Family’s love of Jeeps runs deep

For as long as she can remember, Kaitlyn Watters has wanted a Jeep. It’s an obsession she said started in childhood when watched the main character in the movie “Clueless” speed around Beverly Hills in a white 1994 Jeep Wrangler. Fast-forward to the present and Watters, 24, now has a Jeep to call her own, but the eye-catching vehicle is more than just a dream come true.

She tells us why she loves her 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and how it’s helped keep her going during the pandemic.

“I love Jeeps,” said Watters, who purchased her vehicle from Seven View Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Vaughan. “They just look so bad ass, but there’s also this community when you get a Jeep. You’ve got to do the Jeep-wave when you pass another one on the road — a little peace sign (made) off the steering wheel. It just makes you feel like you know someone everywhere you go.

“I actually had another Jeep Wrangler before this one— the 2018 Sahara model. I leased that one for three-and-a-half years and loved it. When it was time to decide it was an easy choice for me to get another Jeep.

“Since the pandemic I’ve been working remotely and commuting constantly between my place downtown and my family cottage in Orillia. I wanted a car that could easily handle both the city and country roads and one that I felt totally safe in while driving on the highway in the winter.

“I don’t feel a huge difference between the two models except that this one is just a bit more modern and a little fancier. It has more safety features, it has the electric sunroof, it has the automatic lights — it’s just a more refined version of what I had before. One example is that my fender and bumper are steel, where my former model was plastic,” Watters said.

“I purchased my car at Seven View in Vaughan and one of the salespeople, Domenic Matera, has been a friend of my family’s forever. My grandpa was involved with the Maple Leafs and would help get him tickets and he became our go-to guy for cars. He found this car for me and got me a really good deal. I originally had my eyes on another Sahara model, but Domenic advised me that paying the extra amount would mean a way better car — and I think he was right.

“The love of Jeeps runs deep though,” she said. “My dad drove a Jeep when he was my age, too, and loved it. He’s a bit jealous of this one and tries to drive it sometimes.”

A closer look: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Bold statement

Sitting on 17-inch machined aluminum wheels and 33-inch off-road tires, the Unlimited Rubicon is unapologetic in its bold and unique appearance. Setting it apart from its vehicular pals, the Jeep boasts automatic halogen headlamps with time-off delay as well as vibrant red tow hooks for heavy towing (its standard capacity is up to 2,000 pounds). Drivers can even opt in for an additional lighting package with LED fog lights, taillights and daytime-running headlights to make sure they always standing out in a crowd, because what Jeep owner has ever wanted to just blend in?

Road worthy

Off-roading might just be the Jeep Rubicon’s greatest superpower. Unique to the vehicle is its Rock-Trac System, which delivers a significant amount of torque to the Rubicon and — in combination with its all-terrain tires — makes traveling up and down sharp inclines and crawling over large obstacles a breeze. Further, to avoid all the bangs and scratches one might incur along those gnarly journeys, the Jeep features a heavy-duty steel rock rail to protect the car’s flashy frame as well as removable doors, roof, and folding windows to enhance the off-road experience.

Connected tech

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon differentiates itself further from both its predecessors and current competition with its advanced suite of technologies — found on and off its dashboard. Most prominently, the SUV comes complete with the popular Uconnect system: a voice-activated, complete in-dash infotainment system hosted on a seven-inch touch screen with voice recognition and drop-and-drag functionality. Further, the Rubicon boasts an array of advanced safety features, including Advanced Parking Assistance, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and a new forward-facing TrailCam off-road camera.

The Specs

• BODY STYLE: Mid-size SUV

• DRIVE METHOD: 4X4

• ENGINE: 3.6L Pentastar VVT V6 engine with Stop/Start

• FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HIGHWAY): 13.8/10.1 litres per 100 km

• CARGO: 2,050 cubic litres with rear seats folded

• PRICE: Rubicon starts at $53,415

• WEBSITE: Jeep.ca