Three Jeeps: Good; Seven Jeeps: Bad

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

Echoing a sentiment expressed by many TTAC readers, Advertising Age [sub] wonders if Jeep faces death by line extension. The mag suggests that Jeep's move from three models to seven in less than three years is ill-advised. Chrysler's excuse rationale: Jeep is the only of their three brands showing a sales increase; they need to capitalize on that momentum. And, lest we forget, most Americans don't drive off-road. As one Chrysler exec stated, "Now we have something for everybody." Consultant Gary Topolewski, formerly Jeep's top creative, says the brand is losing its toughness. He thinks the current "Have Fun Out There" ad campaign is too "cute" to jibe with Jeep's longtime image as the tough, go-anywhere vehicle. Jeep just doesn't seem to realize that once you lose an iconic image, you can never get it back. Just ask Cadillac.

Frank Williams
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  • Kazoomaloo Kazoomaloo on Oct 08, 2007

    There was a time some years back when Jeep proudly proclaimed that all it's vehicles were "Trail Rated," and tested on the Rubicon Trail. I think the Liberty was the last model to get that little stamp of approval. I don't care what MotorTrend says, the Patriot and Compass might be able to go off the road and do everything I would ever need them to as a daily driver, but they aren't Jeep Jeeps, not even close.

  • Dave M. Dave M. on Oct 08, 2007

    Having gone through numerous owners over the decades, there is no thing as a 'real Jeep' - just our perception. My niece's Patriot 4X4 is quite surprising at its trail ability, but no, I would never take it where a CJ would go. So what? There's room at the table for a light, roomy, good mileage CUV styled like a Jeep. I'd drop the Commander and Compass, and add pick-up versions of the Wrangler and Patriot.

  • Nick Nick on Oct 08, 2007
    Jeep really needs the Gladiator concept (Wrangler truck) and ditch the FWD turdbuckets. Not making the Gladiator is like snatching defeat from the hands of victory. Word. The one and only time I have stopped at a car show, dead in my tracks, and said (about a truck) 'Damn, that is awesome' was at the Gladiator concept at the Toronto International Car Show. Plain jane 4 banger with a manual, small diesel, and maybe a stout 6. I cannot believe that it wouldn't sell.
  • Windswords Windswords on Oct 08, 2007

    # whatdoiknow1: October 8th, 2007 at 1:08 pm ... Unlike the Compass the RAV4 was done right and did not come to market looking like some half-a$$ed POS! Yea, it was that tasteful styling of the 1st gen that made my heart flutter: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/96-97_Toyota_RAV4_2door.jpg Excuse me while I hurl... Also I remember in Car and Driver I think it was, that they tested a number of SUV's and CUV's off road as well as on and the RAV4 nearly broke offroad and couldn't cut the mustard. I'm sure they've improved since then but that's the point. The Patriot (and even the Compass) could evolve into a capable and desireable vehicles. It wasn't until the 2nd generation RAV4 came out that I reflexively stopped wretching everytime I saw one.

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