Jeep’s new Wrangler is brawny, versatile

Thankfully, winter eventually ends everywhere, and come summer the Unlimited can perform its Transformers act, converting into a stripped-down toy for the beach or the mountains. A fabric roof is standard equipment on the Unlimited, but the available “Freedom Top” removable hard top provides that insulation and security most four-door customers will want.

Removing the roof is a chore and it will need storage space once taken off. In the Jeep tradition, the doors come off too. This is another awkward task, but the doors can be removed and installed by one person. The doors’ wiring connects to the mother ship with a connector that’s a bear to release, though maybe it loosens up with use (and practice). A separate removable roof panel over the front seats gives the Freedom Top-equipped Wrangler Unlimited a sunroof configuration for sunny days when there is no time to deal with removing the rest of the roof.

The only downside to the removable roof is that its design means the rear window is attached to the top of the roof. Opening the side-hinged rear door only opens the lower part of the access to the cargo space because the rear window stays in place with the roof. You can flip that up too, but only after the door has swung the spare tire out of the way. So rear cargo access is less convenient than we have come to expect from our top-hinged hatchback SUVs and vans, but it’s probably a compromise drivers who truly need the Jeep’s Rubicon Trail-certified off-road capability are willing to make.

Inside, with its flat, hard surfaces and rubber floor covering, the Wrangler remains true to its spartan military roots, with a cabin that looks amenable to an occasional hose down. In reality, it can be pretty lavishly outfitted, with optional goodies such as a remote starter, Sirius satellite radio, and a built-in hard drive for music storage.

The 202-horsepower V-6 engine moves the Wrangler with just as much brio and refinement as is required of an iconic off-roader (which is to say, not a lot). But this iron-block engine with its old-style pushrod valves is a substantial improvement over the previous model’s asthmatic inline six-cylinder engine, which was probably first unearthed by Indiana Jones in a Pharaoh’s snake-filled tomb.

On-road safety has long been a concern for capable off-road machines, because their tall, narrow stance that serves them so well in the snow and mud makes them “tippy” when driven on pavement.

With its wheels pushed to its far corners, the Unlimited has a secure stance that makes it much less prone to rolling over in a crash. The Jeep is also outfitted with all of the latest electronic countermeasures, including electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, traction control, antilock brakes and tire pressure monitoring, all of which should reduce the likelihood of it flipping over.

The Wrangler Unlimited is by far the best Wrangler ever, and its Transformers act makes it a vehicle that is unique in the industry. But perhaps even more significant than Wrangler’s transformation is that of its driver when the sun is out and the roof and doors are stowed at home. If they’ve also left the child seats and their occupants at home, they’re likely thinking, “If only I had this Jeep when I was single!”

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