The new interior is a huge improvement. A modular instrument panel replaces
gauges that were scattered across the front dash. A modern heating and
ventilation system replaces the antiquated tacked-on system. New high-back
front seats provide improved comfort and lateral support. And the driver
looks through a taller--by three inches--windshield, where the wipers no
longer rest at half-mast.
This is a small sport-utility. And it's more sport than utility. There's
room for either four people or two people and their gear, but not both.
For weekend excursions, the best bet is to leave the back-seat passengers
behind, flip the rear seat forward or remove it, and head for the hills.
There's enough space behind the rear seat for a fly fishing vest, waders,
wading boots. Flip the rear seat down and there's plenty of room for a
tent, a cooler, camping gear and way too much fishing equipment. It doesn't
get much better than this.
Need to haul still more stuff? The Wrangler's modest towing capacity
is sufficient for those who need to pull a personal watercraft or snowmobile.
The new Wrangler isn't a luxury car, but it's not the penalty box it
used to be. Paved roads seem much smoother. Corners are handled with more
dignity. The interstate feels stable at 80 mph. And wet pavement is not
to be feared. At the same time, the Wrangler's off-road capability is superior
to that of even the legendary Jeep CJ. It's an impressive balancing act.
The Wrangler engineers achieved this balance by designing a coil-spring
suspension to replace the Jeep's 50-year-old leaf-spring suspension. And
they mounted it onto a rigid new chassis that provides a stable platform
for the suspension to do its job. Coil springs provide better handling
on and off road and enormous suspension travel.
Greater approach and departure angles mean the new Wrangler can cross
trenches and clamber over rocks and fallen trees that would trap the old
one. Few vehicles can match the Jeep's rock-climbing ability. At the same
time, the new Wrangler feels less like a utility truck when winding down
a curvy road.
A cautionary note here. The Wrangler is certainly sporty, but it's not
a sports car, a distinction that eludes some drivers--to their frequent
dismay. Its handling is competent, but the basic design is essentially
truck, with a high center of gravity. Hurrying this or any sport-utility
vehicle around tight corners is courting disaster.