The Jeep Wrangler is a direct descendant of the Willys Jeep used during the Second World War. A car that was robust and could handle many an off road challenge. A true heavy duty off-roader. There have been many subtle but ever improving upgrades since then, including the production of the four door models from 2007 and the fan base of the car has ever increased. Still today the Jeep Wrangler is one of the most agile off-road SUV’s. After market companies have created an enormous amount of additional gear and accessories to suit all off-road environments but none more popular than Mopar! I had the privilege of being given the keys to the Jeep Wrangler Sahara but not just any Sahara. This was fitted out with all the latest Mopar gear. Everything every 4x4 nut would want. This Jeep was all ready to hit the dunes and that was exactly what I did:
The style of the Jeep Wrangler has hardly changed in its almost 70 year history, keeping the classical look of the original Willys Jeep. It carries the military feel and the looks of old. Some may say that the car is looking rather out of date, and I would agree, it is a little. The purist will love the Wrangler and its stubborn want to be like its fore fathers, that’s what they want. “Why change it” will be the common reply to this. So the Wrangler sits by itself, it is kinda doing its own thing. It’s boxy and it’s practical in all 4x4 terms. To top the looks of this Shara off, it had been decorated with the latest gear from Mopar. Higher suspension, making the car look quite tall, Larger wheels and tyres from Rubicon and Cooper, LED roof mounted off-road lighting, solid steel front and rear bumpers and the winch by warn.
This is a four wheel drive meant for the tracks, mountains, mud or sand. The interior reflects this. Robust plastic, rubberised dashboard and functions purposely made to enable easy cleaning. Everything has been put together well and will handle a heavy hand. All the materials were close to premium. Switches and dials not quite Range Rover but they were certainly well put together.
The short wheel base Wrangler should be thought of as pretty much a two seater. Plenty of room for driver and front passenger. In the back, a slightly different story. Getting in will be the first challenge. The car is already high and two door. So for front seats you will find yourself climbing to get in. The seats come forward but you will still need to squeeze through the gap. Once in, room is reasonable but not going to be the most comfortable ride off-road. Knees are almost touching the front seats. You will probably feel more like a cocktail being prepared, once the car is cutting up the dunes. I would suggest that the back is more for the picnic basket and accessories that you do not want to get dusty or wet. Visibility on the whole is pretty good. The dashboard is a little high, so for those a little shorter in height you may find a small challenge. That said though, any true off-roader will understand that your view will be more what you see from the side windows than the front.
The Wrangler has slowly made advances over the years; however they do not go too far with them. Techno on this SUV is minimal and rightly so. Why for something that will be thrown around the off-road circuit would you need all the fancy techno that resides in a lot of the modern cars today? It does have a reasonable stereo, nothing too fancy but enough to keep you singing your favourite tunes while crossing the dunes. It has a touch screen and was fitted with the optional rear view reverse camera. The one feature that I did like was the cruise control. The accelerator was bias to off-road driving and driving at the same speed on the road meant your foot couldn’t quite rest.
Safety tests for the wrangler are not the highest amongst the SUV market and it retains an average rating among its competitors. Front airbags are standard and there is an option to have side seat mounted airbags. ABS (Anti-Lock brakes) and ESS (Electronic Stability System) are fitted.
This model had the Pentastar 3.6 litre V6 engine, which was matched to a five speed auto transmission. The Wrangler made the 0-100kph run in 10.8 seconds, reasonable considering all the extra suspension upgrade. The experience generally on road is a little crude but again this was expected. I have owned a wrangler in the past and this had the 2.5 litre engine. It was pretty gutless to be honest but take it off-road and true reason this car was made came to light. The power and transmission on this 2014 Wrangler work so well with the dunes and the rough terrain. It was smooth, agile and controllable.
Road handling a little crude. There is a constant need to correct the steering. The short wheel base is great in a tight spot, though you need to be sure of the footing, as little power is required to assist the 4x4 system. Off-Road and the Handling is a dream. Even with some awkward rises and drops the Wrangler will smoothly push through. The suspension fitted from Mopar is a fantastic addition to the car and certainly gives the clearance you need. The short wheel base and high suspension allow for greater flexibility. I have seen many a Toyota Land Cruiser get stuck at the top of a dune having gone a little slow. The extra height and the short wheel base help you cruise through this situation with ease. No requirement of the optional Winch system here.
This is a high vehicle and I automatically expected the braking to be a little unpredictable. As usual I found myself in a quiet spot without traffic. I took the car to 100 and then stepped on the brake. The car lurched forward quite some and it danced a little under foot but on the whole it was pretty good. The Wrangler came to a halt in 3.4 seconds. It could possibly do this quicker but I was happy that with all the extra gear that had been upgraded, that the car came to a halt in such a respectable time.
It is very easy for people to judge the Wrangler without an understanding of the true reason this car is on the planet. Yes it is out of date in style, yes there is wind noise and it doesn’t exactly go like a rocket but it truly makes one hell of a 4x4! That’s its purpose. Let’s not misunderstand this car. It needs rough handling and to handle the rough. You can strap a multitude of equipment to this car and take it just about anywhere. When looking to buy one of these, you will not be looking at it in terms of the school run, going shopping or being able to go to that cocktail party. You want to know, will it handle the wild. Forget sophistication! The Wrangler has two real competitors and that’s the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the Nissan X-Terra. Both are capable vehicles, yet if to think of it in 4x4 terms, I would take the Wrangler. Its agility off-road is far more versatile than both the Toyota and the Nissan. Overall if you want a rugged and durable car that can go just about anywhere, then you cannot go wrong with the Wrangler.
