Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

SPECIFICATIONS

1. A 3.6L V6 is rated at 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. 2. A new 5-speed automatic helps achieve 17 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. 3. The Wrangler Unlimited boasts 31.5 cu-ft of cargo space and 70.6 cu-ft with the rear seats folded flat. 4. Prices start at $25,695.

PREVIEW

War icon. Mud monster. Off-road king. Some might fancy fantasizing about themselves in that light when driving one of America's true automotive icons — the Jeep Wrangler. But just like playing cowboys and Indians, that's a dream outdated as so many Westerns.

It's hardly a bag thing, though. Wranglers of old were crude machines that really did belong trudging through soft ground. Fast-forward to the present day and Fiat holds the reigns at Chrysler. There’s a four-door variant — the Wrangler Unlimited — and the whole package is better mannered for daily driving.

Instead, like most SUVs, Wranglers are likely to spend more time tooling around the blacktop. Thankfully, Jeep is well aware of the need to balance its rowdy off-roader with city composure.

INTERIOR

As for those uniquely hinged doors, they’re intriguing, but have their drawbacks too. You’re not likely to try parking on a hill and getting out during a test drive, but you should. That’s because the doors swing freely, held by a nylon strip to keep them from flying around and smacking the front fender. Similarly, you’ll have to hang on while opening them and facing downhill. You’re also likely to be dishing out unintentional door dings on a frequent basis.

In a week’s time driving the car that included passengers ranging from five-foot females to a competing bodybuilder, not a single person closed the doors on the first try. You need to slam then in the truest sense of the phrase.

None of those passengers complained of being cramped. There’s plenty of useable space in the second row: 40.4 inches of headroom and 37.2 inches for your legs. That’s more headroom and almost as much rear seat legroom as the Grand Cherokee.

Towing capacity varies based on which axel ratio you choose. You’re limited to 2,000 lbs with the 3.21 ratio while the 3.73 ratio raises that figure to a 3,500-lb maximum trailer capacity.

UNDER THE HOOD

Last year Chrysler made important updates to the Wrangler powertrain. Now it comes with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that makes 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Just as you would expect, there's a second lever to put the car into low- and high-geared four-wheel drive modes. Unless wasting gas gives you kicks, or it's snowy, that lever will be on 2H most of the time. Assuming that's the case, a firm foot to the gas pedal makes the car squat with purpose as it powers forward, though you won't really be going as fast as it’s squishy suspension suggests.

Great for navigating bumps and backwoods, the soft-sprung Jeep gets tiresome during daily driving, especially at higher speeds as it sways and leans. True, this sort of drive is something to be expected, but it’s also to be considered carefully if this is meant to be a commuter car.

Boxy cars are usually easy to see out of, and in most ways that's true with the Wrangler. Big side mirrors make driving in a crowded city less stressful. Being able to see exactly where the car ends in front is also helpful.

What isn't, on the other hand, is how the full-size spare bolted to the rear makes an already small window even harder to see out of. In Jeep World, full size spares just make sense. Skipping it while wheeling would be stupid, but once again this isn't the backcountry.