So we got a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Our first encounter with the Pentastar-engined 2012 Jeep Wrangler was around the time it was launched in the UAE, where we were given a car and thrown into the desert wilderness. In that trial-by-fire, we made our way out in one piece, all by ourselves, without ever getting stuck, and navigating with visual clues rather than by GPS. This time, our car does have GPS, although we’re just soaking in what it feels like in an urban environment.
Indeed, this one has GPS, power windows, Bluetooth and even a USB port. It may be a barebones offroader, but it ain’t that bare to the bone.
You still get the off-road tyres, high ground clearance, plasticky roof panels and huge bench-like bumpers. It might very well be one of the last 4x4s left that still come with a rear-mounted spare tyre as standard.
Of course, that sounds cool right until the time you have to juggle that heavy two-piece tailgate while carrying groceries. The bottom half has to be swung all the way sideways before the top half can be swung up. The boot itself is big enough, even with a subwoofer taking up space, while the reversible floor mat is a great idea, rubber on one side and carpet on the other.
When we drove the new Jeep Wrangler at the Jeep Jamboree event a few months ago, we couldn’t particularly tell how much quicker it was than the old model (which incidentally still looked the same). But now that we’ve performance-tested it, we can say it is much quicker than before, and you won’t get overtaken by Toyota Yarises and Nissan Tiidas any more. More in the full review.
Comments
Deb Monauni
Jeep Wranglers have been catching on fire for years, and Chrysler has been sweeping it under their giant corporate rug for years. The 07 Wranglers were recalled in 09 for a fire risk due to the transmission, Chryslers answer to the re call was to install a warning light that is supposed to warn the driver of a fire. The problem with this is they did not correct the cause of the fires, just installed a warning light, and the warning lights don’t work. I bought my 07 Wrangler in 2010, it was recalled and the warning light was installed, I knew nothing about the risk of fire, or the warning light that was installed. In February my Wrangler caught on fire in my drive way, exploded and caught my house on fire, no warning lights went off. The inspectors determined that the fire started in my transmission, however they are inconclusive as to what caused my transmission to catch on fire. Wranglers are a defective vehicle that should be taken off the road
Ironman
Man, are you serious? Thats terrible if this really happened to you. I’ve always known much older jeeps to have overheating issues but fire?! Hope you had a good insurance to back you.