Jeep Wrangler 2-door and Unlimited 4-door Road Test Report

Performance

On the road, the Wrangler’s performance is more than adequate for car designed primarily to ford the Colorado, cross the Mojave and climb the Rockies. Rather coincidentally, all models, whether 2.8 diesel or 3.8 petrol, manual or auto, 2-door or 4-door, have the same top speed of 112mph, or more than enough to earn you a ban. 0-62mph times range from 9.6secs (3.8 manual 2-dr) to 13secs (2.8 CRD 4-dr). So, not blindingly quick, but none feel remotely underpowered due to generous torque, while the big 196bhp 3.8 V6 model is actually pretty lusty, due in part to it’s relatively low weight (1,745kg) for a 4x4.

Ride & Handling

There’s no doubt that the latest, 2007-onward Wrangler’s new and much stiffer chassis has improved matters significantly, but its steering and handling, relative to most other current 4x4s, is still a bit bouncy and vague. The Wrangler wouldn’t be my car of choice for long motorway journeys, but having driven various Wranglers through deep Scottish mud, rock-strewn Arizona desert and even Chelsea on a Saturday, I know it scores the full five stars in extreme conditions. If you never drive off-road then you’ll have to sacrifice comfort for the Wrangler’s undoubted charm. And if you venture properly off-road, then you’ll love it.

Build Quality & Reliability

With under-stressed engines, unusually rugged underpinnings, a hard-wearing interior and gradual development and improvement over seven decades, the Wrangler should in theory prove to be one of the sturdiest and most durable cars on the road. Theory and practice are two different things of course, and though this Jeep perhaps isn’t built to the very closest tolerances, I’ve no evidence against it. That said, the Wrangler hasn’t been a stellar performer in independent customer surveys.

Safety & Security

Wrangler security used to be almost zero, but it now comes as standard with a locking fuel filler cap, locking wheel nuts and locking bonnet, speed sensitive power door locks, covered rear storage, all-metal doors, a 3-piece, modular plastic hardtop, a ‘Sentry key’ theft deterrent system with remote keyless entry plus alarm and immobiliser. Safety wasn’t its strong point either, but great leaps have been made here too with equipment such as ESP (with ‘electronic roll mitigation’), disc brakes all round, four airbags and even tyre pressure monitoring. That said, I still wouldn’t leave valuables on display, or volunteer for a big accident.

Space & Practicality

There are very few other cars on sale today that are as utilitarian as this Jeep, but again, it’s this that helps bestow the Wrangler with such charm. The 2-door versions are more akin to a 2+2, with limited room for adults in the rear, but the 53cm longer 4-door version resolves that issue with ample space and kneeroom for back seat passengers. Loadspace capacity ranges from a minimum of 490 litres in the 2-door, right up to a cavernous 2,320 litres in the 4-door with the rear split/fold seats folded forward. And with the roof removed, well, the sky’s the limit. You can’t get much more practical than that.

Ownership & Value

The V6 Wrangler manages 24.4mpg on the combined cycle. That figure would have been very impressive in Texas in the 1950s, but in today’s world that’s wallet-sappin’ juicy, so only hard-core Wrangler enthusiasts need apply. Fortunately the 4-cyl diesels fare just a little better yielding a little over 28mpg combined. With group 10 insurance and pretty hefty CO2 outputs (255g/km and rising) the Wrangler is no thrift-mobile. But if you do drive off-road, or live out in the sticks, or simply love its rugged style, then the truly iconic Wrangler is hard to beat.