Jeep Wrangler: Unlimited Fun

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The one thing I really dislike about the Wrangler is its poor fuel efficiency. A 2007 Wrangler Unlimited with four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission is rated at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 19 on the highway under the old government rating system, and its rating will be even lower under the more stringent '08 system. In a stretch of 192 miles of mixed (admittedly hard) driving, I only got 15.8 mpg.

I also worry about the Wrangler's quality and dependability. Jeep had average scores in the most recent J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, announced on Aug. 9. And I wonder if the recent change in Chrysler's ownership will affect quality. (Like BusinessWeek, PIN and J.D. Power & Associates are owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies.)

Behind the Wheel

When publicity people laud the Wrangler Unlimited's "refined onroad experience," keep in mind that all things are relative. The Wrangler's ride is rough compared with, say, a mainstream SUV such as Toyota's refined new '08 Highlander (BusinessWeek, 8/30/07) or the Grand Cherokee. The suspension is stiff—not in a sporty sense but in the sense of a vehicle that's genuinely made to go off-road. The soft top is tight enough to keep out the elements, but there are whistling noises in the cabin when you hit highway speeds.

The Wrangler Unlimited is also underpowered. In accelerating from 0 to 60, my best time in a 4x4 Safari with an automatic transmission was slightly under 12 seconds—i.e., glacially slow. Other reviewers have timed it in 10 seconds or less, but that's still slow.

The Unlimited isn't especially responsive in the passing lane at highway speed, either. I punched the gas a couple of times going 65 mph uphill on the freeway, and nothing happened. The vehicle just sat there, neither accelerating nor slowing down. Finally, on the third try, the transmission kicked down and my test vehicle sped up—slightly. I wouldn't want to pull out to pass an 18-wheeler on a two-lane highway in an Unlimited.

The Wrangler's interior was upgraded as of the '07 model year, but it remains utilitarian. The analog dials and gauges are plain and functional. Ditto for the seats, which adjust manually and are upholstered in cloth. The door handles are big and bulky. The dome light in the Safari is in a rollbar/roof support that's well behind the driver, limiting its usefulness.

There's plenty of leg, shoulder, and headroom in both the front and rear seats. Luggage space behind the rear seats is a cavernous 46.4 cubic feet, expanding to 83 cu. ft. with the rear seats down. There's also an under-floor storage space in back where you can hide valuables.

The Unlimited isn't entirely without creature comforts. The doors and windows are now power-operated, for instance. And adding the two rear doors makes it much easier to get in and out of an Unlimited than an old-fashioned Jeep.

However, there's way too much hard plastic in the interior of this vehicle for my taste. I also found the Safari's soft top a pain in the butt to put up and down. The top attaches to the vehicle's body via various plastic pieces that hook onto the frame. The windows zip into the top's side and back, and there are Velcro flaps to cover the zippers and keep the elements out. Up front, there are two big hooks over the windscreen that you're supposed to hook the top into.

The first time I tried putting the top all the way down, I spent more than an hour getting it down and then nearly got it back up again. Once I got everything attached and zipped up in back and along the vehicle's sides, I realized that the latches had slipped out of the hooks up front. With temperatures in the nineties, I gave up, throwing a tarp over the vehicle in case it rained during the night.

The next morning, I spent another two hours playing around with the top, and got to the point where I could take it down or put it up in 15 minutes or so. With more practice, I think I could have done it in five. But in an era when many convertibles have push-button tops that go up and down automatically in 15 seconds or less, the Wrangler's top is decidedly retro.

Off-roading is one of the Unlimited's strong suits. It has an approach angle of 44.4 degrees, breakover angle of 20.8 degrees, and departure angle of 40.5 degrees—which means it can climb over major obstacles without getting hung up. The X and Sahara both have heavy-duty Dana front and rear axles, and a Command-Trac part-time two-speed transfer case that allows you to lock the transmission into low gear for crawling over rough terrain.

In the Rubicon, both the axles and the Command-Trac system are upgraded for even greater off-road capability. The Rubicon also comes with 32-inch off-road tires.

True to Jeep's heritage as a World War II utility vehicle, the Unlimited's windscreen can be folded down, and its doors can be removed.

Buy It Or Bag It?

Buying a Wrangler Unlimited is a little like buying a Weimaraner or some other breed of dog that needs a lot of exercise. You should know what you're getting into before proceeding.

If all you want is a convenient, around-town vehicle with some limited off-road capabilities, there are numerous SUVs and crossover vehicles that may suit your needs better. On the other hand, if you're captivated by the Jeep mystique and don't mind a few inconveniences, go for it.

Keep in mind that the Wrangler Unlimited's price is relatively high. Its recent average selling price is a tad over $28,000, according to PIN. That's about the same as the '07 FJ Cruiser but considerably more than the Jeep Liberty ($21,443) and Nissan Xterra ($22,989). By contrast, the Hummer H3 (the so-called "Baby Hummer") has been selling for an average of about $34,000 for the '07 version, and nearly $37,000 for the '08, PIN says.

The Wrangler is pricey partly because it's one of the few Jeep models that isn't being discounted. By contrast, the average rebate on a Jeep Liberty right now is $3,971, PIN figures (though the Liberty is in a transition period as the redesigned '08 model hits the market). The '07 Nissan Xterra carries an average rebate of $1,793 and the '07 Dodge Nitro's average rebate is $1,040, PIN says.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a Wrangler Unlimited as a daily cruiser. I'd want a more fuel-efficient vehicle for that. But as a fun second vehicle for weekends and holidays, there's nothing quite like a Wrangler.

Click here to see more of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek.com.