2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X Sport Utility 4-door 3.8l Right Hand Drive on 2040-cars

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Jeep leads list of 25 most patriotic brands

It's not unusual to feel extra patriotic this time of year, what with the Fourth of July being today and all. As if to celebrate, New York-based research firm Brand Keys conducted a study among 4,500 consumers about what brands they find to be the most patriotic. According to the Detroit Free Press, Jeep took top honors in this study, besting other American stalwart brands including Coca-Cola, Levi's and Hershey's.
Interestingly, the only other automotive brand to make the list was Ford, in the 16th spot (motorcycle fans take note - Harley-Davidson claimed the No. 13 slot). This means consumers found Jeep to be more patriotic than any of the brands in the General Motors portfolio, including Chevrolet, which has long used American themes in its advertising over the decades.
According to Brand Keys, Jeep came in "with a score of 98 out of 100 on a scale representing consumers' emotional engagement expectations," the Detroit Free Press reports. Be sure to read the report to scan the entire Top 25 list for yourself.

Some Jeep Cherokees and Chrysler 200s to get standard stop-start in 2015

Automakers the world over are striving to find ways to make their models more efficient, and Chrysler has a solution for some versions of the 2015 Chrysler 200 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee (2014 model shown). The Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the 200 and the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 in the Cherokee are getting a slight boost later this year thanks to the addition of Chrysler's Engine Stop-Start system as standard equipment. The company predicts modest gains - a three-percent improvement in fuel economy and a three percent reduction in CO2 emissions with the new tech compared to without it. While it's not much, those who sit in traffic a lot may see a difference.
Chrysler's stop/start system uses a high-speed starter motor to restart the vehicle in a claimed a third of a second. It works by detecting when the vehicle comes to a stop and turning off the engine. A more powerful battery maintains all of the model's accessories while it sits. When the driver lets off the brake, the car starts up again to drive away. There is even a button in the cabin to turn the ESS off, if desired.
The Jeep will be the first to receive ESS in the third quarter of this year to coincide with the start of production of the 2015 model-year version. The 200 will follow in the fourth quarter as a rolling change in production.

Chrysler recalls 468,700 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Commanders over rollaway risk

Chrysler has issued a recall covering a combined 469,000 units of the 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2006-2010 Jeep Commander (inset). Of that number, 295,000 are in the US, roughly 33,000 in Canada and Mexico and the remainder in other markets. It seems an electrical fault in the transfer case can allow the affected SUVs to shift into neutral on their own, while an Associated Press report says that Chrysler had "found cracks in a circuit board that turns the four-wheel-drive system on and off." The issue was discovered when an owner started his car remotely and it rolled away.
Chrysler is expected to begin notifying owners in June 2013, who can then take their cars to dealers. The dealer will reflash the final drive controller free of charge. There's a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration below with more information.