I’ve got a special place in the sweet spot of my soul for the Wrangler, and it wasn’t because I enjoyed great times in one as a
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
kid or anything so formative. My dad loved the Willys. He lived through wartime Vienna, Austria and Munich, Germany as a child, and then joyously witnessed thousands of the little 4x4s help allied forces liberate the majority of peace-minded citizens from the Nazis. He told me many stories and I’d listen with piqued interest, sometimes at home and oftentimes while away camping or at our family cabin.
On one such vacation in BC’s Caribou country we “tested” a Willys from an en route gas station owner who was attempting to sell it, and my dad piloted it up and over some rough ranching territory. The tiny tot of a 4×4 was anemic at best, but it made light work of heavy-duty trails. That was my first experience in a Willys jeep, and it left a lasting impression. He actually owned a Toyota FJ40 at the time,
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
and as I remember had very little positive to say about the similarly styled AMC Jeep of the era. The springs were too lightweight, body too flimsy, engineering rudimentary, etcetera, etcetera (with the odd expletive thrown in for good measure), so you could say that my admiration for Jeep wasn’t passed down from my father.
I worked for an AMC dealer many years later and regularly “borrowed” a CJ5 Renegade in black with blue graphics and baby blue seats that we were never able to sell for some reason (when I wasn’t driving it I parked it in the back alley). This was about the time the seed was planted. Much shorter than today’s regular wheelbase Wrangler which is similar in size to the CJ7 that followed the abbreviated 5, it was a hoot to drive thanks to a wicked Alpine stereo with big speakers that hung down from the roll bar and a relatively light curb weight, although
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
its brutish 304 cubic inch (5.0-litre) V8 with headers and sidepipes, joined by a four-speed manual gearbox and Trac-Lok limited-slip diff was the real reason for my constant smile while behind the wheel. It was an obnoxious sounding beast. If the roar from the engine didn’t upset the highfalutin West Vancouver British Property neighbours, the sound of T Rex, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Queen, The Cars, The Police, Elvis Costello, The Talking Heads or any number of other favourite artists and bands would cause a stir when I drove up to my family home. Yes, a bona fide rebel without a clue.
Those were great days that often saw me with a friend inside the 5 climbing up the local North Shore mountains (they weren’t barred from four-wheel travel back then),
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
but such off-road adventures were nowhere near as eye-opening as the two days I spent on the Rubicon Trail with the then-new 2007 Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited way back in the summer of 2006. That’s when this SUV of SUVs truly won me over, not only impressing with all of its upgraded refinements, but its off-road capability was also shockingly good. The regular wheelbase version was much more capable when trying to get around really tight obstacles like large rocks and trees, but the long wheelbase Unlimited proved the more comfortable ride during the long, bumpy journey. I couldn’t imagine enduring such a punishing trail in the old CJ5 Renegade. Of course it would’ve taken to the trail with ease, but my body might not have been able to handle that old ute’s tooth-rattling suspension. How far they had come, even in 2006. And how much further since the mid-aughts.
Now
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Jeep has reincarnated the Renegade name for its Fiat 500X based compact ute, more akin to the original Willys in size yet much more modern than the Wrangler Unlimited I recently tested. Likewise, compared to the old CJ5 the latest Wrangler Unlimited is not only light years more sophisticated and refined, it’s also much larger in every dimension. It’s the 4×4 equivalent to the modern-day Mini, a car that dwarfs the original Alec Issigonis-designed model in the same way that this new Wrangler Unlimited makes the CJ5 seem like a child’s toy.
The Unlimited is big, stretching 4,404 mm (173.4 inches) from its protruding front bumper nubs to the white raised letters of its spare tire, 2,947 mm (116.0 inches) between its rugged axles, 1,873 mm (73.7 inches) front side to side, and 1,800 mm (70.9 inches)
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
tall. While the width and height are the same as the shorter wheelbase Wrangler, it measures 524 mm (20.6 inches) longer both overall and between the axles, but that’s nothing compared to how it measures up against that old ’75 CJ5. That little ute was 894 mm (35.2 inches – yes a yard) shorter overall and rode on an 826-mm (32.5-inch) stubbier wheelbase, but the Unlimited’s growth is all in the name of real-life functionality.
If it weren’t what the customer wanted the Wrangler Unlimited wouldn’t have become one of the darlings of the entire Chrysler group lineup since inception. Before the new Wrangler arrived here in Canada, Jeep TJ sales languished at 4,524 units in 2004, 5,378 in 2005, and 5,090 in 2006, while the first year this four-door Unlimited was added to the mix Canadian sales increased to 9,834 in 2007.
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Calendar year 2008 saw another dramatic rise in sales numbers with the new Wrangler finding 12,137 customers, while other than a blip downward while recovering from the 2009 and 2010 recession, sales have continued to increase since, to the point that Jeep sold a record 23,057 Wranglers in Canada last year. Odd but true, we Canadians like this all-American 4×4 more than US buyers, at least per capita, the latter number pulled from a pool of 35 million Canadians while only 175,328 Wranglers were sold to a deeper pool of 320 million Americans in 2014. That too was a banner year for the Wrangler in the US, however, evidence that Jeep has really figured out the 4×4 market.
Saying that “Jeep has really figured out the 4×4 market” might seem odd to some, but it’s not as if the Jeep name simply sells itself. Certainly it helps to have legendary
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
status attached to every Wrangler that hits the dealer lot, but if Toledo didn’t back up such lore with a 4×4 that lived up to the storied brand’s 4×4 bravado its epic credentials might soon slip to myth and folklore, or worse a fantastical fairy tale. As it is the Wrangler remains one of few real off-roaders still available, which means that those who truly enjoy wilderness adventure can still purchase something brand new that’s capable of getting them deep into the woods or desert and back again, while those who want to look like they’re the brawny types that venture off life’s beaten track can also drive a vehicle that makes them feel like Tom Cruise’s Cage in Edge of Tomorrow or better yet, Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Some might say it’s all about image, but you can’t have the image without real street cred, or should I say trail cred.
But
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
don’t only take my word for it. Over the last few years the Wrangler has added a number of awards to what was already an impressive trophy shelf. An abbreviated list includes Four Wheeler of the Year from Four Wheeler Magazine, 4×4 of the Year from Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, Best Off-Road Value from Active Lifestyle Vehicle, Hottest 4×4 SUV from SEMA, Mid-size SUV of Texas award from the Texas Auto Writers Association, Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Award for a compact utility vehicle for four years straight (2012–2015), Kelley Blue Book’s Top 10 Best Resale Value award for five years running (2011–2015), Editors’ Choice from Car and Driver, 2014 Best Retained Value from Edmunds.com, Best Consumer Value from Vincentric, 10 Vehicles with the Best Resale Value from Autobytel, Kelley Blue Book’s 10 Coolest Cars Under $25,000, Best Retained Value (Compact SUV) from Canadian Black Book, and more, plus just announced while writing this review, Wrangler Unlimited was awarded
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
best-in-class Entry SUV honours for the second year in a row from Strategic Vision’s 20th Annual Total Quality Index.
You may have noticed a consistent theme, value. It’s not only an inexpensive vehicle to purchase compared to many other SUVs on the market, but it also holds its resale value very well. This last point actually matters just as much as the initial price, because (excluding interest and taxes) the real price we pay for a vehicle is the difference between the purchase price and the resale or trade-in price. According to the above sources, few vehicles will give you more bang for your buck than a Jeep Wrangler, so it’s not only a vehicle that satisfies the emotive sensors but also one that simply makes sense.
As
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
a mode de transport it’s quite comfortable and fully capable of hauling passengers and cargo, the former claim likely surprising to those who last experienced Jeep in the YJ era, and the latter complement similarly shocking to anyone who hasn’t spent time in an Unlimited. And just to be clear I’m not talking about the 2004–2006 TJ Unlimited that was stretched yet only came with two doors, but rather the 2007 and onward Wrangler Unlimited that offered up real four-door access with room to spare for life’s gear. While housing a second row with comfort aplenty for two and a third if necessary, the space behind the seatbacks measures a sizable 880 litres (31.2 cubic feet). Drop those 60/40-split rear seatbacks down and a full 1,980 litres (69.9 cubic feet) makes itself useful, while the process to do so couldn’t be made much easier. Simply flick a lever on the side of each seat and the backrest drops forward while the headrest simultaneously
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
flips down and out of the way of the front seatback in one fluid movement. These things are so slick it’s as if the engineers from Jeep’s comfort and convenience team were sharing afterhours brews with Chryco’s minivan department to sneak some magic seat tips.
Compared to the regular Wrangler’s stowage capability the Unlimited’s volume really does seem like it will never end. The base Wrangler can manage up to 348 litres (12.3 cubic feet) of gear behind its rear seatbacks, while if you fold them down it can carry up to 1,486 litres (52.5 cubic feet) of outdoor lifestyle paraphernalia. Decent enough for its compact class for sure, I’m getting the feeling from Jeep that this shorter Wrangler is only here for tradition’s sake. Of the 10 Wranglers Jeep has loaned us for testing since the 2006 launch program I spoke
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
of earlier, only two were regular wheelbase versions, the other eight Unlimited models. And those two were right after the new model introduction during the 2008 model year, in which we also tested an Unlimited Rubicon. Since then I’ve personally tested and reviewed a 2009 Unlimited Sahara, 2010 Unlimited Rubicon, 2011 Unlimited Rubicon, 2013 Unlimited Sahara, 2013 Unlimited Rubicon 10th Anniversary, 2014 Unlimited Polar Edition, and this 2015 Unlimited Sahara, but no regular wheelbase Wrangler. Just the same, that’s a lot of seven-slot SUVs to spend seven days at a time with, easily enough to give me a unique appreciation of this very special North American icon.
First off, changes to the Wrangler are slow to come and some items that an SUV buyer
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
might expect to see on the latest, greatest model of a segment leader are not available at all. Proximity-sensing access with pushbutton start, a powered liftgate, panoramic glass sunroof, side-curtain airbags? No, and not going to happen ever. The first one is possible to produce, but I don’t think Wrangler owners would want it. The second is downright impossible as the Wrangler has a swing-out rear door with a tire mounted on its backside, and the brand sticks so closely to tradition they haven’t even modified it to open up on the other side for easier access when parked curbside.
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Those who lived through the ’70s will attest that sunroofs don’t work very well on fibre-glass tops, and the Wrangler Sahara’s can be taken off completely and replaced by the base optional soft top, a smaller “bra” and various aftermarket contraptions, or you can just remove its two T-top front panels if you want a little sunshine while driving. As far as airbags go, it’s two up front and an optional set of side-impact bags integrated into the front seats, but this convertible model can’t integrate curtain airbags to protect rear passengers. No, if you want all of the new conveniences you’ll need to opt for one of Jeep’s other 4x4s, such as the new Renegade, Cherokee or Grand Cherokee. It’s possible Wrangler might get LED DRLs at some point, and/or turn signals integrated into its big side mirror housings, especially if they get mandated, but that’s likely about as far as Jeep will go to placate current trends.
The
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
only new item for 2015 is a standard Torx tool kit, complete with all you’ll need to remove the SUV’s hardtop and doors. I’m going to guess the kit includes the necessary tools for bolting on the standard soft top as well, but for anything more mechanical you’ll probably want to rely on your local dealer as even the seemingly rudimentary Wrangler is much more advanced than the old CJ5 or anything else I was able to wrench in my youth.
Under the hood of every Wrangler is Chryco’s formidable 3.6-litre Pentastar VVT V6, with 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, which incidentally is more power and twist than the old CJ’s V8. It’s also much more refined in every respect, and easily the best engine Jeep’s ever offered in this storied sport ute – it’s a three-time
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
winner of Ward’s “10 Best Engines” award after all. While I, for one, pine for a nice fuel-efficient turbo-diesel, which would be the ultimate engine choice for off-roading if not only for the increased distance it could travel into the wild without refueling, it’s difficult to fault this gasoline-powered engine’s smooth, quiet, torque-rich power delivery, nor the optional five-speed automatic that came fitted with my tester.
A six-speed manual comes standard, although in this type of vehicle the autobox is a lot easier to manage, even off the beaten path. Certainly there are plenty of reasons serious off-roaders will want to stick with the DIY shifter, but these folks will also know there are a number of tricky situations that would benefit from an automatic.
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Jeep’s five-speed doesn’t have the multi-speed cachet of the Cherokee’s nine-speed, the Grand Cherokee’s eight-speed or even some of its competitors’ six-speed gearboxes, but it certainly worked well with the 3.6, although an additional final drive gear might prove beneficial to fuel economy on the highway.
As it was, my Wrangler Unlimited Sahara showed an average of 19.1 L/100km on the multi-information display’s fuel estimator, although my week-long mileage and pump calculations resulted in real economy that was closer to its five-cycle EnerGuide rating, claimed to be 15.0 L/100km in the city and 11.4 on the highway with the manual, or 14.8 city and 11.7 highway with the automatic. Yes a diesel would certainly help, but so would more forward gears. The heavier (2,061 kilos or 4,545 lbs for the base GC vs. 1,860 kg or 4,100 lbs for the base WU automatic) albeit more aerodynamically shaped Grand Cherokee manages 13.9 L/100km in the
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
city and 9.8 on the highway with the same engine connected to its eight-speed automatic, while that same transmission joined up to the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel is good for an 11.2 city and 8.4 highway claimed rating. In March of 2013 Auburn Hills promised a diesel-powered Wrangler within two years, which would make it a 2016 model, but so far we haven’t had confirmation on that promise so we’ll have to wait and see. Here’s hoping it’s sooner than later.
No matter if there’s a future engine choice or not, all Wranglers will continue to come with a traditional part-time four-wheel drive system. Base Sport and Sahara models like this one include a two-speed transfer case, while Command-Trac shift-on-the-fly technology lets you quickly swap 2WD for 4WD without the need to completely come to a stop. Serious rock crawling, sand digging and mud-slinging swamp
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
buggy capability comes from a 2.72:1 low range and standard ground clearance that’s 231 mm (9.1 inches) at its lowest and 269 mm (10.6 inches) at its highest with the regular Wrangler or 229 mm (9.0 inches) and 267 mm (10.5 inches) with the Unlimited respectively – it’ll get you into and out of some of the messiest situations you can imagine.
Now that I’ve mentioned trim levels I’d better continue. Sport, a.k.a. base, starts at only $20,695 plus $1,695 for freight and pre-delivery prep, albeit only with the two-door Wrangler. It gets a pretty full list of features including tilt steering, fabric upholstery, driver’s seat height adjustment, a front passenger seat that folds forward for easy access to the second row, an easy-clean interior with removable carpet and drain plugs, sliding sun visors with vanity mirrors, temperature and compass displays, an eight-speaker Uconnect 130 audio system with an aux jack, steering
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
wheel-mounted audio controls, and an improved overhead sound bar integrated into the standard roll bar, plus cruise control, a fold-and-tumble removable rear seat, rear compartment covered storage, a Sunrider soft top (read no standard hardtop), a fold-down windshield, removable metal doors with manual windows and door locks, a body-colour grille, black fender flares and bumpers, fog lamps, 16-inch slot-spoke styled steel wheels on 225/75R16 on- and off-road tires, a full-size spare tire, front and rear tow hooks, fuel tank and transfer case skid plates, a Dana 44 heavy-duty rear axle, a Dana 30 solid front axle, a 160-amp alternator, 600-amp battery, an engine block heater, hill descent control (with the automatic), hill start assist, traction and stability control, electronic roll mitigation, trailer sway control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, hydraulic assist brake booster, tire pressure monitoring, and multistage front airbags.
A
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
move up to Sport S trim pushes the price up to $25,845 plus freight for the regular wheelbase Wrangler and provides entry to the Unlimited model for just $3,000 more at a base of $28,895, while adding larger yet lighter 17-inch alloy wheels on 255/75R17s, deep-tint sunscreen glass, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome and leather-clad shift knob, air conditioning, and satellite radio with a one-year subscription.
As mentioned my tester was the Unlimited Sahara model, which starts at $35,165 plus freight, only $2,400 more than the regular Wrangler Sahara. Sahara upgrades include polished 18-inch alloys with Satin Carbon painted centres on 255/70R18s, body-colour fender flares, bright bumper overlays, a Freedom Top modular hardtop in black (body-colour is optional), tubular side steps, automatic headlamps, powered locks with remote entry, remote start (with the automatic), powered windows, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with integrated LED map lights,
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
heated side mirrors, the Uconnect 430N infotainment system with a 6.5-inch full-colour high-resolution touchscreen display integrating an Alpine audio system with nine Infinity speakers including a sub and a 552-watt amplifier, bright interior accents, a handy home-style 115-volt power outlet, and a heavy-duty suspension with gas-charged shocks.
Unless you’re a diehard off-roader or simply have to have the best of the best, the Sahara is the Wrangler to go with, as the Rubicon is likely more Jeep than you’ll ever need. The aptly named Rubicon, which starts at $35,765 for the regular wheelbase and $38,165 for the Unlimited version, actually goes back to the Sunrider soft top, albeit a premium one, and gets smaller 17-inch rims, but with 32-inch tall off-road rubber, while its performance suspension upgrade isn’t for the
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
feint of heart. Other off-road specialties include an electronically disconnecting sway bar, Tru-Lok front and rear axles, a 4.10 rear axle ratio (3.73 with the auto), a Dana 44 front axle, a 4:1 Rock-Trac heavy-duty transfer case, and rock rails.
Like I said, most will find Sahara trim amply capable off-road yet much more appealing on-road where even the rough and tough Rubicon crowd will spend the majority of their time. The Sahara also offers a raft of optional equipment and my tester had a lot of it, including the body-colour hard top I mentioned earlier, heated front seats, automatic temperature control, the Connectivity Group, the Uconnect 730N infotainment upgrade with navigation, front seat-mounted side airbags, and a trailer tow group with max tow package that allows for 1,588 kilograms (3,500 lbs) of trailering capability with the Unlimited, or 907 kg (2,000 lbs) with the regular wheelbase Wrangler.
Additional
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
options that didn’t come with my tester include leather upholstery, a Mopar Chrome Edition Group, Mopar Premium Chrome Group, a Dual Top Group that includes the Premium Sunrider soft top, an anti-spin rear differential, Mopar slush mats, and 18-inch seven-spoke polished aluminum wheels.
While I’ve been talking up the Wrangler’s off-road capability, you’d be surprised at how well this body-on-frame 4×4 handles on pavement. Stabilizer bars at both ends help, as does a front and rear five-link suspension system that’s anything but independent yet still relatively smooth for such a purpose-built off-roader. Handling is something I would never put in the same sentence with previous Wranglers, unless talking about how poorly it took to fast-paced corners or how adeptly it maneuvered around boulders or through a narrow passage, but this latest
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Wrangler Unlimited felt quite stable when pushed hard, within reason of course. Certainly it’s no Cherokee through the corners, but I was never ill at ease when traveling at high speeds and it certainly kept me comfortable enough in the city and on the open road.
Yes, with each generation Jeep further gentrifies the Wrangler, this 2015 model only lacking soft-touch surfaces on the dash top and door uppers to compete with SUVs likes Jeep’s own Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, but then again such luxuries would be uncharacteristic of this 4×4-first sport ute. Its switchgear is certainly good, mind you, and the way my tester was kitted out made it feel more like a luxury ute than anything remotely entry-level.
As good as the Wrangler is I will forever complain about the rear door until they decide
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
to stray from tradition and hinge it on the other side to make it more useful in North American markets and in other ride-hand drive markets. Loading this thing from curbside is almost impossible without first stepping into the street, which isn’t the safest and therefore not the most intelligent way to go about servicing Jeep’s largest, richest and most loyal markets. What is intelligent, however, are those folding rear seats I mentioned earlier, although they’d be even better if a small pull-down cargo floor extender was added between the rear seats and load floor to stop smaller items from rolling into the big gap between. Also unusual, the upgraded subwoofer is buried right into the middle of the cargo floor. Jeep obviously had nowhere else to put it, and while it sounds great to the ears it doesn’t seem like a very sound idea as the thought of some liquid cargo pouring through
 |
| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
the open speaker grille, which would then have to be removed, its innards cleaned out and possibly replaced, is an accident waiting to happen.
OK, so it’s not perfect, but the Jeep Wrangler remains one of my favourite SUVs just the same, while this latest iteration is just a bit better than ever before. Try to find a more capable off-roader with a higher degree of refinement and you’ll be paying more than $120,000 for a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and even then you’ll be surprised at how much nicer the Jeep is in many respects, while I’d be curious to see how the big German would measure up against this lighter weight American in a modern-day Panzer vs. Sherman 4×4 duel.
The smart choice for any 4×4 buyer? Save your money at purchase and when it comes time to resell by getting a Wrangler.
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)
