The Jeep Wrangler is one SUV that stands out of the pack in more than one ways. While most of the off-road SUVs in the market today compromise between off-road ability and on-road prowess, the Wrangler remains the only no compromise off-road vehicle on sale today. The 2009 Wrangler does justice to its heritage retaining its go-anywhere ability.
The Wrangler comes in three levels, the basic Wrangler X, Wrangler Sahara and potent
The car has been in the market in one form or the other since the 1940s. However, the boulder-climbing abilities come at the price of on road comfort and performance. The ride is stiff, yet the car rolls and pitches a lot in corners. Unfortunately, the quality of the interiors, or the equipments list is not attractive either. Many of the creatures comforts that are taken for granted in most of its competitors are absent in the Jeep Wrangler. The quality of plastic materials used in the interior is abysmal. In short, it is one of the least-comfortable cars in the market to be driven on the road. However, it is off the road that the car comes to its elements. With foldable roof and windshield and removable doors, it can transform into an open top rock crawler. Think of the 2009 Wrangler as the ultimate, unstoppable Off-Roader.
The base X model is sparsely equipped, with even the air conditioner not making its way into the list of standard equipments. The standard features for this model are a CD player and an immensely useful hill start assist function. The long list of optional extras which are available includes limited slip differential, tow hooks, compass, cruise control, remote engine start and power windows. The Sahara features most of the above mentioned features along with 17-inch alloy wheels, heavy-duty suspension and body colored fender. The Rubicon is equipped lies between Sahara and X but features notable upgrades for off-road duty like drive train upgrades, BFGoodrich off-road tires and an electronically disconnecting stabilizer bars for increasing the articulation limit.
All 2009 models are powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produces a humble 202 horsepower and 237 pound-feet of torque. The engine transfers the power via a 6 speed manual gearbox (there is an option for a 4 speed auto). All Wranglers come with full time four wheel drive with high and low gears to make sure that it keeps moving even on the steepest inclines. The Rubicon goes a step further with extra-low gearing, trailer sway control, electronically locking front and rear differentials and heavy duty differentials. The EPA estimated fuel economy for the four wheel drive Wrangler is 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway.
The Wrangler is equipped with all necessary safety equipments like the ABS, Stability Control, hill start assist and a roll over sensor. Side airbags are a highly recommended optional extra on the car. It fared exceedingly well in frontal crash tests. However, the absence of side airbag as a standard features result in shockingly poor side-impact test results.
The interior of the Wrangler is designed for dealing with extremes environments, mostly made up of hard plastics which are easy to clean upon becoming dirty. The seats are not designed to hug the driver or give supports while encountering high amount of lateral forces. All these makes the Wrangler an uncomfortable vehicle to travel on surfaced roads but fun for off-roads.
Source: www.nitrobahn.com
