Four Wheeler September 2022

This issue of Four Wheeler includes coverage of the Easter Jeep Safari from Moab, Utah. Easter Jeep Safari, commonly known as EJS, celebrated its 56th event in 2022 and that’s a pretty darn impressive number of decades. Imagine how much has changed in the off-roading world and the Moab area since 1967. The growth of the event and the town is incredible, and kudos need to go to the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, who have run EJS since 1983, for the great job it does with the event. EJS’ long history got me thinking about 4WD events that have been around for a long time. For example, the Mile-Hi Jeep Club’s All-4-Fun event in Colorado. All-4-Fun is celebrating a darn impressive 56 years of the event in 2022. This event is unique…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM SUVOTY PRICE FACTOR I wholeheartedly agree that Four Wheeler provides the most thorough, comprehensive, and practical testing and evaluation in the industry when rating vehicles for SUV of the Year! This year’s test (“2022 Four Wheeler SUV of the Year,” Apr. ’22) was no exception, but it did leave me with one burning question: Is it time for the judges to start considering vehicle price in the overall ranking? The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the halo car for Jeep enthusiasts. It also costs $83,695! I would imagine that this price puts it out of reach for many readers (certainly this reader). Just like performance, most consumers consider price when choosing a new vehicle. On the final scorecard, the winning Wrangler tallied 82.39 points. The Ford Bronco (in Third Place) scored 75.12 points…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM In the News If you’re a fan of both Land Rover vehicles and horses, you best sit down, because your day is made. The automaker and the U.S. Equestrian Federation have launched a bunch of equestrian-themed doodads and wearables. The horse package includes a custom horse cooler and mudflaps (we’ll take “odd bedfellows for $500”), for a $5,000 price tag. Not truck related, but shoutout to Toyota for sticking a manual transmission into its 2023 Supra. Ground has been broken for the expansion of Navistar’s 110,000-square-foot powertrain plant in Huntsville, Alabama. The next generation of EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles EXP, FX, and CORE will use the Class 4 Isuzu NPR Series platform. Rocket Auto did some surveying and learned 80.6 percent of drivers said backup camera was the No. 1 feature…

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM BOOST YOUR BRONCO Lift your non-Sasquatch Ford Bronco with USA-made steel components from MetalCloak. The company’s lift braces bolt into the factory components to reduce risk of unwanted rattles. Two-inch lift braces are made of thick, laser-cut 3/16-inch steel and are fully welded and then finished in MetalCloak’s signature Gold Zinc for a long-lasting finish. MetalCloak includes lift braces for the front and rear of the ’21-up non-Sasquatch Bronco as well as all necessary hardware. INFO: MetalCloak, 916/631-8071, metalcloak.com BRIGHTER TUNDRA ZROADZ can help add more forward-facing off-road light to your ’14-’21 Toyota Tundra with the Baja Bumper Bar. The bar installs using factory bolt locations and features a low-gloss powdercoated finish with space to mount up to four LED pods. Kits can be had complete with ZROADZ LED pods and a wiring…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com For the 56th year, seven-slotted machines invaded southwest Utah for the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari. The event traces back to humble beginnings—Jeep Safari was once a Saturday-only affair with only a handful of trail rides and it was run by the Moab Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, the event has been coordinated by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, a local off-road club, and it has grown in a big way. Now, it’s common to meet off-road enthusiasts who have made a pilgrimage from across the United States and even from countries abroad to enjoy the Jeep Safari, an experience that now spans more than a week. To cap it off, the Jeep Safari Expo returned to Moab’s Spanish Trail Arena. This two-day attraction within the safari was an incredible way…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM One of the most anticipated parts of the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, is when the mad scientists at Jeep unveil the latest collection of concept vehicles. For 2022, the Jeep brand and Jeep Performance Parts trotted out seven vastly different, captivating concepts. The collection contained Wrangler Unlimited, Gladiator, and Grand Cherokee models, each bearing a laundry list of mods and in some cases one-off custom parts. The 2022 collection is also noteworthy because four of the seven Jeeps had either full electric or hybrid-electric powertrains. This is the most ever in the history of Easter Jeep Safari Jeep concepts, and an indicator of the rapid shift to electric power.…