Saturday, July 27, 2013
2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited review
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is a Wrangler with a ten-inch-longer wheelbase and five extra inches of rear overhang, so it has more room inside and a better on-road ride but is slightly less nimble off-road.Hey, where are you going? Theres more to the story than that. We havent told you about the extra underhood sound insulation yet!
First Glance
There is just no mistaking a Jeep Wrangler. Todays design still mimics the famous World War II vehicle that GIs traveled in as they fought the enemy in Europe. Back then, it was a Willys. Today, its a product from a German-owned company called DaimlerChrysler, which has said Jeep is extremely important if the company is to rebound from its long slumber. Our tested Wrangler Unlimited was canary yellow with a black ragtop and plastic windows for all but the front two doors, which now have crank-up glass windows. The headlights are once again round and the grille features those famous Jeep slots. The Jeep Wrangler sits high off the ground with a variety of skid plates protecting parts on its underside. A full-size spare tire is on a rear door, where it partially blocks the view to the rear and invites maximum damage to the vehicle should it back into something. But worst of all, the reason I would never buy or own a Jeep, is the location of the composite gas tank rearward of the rear axle, only inches from the rear bumper. This location invites rupture in rear-end accidents, and lessons learned from the infamous Ford Pinto and GM "saddlebag" gas tanks havent yet been translated into a safe location for the gas tank in a Jeep.
They are obvious, however, when it comes time to carry stuff, as the cargo area is twice as large as the standard Wranglers. Towing capacity goes up 1500 pounds, to 3500, although payload is only 800 pounds. Even with no cargo, four guys could push the 800-pound threshold, but why are you driving around with three guys, anyway? Go pick up a couple chicks and a keg, bro.
On the Road
In the boonies, this vehicle offers almost everything an adventurer could want to get to and back from some secret location. But the most offroad adventure many folks undertake is a dirt road to a vacation cabin. For many, its running through a flower bed. We mostly drive on paved roads, and around town, the Jeep Wrangler is awful. Its ride is harsh, although improved from some earlier models; its steering is jerky; accelerator touchy; entry and exit worse than a sports car. Its ragtop removal is complicated. The owners manual devotes about 15 pages to explaining how to lower the top. Frankly, I gave up. It had to stay up or down, and since rain was a possibility, it stayed up. In that position, it flapped its protest at highway speeds. Noise intrusion was extreme - from wind, from offroad tires, from lack of sound deadening insulation. Tractor-trailers sounded as if they drove through the Jeep. Fuel mileage from the 4-liter, inline six-cylinder is a weak 16 city and 19 highway. The quick steering and inability to hold center made control of the Jeep difficult at all times; crosswinds made it a nightmare. And numerous stickers in the Jeep warned me this has a "high rollover hazard". On the road experience? As bad as it gets.
source : automobilemag.com
