Rightfully deserved! Love the new wrangler, the rubicon concept below look utterly fantastic- I think Jeep still has some great things going for it despite a few recent setbacks.The comment about the most capable stock 4x4 in the world is a little bold- I'd like to see some competition between a stock Mercedes G500, Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender before that assumption is made- three Chevys, a Hummer, a Toyota, a Kia and a GMC arent really the same caliber as the Wrangler...I mean a Kia?! thats like putting a triathalete in a mile race with a 6th grader- the wrangler is definetly ONE of the most capable 4x4's in the world but I disagree that it is the MOST capable 4x4 in the world.

My comment about the Wrangler being most capable is, of course, just an assumption of what I know about it and other highly aclaimed vehicles in the offroad community. What I know about the new Wrangler is only the tests and reviews that I have seen. I am very familiar with both the Defender and the G Wagon. I would venture to say that body wise they are probably better built, however, I don't see any other features that would push them ahead of the new Wrangler. The Defender is a very tough vehicle but it has no stock lockers or traction control of any sort. It does have great articulation but a pretty poor turning radius. The G Wagon, of course, has lockers all the way around and also the same traction control system as the Wrangler, but I doubt it is going to offer the same articulation as the Wrangler. I would assume that the Auto Swaybar Disconnect is going to give the Wrangler a bit of an edge even with it's good articulation in stock form. Of course the G Wagon would have them all beat in the engine compartment at least at the present time. About 8 or 10 years ago I saw an offroad test between a stock Wrangler and a Stock Defender. It was a pretty tough test and it included articulation, water fording, crawling, and the such. The testers actually said that as far as performance that they could not tell a difference between the two. I would venture to say that build quality would have been a very different subject but performance seemed not to be. One tester even made a joke about the different design thoughts between the two. The defender let in water while the Wrangler kept water out. The Wrangler tested was the YJ amd we now have two improved Jeeps since then. I would never be so bold as to assume that the Wrangler is definatively the best but it sure appears to be giving it a good shot.

The H1 Alpha was the only real US competitor.
There aren't any Rovers in the US worth mentioning.
I do think it has got the edge on the G-Wagen, but only because the Merc is 3 times more than a Jeep and it has a removable top.
I too would love to see the Wrangler compared to the best in the world not just the US versions.
Ask your self this, If they put a diesel in it and charged less than $35k would there be any doubt?

But doesn't the merc have tiny little wheels?

The Mercedes may not have the 32"s like the Rubi, but in stock form, it is available with front and rear lockers.
You know the old adage "It's not just the size, it's how you use it."
Open diffs and 34"s wouldn't be as good as most stockers with lockers.
The Toyota's also had lockers, but I think they are only used in 4-low, and only in the rear now.

My original point was: I'd like to see a comparison of worldwide specifications, and put the CRD in the Jeep.