As the owner of a classic Jeep CJ-7 I am in awe of this newest Wrangler. It has morphed into a vehicle that, as an adult, you can actually drive everyday without undue penalty, all while reveling in an slice of iconic American engineering, and without feeling like a pretender. For this latest Jeep is more capable off road than almost any of its illustrious predecessors. But as I kept it on pavement, let’s concentrate there.

It still looks the business, from its butch stance to great details like the exposed door hinges. Inside, it’s amazing. Redesigned and upgraded last year, the new cockpit is well built of what feel to be high-quality materials (though ones that can still stand the weather when you leave the top off), and you can get most all the modern gizmos such as Bluetooth, iPod hookup, and nav, along with cozy-making features like heated seats and remote start. The leather seats in my Rubicon tester seemed silly though; they felt—and squeaked—just like the vinyl ones in my 1982 model.

The other big change of late is the replacement of the gutless (yet fuel guzzling) old V6 for the new 3.6-liter Phoenix twincam engine. Its 285hp mean this is the most powerful “real” Jeep ever, and whether hooked to the 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic (as in my tester) it is not only genuinely quick now, but also turns in better real-world fuel economy than most any Wrangler in history. It is also so much more refined than what’s gone before that I almost can’t believe it’s a Jeep.

Thankfully they’ve worked on the Wrangler’s refinement in other areas like wind and road noise suppression, meaning this quieter engine contributes to a (relatively) serene highway experience for occupants instead of drawing attention to deficits elsewhere. The ride is likewise well-resolved for such a purpose-built machine, and handling and steering feel are better than any other true Jeep I’ve ever driven. There’s still some “hobby horsing” to the ride motions; inevitable really, with such a high cg and short wheelbase. No doubt the more popular four-door Unlimited model mitigates this to some extent.

It is hard not to see why the Wrangler has become such a massive sales success, Jeep’s number one seller, and one of the best vehicles you can buy for resale value. Here is a true slice of American heritage that is now a legitimate choice as an only vehicle. And one that still kicks ass off road, whether on the Rubicon or anywhere else the pavement ends.

EPA ratings: 17/21

Price as tested: $35,660

Send article as PDF to