Jeep Wrangler fancier, still true to outdoor heritage

• By STEVE WHEELER
• Advocate Wheels editor
• Published: Mar 27, 2009

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Even though the 2009 Jeep Wrangler is equipped with more refined features, the iconic off-road vehicle doesn’t wander far from its go anywhere, do anything outdoor heritage.

Now when you are going anywhere and doing anything outdoors, you can ride in more style and comfort.

You can have electric windows and still have removable doors. You can have four doors and plenty of room inside. You can have a four-speed automatic transmission, or the six-speed manual version. This year, you also get a standard hill-start assist feature that will help you get the Jeep moving on an incline.

You can select from among three models: Wrangler X, Sahara or the top-of-the-line Rubicon. You cannot select your engine, however; the power plant for all Wranglers is Jeep’s 3.8-liter V-6 that gives you 202 horsepower and 237 lb.-ft. of torque.

My test Sahara model had many Jeep trademarks, including the round headlamps, the seven-slot grille, trapezoid wheel flares, exposed hinges, and removable doors and hard tops.

The mid-level Sahara offers power windows and locks, a driver’s seat height adjuster, air conditioning, speed control, fog lamps, tow hooks, 18-inch aluminum wheels, side steps, Sirius Satellite Radio and a leather wrapped steering wheel.

Once you begin snooping around the inside of the Sahara, it becomes obvious that you have some decisions to make, depending on the weather. My test vehicle had the “Freedom Top,” an optional three-piece modular hard top which has three panels — left, right and rear. Other models have the traditional half-doors, canvas tops and zippered plastic windows.

The Sahara with the three-piece “Freedom Top” is about as close to an enclosed SUV as you can get. It was dry, quiet and roomy. But take the hard tops off and you’ve got a more natural outdoor experience.

Inside, the Wrangler had soft stain-resistant cloth seats, a $1,275 navigation system with touch screen display, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD with MP3 capability, an Infinity sound system, a tilt steering wheel and a 60/40 split folding rear seat.

Outside, Wrangler is considerably wider — five inches — and has a wider wheelbase — 3.5 inches. So, if your favorite trails have some spots with trees close together, you might need to take the chain saw along.

The Wrangler has high ground clearances with short overhangs front and rear, making it the same versatile off-road vehicle that aficionados love. Three skid plates underneath protect the fuel tank, the transfer case and automatic transmission oil pan.

You’re still not going to get great mileage on the way to the outdoors; the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4x4 gets 15 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway.

But you will be safe on your trip. The vehicle scores a perfect five out of five stars in driver and passenger protection in frontal crash tests. Rollover protection is three stars.