyway). It's getting to be time for a change, though.

I've been looking into my next vehicle for a while now (practically since I drove the Liberty home...not that I don't love the Liberty, but...I'm a car nut and think accordingly). Originally I tested the idea of having two cars...one for utilitarian duties like hauling TVs and driving through 6" of snow, and the other for...fun. I was looking for something that stands out from the crowd (not a Corolla/Civic/Camry/Accord), has a community-like following, and makes one smile each time they get behind the wheel. My original focus was on a V8 or convertible Mustang. It didn't take long to realize that having two relatively new vehicles wasn't feasible at this point in time.

Thought then went to what would eventually replace the Liberty. For a couple reasons, I have moved that replacement date up from "in a long time" to "pretty dang soon". So, car shopping for a single replacement vehicle is on.

Enter the all-new 2007 Jeep Wrangler (the "JK"). The JK is completely redesigned from the previous model (the "TJ"). It looks like the JK will be a near-perfect vehicle for me at this stage of life. The traditional short wheelbase Jeep is, by it's very definition, the fusion of utility and fun.

Since I almost never have more than one other person in my vehicle, the shorter wheelbase would be almost no factor. With the JK's rear seat either folded up or removed, it can carry nearly as much cargo as a Liberty with it's rear seat folded forward. With all seats available for use, the JK has almost identical passenger room to the Liberty (Liberty can hold 3 in the back seat, though...JK can hold only 2...I don't think I care). Obviously, the JK comes up short of the Liberty when it comes to hauling both 3+ passengers and cargo, but that situation for me is extremely rare.

The JK is supposed to have greatly improved on-road qualities over the TJ (since I'll be on-road 90...okay, 100% of the time, this is important). Right near the top of cool things for me, though, are the convertible options! Click here for pictures of the JK and all of it's hardtop configurations. Three tops will be available: the pictured hardtop, and two softtops. Most likely, I will choose the better of the two softtops for my JK.

Now there are no guarantees yet. Production of the JK has not begun yet, but is scheduled to begin in time for late summer deliveries from the new Stickney Avenue plant a few miles east of me. There's no official pricing, fuel mileage, or crash test information yet (all the estimated data has me optimistic, though). There are other dangers of buying one of the first of a new model that I'm considering as well. And then I have to test drive one, of course. Overall though, I'm looking at a September-November time frame on ordering a JK Sahara automatic, likely in bright red with a black top.

And don't worry, plans are underway for an XM/iPod/scanner audio bracket for the JK. :-)