Jeeps remind us that driving is awesome
TRAIL BOSS: Wrangler offers great looks, a relatively quiet cabin, good power and can tackle tough terrain
It makes no sense. It’s not all that sophisticated. It’s loud. It’s about as aerodynamic as a doghouse, and it drives only a little better than a John Deere. And yet the Jeep Wrangler is adorable.
Modelled after the Jeep CJ (and before that, the Willys Jeep), the 2017 Wrangler might be a little long in the tooth, but it offers a refreshingly simple antidote to today’s politically correct and overly sensitive culture by laying bare its essential philosophy: “Drive me, I’m a Jeep. Let’s go have some fun.” And so we did. Over ice and through snow — some of it up to the skid plates — the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4x4 let it be known that it still rides with solid front axles in front and back, that its body is still bolted to the frame, and that its mission is not to pamper, but to bring back the unique feeling of driving a large piece of mechanical equipment.
Sure, there’s plenty of bouncing around in the driver’s seat — good luck not spilling coffee in a cup without a lid — and steering that can get heavy when overworked. But there’s a pureness to this rawness, a plain truth that driving is still an awesome activity meant to be enjoyed, not a chore meant to be hurried through.
Even better, the roof and doors come off. The procedure to remove them doesn’t appear all that difficult for anyone who has ever assembled Ikea furniture. The front overhead panels are even easier to take off.
But what other vehicle offers either two or four doors, great looks, a relatively quiet cabin, good power and the ability to tackle tough terrain while being able to transform itself into something that embraces every inch of the outdoors?
Exactly. Until Ford’s new Bronco comes along, the Wrangler is the only open-top trail boss around.
This is why the Wrangler, which starts at $28,445 but can go well north of $50,000 (our Unlimited Sahara cost $52,335 with freight and delivery), is so popular. It has sold more than 18,000 units in Canada every year for the past five, and roughly 10 times more in the U.S. By comparison, Toyota sold about 800 of its off-roading FJs in Canada every year before it was discontinued in 2014, and the FJ was equally excellent.
But, let’s be honest. Even though the Wrangler is designed to chew up the back 40, few owners spend much time there, so it’s worth measuring the Wrangler as a city dweller, which is where some of its shortcomings show up. Many of the interior plastics feel cheap, the wind noise is substantial, and the stopping distance from 100 km/h is about 45 metres. A Hyundai Tucson, by comparison, requires about 39 m.
Outward visibility is below average, and there was no rear-view camera, something that ought to be standard across the model range. But at least LED headlamps and fog lamps are now optional, and inexpensive at $495. They work well.
The front seats were heated. Automatic climate control also produced excellent heat, with a strong fan to clear the windows. The seats are a bit narrow, but not uncomfortable.
The older head unit wouldn’t pair with my older iPhone 5S, and the task of pairing is needlessly complicated. FCA needs to make its excellent Uconnect system standard here.
The gearshift to activate parttime 4WD is simple to operate: one tug and 4WD is active, one push and it’s off and you’re back to rearwheel drive. But the lever needs to be made from far better materials with a better, more attractive feel and handle because this is the golden wand to unlock so much of the Wrangler’s magic.
The Wrangler’s 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 pulled strongly off the line with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.
Passing power is good, but the five-speed automatic transmission, however reliable, could use a sixth gear to quiet things down a little at speed. The six-speed manual would be a better choice.
Fuel economy registered at 17 L/100 km, but I doubt this represents real-world driving, where the Wrangler is rated at 14.7 city and 11.7 highway. Still, it’s no fuel miser.
Somehow, that didn’t matter when spending time with Wrangler. Any of its shortcomings were muted any time we drove it.