Jeep at the NY auto show

Jeep goes all out at the NY auto show. Their display is just incredible. Think Camp Jeep, but on a smaller scale. Visitors can take a ride on various Jeep models over an off-road course with trained drivers. The lines for these rides are incredibly long, and you can expect to wait an hour or more before getting your chance to ride.

"However, I got lucky: As I was walking by, with my Edmunds buddy AJ (aka juice), this Jeep guy came up to us and asked for a volunteer. Without a blink I stepped forward, and was quickly ushered into the front passenger seat of the Grand Cherokee you see pictured above. The Jeep folks wanted to demonstrate how well the GC handled this kind of terrain; you know, the kind of stuff you might encounter on a trip to the mall. Hey, it got me a free T-shirt...

I got a chance to see the new Compass (hate it), the new Patriot (love it), and the new Wrangler Unlimited (kinda like it). The Compass, in my opinion, is the wrong path for Jeep to follow. It will do nothing but water-down the Jeep off-road and brand image. The Patriot, on the other hand, will (also) address the cute-ute market, and will likely not hurt the Jeep off-road or brand image.

It's the first truly modern Jeep with a fully independent suspension. I'm hoping—that if it succeeds in the market—that future "real Jeeps" will build upon the engineering ideas presented on this vehicle. "

© Source: original article on blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline