Four Wheeler, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious four-wheel drive publication and part of PRIMEDIA’s Enthusiast Automotive Group, announced that the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has been named the winner of its coveted Four Wheeler of the Year award for 2007.

“In a highly competitive test group, the Wrangler stood apart from the field,” Four Wheeler editor Douglas McColloch said. “Its legendary off-pavement abilities were never in doubt, and the levels of on-road performance and comfort the new model offers are superior in every way over previous versions of this vehicle. In all, the new Wrangler marks a quantum leap forward, in both quality and utility, for this fabled brand.”

This year’s 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. To qualify for competition, a vehicle must have four-wheel drive capability, equipped with a two-speed transfer case, and must be either entirely new or sport substantial mechanical revisions from a previous model year.

“The amazing level of refinement that has gone into the Wrangler has made it a comfortable daily driver and highway machine without affecting its off-pavement prowess,” Four Wheeler technical editor Sean P. Holman added. “The new Wrangler is even better than its predecessor on the trail, and when you include highway composure, luxury appointments such as onboard navigation and power windows and door locks, and do it on a vehicle that still has the open-air character that Wranglers are known for, you have a winning combination.”

About Four Wheeler of the Year’s test procedures
Held annually since 1974, the Four Wheeler of the Year test is a week-long competition: A 1,000-mile test drive incorporating city streets and highways, rocky trails, desert dunes and washboard, gravel roads, and steep hill climbs, at elevations ranging from sea level to in excess of 7,000 feet. Vehicles are tested for quarter-mile acceleration and braking distances, and scored on empirical data such as rear-wheel horsepower, minimum ground clearance and observed fuel mileage. Other test criteria include on- and off-pavement performance, interior refinements and safety features, and exterior fit and finish. Complete test results and evaluations of all the vehicles will be available in the February 2007 issue of Four Wheeler, on sale December 26, 2006.

About Four Wheeler magazine Now entering its 45th year of publication, Four Wheeler was founded in 1962 and has a circulation of 300,000 and a total readership of nearly 2 million. The Four Wheeler brand is comprised of Four Wheeler magazine, fourwheeler.com, Four Wheeler’s Top Truck Challenge, Four Wheeler TV, and Four Wheeler’s annual Four Wheeler of the Year and Pickup Truck of the Year awards.