Jeep Wrangler (1996 - To Date)
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
The word icon has become a hackneyed expression. In an age of disposable celebrity and transient success, icons, legends and classics are manufactured overnight. At Jeep, however, they see things differently. Back in 1938, the original brief for a light reconnaissance vehicle resulted in the development of the Willys Jeep, with 368,000 being built during World War 2.
General George C Marshall described it as "Americas greatest contribution to modern warfare". The spiritual successor to the Willys Jeep is todays Jeep Wrangler. Its bloodline can be traced directly back through various guises, through the CJ series, right back to its illustrious military forebear. But does what makes sense in a theatre of war make a sensible used buy in more sophisticated times? The Jeep Wrangler is in every sense a throwback from another era.
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Designed for a young crowd, the Wrangler isnt laden down with creature comforts. What you get is basically a bouncy, noisy, fun to drive jeep powered by gutsy engines. The development of the TJ series saw an acknowledgement that whilst Jeep owners wanted the image, they also wanted some niceties to make life more bearable. The interior of the Wrangler received a makeover which made it look more car-like.
Airbags for both driver and passenger was probably the key change made, as well as an integrated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. A lockable glove box was also introduced, with new high back rear seats. Access to the rear bench was still very awkward, requiring a degree of contortionism to effect an exit. The bench was made wider than before, as the new suspension system intruded less into the passenger compartment.
The key difference between trim levels was the Saharas standard removable hardtop. This is a heavy but well-engineered unit, with glass side and rear windows, heated rear screen and rear wash wipe. Available as an option on Sport models, dont expect to remove it whilst sitting at traffic lights, Mercedes SLK style. The Sahara also gained trailcloth seat fabric, leather covered tilt adjustable steering wheel, intermittent windscreen wipe and a rear seat saddlebag for extra stowage space.
Standard features on Sport models include the soft top with removable soft side and rear windows, radio/cassette, auxiliary power socket, black wheelarch mouldings, and tailgate mounted spare with Jeep wheel cover.
Prices start at around £4,800 for a 1997 P registered 2.5 Sport Soft Top. The hard top Sahara version makes far more sense in our dismal climate, and this model is available from £5,3 00 on a 1997 P plate. Automatic options are popular on the 4.
0 litre Wranglers and are valued at around £500 more. Dont pay more than £200 extra for a 60th Anniversary over the standard 4.0-litre Sport. If a more recent example tickles your fancy a larger outlay is required.
A 2.5 Sport Soft Top on 2001 X-plates will be £6,900 and a 4.0-litre version of identical age about £7,600. An X-plated Hard Top Sahara should be around £7,800 at a dealership and, if youre really pushing the boat out, a 2002 52-reg 4.
0-litre Hard Top Automatic will require approximately £9,800. Wranglers depreciate heavily from new, despite retailing new for less than most people think. Therefore a nearly new Wrangler makes an impressive acquisition at prices which reflect its specific appeal. Insurance is a reasonable Group 12 for the 2.
5 litre cars rising to Group 14 for the powerful 4.0 litre models. Check when buying that the car hasnt been heavily modified for more serious off-road work, as this will have insurance implications.
More than half a century of ongoing development has engineered a degree of toughness into the Wrangler. Able to make a Cherokee look vaguely limp wristed when the going gets really rough, the Wrangler is a hardy companion. Faults are few and far between. As with all serious off-roaders, check for damage to wheels and suspension.
The underbody and wheelarch liners should be unsullied, and intrusive transmission whine can mean a new differential. Check the steering for play and also check all oil seals. On soft-top models, check for rips, tears or holes in the canvas, and also check the rear screen for evidence of fogging. Hard tops should be fitted and removed, as they can warp if left off the vehicle in direct sunlight.
(Estimated prices, based on a 1998 2.5 Sport) They like things big in America, and the same applies to parts prices. Gung-ho off-roading can become a costly pastime. A clutch assembly is around £280 and a full exhaust system around £700, including catalyst.
Front brake pads are around £40 a throw, and a broken front radiator will be £360. Expect to budget around £320 for a new alternator, and the price of those retro round headlamps? £280 each unit.
When you get into a Wrangler, youll either buy into the Jack Daniels, John Wayne and Dirty Dozen image or you wont, theres not normally a great deal of middle ground. For those that do, what can you expect? Firstly, the Wrangler corresponds to all of these stereotypes. Never happier than when crashed into first gear and squealed away from a standing start, its not big on subtlety. Driven at speed, the thrumming of the tyres, bellow of the engine and acoustic deficiencies of whichever top are chosen make it a very vocal partner.
The soft tops tend to flap somewhat, and the hardtops drum at motorway speeds, but whoever chooses a Wrangler as a motorway car will probably lull themselves to sleep with Metallica. There are two distinct and often opposing sets of requirements which make a good off road vehicle and one which is composed on the blacktop. The Wranglers bias is firmly towards the former. Acceleration in the 4.
0 litre models is vivid with 60mph reached in 8.5 seconds, and its entirely possible to arrive at corners carrying more speed than the Wrangler is equipped to deal with. The 2.5 litre model is more sedate, and its even spread of torque makes it a more satisfying tool off road.
The suspension on all models is, despite the improvements, somewhat bouncy. Females choosing Wranglers should invest in a good sports brassiere and avoid short skirts, as a dignified exit from such a height is tricky. Despite their utilitarian antecedents, Wranglers are not particularly practical vehicles. The interior is tight, and the load area is very small.
Four passengers and their luggage is not a viable option. Fuel consumption is high too, with an official combined figure of 25mpg for the 2.5 and 222 for the 4.0.
Exuberant urban or off road use will see a 4.0 Wrangler returning less than 15mpg.
It would be sacrilegious in a way to refer to any of the Wranglers characteristics as faults. Having been in production for over half a century, the Wrangler has reached that stage in life where it doesnt have to try too hard to win new friends. Best to think of the Wrangler as a fun motorised toy, in the same vein as a jetski or a hyper-sports motorbike to be used at weekends, and not as basic transportation. In this light, its characteristics become part of the Jeep charm
