Jeepwrangler Sport
The Least Expensive 4x4 SUV
Behind the wheel of this full-size Tonka Toy, almost-adults can become either George S. Patton, George Page of PBS' "Nature," or the Marlboro Man (whose first name is George, as far as you know) any time they please. Chase Rommell from Tunisia! Ferry wildlife cinematographers into the Serengeti! Tame the Baja! All without venturing off the neighborhood Starbucks lot!
Though far more common in West Hollywood than in West Yellowstone, the Jeep Wrangler Sport possesses true go-to-the-end-of-the-rainbow ability: Even its least-expensive version is equipped with a tough four-wheel-drive system. None of this city sissy two-wheel drive for the Wrangler, no sir! With its base SE variant starting at just over $14,000, the Wrangler is the least expensive four-wheel-drive sport/utility vehicle. (Yes, there are less expensive 2WD SUVs, but their 4WD variants are more costly than the cheapest Wrangler.)
For '99, both the Wrangler's 2.5-liter OHV inline-four and its 4.0-liter OHV inline-six meet California's light-truck Transitional Low Emissions Vehicle (TLEV) standards, which will please tree-hugging Wrangler buyers. Our power-crazed editors grinned when our tester came in the mid-level Sport trim fitted with the optional 181-horsepower straight-six and loaded with bourgeois features like air conditioning. This pushed our tester's sticker all the way to a relatively whopping $20,265.
Especially when mated to the three-speed automatic, the 120-horse four is better suited to urban adventuring; if you plan serious high-country off-roading, the six's potent 222 pound-foot torque peak will come in handy. When coupled with the standard five-speed manual, the big six propels the Wrangler 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds. But because you're the one with the elements, it feels quicker.
A sports car the Wrangler is not, as attested by its modest test-track numbers: a longish 159-foot non-ABS-aided 60-0 stopping distance, soft 0.69g cornering power on the skidpad, and an overly twitchy 57.1-mph slalom run. Still, some of the things, especially its narrow track and short wheelbase, that make it a bit of a handful in extreme paved-road maneuvers are attributes when the asphalt ends. The Wrangler's slender 66.7-inch width helps it slip down tight trails, while its compact 93.4-inch wheelbase combines with impressive approach and departure angles (44 and 32 degrees, respectively) to help it crawl easily over recently felled redwoods.
The soft-top Wrangler is meant for those who love the environment and don't mind getting a lot of it on them. If you'd just as soon not commune quite so closely with nature, available luxuries range from full metal doors with roll-up glass windows, an AM/FM/cassette sound system, cruise control, and, best of all, a hard top. These will keep the outdoors at a respectable distance.-Mac DeMere
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Lowest-priced 4x4 SUV
The king of off-road ability
Wind in hair, bugs in teeth
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Unrefined on-road handling
Not available in olive drab with stars on doors
Wind in hair, bugs in teeth agony
Lincoln Navigator
At 300 Horsepower, It's The Most Powerful SUV For '99
You can think of the Lincoln Navigator as Conan the Barbarian in a steel tuxedo. Lincoln, however, tends to think of it as its best '90s success story.
In the summer of 1997, Lincoln marketing stuck its neck out with a luxury variant based on the then-new full-size four-door Ford Expedition. And by that fall, Navigator's soaring sales were helping to quickly recalibrate the market's perception of Lincoln and what a luxury vehicle was. Today, many luxury makers who hesitated jumping into the 'ute segment are still playing catch-up.