Driving this Jeep is a hard wrangle
Wow, this is cool Daddy, what is it?” says my daughter as she clambers into the back of the 70th Anniversary edition Jeep Wrangler. I appear to have acquired instant street cred. Amongst the under threes, in any case.
That I am driving this car at all for this column is questionable. There is almost nothing about the Jeep Wrangler that fits with my brief to write about premium, luxury and commuter cars. And with CO2 emission figures of 213g/km this is not a vehicle that will be popular with the Mayor’s office.
Thankfully, I get to throw in the occasional oddball for entertainment value. These days Jeep’s Wrangler seems increasingly outmoded despite earning itself a massive cult following over the years. Its design has its origins in the Willys Jeep from WWII, which goes some way to explaining how badly it drives by modern day standards. In truth there are elements of this Wrangler that feel like a 70-year-old vehicle design.
It’s impossible not to bounce around on its leather-trimmed seats as they jump around on their springs. At times I feel like Tigger in an old jalopy. One of my posher friends said it reminded her of riding in a horse and carriage.
The acceleration and steering are also crude. The steering requires multiple inputs which becomes tiring although things get easier at higher speeds on the motorway.
The throttle progression is not subtle. More on or off, like throwing an old, mechanical switch. Its 197bhp 2.8-litre diesel engine is able to accelerate from 0-62mph in 12.9 seconds. So it’s slow. But this is Jeep’s off-road model. The Wrangler – alongside the British stalwart the Land Rover Defender – share a special relationship. Both are almost exactly the same age. They are as proper a 4×4 as an SUV can be. Rock hard in other words. Not made for the City. The attributes that have make them so excellent in the hands of generations of soldiers and farmers make them more challenging to drive on tarmac.
Yet people still buy them. Because they are uniquely cool. Cool like a dirt bike, like extreme sports, like a Leatherman tool. If you don’t see this then you obviously need to get out more. Globally Jeep continues to sell Wranglers to the wealthy as weekend playthings and more and more money is being spent personalising them.
Which is why you are unlikely to see many of them in the City. On-road things are bearable…just. I find I become increasingly accepting of the Wrangler’s lack of sophistication as I spent more time driving it. But that is not to say that it is good. Almost any other 4×4 will provide a more comfortable ride than the Wrangler – but then they will also be incomparable off-road. And though this 70th Anniversary special edition has plastic trim which dominates its interior, the steering wheel is trimmed in a soft and comfortable leather and chrome and brushed aluminium adorns key areas of the interior, including the gear shift. Also, there is an acceptable sat-nav system and using the cruise control reduces fatigue. The roof is removable, though the weekend we have the car is characterised by biblical amounts of rain. Shame, having the roof off would have been fun.
This is a vehicle that could make for some memorable trips. By today’s standards it is slow, uncomfortable and uneconomical. There is very little storage space in the rear; this is a vehicle you strap things to under tarpaulin rather than carry stuff in the “boot”.
But the Wrangler cries out for a fishing trip, for a canoe, a beach, even a campfire would do. It’s just not right for urban use. It’s wrong on so many levels. But as a weekend plaything it’s a big boy’s Tonka toy and I love it, warts and all. It feels large and awkward and a little unpredictable: maybe the Mayor would like it after all?
THE FACTS: JEEP WRANGLER 70TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
PRICE: £27,395
0-62MPH: 12.9 secs
TOP SPEED: 107mph
CO2 G/KM: 213g/km
MPG COMBINED: 34.9mpg
The VERDICT:
DESIGN **
PERFORMANCE **
PRACTICALITY **
VALUE FOR MONEY **