Jeep Wrangler 2005 Review

With no mobile reception, and the only payphone in town broken, we had wandered into the pub to use a phone.

We stopped further up the Mudgee Rd at the Shell Roadhouse to top up the Jeep Wrangler Sport we had driven from Sydney before heading down the Turon Rd and on to Sofala, the 4WD way.

The Wrangler is set up for driving off the beaten track so its on-road manners are not very refined. Get it on dirt, however, and it takes on a new personality with a surefooted yet more supple ride. The 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine has plenty of grunt and produces 130kW of power at 4600 revs and 296Nm of torque from 2700 revs. Our Wrangler included a chrome pack worth $4000.

Along the Turon Rd is Turon Gates, a peaceful place with cabins and a grassed camping area on the Turon River.

On the riverbank three 4WDs and a car had stopped, the occupants assessing the torrent raging over the invisible bridge.

"You guys going to cross?" one of the group asked. "Our mate's about to come back, he just took the guys over from that utility, you'll be able to see how high it is on his wheels."

Sure enough back came the LandCruiser utility. "You going to do it?" the camper again urged. "We'll stay and make sure you get across OK." Once over the other side, a friendly wave of thanks was thrown and we headed off to claim our campsite.

Water crossings were to become the theme for the weekend's 4WD adventure. As we unloaded the strategically-packed Wrangler it was surprising how much we'd squeezed in, considering the car is not that big.

The back seats fold up behind the front seats leaving an open square to stack things, and the Wrangler has four tie-down points to secure the load. The only thing that was a bit annoying was the lack of a hinge on the tailgate, which had to be propped open.

The Wrangler feels a little basic with its wind-up windows, lack of central locking and indicators, which require the driver to turn them off manually. While headroom is enormous, shoulder room was comfortable but not abundant. Yet it has what you need, including a six-speed manual, driver and passenger airbags, front disc brakes, full-length centre floor storage with lockable console and two front and rear cup-holders, lockable storage bin and auxiliary power socket that works without the engine on.

The next morning, the river had subsided enough to cross so we could tackle the 24km track to Sofala. The Wrangler ploughed its way around the winding, slippery dirt track in 4WD high, with 4WD low only engaged once to get up a steep rocky incline.

About halfway along the track lay the remnants of a caravan that had become dislodged from its tow vehicle. The empty shell with the bed still visible was testament to the "road unsuitable for caravans" sign.

After crossing a few riverbeds we were faced with a wider and deeper crossing. The indicator depth showed about 400mm but the Wrangler had a fair bit of weight so we slowly trundled across the causeway, which dipped in the middle. As we crossed, the water level kept rising, coming up to the door. Eventually, we came face to face with the widest and deepest crossing of the journey. One that actually made us think twice.

As we sat in the Wrangler assessing the situation we pondered how a stricken off-roader we had seen earlier had managed to get across this one on the way in.

The indicator was just a tad under 500mm, which — with the possibility of a dip in the middle — was a little disconcerting to say the least. But, it was not flowing fast and while the causeway did dip, the Wrangler took it all in its stride. In fact the weekend was a testament to the capabilities of the little truck, which did not put a foot wrong.

On previous 4WD adventures we had often lamented the lack of river crossings. After attempting this track after a week-long deluge of rain the appeal is all but gone.