Jeep President says "Trail Rating varies by Jeep"

[TerryMason]

While promising that any Trail Rated Jeep would be superior to all competitors in the segment, Mike Manley told Allpar that the system was not, as the old Willys and AMC Jeep standards were, a fixed set of criteria. Rather, Trail Rating varies in its standards by the segment, with criteria apparently based on the best competitors. Manley said:

For each segment, we have a series of measurements, processes, and standards that we know our Jeeps have to meet on the trail-rated end, so we can be comfortable that we are true to what Jeep means. And that changes by segment. Wrangler, for example, has a much tougher series of measures than Compass. So in each segment, our aim is to have the most capable vehicle in that segment. … you can’t get Compass to do what Wrangler can do for example. But you can have a trail-rated Compass.

He noted that when he first took charge of Jeep, the two largest customer concerns were the appearance and capability of Compass; he responded quickly with a restyling and Trail Rated Compass.

You can read the entire article at Allpar

 

[TerryMason]

For my 2 cents, I'm a bit bummed by this. If the requirements are different then the trail rated badge shouldn't be the same. Maybe they should give Wrangler a "Black diamond trail rated" badge, or some such.

It just seems to dilute the value of the badge when the requirements vary based on model.

 

[superj]

i agree. because there is no way a compass can do what a wrangler, cherokee, or liberty can do so why should it receive the same badge.

 

[Ghost Rider]

They will do that to fool the city folk and soccer moms. That way they will fool them thinking they something they don't..... Kinda what GM did when they purchased the Hummer. They put a fiber glass shell on a suburban frame and everyone got fooled thinking they owned a real hummer... Right!

 

[superj]

yup, true

 

[clydethepirate]

I agree with Ghost Rider. It's all in pleasing a target market anymore.
But, Thats the way most everything is today.

 

[carnuck]

That's why you see so many with Mall rated stickers on them.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Like chrome rims with spinners and low profile tires..... Have seen one in Chicago this weekend. Did I forgot the whol soft top ready to blow off because the stero being so loud??? LOL

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Do you really need a little badge to say your jeep is trail rated? Just looking at some of these machines you can tell if they could handle a 5+ trail. If your neighbor buys a compass or a liberty and thinks he or she can keep up with you on the Rubicon or some other trail....why burst there bubble? They just bought a Jeep, a go anywhere do anything vehicle. It was their dream to have that off road, ruggiedness machine that says I am not a...mall crawler!
I grant you they will never be able to keep up with you in your favorite off road park or trail. But are they really going to put there brand new jeep into those kind of places? Yes the trail rating system is subjective, it had to be, a Compass or a liberty doing the Rubicon trail without body damage or the need of a pull strap or two? The new Grand SRT? Come on we know the truth here.

At first it was the mark of a stock factory vehicle able to pass the Rubicon trail, on its own...now? I don't know how they rate them. But the last time I was off roading, I didn't see too many compass's or liberty's out in the wilds of Moab trying to do the 3.5 or better trails. Let them have their fantasy.
The next time your hitting the mall or store, park next to one. You can privately laugh to yourself at there little self deception.

You know your jeep is real...and you dont need no stinking badge to prove it.

 

[superj]

i always like to buy them and put them on my old pre-trail rated badge jeeps. people always ask me about it and then i tell them mine was trail rated before they even had trail rating.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Hey.." I should start to make billet trail badges and sell them at the soccer games and every where little girls take ballet classes....LMAO. I am serious about making the badges. They might look more rugged than the plastic ones that comes with the new cars.....

 

[superj]

they are plastic now? i bought mine from a dude on ebay who had actual chrysler ones and htey were some kind of metal. they were pretty heavy and cost like 15 bucks each

 

[Utah_jeepster]

You should make a few saying trail proven