According to a legend, tea was first discovered by the legendary Chinese emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. Today, China is the world’s biggest tea producer, selling many varieties of tea leaves such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea and yellow tea. It is the most highly consumed beverage in the world. China still boasts many teahouses, particularly in cities with a strong teahouse culture such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Chengdu. Different regions are famous for growing different types of tea. Hangzhou is famous for producing a type of green tea called Longjing or the Dragon Well tea. Tea tastes also vary regionally. Drinkers in Beijing tend to prefer jasmine tea while in Shanghai prefer green tea. Processing raw tea leaves for consumption is a time and labor-intensive activity and still done by hand in many areas in China. The Chinese tea industry employs around 80 million people as farmers, pickers and sales people. Tea pickers tend to be seasonal workers who migrate from all parts of the country during harvest time. The pickers work from early morning until evening for an average wage of around 120 RMB (around 16 euros) a day. Tea can be sold from around 80 RMB (around 11 euros) to over 4,000 RMB (around 525 euro) per kilogram. In 2016, China produced 2.43 million tons of tea. Chinese people believe that the practice of brewing and drinking tea can bring the spirit and wisdom of human beings to a higher level.
-- By EPA
Seasonal workers harvest Longjing (Dragon Well) tea at a tea plantation in the Meijiawu village, outside Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, April 13.
(Roman Pilipey/EPA)
I bought my bacon press as a college student over a decade ago, and since then I’ve given many as gifts and recommended them to so many people that Lodge should pay me to be a bacon press representative. I’ve gotten so used to the perfectly even crispness it provides that I am at a loss cooking bacon without it. As its name implies, it presses the bacon flat, meaning that you don’t get those ripples and curls of undercooked meat. If you put it in the pan as the pan heats up, it will also cook your bacon faster, thanks to the great heat retention of cast iron. For a simple tool that’s just a piece of flat cast iron with a handle, the bacon press is a workhorse in my kitchen with uses that go far beyond bacon. I’ve used it to make smashed burgers. It works great as a sandwich press for paninis or Cubanos. Anything you want to have full contact with the skillet can be pressed with the bacon press. There are lots of styles out there, but I prefer this version from Lodge, which is small enough to work in just about any skillet but heavy enough to do the job. And since it’s solid metal, I should be pressing bacon with it for decades. Or at least until my cholesterol gets too high.
man, there are some beautiful places on this earth.
The winners have been announced in the 4th edition of the Red Bull Illume Image Quest photo competition. The contest invited photographers to submit images of the world of action and adventure sports in one of 10 categories, including Energy, Playground, Sequence, and Enhance (where digital manipulation is allowed). This year the competition received more than 34,500 entries by 5,646 photographers from 120 countries. Below are some of the winning images and finalists, accompanied by the stories behind the shots, in the words of the photographers themselves. The winning images are now part of a traveling exhibition for the next two years.
The original controller bundled with the first iteration of Microsoft's Xbox is returning after sixteen years.
Gizmodo reports that Hyperkin is making a replica of the 2001 "Duke" controller, which can be used via a nine-foot cable with Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.
As our toddler transitioned from sitting in his high chair to using regular chairs, we were on the lookout for a booster seat for regular home use. Some seats were more appropriate for portable use, others felt precarious unless we strapped him in each time, many would have been a pain to clean.
I found the Kaboost and have been really happy with it. It elevates one of our dining table chairs to an ideal height for our 4-year-old to eat at the table. It helps him practice sitting in a normal chair and reduces knee-sitting. Best of all it increases the stability of the chair it’s affixed to — for us, this solution has given our son some more independence (a mixed blessing) without compromising his safety.
The thing is kinda ugly, but it is functional (the extendable arms clamp onto the four chair legs using internal pressure springs) and has two height options depending on which way you flip it. It’s worked on all the chairs we’ve put it on so far. It can also be folded up and potentially used for travel/restaurants, but in my opinion, it works better in practice as a “set it and forget it” tool.
Vic Edelbrock Jr, one of the guiding lights of the aftermarket, past president and board member of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association (SEMA), and scion of the Edelbrock Company for nearly 60 years, has passed away. Born into racing royalty as the son of Vic Edelbrock Sr., one of the founders of hot rodding and the aftermarket for speed equipment, he could have taken any path, but he was bitten by hot rodding and performance just like his dad.
After the passing of Sr. in late 1962, Vic Jr. took the reins of Edelbrock at 26 years old. Through his finely tuned business, marketing and sales abilities, and with a solid team of hot rodders versed on making cars go fast, he built his father’s company to over $100 million in annual sales throughout the 2000s. When it looked like the aftermarket was dying in the early 1970s with the environmental restrictions and pollution control components killing performance, Vic Jr. started marketing his induction systems as improving clean air and also performance. He built his own testing dyno to measure carbon emissions to prove his claims. Suddenly performance was recognized as helping to both clean the environment but also make for a more efficient running engine.
Soon the smog-chocked engines available from Detroit were improved in every way with Edelbrock aftermarket components, launching the second coming of the performance industry. With his oversight of SEMA as president from 1971 to 1974 and then remaining on its board of directors for decades, he helped to guide the aftermarket with the same insight and marketing savvy he used to catapult the Edelbrock Company to new riches.
Our thoughts are with the Edelbrock family in this difficult time.
A version of this story originally appeared on the Hot Rod Network. For more content like this, click here.
Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
It took the original Destiny a while to find its footing, but it had turned into something truly special by the time the Taken King expansion came out. During those early months, it’s clear that Bungie learned a lot about what players wanted from a massive online shooter. The promise for Destiny 2 is that Bungie will continue to build on the solid foundation the original has become. Judging from everything we’ve seen about the sequel so far, that seems to be the case. Read our hands-on impressions for details.
The original goal for Mass Effect: Andromeda was to go back and deliver on the promise of exploration that came with the first Mass Effect.
A Kotaku story reveals that Bioware's goals on Andromeda were to find new ways to make the next installment in the popular series distinct and fresh. The team looked at the closing of the Reaper threat and Commander Shepard's epic as a clean slate to start over and pick a new part of space.
One person who worked on the game stated that, “The goal was to go back to what Mass Effect 1 promised but failed to deliver, which was a game about exploration," and after achieving what they had wanted from combat and narrative with the previous games, exploration seemed to be the last vestige to improve upon.
The Leatherman, phone, 701, Field Notes, and Buck are always on me. I don't think I've left the house without my Buck knife in the last seven years. The watch belonged to my father. The fidget spinner was the cheapest thing on Amazon--I just wanted something to fiddle with while reading. I should probably note I have actually turned to the silver half dollar more than the spinner for something to fidget with. Since I started carrying the Thrunite I can't remember how I ever managed to function without having a flashlight on me all the time. I use it more than I ever imagined I would. The one item I've noticed pops in and out of my daily carry most is the lip balm. It's entirely dependant on the weather, and what activities I'm planning to do that day.
Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
Honestly, who among us isn’t a Star Wars fan? Which means lots of people are going to be happy to play Star Wars Battlefront 2 when it launches this fall. Electronic Arts has listened to fan feedback from the first game and, most notably, added a single-player campaign this time around.
For more information about Battlefront 2, check out our hands-on previews of both the campaign and the multiplayer mode. Star Wars Battlefront 2 is set to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17, 2017.
It's that time of year again: E3 2017 is just on the horizon. From June 10-15, we'll be covering the biggest games and hardware announcements of 2017 and beyond. While you can check out our continually-updated Games of E3 List, we're now going to start diving deeper.
Every day leading up to the show, we'll be highlight the stuff we want to see and play at E3 2017. Today's game: Destiny 2.
The last time we saw Destiny 2 (coincidentally was also the first time it was shown publicly) developer Bungie revealed the game to a packed theater in Los Angeles. The presentation included the first look at Homecoming, an action-lack campaign stage that takes place at the Tower in the middle of a Cabal invasion. We got the low-down on Dominus Ghaul, the sequel’s big villain who wants to control the Traveler’s light (aka the source of a Guardian’s power in Destiny). From there, Bungie and Activision used the the reveal event to give us a high-level overview and set expectations for Destiny 2.
Los Angeles-based custom vehicle designer Jonathan Ward has become somewhat of a legend for his restomods that marry retro looks with modern performance. His company, Icon, just finished working its magic on this 1965 Ford F-250 Crew Cab, now powered by a modified 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine.
Icon sought out a rare body style for this reformer project known as The Six-Pack for its ability to seat six people. The truck is finished in a metallic silver two-tone paint scheme. It also designed, built and installed the nickel-plated aluminum trim throughout the project. The stainless steel inserts are laser cut. This feature was present on the original design, but Icon rendered it with higher quality.
Other exterior upgrades include custom LED taillights and a rear bumper since the original truck didn’t have one. Icon made a subtle change to the badging, replacing the “Ford” lettering on the front grille with its own name in the same font. They did the same to the badging on the side trim as well.
The interior was also completely overhauled. Red leather seats with plaid inserts dominate the cabin. Dashboard design is inspired by the original truck but redone in the same way as the exterior — with higher-quality materials and a higher level of fit and finish. The steering wheel got a makeover as well with leather wrapping and the Icon lizard in the center. A high-end audio system lives under the rear seats, and the driver can play music with a Bluetooth connection.
Ward is very happy with his work on the F-250, which has a special place in his heart because he drove the standard version of the truck in the past. For all the details, check out his drive and walk-through of the finished product’s modifications below.
Bungie has no plans to introduce further balance updates to the original Destiny, as the studio has shifted its entire focus to the upcoming sequel.
"Age of Triumph was touted as the last update to Destiny," community manager David "DeeJ" Dague in the Bungie's weekly update. "In our constant watch over the community, we've heard many of you asking if the current sandbox will get another design pass. Our sole focus at this time is Destiny 2."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced he will leave White House advisory councils now that President Donald Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.
“Climate change is real,” Musk said in a Twitter post earlier today. “Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.”
In December 2015, 195 countries agreed on a broad range of goals to combat climate change. The accord called for limiting global average temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and it also asked for governments to come together every five years to set new climate targets. Notably, developed countries are asked to contribute $100 billion a year to support green energy initiatives for developing nations.
Yesterday, Musk said he worked hard to convince Trump to stick with the accord. By building Tesla and SolarCity, Musk has made green energy a major part of his career, and has even came up with a way to transition the world from fossil fuels to sustainable energy.
Don't know which way Paris will go, but I've done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain
But Trump’s decision doesn’t come as a surprise, since he had promised during his campaign to withdraw from the Paris agreement. The president said the U.S. will go through negotiations to get Americans a better deal and possibly re-enter the Paris accord, but there are no guarantees.
“The agreement is a massive redistribution of United States’ wealth to other countries,” Trump said. “It’s to give their country an economic edge over the United States. That’s not going to happen as long as I’m president, I’m sorry.” He also said, “Our withdrawal from the agreement represents a reassertion of American workers’ sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama, whose administration was involved in the creation of the Paris accord, said, “The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack. But even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way.”
The U.S. joins two other countries in rejecting the climate accord: Syria and Nicaragua.
This week: Bluetooth controlled lights for your skateboard, tracking your hamster health, a classy Kaleidoscope, a tool for finding the center of a circle, beautiful circuit diagrams and Maker Faires. Our featured Cool Tool is the Robert Larson 800-2875 Plastic Center Finder.
I learned about this tool from maker Ben Light, who uses it to drill out the center in the tin can robots he builds. Online, I see a lot of videos of jewelry designers using these. Woodworkers use them on finding centers on dowels or centering up work to chuck into a lathe.
They also work for finding the center of squares. Using the side with the 90-degree angle you can mark out the center of a square. This is especially useful on smaller material (like small tiles where a speed square isn’t as helpful.
The smaller, 60-degree angle on one side of the tool is intended for use finding the center of hexagon shaped material. I’ve yet to come across any hexagons I need centered, but I can imagine it being useful around a geodesic dome build.
I also have to just say that this is one of those tools that I simply find aesthetically satisfying. I probably only break it out every couple months, but every time it catches my eye it makes me smile.
Ferdinand Porsche founded the car brand in 1931, with headquarters in Stuttgart. It is now owned by Volkswagen AG, which is itself majority-owned by Porsche Automobil Holding SE.
The Porsche crest first appeared in late 1952 in the centre of the 356 Pre-A’s steering wheel.
Photo via hollywoodwheels.com.
Porsche’s company logo was based on the coat of arms of the Free People’s State of Württemberg of former Weimar Germany. As the cars were made in Stuttgart, the Stuttgart coat of arms was placed in the middle as an inescutcheon.
In 1952, Xaver Reimspieß, who is also said to have designed the Volkswagen logo in 1936, sketched a crest that symbolised the roots of the company. The design is still used today with just a few minor differences in detail.
Here’s an interesting short video showing how the Porsche bonnet badge / hood emblem is handmade.
It's that time of year again: E3 2017 is just on the horizon. From June 10-15, we'll be covering the biggest games and hardware announcements of 2017 and beyond. While you can check out our continually-updated Games of E3 List, we're now going to start diving deeper.
Every day leading up to the show, we'll be highlight the stuff we want to see and play at E3 2017. Today's game: Borderlands 3.
Did you play in the closed beta of Gwent: The Witcher Card Game? As a thank you, CD Projekt Red is giving away copies of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition.
You need to login to the same GOG account you've been using to play Gwent, and then redeem your code using this link. Do it quick though, because your code will expire on May 29 at 2pm CEST.
It's worth grabbing - we awarded The Witcher 2 a 9.0, calling it "a game for adults, and not just because of all the sex and violence. It expects you to be intelligent and interested, to care about the political machinations, racial tensions and complex history of its world."
Fallout 4 will be free to play this weekend on Xbox One and PC via Steam.
The free weekend gives players access to the base game and each platform's respective library of mods from May 25 through May 28, according to Bethesda. The publisher notes an active Gold membership is required for Xbox One players.
While PlayStation 4 players won't have access to the trial period, they will be able to take advantage of this weekend's Fallout 4 sale, which sees the base game discounted by 67 percent on all platforms. The season pass will also be on sale throughout the weekend.
After a months-long tease, Dodge dropped everything we ever wanted to know about the new 2018 Challenger SRT Demon on us at the New York auto show. Everything, that is, except price. Now we know the limited-production muscle coupe will start at $86,090, including $1,700 gas guzzler tax and $1,095 destination charge.
The Challenger Demon is capable of producing 840 hp and 770 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, but to unlock that capability you’ll need to pay – but thankfully not that much. The Demon Crate, which includes the performance hardware and software necessary to run high-octane race gas, is available for just $1. The crate also includes a pair of narrow front drag wheels, conical performance air filter, two valve stems, a passenger mirror block-off plate, and Demon-branded tools like a hydraulic floor jack with matching bag, cordless impact wrench with charger, torque wrench with extension and lugnut socket, tire pressure gauge, tool bag, and fender cover. The crate, which Dodge values at $6,140, also comes with a foam case made to fit in the Demon’s trunk and hold the skinny front runner wheels and tools.
The Demon comes stripped from the factory, but you can order a front passenger seat in cloth, rear bench seat in either cloth or leather, or the Demon trunk carpet kit for $1 each. Other options will cost you actual money. A power sunroof will cost you an extra $4,995, while the Painted Black Satin Graphics package, which includes a black hood, roof, and decklid costs $3,495. A satin black hood by itself is $1,995. The Leather Front Seat Group adds heated and ventilated Laguna leather front seats with Alcantara inserts and embossed Demon logos, a heated steering wheel, premium floor mats, power tilt/telescoping steering column, and bright-finish pedals for $1,595. Choose the Comfort Group with Leather seats and you’ll get those same fancy buckets and all the equipment of the leather seat package plus an 18-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with 900-watt amplifier and two subwoofers for $2,495. That system is also available in the Comfort Audio Group, which specifies cloth seats instead of leather, for $995. Red seat belts run $195.
The Demon is available in 15 different exterior colors, with Billet Silver, Destroyer Grey, Go Mango, Granite Crystal, Maximum Steel, Octane Red, Pitch Black, Redline, TorRed, White Knuckle, and Yellow Jacket all available at launch. B5 Blue, F8 Green, Indigo Blue, and Plum Crazy will be available later on. As we previously reported, just 3,300 copies are slated for production, with 3,000 of those destined for the U.S. and the rest for Canada. Production will begin this summer at FCA’s Brampton, Ontario, plant in Canada, and the first deliveries to Dodge dealerships will begin in the fall.
Compared to a 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, the Demon costs $20,200 more. And while $86,090 is a lot to ask for a Challenger, there’s a lot more than just a more powerful engine and wide-body fenders at play with this limited-edition Dodge. You can read all about the engineering that went into the Demon here.
If they would have made them accessible like when you unlock achievements, that would have been pretty neat. I honestly never looked at them.
Destiny 2 is doing away with Grimoire Cards, the in-game collectibles that provided a deeper look into the lore of Destiny's universe.
Many players found the cards problematic, as they weren't accessible in game; they could only be accessed through Bungie's website or the Destiny companion app. As a response to this problem, Bungie is doing away with the cards all together, opting to "put the lore in the game" itself.
"We want people to be able to find the lore," Bungie World Lead Steve Cotton told Forbes. "All the story is told through the Adventures, it's told through the characters in the world, it's told through the campaign and it's told through scannables you find throughout the world."
I really would like to have a fixed blade 3" or less blade knife to wear around my ankle or something. with a normal sized handle for easy use, but a blade length so work doesn't get all firey about it.
Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, broke ground on its second battery plant in Kamenz, Germany today. The new plant signals an effort to increase the efficiency of battery production as Mercedes-Benz prepares to introduce a slew of EVs over the next several years.
Scheduled to begin operation in mid-2018, the plant will quadruple the production and logistics area in Kamenz to a total of 80,000 square meters. Daimler is investing 500 million euros in this new plant, or roughly $560 million at today’s exchange rates, with a total investment of around one billion euros in global battery system production.
The investment doesn’t quite rival Tesla’s $5 billion Gigafactory venture, as Bloomberg points out, but Daimler’s plant is set to become one of the biggest battery factories in the world. Although Daimler didn’t give specifics on capacity, the plant will help Mercedes achieve its goal of introducing more than 10 new electric passengers cars by 2022. New electric vehicles will be grouped together under the EQ line, with the first model to enter production at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen at the end of the decade. Others will be produced in Sindelfingen.
“The local production of batteries is an important success factor in our electric offensive and a crucial element in order to flexibly and efficiently serve the global demand for electric vehicles,” said Markus Schäfer, member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain, in a statement. “This makes our production network very well positioned for future mobility.”
By 2025, Mercedes-Benz wants EVs to make up between 15 and 25 percent of its total unit sales.
May 18 is Armed Forces Day, so to honor the 1.4 million Americans who serve, we’re taking you back to one of the heaviest duty, up-armored comparison tests we’ve ever executed. Since we published our story below, the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) has officially entered service. According to the Marine Corps Times, the Marines serving at the School of Infantry in Camp Pendelton, California, were the first see the Hummer-replacement in action, this past February, in a support capacity. By July, the Marine Corps Times reports, the first operational unit to receive the over $400,000 JLTV will be the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Can we get an OORAH!?
After over three decades of faithful service, the United States Army and Marine Corps are replacing the AM General Humvee in frontline service with the Oshkosh JLTV. Although Humvees will continue to serve behind-the-scenes with the Army and Marines until 2050, the new JLTV (short for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) is as much as a technology leap over the Humvee as the Humvee was to the Jeep-like Ford M151 MUTT before it. With that in mind, here’s how the Humvee and JLTV stack up on paper.
Read our full impressions on the Oshkosh JLTV RIGHT HERE
Under the Hood
When AM General developed the Humvee back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, its naturally aspirated 150-hp 6.2-liter diesel V-8 paired with a three-speed automatic was a game-changer compared to the M151 MUTT’s gas-swilling 71-hp 2.3-liter I-4 and four-speed manual. Since the Humvee first went into service, its engine has been upgraded to a 6.5-liter turbodiesel V-8 that produces a scant 190 hp, paired with a four-speed automatic. That’s hardly enough power to motivate the base Humvee’s roughly 6,000-pound curb weight, let alone the 13,000-plus-pound curb weight of an armored Humvee.
The Oshkosh JLTV’s powertrain represents decades of automotive advancement. In an effort to keep costs in check and hit performance targets, Oshkosh chose GM’s new L5P Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 engine to power the new JLTV. A familiar sight under the hoods of 2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2017 GMC Sierra HD models, the JTLV’s Duramax engine is modified for severe duty and actually detuned to around 400 hp by Gale Banks Engineering for the JLTV. The JLTV’s transmission is also a durable, commercially available component; it’s the Allison six-speed automatic transmission also used by GM heavy-duty pickups.
Where the Rubber Hits the Road
More than anything, both the Humvee and JLTV are designed around their four-wheel-drive systems. Some of the military’s requirements for what would become the Humvee include the ability to climb a 60 percent incline, traverse a 40 percent slope, and ford 2.5 feet of water without a snorkel, or 5 feet with a snorkel. Those requirements dictated a lot of the engineering and design choices AM General made in the Humvee. It was fitted with an independent suspension, its wheels were mounted on portal axles providing gear reduction and boosting ground clearance to 16 inches. The Humvee’s entire drivetrain and even its brakes were sucked up into the body of the vehicle, making the cabin a tight squeeze but ensuring that the Humvee’s off-road ability would meet military requirements. The whole package was rounded out with a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case, locking differentials, and a Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS).
Although much of the military’s requirements for the JLTV are still classified, it did want the 14,000-pound JLTV to go everywhere the Humvee could go but be faster and with more capability. To that end, Oshkosh fits each JLTV with its TAK-4i suspension system. A fully independent double-wishbone design with electronically adjustable high-pressure gas shocks, Oshkosh tuned the JLTV’s TAK-4i suspension in the Baja 1000, giving this military off-roader some serious Ford F-150 Raptor-rivaling chops. The JLTV’s suspension has 20 inches of wheel travel and the ability to raise and lower the suspension as needed, negating the need for portal axles. Without the optional snorkel kit, and with its suspension in its highest setting, the JLTV can ford 5 feet of water without breaking a sweat. Like the Humvee, the JLTV also has a full-time four-wheel-drive system with low-range, locking differentials, and a CTIS.
Reliability
Although Humvees were initially pretty reliable in the field, as they aged and as the military upgraded them with heavy armor that increased wear and tear, they became garage queens to many servicemen and women. During the testing phase of the JLTV program, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps brought along 22 up-armored Humvees to test alongside Oshkosh, Lockheed Martin, and AM General’s JLTV entrants, with each manufacturer providing 22 test vehicles. During nearly three years of testing, platoons equipped with Oshkosh JLTVs had the highest levels of mission success.
Oshkosh’s JLTVs were also far and away the most reliable of the bunch, averaging 7,051 miles between operational mission failure, defined as a system failure that prevents the vehicle from accomplishing its mission. Up-armored Humvees were surprisingly the second-most reliable of the group, averaging 2,968 miles between failures, followed by the Lockheed Martin JLTV at 1,271 miles between failures, and the AM General BRV-O JLTV, which averaged 526 miles between failures.
Armor
Humvees offered up far better protection to its occupants compared to the open air jeeps they replaced. In the same way that AM General improved the light tactical vehicle by adding a roof and doors, Oshkosh does the same by baking a base-level of armor into each JLTV. Utilizing lessons learned on its M-ATV MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle) program, the JLTV features a V-shaped hull to deflect blasts from below, bulletproof windows, and an armored crew capsule. Compared to an up-armored Humvee, a basic JLTV offers multiple orders of magnitude more protection from bullets and bombs to its occupants. Each JLTV is also capable of being fitted with a “B-Kit” of armor, boosting protection to MRAP-levels of protection.
The Oshkosh JLTV is currently in low-rate initial production. Although the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard haven’t revealed any intention of buying the JLTV, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps will begin to field JTLVs to front-line troops by fall of 2018.
Not many affordable, off-road-ready, body-on-frame SUVs remain, but the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner are staples that hold their value well and offer excellent off-road performance. Not many vehicles can match the Wrangler Unlimited and 4Runner when the pavement ends, so despite the price difference of about $6,000, let’s take a look at how these two off-road dynamos compare.
This car comparison is based on our extensive knowledge and understanding of the automotive market but not necessarily on recent driving experience.
Safety Advantage: Toyota 4Runner
The 2017 Jeep Wrangler hasn’t been put through the full battery of safety tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On the other hand, the 2017 Toyota 4Runner received a four-star overall rating from NHTSA, and in the IIHS’ testing it got a Good score on all but the small-overlap front impact test, where it was given a Marginal rating.
As for the Wrangler Unlimited (the Unlimited model is the four-door variant), it performed well on the IIHS’ small- and moderate-overlap front crash tests with a Good rating; however, it only received a Marginal score in the side impact test, and in NHTSA evaluations, the Wrangler Unlimited only got a three-star rating on the rollover and front crash tests. Neither the Wrangler Unlimited nor the 4Runner are available with a full suite of active safety features.
Efficiency Advantage: Tie
The 2017 Wrangler Unlimited and 2017 4Runner are more focused on off-road performance than fuel economy. Both rigs have similar fuel economy estimates, with the 4Runner rated at 17/21 mpg city/highway in rear-drive guise and 17/20 mpg with four-wheel drive. As for the Wrangler Unlimited, opting for the standard six-speed manual nets you 16/21 mpg, and the automatic drops those numbers to 16/20 mpg.
As for fuel capacity, both the Wrangler Unlimited and 4Runner have large gas tanks at 22.5 gallons and 23.0 gallons, respectively. This means you’ll have somewhere around 400 miles of range, giving you plenty of wiggle room for adventures or for crawling your way deep into the wilderness to get to where you’re going.
Acceleration Advantage: Toyota 4Runner
Both the 4Runner and Wrangler Unlimited use V-6 engines and older transmissions, but the Toyota is quicker despite having less power and weighing more than the Jeep. In Motor Trend testing, a 2014 4Runner hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds at 87.5 mph. A 2016 Wrangler Unlimited, on the other hand, did the sprint to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds and the quarter mile in 16.3 seconds at 82.5 mph.
Sure, the Toyota 4Runner is highly capable when the pavement ends—especially in TRD Pro trim—but the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited takes things up a notch. From disconnecting axles and off-road-specific tires to reinforced axles and a 4:1 low gear ratio in some models, the Wrangler was built to tackle nearly every terrain.
Fun Factor Advantage: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
In addition to its off-road capability, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited offers a removable roof and doors. Whereas the 4Runner only has a sunroof in some trim levels (and a rear window that folds down), the Wrangler can be had with a removable cloth or hard top roof, putting you even closer to nature when you’re out in the wilderness tackling trails or crawling rocks in the desert.
Heritage Advantage: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Although Toyota has a rich heritage of off-road-capable SUVs that includes the 4Runner and multiple generations of the Land Cruiser, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is part of an even longer bloodline. With its heritage dating back to World War II, the Wrangler is a descendant of the old Willys MB utility vehicles used by the U.S. military during World War II. After the war, civilian versions dubbed the CJ went into production with multiple configurations, including a small truck.
Tech Features Advantage: Tie
Neither the 4Runner nor the Wrangler Unlimited come equipped with the most modern multimedia systems. The Wrangler Unlimited features an infotainment system that predates FCA’s current easy-to-use Uconnect system. The interface found in the Wrangler is an old Garmin-based unit that has a 6.5-inch touchscreen and a 40-GB hard drive with 28 GB set aside for media.
As for the 4Runner, it does have Toyota’s Entune system, but it’s the oldest version that’s also shared with other aging models in the Japanese automaker’s lineup. You get a 6.1-inch touchscreen, some apps, and an optional navigation system with grainy graphics. Additionally, this unit pales in comparison to the newer iteration of Entune found in the likes of the Corolla, Tacoma, and the 2018 Camry.
Touch of Luxury Advantage: Toyota 4Runner
Don’t expect to get coddled in comfort driving in either SUV, but the 4Runner offers a more premium-oriented Limited variant with perforated leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and heated and ventilated front seats.
Cargo Space Advantage: Toyota 4Runner
Although the Toyota 4Runner’s third row is cramped, the SUV’s size can come in handy when those seats are folded down. With the second row of both SUVs folded, the Toyota offers 88.8 to 89.7 cubic feet of cargo space compared to the two-row Jeep’s 70.6 cubic feet.
Jeep offers new special edition models to the Wrangler lineup every year. This means you can get a Wrangler with cool exterior colors that pop. The current-generation Wrangler is nearing the end of its production run, and a new generation will arrive in the next year or two.
Which One Would You Use?
Even though the 4Runner and the Wrangler Unlimited are dated in some ways and inefficient compared to less capable crossovers, their popularity is based on their capability and the rugged image that consumers associate with SUVs. The 4Runner is the better all-around SUV, and the Wrangler Unlimited is for those who prioritize capability and character over everything else. The Wrangler’s special edition models have more personality than most SUVs, but keep in mind a more modern version is on the way.
Xbox "Duke" controller, image via Gizmodo
submitted by Sean
Photo via hollywoodwheels.com.
The current Porsche logo.
