Author: carcoutureblog

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Jeep Wrangler Overland – Whatever Happened To The Handbrake? Always Good To Grab In A Crisis

349280_250210jee.jpgFreezing cold trip to the train station this morning – ice covered Jeep but still slightly more tempting to drive than the 1972 canvass-topped Land Rover parked next to it. Mainly because the Land Rover doors had frozen shut in the first serious frost of the year!

Watching the Wrangler defrost, I noted a few features which are becoming increasingly rare on modern cars. The first is an aerial – remember when every car had a whip of metal waiting to be broken off by a passing vandal?

Inside, there’s also a handbrake. Now, I long for the return of the handbrake because so many new models opt for the electronic version which seems to have a mind of its own most of the time and just isn’t as reassuring as hauling a lever upwards.

So I drove off with the Jeep handbrake engaged this morning. I guess that’s one of the consequences when you climb back into a vehicle with old technology. Still, I miss having something to grab in a crisis…

 

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Jeep Wrangler Overland – Dated In Every Way But Perhaps That’s Part of the Charm?

 

352148_040310jeeThe last time Jeep made significant changes to the Wrangler was back in 2011. The upgrades were all to the interior, adding such luxuries as heated seats and steering wheel controls – plus some sound insulation, which really works!

This may explain why Jeep (now part of the Fiat family) don’t offer any up to date photographs of the Wrangler – nearly everything on their official press site dates back to 2011.

As a journalist, that’s kind of weird. You might notice the images Car Couture are using have 2011 number plates – very dated and hardly conducive to encouraging readers to rush out and buy a new Wrangler!

I imagine the theory is that if you have a vehicle that looks almost the same as it did in 1941, they why worry about a few press images being out of date…

 

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Jeep Wrangler Overland – More Chic Than A Land Rover In The Cotswolds…

 

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There’s some writing inscribed on the dashboard grab handle in the Wrangler. It simply states ‘since 1941’. Not even Land Rover can match that – the first Series I didn’t arrive until 1948.

And while the latest Jeep is a darn site more comfortable that that first model, it still looks very much like that 74-year-old machine that drove the Americans into the Second World War.

Oddest thing is, I am actually enjoying the Jeep so much more than expected. It’s attracting plenty of attention too. The Wrangler is almost chic, in a rough and tumble sort of way. The Cotswolds is awash with Land Rovers of every shape and size – driving the Jeep is that little bit different.

As well as that, the Wrangler is also just as capable in the rough stuff as a Defender. It also happens to be a lot more comfortable, thanks to a softer suspension set-up. Both it and the Defender crash over potholes and can be jolly bouncy but somehow the Jeep edges it.

Land Rover can’t introduce their replacement for the Defender fast enough, I’d say. It’s due in 12 months time…

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Jeep Wrangler – Rather Better Than We Expected For A Dirt-Loving Beast

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I’ve read the ‘other’ reviews and today I’ve experienced the on-road antics of the Wrangler. Nobody seems to like the ride, the jittering nature of the steering and suspension, or the suspect handling. I’ve read all that and today I’ve felt it first hand.

However, what you have to remember about the Jeep is, that just like the Land Rover Defender, it’s not been designed for tarmac. No, it’s a workhorse first and foremost. They can carpet the floor, stitch leather to the seats and add a decent infotainment system but the Wrangler and Defender are essentially beasts that love the dirt.

Anybody who buys either for serious, everyday use really needs rewiring themselves. So, all I can tell you having driven it is that the Wrangler has been a pleasant surprise. It’s a lot softer on the road than a Defender, rather more comfortable and this 2.8 version is pretty quiet too.

So, yes, it’s a lot better than I expected. My spine hasn’t been jolted out of place, my ears aren’t ringing and I haven’t slipped off a wet road into a hedge. Yet.

Fact is, I’m pleasantly surprised. We have a Defender coming in early February and I’m already wondering how it will compare…

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Why LSD Can Be Good For Your Driving Skills!

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If you want one very good reason to opt for the Performance Pack it should be the one that is the least obvious – the limited slip differential, which is a first for the GTI.

Now, most LSDs are mechanical devices, designed to stop the driven wheels scrabbling for grip when you start to lose it on a corner.

However, the VW system is a much cleverer affair that is electronically controlled. All you need to know is that it works exceptionally well and saves embarrassing tyre squeal at junctions too!

All GTIs have incredible traction anyway but the Performance Pack takes raises the bar, especially if you like to drive your Golf hard and enjoy the occasional track day…

 

 

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Loves Bends, Hates Traffic

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There are certain stretches of road that seem to have been left untouched by the ravages of traffic. We all know one – today I drove via Tewkesbury to Eastnor Castle for the unveiling of the Range Rover Holland & Holland special edition. Yours for £180,000…

The GTI wasn’t the most eye-catching vehicle in the car-park but I can tell you that road from Tewkesbury towards Ledbury just makes you want to buy a set of string-backed leather driving gloves.

It just proved to me what I already knew – that the latest GTI is simply the best handling hot hatch out there. I’m not sure the extra 10bhp on offer from the Performance Pack made that much difference because the Golf just sits beautifully on the tarmac through a sweeping bend.

Until the Focus and Astra, the VW has sporting DNA that just comes with the course of time. The Ford and Vauxhall may be quicker but neither take a bend like a Golf GTI…

 

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Less Can Be More In Car Design

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After yesterday’s minor whinge about the seat cloth in the GTI you might expect a rant about the rest of the interior. Not a bit of it – the Golf is a benchmark.

I’m sat in the driver’s seat right now. There is something oddly retro about the dashboard design and layout but quite simply, it works. You will find other hot hatchbacks with more buttons and dials but sometimes in car design, less is more.

Top feature is the large screen infotainment unit that dominates the centre console. It’s so simple to use you are unlikely to read a handbook again. As your finger moves towards the screen, a sensor detects the motion and brightens the target area. Brilliant.

Best of all is the driving position. Sit in the Golf driver’s seat and you feel instantly at home. All you need is a TV remote control and your favourite tipple…

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Why Do They Use Tartan Seat Cloth In The GTI?

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Talk about the emperor’s new clothes… Can anybody tell me why they use tartan seat cloth in the Golf GTI? I’m in touch with my Scottish  but is there some other deep and meaningful reason for it?

Apparently, the Germans have a bit of a thing for it which dates back to the 1950s. In those days, Mercedes used to give each of their racing drivers different coloured tartan seats. Fangio had red and Stirling Moss sat on green.

VW has used the Jacara cloth as standard in GTIs for years but I’m not certain it’s the best option, from a couture point of view. And if you feel the same as me, your dealer will charge you an extra £1700 to upgrade to leather.

I would hesitate to suggest this might put a lot of people off. Sure, it’s quirky and different but also strangely dated and rather unappealing. It’s the one feature of this latest GTI I could live without…

 

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VW Golf Performance Pack – Power Isn’t Always Everything (and it’s better than a Vauxhall Astra VXR)

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Women don’t bother – so why do blokes always check the 0-60mph time before they rate a car? The GTI is a modest 6.4 seconds in Performance Pack guise but it’s way slower than the competition.

The Focus ST is 0.2 seconds quicker, while the Astra VXR a full half second – but I think what really matters is the manner in which you get there. The Golf’s sublime DSG six-speed gearbox is so slick, delivering the power in a smooth curve.

Neither of the two rivals mentioned here come anywhere near and, although they cost less to buy, the Ford and Vauxhall depreciate a lot faster too. I might be a badge snob but I also know which car I feel better driving.

If you like shine shoes and personalised number plates, please advance to the nearest Ford and Vauxhall dealerships. The VW is a much classier package all round.

 

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Golf GTI Performance Pack – Has The Best Just Got Better?

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The Volkswagen Golf GTI – a car so good, I drove the delivery driver all the way to his next job. OK, it was only 20 minutes up the road but on a wet Thursday, it would have been much cosier to stay in by the fire.

Instead, me and Mr Delivery Man cooed about the GTI from the moment he slipped the key into my hand. We may be on Mark VI and I can still remember Mark I but this latest version is the best I’ve ever driven.

Within a couple of miles I was in lust with the Golf. It has this uncanny ability to make the driver feel like he has owned the car for years. Everything is exactly where it should be, the handling is terrific and there’s enough performance to make it exciting. Every day.

And so we come to the Performance Pack fitted on this car. Is it worth the £995 extra for 10bhp more under your right foot. £30k for a Golf GTI? Yes, I get the feeling it might be worth every penny…