Jeep is seeking new horizons for its most famous vehicle.
The combination transforms the Wrangler in a way the styling enhancements never could.
Jeep claims a zero-to-60 acceleration time of 8.4 seconds in the two-door Wrangler, which weighs 315 pounds less than the Unlimited.
For comparison purposes, a stick shift two-door Wrangler also was driven. City/highway fuel consumption is rated at 17/21 for the two-door, with either the stick shift or the automatic, and 16/20 for the automatic four-door and 16/21 for the stick. The automatic has a handy manual-shift mode.
The Jeep engineers have calmed down the interior by installing new engine and transmission mounts, better insulation and an under hood engine cover.
Convertible models with their flapping fabric covers and plastic windows still are plagued with substantial wind and road noise.
But the four-door hardtop Unlimited reviewed here was admirably quiet on the road, expanding the Wrangler horizons by morphing into a vehicle that can capably perform off-road and also function as a commuter and family vacation hauler.
On-road handling was competent, not unlike driving a modern full-size pickup truck. The Unlimited tracked cleanly down the road and had good steering feel, despite the fact that Wranglers have two solid axles and old-fashioned recalculating ball steering. The front seats are reasonably comfortable, though short in the thighs. Jeep officials concede the point but say they had to be short to move far enough forward for rear-seat access in the two-door.
There are four Jeep Wrangler trim levels: Sport, Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon. All Wranglers have part-time four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case for high and low ranges as well as rear-drive for highway cruising.
Traditionalists, being traditional, loathe change, and the 2012 Jeep Wrangler entails the plucking of the Wrangler's very beating heart for a new and improved unit. One run through the gears of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler is all that's needed to prove that the traditionalists can relax. Sheer output isn't everything, and to ensure Jeep-worthiness, the Pentastar received some tweaks. Yes, for 2012 the Wrangler's four-speed automatic has been consigned to the dustbin of history. With the new gearbox ratios and a taller standard axle ratio of 3.06, the automatic-equipped 2012 Jeep Wrangler's overall gearing is now a touch shorter in 1st and a smidge taller in top gear.
Nobody Will Miss the Old Engine
Turned loose on the billiard table-smooth blacktop outside of Portland, Oregon, the reinvigorated Wrangler is more enthusiastic, and the auto box is more likely to have the right gear for the occasion. Zero-to-60 drops to 7.7 seconds for the two-door Wrangler (8.4 for the four-door), compared to 10.4 for the 2011 model. In practice the engine's flat torque curve masks the rate at which speed rises, making its urgency feel appropriate, rather than the old engine's asthmatic.
Jeep officials were proud of the new engine's improved NVH characteristics. The steering remains recalculating-ball type, and it remains hilariously ropey on pavement. Still a Wrangler
Wait, this is a Jeep, right? The Jeep staff insists that all the changes that improve the Wrangler's day-to-day livability will never compromise its off-road capability.
As if to prove it, part of our drive of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler included stints in the off-road-focused Rubicon model up a trail that was crafted to show off the depth of the truck's talents. Though the electronic throttle calibration doesn't always provide instant response, there's ample torque down low in the new engine. It runs cool, too, thanks in part to a new variable-speed 600-watt cooling fan and a larger A/C condenser and transmission cooler. The Wrangler remains a staggeringly capable off-road steed.
No Compromise
Imagine all that added capability and the 2012 Jeep Wrangler even burns less fuel. Yes, its EPA fuel-efficiency numbers are now 17 city/21 highway mpg for two-door models, a 2-mpg bump up last year's numbers.
When Jeep invited us to drive the 2012 Wrangler on the Rubicon Trail, we were filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension. On the one hand, we had the keys to possibly the most capable stock vehicle on the market: the Wrangler Rubicon. Part one happened for the 2011 model year. For 2012, the body-color hardtop and fender flares are optional on the Rubicon, too.
Inside, the welcome revisions include the use of higher-quality materials; a redesigned center stack; new instrument panel and steering wheel; additional storage space; and strategically enhanced sound insulation, making this the quietest Wrangler ever. Wrangler cabin ever. There are a couple details we'd love to see change in future Wranglers, though.
For 2011, Jeep paid homage to the model's heritage by using hex-head bolts in the cabin and attaching a "Jeep, since 1941" strip to the glove box grab handle. The old iron-block 3.8 put out 202 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 237 horsepower at 4000 rpm, and when we last tested a Wrangler equipped with that engine, it reached 60 mph in 9.8 seconds. An interesting note: The Wrangler is the only vehicle in the Chrysler Corporation lineup -- yes, including the cars -- that pairs a manual transmission to the Pentastar. The exception is the 4.10:1 rear axle. The stock axle there is a 3.73:1 axle that improves fuel economy.
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