On any other scale, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is not a good car. It's shaped like a brick. It's louder than a dinner with Fran Drescher and Gilbert Gottfried. The engine is anemic, thirsty and sounds horrible. The brake feel instills zero confidence...
And yet, this seemingly horrific vehicle sold 119,243 units in 2007. Only seven SUVs sold better, with the Trailblazer and Grand Cherokee ahead by less than 2,000 units. The Wrangler sold more than the once mighty Explorer.
The thing is, I get it. Even though every drive in the Wrangler reaps another annoyance and flaw, I still like this lumbering beast -- partially because of the flaws. It's also strangely fun, our jungle green Unlimited looks cool and that off-road capability is attractive despite being an irrelevance on my daily drive. I'm guessing this is how a majority of those 119,243 Wrangler buyers feel. I'd never buy one though, that list above is just too ridiculous.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 15,006 miles
skierx420 says:
10:33 AM, 04/ 8/08
Why does a car purchase have to be logical? Thats my question for the day. A Lotus is a pain to own too but no one complains about that either. Most of the people I know with Wranglers have a daily driver and the Jeep is their Miata, Lotus, 308, etc. A Lotus is useless in the midwest for 9 months of the year. Pavement heaves, snow, rough roads, gravel roads etc. But top down fun and the ability to drive it for the 9 months you can't drive the other outweighs not buying it. I put the wrangler in with all of the other sports cars. Its just a sports car for a different kind of person.
firstwagon says:
10:34 AM, 04/ 8/08
I agree with skierx420. Nicely put.
estreka says:
11:24 AM, 04/ 8/08
I think any car, no matter how superfluous, has to perform some function.
Given enough time, everyone will talk themselves out of any vehicle. If people weren't impulsive, we'd never buy anything.
karjunkie says:
11:25 AM, 04/ 8/08
"our jungle green Unlimited looks cool"
End of discussion, you just answered your own question! Car buying is still an emotional event.
bankerdanny says:
11:53 AM, 04/ 8/08
First, I would never by a soft top. Here in Chicago where we get weather, the modular hard top makes the best sense for year round use.
Second, I don't understand Chrysler's refusal to give the Wrangler an engine with some decent power. Why can't I get a small V8 and 5 speed auto.
I suppose it's because they sell all they can build as is, but still it's a disappointment and part of the reason I have never seriously considered buying one.
SubyTrojan says:
12:11 PM, 04/ 8/08
Some of you out there might like this video clip from SPEED's Test Drive of the Jeep Wrangler (HTML used due to link length).
skierx420 says:
12:16 PM, 04/ 8/08
In my own opinion why the 3.8 V6 resides in the Wrangler. The previous Jeep 4.0 L I6 was a workhorse tractor type engine. It had a reputation for never giving up even after 200k. The 3.8 has that same reputation. It also produces a very very similar torque and horspower curve. Would I rather see the 4.7 V8 in the Wrangler you bet I would. I see plenty of conversions to V8's at the mud drags I participate in. But I think the aftermarket for Wranglers is also the driving force behind some of the things that Chrysler does with the Wrangler.
lvranger says:
01:26 PM, 04/ 8/08
I was actually hoping that the Chrysler 4.0 would be put in the Wrangler. 260hp would wake it right up but so far that engine hasn't seen widespread use. Probably durability concerns like skierx says.
tryan says:
04:27 PM, 04/ 8/08
James;
In your list of reasons why the Wrangler is not a good car, I'm surprised and appalled that you left out the fact that your tester's top leaks like a sieve...=)
Car buying, on the whole, is an emotional decision. Many studies have been done on this, time and time again.
Sure, there are utilitarian buyers, fleet purchases, etc., but by and large, most automobile purchases are made because a particular model struck the right emotional chord with a particular buyer.
dadoftay says:
06:12 PM, 04/ 8/08
As far as the 4.0 (H.O. or non) the reason they're gone is emission restrictions. Jeep had to ditch it in favor of a more CAFE friendly powerplant, albeit low on power and grunt. Hmmmm..can someone say Hemi with MDS??
firstwagon says:
07:00 PM, 04/ 8/08
The reason the 4.0 is gone is it was used in only one vehicle. It's the only remaining carry over from AMC and to support an engine line for one product with no common parts makes no sense from a manufactoring point of view.
The 3.8 has an almost identical power curve to the 4.0 (even up to 4000 on torque and HP, the 3.8 pulls ahead after that).
desmolicious says:
11:18 PM, 04/ 8/08
Here's a pic of my Wrangler and g/f up in the Carizzo National Monument in San Luis Obispo county last Sunday. I really recommend it for Jeep owners as it has lots of really fun trails (some requiring 4 Low as well as real tyres) along both sides of Soda Lake Road. It goes from 166 to 58, which is an amazing drive in itself. Also fun to pose by the San Andreas fault line..
Wildflowers are in season too out there.
dougtheeng says:
05:48 AM, 04/ 9/08
nice pic!
jriz says:
08:36 AM, 04/ 9/08
tryan: Yep, missed that one. I knew I was going to forget something. You can add sideboards that not only get your pants dirty, they basically push them up to the knee. And the obtuse MyGig stereo controls.
lvranger says:
09:46 AM, 04/ 9/08
I was talking about the DOHC 4.0 V6 in the Pacifica and Nitro.
darthbimmer says:
10:11 AM, 04/ 9/08
Buying a Jeep Wrangler is not a rational decision if your driving is all commuting, running to the store, and zooming along highways. But if you like getting off road at all, or even just tooling around town on a sunny weekend with the top down to see and be seen, a Wrangler is great. Look at the pictures James and Desmo took-- a sensible Prius wouldn't get you there.
BTW, James, where was your picture shot, Death Valley?
s197gt says:
11:49 PM, 04/ 9/08
i saw a wrangler just like that one parked at furnace creek ranch during my stay in death valley last weekend, was that you?
pic attached of our rental rav4 on the titus canyon trail.
jriz says:
08:22 AM, 04/10/08
I actually boosted that shot from our "Long Term Cars" photo file for the Wrangler. Go back on the Wrangler's blog and you should see the post that talks about that particular journey.
smilez says:
10:13 AM, 01/19/09
Being in the car business, it amazes me how much you think you want a car before you drive it based on reviews and blog entries, etc., only to drive it yourself and say, "wow, I would not own this vehicle".
I thought if I had the money (not edless amounts, but enough), I would get a Lexus GS350 AWD for here in Colorado. Picked one up at the dealership for a client to drive...did not like it. I felt every pebble, the engine whine was annoying, and the gauge cluster actually looked cheap once behind the wheel.
Having said all of that, every vehicle I drive makes me say one thing and one thing only, "I miss my Wrangler". It, in my mind, is the ultimate all year vehicle. Can make it through feet of snow in the winter, and a great top down cruiser in the summer.
I know it has faults, but that's what I was saying above...all cars have faults if you look for them, and there's not a vehicle that will fit every need you have and not have a trait that bothers you. To me, the Wrangler is a vehicle that will only suit a minority of buyers. And when looking at a vehicle like this, you're not really shopping between other vehicles, because their just aren't that many competitors.
My issues with it, as stated in most posts, the engine. They're just not supplying this beast with enough engine to move it around. I don't like the fact that I have to swap it with an aftermarket. AEV in Montana does a Hemi-swap, but that runs close to the price of an all new Wrangler (They are a hell of a company though)!!
And I think they went a little too Fischer-Price on the vents/buttons/handles, etc.
Ya know, I hate seeing those "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand" stickers, because to me, that's like telling people you're popular...you can't tell people you're popular.
But the sticker is true. It really is a Jeep thing. If you don't get it, either drive one to see what the fuss is all about, or get out of the way.