Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Wins Four Wheeler Magazine's 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year Competition

EL SEGUNDO, CA--December 1, 2011: Four Wheeler magazine has named the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon the winner of its highly sought-after Four Wheeler of the Year award. Four Wheeler magazine has been conducting the competition since 1974, and it is one of the most daunting challenges a vehicle can undergo.

“We are delighted the influential editors of 'Four Wheeler' magazine have recognized Wrangler's new level of capability, along with its improved power, torque and fuel efficiency.”

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon faced stiff competition this year as the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and the Infiniti QX56 both threw down the gauntlet in hopes of earning the coveted title of Four Wheeler of the Year. In the end, however, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon emerged victorious, edging the Wrangler Unlimited version by the narrowest of margins.

Each vehicle was evaluated in five categories:

Trail performance
Mechanical and empirical data
Highway performance
Interior
Exterior

The competition took place over five days and 1,000 miles, providing the panel of seven judges ample seat time in each of the 4x4s. Judges tested performance on a number of terrain types as well as pavement to get a feel not only for what was under the hood, but also the comfort and design of the interior and chassis.

"The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon owned nearly all aspects of off-road testing during our annual Four Wheeler of the Year competition," said John Cappa, editor of Four Wheeler. "The grueling 1,000-mile trek put each contending vehicle through its paces in several on- and off-road environments including high-speed graded roads, jagged rocks, shifting sand dunes, and more. The universal do-all capability of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon allowed it to outperform the other competing 4x4s, making it our 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year award winner."

"By earning the respected 'Four Wheeler of the Year' award, consumers -- and particularly the most die-hard off-road enthusiasts -- can be assured that the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has established an even higher level of unmatched capability," said Mike Manley, President and CEO -- Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "We are delighted the influential editors of 'Four Wheeler' magazine have recognized Wrangler's new level of capability, along with its improved power, torque and fuel efficiency."

To participate, a vehicle must be either all new or substantially revised from the previous model year. All vehicles must be available for sale to the public by February 15, 2012, and at least 1,500 units must be produced for sale within the continental U.S. All vehicles must use a transfer case with a dedicated low-range gear; all-wheel-drive vehicles with no low-range are not allowed. The complete test results and vehicle evaluations for the 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year competition will appear in the March 2012 issue of Four Wheeler.

Information on the test will also be available at Four Wheeler

About Four Wheeler:

Published monthly since 1962, Four Wheeler is the country's oldest four-wheel drive enthusiast publication with a paid circulation of 200,000 monthly.