Jeep Wrangler SUV Review
SUV Reviewer
July 2011 was a great month Jeep Wrangler SUVs. They had a record selling month in America with over fourteen thousand of them going out to proud new owners. These Jeep Wrangler SUVs remember, had the time honored engines which, while excellent work horses, made the heavyweight vehicle as nimble as Big Momma on the dance floor. The new 2012 Wranglers with the Pentastar powerhouses are far more agile and fast. On the highway, not their natural home, they are now quieter and faster, so they can get up to the speed limit without strain, which was not always the case. The gas pedal is light and responsive. The Wrangler is also surprisingly noise free inside. This is due partly to a thick insulating engine covering and extra NVH work. The driving seat is well positioned and the visibility through the flat forward windscreen is very good. While the suspension setting is both comfortable and steady, a bonus feature in such an elevated drivers car that could be prone to suspension wallow. Out on the range, the Wrangler is the vehicle of choice for this reviewer. The electronic differentials set and the transfer case in the lowest ranges, the 'Rubicon' version trundled up a rocky, hole pitted steep slope in a forest it seemed, almost without effort. The coil springs gave great control over all four live axles, while the 3.6's throttle map lets the driver have power to the right contact points, and that can be where only diagonally opposed tires are the only two places where the Wrangler touches Earth.
The new Jeep Wrangler SUV engines are better all round. They are tilted 3.6 liter Pentastar V-6, a 4-cam on an aluminum block base that delivers 285 brake horsepower at 6400 revs per minute and 260 pounds per foot of torque at 4800 rpm on regular unleaded petrol. This is a big improvement on the previous 3.8, which gives just 202 bhp at 5200 rpm and 237 lbs per foot of torque at 4000 rpm. In addition the Pentastar has variable timing on the intake and exhaust cams and is just 90 lbs in weight. The alternator is now relocated to a higher position and out of ford splash range since the Jeep Wrangler SUV keeps its useful thirty inch river crossing ability. A new oil pan is designed and fitted to accommodate the front axle. The rugged transmission for the Jeep Wrangler SUV is a 6-speed manual. Jeep Wrangler SUVs are now satisfyingly quicker. Jeep claim 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and more relevantly at this time the EPA fuel economy is better, by up to 2 mpg combined town and off road in certain models. This means the new Wrangler gives a creditable 17 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.
Jeep Wrangler SUVs come in 3 base versions, and there are refreshingly no price increases for 2012; the 'Sport' at $22,045, the 'Sahara' $27,970 and the 'Rubicon' $29,995. This last can be had with a body matching hardtop and fenders, a new idea for Wranglers. Given these prices it is hard to believe that the first thing owners do, after driving away from the dealership, is to get into the wilderness, the mud, the rivers and the boulders. The hardest choice is for buyers is between the 4 door or the two door and there is no right decision because your needs will change from week to week.
The new Jeep Wrangler SUV engines are better all round. They are tilted 3.6 liter Pentastar V-6, a 4-cam on an aluminum block base that delivers 285 brake horsepower at 6400 revs per minute and 260 pounds per foot of torque at 4800 rpm on regular unleaded petrol. This is a big improvement on the previous 3.8, which gives just 202 bhp at 5200 rpm and 237 lbs per foot of torque at 4000 rpm. In addition the Pentastar has variable timing on the intake and exhaust cams and is just 90 lbs in weight. The alternator is now relocated to a higher position and out of ford splash range since the Jeep Wrangler SUV keeps its useful thirty inch river crossing ability. A new oil pan is designed and fitted to accommodate the front axle. The rugged transmission for the Jeep Wrangler SUV is a 6-speed manual. Jeep Wrangler SUVs are now satisfyingly quicker. Jeep claim 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and more relevantly at this time the EPA fuel economy is better, by up to 2 mpg combined town and off road in certain models. This means the new Wrangler gives a creditable 17 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.
Jeep Wrangler SUVs come in 3 base versions, and there are refreshingly no price increases for 2012; the 'Sport' at $22,045, the 'Sahara' $27,970 and the 'Rubicon' $29,995. This last can be had with a body matching hardtop and fenders, a new idea for Wranglers. Given these prices it is hard to believe that the first thing owners do, after driving away from the dealership, is to get into the wilderness, the mud, the rivers and the boulders. The hardest choice is for buyers is between the 4 door or the two door and there is no right decision because your needs will change from week to week.
