Used 2012 Jeep Wrangler SUV Review & Ratings

Jeep has finally brought more power and better options to the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler. It is now powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It accelerates zero to 60 mph in a quick 7.1 seconds and returns 17 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but a five-speed automatic is optional. Unlike many other sport utility vehicles, the Wrangler comes as a standard four-wheel drive vehicle.

Underneath everything, Jeep constructed the Wrangler with "old-school" solid axles. They also brought back the old hand cranking windows. The new 2012 Jeep Wrangler is even said to be incredibly noisy on a very rough ride. Jeep also didn't think clearly when designing the soft top for the Wrangler as many people say that it is a major puzzle and pain to operate. The soft top is also very inviting to thieves that might come across this sport utility vehicle and decide to help themselves to the contents inside, or the Jeep itself. Other negatives of the Wrangler include very limited secured storage and very long braking distances. When tested, it took a horrible 140 feet to come to a complete stop from 60 mph.

When taking the Wrangler off road, this SUV is pretty much unstoppable. Jeep has made sure that the Wrangler is no longer slow like the previous years. It is now more powerful and has a way better fuel economy. This is a vehicle that has superior off-road capabilities, so if you are an adventure enthusiast, always looking for that unexplored trail, this is a vehicle that will get you to your destination.

Jeep did improve on the interior from previous years. They gave the new Wrangler a cabin filled with a new design that has a stouter and much more natural look. The back seat does however provide seating for only two passengers and has very cramped leg and feet room. For when you want to ride in convertible style in the Wrangler, the cargo comes with cargo tie downs to secure your things so as they won't fall or fly out while driving. Also, with any soft top SUV, carrying cargo can be a very risky business as only the center console and glove box are capable of being locked. The biggest downfall of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler is that although it did rate "Good" in frontal-offset crash tests, it was given the worst rating possible for side-impact tests because there are no side airbags.