It's the real thing!

MANILA, Philippines - If you want to know what quality is, always go for the real thing. After driving the top of the line Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, the next best thing would be to drive a real 4x4! In this part of the woods that has to be the Jeep Wrangler limited 70th Anniversary Edition.

For the test drive I was led by everybody’s favorite CATS girl, Grace Enriquez, to a soft -top model that I immediately assumed would be so Spartan, so noisy and might probably leak. In fact I had such presumptions that I concentrated on the drive almost from start to finish.

Because I knew the Wrangler model was a full pledge 4x4, I told my technical guide to lead me on a fast track which would show handling and suspension more than climbing power and pulling power was concerned.

Anyone familiar with off road driving will tell you that it is the equivalent of drifting but with no traction, if you miss you go off track or slam into a tree or worse roll into a ditch. It also means that you will return to the drivers area with your jaw, your teeth and your back aching! Fast driving on a dirt track is the equivalent of “cruising for a bruising”.

I expected my technical guide McCoy to pull the brakes on this crazy request. But on the contrary, he gave me a mischievous smile and put on the hat of “navigator”. Yes! We were going to do a mini rally cross.

Once again I floored the Wrangler and in a few minutes I was already telling my navigator that I was impressed with suspension that never bottomed out. I also enjoyed how easy it was to drive the Wrangler at such a fast clip without any under or over steer.

It was then that McCoy pointed out that we were not even using 4x4 mode. The Wrangler had sufficient power with 199 horsepower from its 3.8L V6 power plant. We even had the chance to prove this when the rains came pouring and I drove into a virtual swamp – or maybe it was home made quicksand.

I tried every trick I learned in the foothills of Quezon province as well as snow filled dirt roads in Connecticut, USA. But we were embarrassingly stuck! I finally agreed for McCoy to shift to 4x4. Believe it or not, getting out was so effortless. I simply shifted to drive and we were out with none of the revving or rocking and rolling. We simply drove out like child’s play.

As we headed to the drivers area, I finally had a chance to appreciate the interiors of the Wrangler. In spite of the pouring rain, we were dry; I hardly noticed any external noise not even the patter of the rain. In fact the 70th Anniversary Edition is at the same level of luxury of the mid-size Jeep SUVs that cost more. I later learned that the soft top/ hard top combination was standard to the Wrangler model.

Convinced and impressed with Wrangler’s performance, McCoy suggested I check the Wrangler’s stability by trying figure 8s! Since it might be a while before the next offer comes up, I floored the Wrangler in front of all the ladies and gentlemen from CATS Motors.

The Wrangler did its paces as if mocking me and saying “Is that all you have. I can do more you know?” I’m sure it could.

Although the organizers invited us to a “picnic”, the test drive was certainly no picnic as far as the Vehicles were concerned. CATS Motors pulled out all the stops and proved that they certainly have the products that meet every driving condition in the Philippines, both on the road and off road.

Even in places where they have no roads!