Jeep Wrangler 2008 review

There's a new Wrangler in town, and things have changed — big time. And nowhere in the extensive range of new JK-Series Wranglers are the changes more deeply felt than in the four-door, turbo-diesel variant.

Extra doors and diesel donk aside, the big change from old Wrangler to new Wrangler isone of refinement and civility.

No longer does the Wrangler drive like a truck and handle like a horse cart. The latest version, at least in four-door CRD guise, is a pleasant place to be regardless of the task at hand.

Although the JK Wrangler retains its predecessor's separate chassis/live-axle design,it is, in fact, new from the ground up.

The old four-litre, straight-six petrol engine has also been consigned to history. The JK-Series sports either a 3.8-litre petrol V6 or the first turbocharged diesel to appear in a Wrangler.

The turbo diesel we tested was backed by a six-speed manual; alternatively, there's an optional five-speed automatic.

As well as its turbo-diesel engine and six-speed manual, the test vehicle was fitted with the Renegade Pack, a $2500 option that includes a hardtop (as well as the standard soft top), tinted glass, side steps and a premium audio system with seven Infinity speakers (including a sub-woofer), a 368-watt amp and an in-dash, six-CD/MP3/DVD player.

If you're a little confused about Wrangler nomenclature, the Sport is the standard model, the Rubicon is the far more serious off-roader, while the Renegade Pack is the aforementioned hardtop-plus-extras package.

The “Unlimited” moniker simply refers to thelong-wheelbase, four-door variants.

The Wrangler's live axles may not do much toenhance on-road dynamics, but they're one of thesecrets behind its impressive off-road ability.

Live axles, especially in conjunction with coilsprings, provide lots of wheel travel, thusmaximising the chances of the tyres remaining incontact with the ground.

In what is an unusual combination, the Wrangler combines live axles with electronic aidsthat include stability control, and both

brake- and throttle-activated traction control.

The throttle-activated traction control cuts the power when the wheels lose traction, while the brake-activated traction (BLDs, or brake-lock differentials, in Jeep-speak) can brake any individual wheel that has lost traction and is spinning faster than its mate on the same axle.

The Wrangler's system has three operating modes that allow the driver to dial in the degreeof electronic assistance appropriate forthe situation at hand.

With the ESP system fully engaged, full stability and traction control is maintained. Thisisthe default mode.

In “partial” mode, the throttle-activated traction control is switched off and the stability control operates at a higher threshold. The brake- lock differentials are still engaged, however.

The third mode allows the driver to fully switch off the stability and throttle-activated traction control, but retain the full functioning ofthe BLDs.

The Wrangler's off-road strengths also extend to excellent approach and departure angles, good ground clearance, and solid front and rearrecovery points.

On the other side of the ledger, the ramp- overangle of the four-door model isn't nearly asgood as the two-door's, visibility from the driver's seat could be improved, and the part-time 4WD system lacks the convenience of a full-time one.

The Wrangler isn't so much a 4WD as a lifestyle. Witness the fact the doors can beremoved, the windscreen can be droppeddown and, with the Renegade Pack, youhave the option of a soft or hard top.

Half-doors are also an option, and even thehardtop can be configured a couple of ways.

Two easily removed panels above the driver and front-seat passenger give the feel of open-air motoring without having to remove the rear section of the hardtop — a two-person job.

The interior is also comfortable and roomy with surprisingly good legroom in the rear. Safety features include driver and passenger airbags. Front-side airbags are an option.

But there are some drawbacks. The centre rear-seat cushion is poorly shaped; the hardtop generates some wind resonance at highway speeds; there's no electric adjustment for the side mirrors; and the tailgate badly needs a brace to hold it in the open position.

Some aspects of the interior fit and finish arealso pretty ordinary by today's standards.

But there's no doubt the JK-Series Wrangler is light-years ahead of its predecessor in all theareas that count.

The turbo-diesel engine is right up at the pointy end of things in terms of performance, refinement and economy, while the four-door model brings day-to-day functionality that previous two-door models could never achieve.

With its various body options, the vehicle can be configured — almost on a day-to-day basis — to suit one's mood, or the activities planned.

This is a Wrangler you can use every day, goholiday touring in, or head off for some serious weekend fun. It will do it all.