Would you drive this Wrangler?

Let me start off by saying that Jeeps aren't for everybody.  The Jeep SUVS are, well, an SUV with a completely different purpose than Jeep's Wrangler and Rubicon Series.  I really wanted to take the Rubicon on this little joy ride but since it was getting detailed, I decided to take it's smaller cousin: the Wrangler.  These Jeeps are built for one thing:  to go off road.  While I personally didn't get to seriously test it's four-wheel drive, I thought I'd take it for a little jaunt through Sequoia Park.  For those who don't know, there is a road that goes through Sequoia Park that's basically a one way service road that connects the main park to the duck pond down the hill.  And because of all roots under the road, even though its paved, it may as well not be as some of the roots have pushed sections of the road up as much as foot and a half!

Climbing into the cab I have to say that I really like the interior. For it's small size the cab of the Wrangler feels really spacious and everything appears really well made and sturdy.  Little things like how thick the plastic on the air vents is, and when you grab the handles to climb in there's no flex or give to them.  Solid.  I also really like the Speakers that are built into the roll cage.  That's just awesome.

Heading out I noticed that the engine has a good bit of torque to it.  Perhaps not as much as it's bigger cousin the Rubicon but more than adequate for some serious off-roading.  The suspension seemed kind of stiff as I made my way to the park, but I'm sure that's to improve the handling when not on a paved surface.  Turning into the Park, I immediately ran over a choppy section of road just to see how the suspension performed.  Still a little stiff for my taste but the Jeep didn't seem to mind.  Going down another steep rooty section I can see how this could become a lot of fun and why so many Jeep owners love their Jeeps.  It's like an awesome off-road convertible.  Having owned a convertible in the past, I can say that it's almost like riding a motorcycle.  It seems really inconvenient until you do it and realize that the exhilaration and fun that comes with it far outweighs any inconveniences. Driving it makes me wish I could strip off the soft top and head to the River! Coming to a stop at the Duck Pond I got out to admire the Jeep one last time before heading back.

Taking Care of your Vehicle's Interior

To compliment our earlier piece about taking care of the exterior of your car, I thought I'd write up something on interior care as well.  Taking care of the interior of your vehicle is just as important as the taking care of the exterior and can really help limit the depreciation of your car.  Which means when it's time to trade it in, or sell it, you'll be able to command a much higher price when your interior is well kept. With all the varieties of awesome outdoor activities up here, the interior of your vehicle can get downright dirty real quick.  But by following our advice, when it comes time to really clean your vehicle, it'll be a lot easier.

New Cadillac Interior  - Nice!

Firstly, when you go to wash your car or at the end of the week, take a second to clean out any trash that may have accumulated over the week, and shake out your floor mats.  Then using a damp micro-fiber cloth, soft T-shirt or paper towel, wipe down all the dust and dirt that's settled on your dash, center console, side window sills, etc.  These little steps take only about ten minutes and will go along way towards keeping your vehicle clean.

When it's time to really clean your vehicle, you'll need a good vacuum with a plastic hose attachment that won't scratch your interior.  Also, it's handy to have a little soft bristled (clean) paint brush to get all the dust out of hard to reach places, like air vents, before vacuuming. There's not much you can mess up when it comes to vacuuming but you don't want to be vacuuming anything plastic (generally) but if you do, make sure your not using an attachment that's going to be scratching things.  Definitely don't use metal vacuum attachments.  Depending on the interior material, sometimes you can get away with using the bristle attachment to vacuum up some of the dust and dirt, but usually it's better to just wipe all those surfaces down and save the vacuuming for the upholstery.

After all the vacuuming is done, it's time to start conditioning.  Something that's good to do maybe once or twice a year is to clean your upholstery with some type of upholstery cleaner.  This just helps keep the interior of your car fresh and stain free.  Next, use a vinyl re-conditioner to help keep your plastics looking nice.  I use Armor-all but there are a lot of options out there.  Whatever you end up using be sure to spray it onto an applicator, such as a paper towel or soft cloth and apply rather than just spraying the re-conditioner directly onto the surface.  You don't want any over spray on your glass or upholstery.  Also, it's easier to control how much your applying.

Lastly, wipe down any excess and your done!  By taking the time to keep your vehicle clean both inside and out, you get the satisfaction of driving not only a clean vehicle, but knowing that when it's time to get a new one, you're vehicle will be worth much more.  Depending on the vehicle, this can sometimes be a difference of thousands of dollars!

Driving our Latest Featured Vehicle: The Titan

I was hesitant to take this 2011 Nissan Titan out for our featured spot, but only because I knew I was going to like it.  I've always been a proponent of Japanese vehicles; properly maintained they run forever.  And this titan lives up to it's name sake.  The Custom rims just make this truck pop.  Hopping in the cab, I couldn't help but admire how spacious the cab feels.  Somehow it just feels familiar in an interesting way; there was no getting used to driving this truck.  It just felt natural.  The interior is somewhat spartan, but hey its a truck.

Starting her up, I must say I really like how this truck sounds.  Some reviewers have noted that these trucks have a heavy exhaust note.  This Titan is a TRUCK.  Not in anyway similar to the 80's Nissan's except that they both have beds... and their both made by Nissan.  Anyway, I say and I think I speak for most of us truck aficionados in this county, when I say: It's supposed to sound like that.  It's a 317 horsepower V8 with a 9500 lb. towing capacity which is plenty for all the toys. Come on now!

Heading out of the lot, I immediately noticed how easy it is to see out of the cab of this truck.  The side view mirrors are large and well placed.  Also the rail that separates the windshield from the passenger and driver's side windows is really narrow.  All these things combined make the cab feel even bigger than it actually is.  The fold up middle table scores extra points too, it's always nice to have the extra room.  Speaking about the seats, they are amazingly comfortable; with a generous amount of support and padding.

One of my favorite things about these trucks is that the rear window also rolls down!  Some of the best camping trips I've been on involved loading up the ice chests and cruising to South Fork with all the windows (including the rear) rolled down in my friend's Titan.  It feels like your in a convertible.  It's awesome.

Cruising out of town, I gave her some boot coming off the line just to see.  The V8 did not disappoint.  With gobs of torque right from idle,  I even saw the traction control light come on briefly, but the interference was so smooth I didn't notice it.  Sometimes, traction control can be kinda jerky as it engages but this was downright seamless.  Bravo Nissan, Bravo.  Heading out to to the North Jetty, I must say I really like how this truck handles.  It has a nice solid feel to it.  Responsive but not so stiff in the suspension that I feel jostled around going over bumps and not at all floaty for a truck of it's size.

Finally out at the parking lot, I engaged the four wheel drive, which is really simple.  Just stop, put it in park and turn the nob, wait for the dash markings to indicate all 4 wheels are ready and your good to go.  Shifting back was just as easy.  Under strict orders to NOT get her in anyway sandy, I resisted the temptation to take her out of the staging area.  But with the tires this truck is equipped with, I know it would handle it like a champ.  After snapping a few photos, I was ready to head back.  But not ready to turn in the keys.  I really want this truck...It's just so comfortable!  If I didn't owe so much on my dodge, I would trade trade her in for the Titan in a second!  Sacrilegious I know, but it's just so comfortable!