I love 'em. Harrison FORD talking about how he loves his Jeep. WW II Jeeps tumbling out of planes under billowing parachutes. Tough stuff.
And it's that heritage that today's test Willys 41 honors.
While all Jeeps have serious off-road cred, Jeep has raised the ante with their Willys 41. Just a glance tells you that it's "almost Army Green" paint job, matching steel wheels, and khaki-colored top and cloth interior are an outward sign that there's more than one thing special about this Jeep. And there is.
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Today you've got almost as many ways to go Jeeping as Baskin Robins has flavors. Base 2-door Wrangler Sports with the 3.6 liter V-6 can be had for as little as mid-$30's….and if you really need to be the fastest one up the hill, you can lay out six figures for an all-out Rubicon 392 V-8.
The Willys 41 4xe falls roughly in the middle. The base price starts around $60K and with a few options it can run on up to the low $70's, as did our test Willys.
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But dig deeper than the retro color scheme, and you'll find something quite current about the 41 4xe. It's a plug-in hybrid. You get a 2.0 liter turbo four plus a plug-in electric that's good for 21 all-electric miles.
But that's just where the plug-in's story starts…especially if you're a backroads camper. The plug-in option gives you 21 miles of all-electric driving, and in normal driving, you'll use the battery until its 21 mile range is exhausted, and then automatically switch over to gas. But if you're headed way into the boonies, you can switch off the electric mode, and operate on all-gas…and use your 21-mile electric range as an emergency reserve.
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Or even better, if range is not an issue, you can use your battery to power your toys if you kinda' prefer glamping to hard-core camping. The Willys 41 4xe has Jeep's Power Box that allows you to use your battery in generator mode to blow up rafts or power cooking utensils and TVs.
But if that sounds a little soft to you, know that the Willys 41 4xe comes with all the "Jeep Stuff" that you'd expect. You get 33" Goodyears on those Army-Green wheels, a retractable / removable top, removable doors, the ability to tow up to 3,500 lbs…all the things that people love about Jeeps
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It was easy to draw a crowd when pulling up in our Willys 41 4xe. Men… women…youngsters…OGs…everyone seemed to want a closer look.
But if you're the kind that's trying to escape the crowds, something like the Willys 41 4xe will help you disappear with as much of life's luxuries as you're able to bring.
