Review
Introduction
The Wrangler, which harks all the way back to the original General Purpose vehicle of 1941, is one of the few bright spots in the Chrysler product lineup at the moment. With the introduction of the four-door (a first for the Wrangler), five-seat, long-wheelbase Unlimited for the 2007 model year, sales took off—in 2007, Jeep sold 119,243 Wranglers.
All Wranglers got a substantial redesign for the 2007 model year, including a stiffer frame and a new 3.8-liter V-6 engine making 202 horsepower. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual with the option of a four-speed automatic. The four-door Unlimited, which rides on a 116.0-inch wheelbase—an increase of 20.6 inches over the stock Wrangler—seats five in comfort, with room for their luggage, whereas the classic two-door model has room only for four, with little space for their chattels. Short-wheelbase models have all-wheel drive as standard, whereas Unlimiteds are rear-wheel drive, with the option of all-wheel drive.
Verdict
The Wrangler is hardly a great vehicle to drive, since it’s a little crude, but it is a lot of fun. All Wranglers have softtops as standard, so they are among the cheapest convertibles on the market. Venture off-road, and the Wrangler, whether you opt for the long- or short-wheelbase version, will prove itself the mountain goat of the automobile world: An Unlimited beat a Hummer H3 Alpha in a comparison test that was designed to sort out the ultimate off-road SUV. The Unlimited addresses the lack of interior and luggage room that made the original Wrangler very much a cult vehicle.
Click here to read our full review of the Jeep Wrangler.
Click here to read our latest comparison test involving the Jeep Wrangler.
What’s New for 2008
The regular Wrangler and the Wrangler Unlimited add a Sahara Appearance package that features 18-inch wheels and tires and bright interior accents, and remote start becomes available. On the two-door Wrangler, there’s now a standard Sunrider softtop on the Sahara and Rubicon models as well as a right-hand-drive model suited to tasks such as rural mail delivery.
