Last week’s snowfall brought spirited response from the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door in my possession.
It was as though the soul of the Wrangler was stirred by the white of the ground and chill of the air outside its stall. In reality, perhaps, it was simply that a good performance by the Pentastar V-6 engine and Jeep’s vaunted 4-by-4 setup stoked my passion, as friends have told me for years that cars have no souls, no capacity for thinking.
Regardless, it was the best showing yet for the extended-length, four-door Wrangler, which was introduced in 2007. The 285-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, tied to a 5-speed automatic transmission, is stronger, much smoother and quieter than the 3.8-liter formerly used in the Wrangler. There was not a lot of gear-jumping with the automatic; a 6-speed manual is available.
The Wrangler is a champ in an offroad setting. The Sahara model I drove, in low range, crawled and crept its way through and around thick weeds, some rocks and deep ruts. The Jeep transfer case is still shifted with a floor-mounted lever.
This week, after shifting my attention to a Mercedes GL, I saw the same Jeep Wrangler in town and recognized the driver. I had seen him before; Stuart Wright, who does some automotive reviewing, and, I believe, is heard occasionally on a radio program.
After I trailed him a couple of blocks, he pulled into a coffee shop parking lot; I stopped nearby, got out, and he seemed to know me. “What do you think of the Wrangler,” I asked.
Stu – “Bud Wells! I’ve been reading your columns for 30 years. The Wrangler’s great, and Ruth and I drove it to Rocky Mountain National Park to take some photos. It’s definitely an offroad machine, but I was surprised at the highway manners and lack of wind noise. The 5-speed automatic transmission has no manual mode, but I was not disappointed in its ability to keep the engine at an appropriate rpm while going up Big Thompson Canyon. This new Pentastar engine with its oil-cooled pistons, dual overhead cams and variable-valve timing seems to be a big upgrade and was certainly satisfactory to me. The Unlimited’s extended wheelbase allows for the nice ride and the four doors. Speaking of which, those doors, when open, have no detent and are at the mercy of the wind, or an incline. What did you think of that?”
Bud – The 5-speed automatic is very well matched to the 3.6-liter V-6, and holds tight with gear selection, without jumping back and forth. The doors, of course, are designed for easy removal; that’s why the power-window buttons are placed, somewhat awkwardly, in the center of the dash, rather than on the doors. My biggest complaint is with height of the step rails (running boards), 18 inches, which seems to crowd the step-in process.
Stu – “Yes, Ruth and I weren’t that enamored with the process of getting up in the Jeep, either. About the last time I was around a Jeep, I jumped into the back of one. It was a modified Jeep (Jeepney), one of many left behind in the Philippines after World War II and made into a taxi. The Jeepneys were my primary mode of transportation while at Clark AFB in the 1970s. Speaking of the 1970s, after my discharge I sold trucks in Denver with a guy named Kevin Shanahan. I consider him to be perhaps the best salesman I’ve ever been around. As I recall, his father worked at The Denver Post, perhaps with you. Is that right?”
Bud – Bob Shanahan, Kevin’s father, was an affable Irishman who served as publisher of The Post in the late 1970s. We had several publishers, following E. Palmer Hoyt, through those years, including Charles Buxton and Donald Seawell. For many years, the paper has been under the steady hand of Dean Singleton, who has a keen interest in automobiles.
Stu – “Well, on Saturdays, I sort out the Post Drive section, first thing, and think the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara deserves high marks in its review. I loved the deep cherry red crystal pearl coat paint, and once a person gets up inside the car, its black and dark saddlecloth interior is fetching. I got 20.9 mpg during my time with the Wrangler, so with a 22.5-gallon tank, range is acceptable.”
Bud – I didn’t do as well as you in mpg, averaging 18.3 overall, but, remember, I did some crawling about in low range.
I like the fact the top above the driver can be popped by the twist of two levers, release of a latch and removal of a large bolt. It can be repeated to open the sky above the front-seat passenger.
The Jeep’s hardtop and automatic transmission, along with other options such as automatic temperature control, touch-screen navigation, hill-descent control, remote start and slush mats, brought sticker price to $37,600.
Saturday Drive can also be viewed online at DenverPost.com/Autos. Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.
