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Jeep goes to greater lengths for Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler long has been recognized as a vehicle for the young–folks able to tolerate its deficiencies.

And Wrangler has shortcomings, such as a short wheelbase that not only means a rough, bouncy ride, but also encourages you to ease off the throttle when entering corners; a small second-row seat positioned over the rear axle so occupants suffer every bump in the road; front-row seats that bar access to the back seat; and a tiny cargo hold.

But Wrangler looks rugged and with four-wheel-drive it is rugged and can go just about anywhere you point it.

In April Jeep added the 2004 1/2 Wrangler Unlimited, a big brother companion the Wrangler that boasts the familiar look, but a lot more size. The original little Wrangler stays in the lineup.

Unlimited is built on a 10-inch longer wheelbase to improve ride and handling and give it better road manners. It is 15 inches longer overall, with 13 of those added to the cargo hold, 2 inches to rear-seat legroom. It features new tip and slide front seats so it’s easier to get in back and comes with a second-row seat that folds and flips forward if you need even more cargo capacity.

“It has been more than two decades since we offered customers a choice in size with the CJ5 and CJ7 Jeeps,” said Jeff Bell, vice president of marketing for Chrysler/Jeep.

“We’re always listening to our customers by expanding the Wrangler lineup with more usable space and more balanced on-road ride comfort and quietness,” he said.

Those who wanted a larger Wrangler with more space, ride comfort and cargo capacity were those young who, as they got a little older, found they needed more space and welcomed more comfort.

An added benefit of the larger size is that the Unlimited can tow up to 3,500 pounds versus 1,500 with a little Wrangler.

Though Jeep now offers a bigger Wrangler, not all of the vehicle’s problems have been solved.

Rear-seat occupants might have 2 inches more leg room, but the tush is still planted in a seat that rests over the rear axle.

And while Bell boasts that the 4WD Wrangler delivers “the outdoor experience and excitement of driving with the top down, doors off and, if desired, the windshield down on the trails,” it must stand tall and that means you might need a stool to get inside unless you opt for the optional ($150) side steps.

And though the front seats tip and slide forward to open an aisle to the back, you may have to give would-be occupants a gentle nudge to get them through that aisle–providing you got them in the vehicle to begin with.

The Unlimited also sits on huge 30 x 9.5 (30 inches high and 9.5 inches wide) 15-inch radials designed to give the sport-ute a rugged appearance and sure-footed maneuvering when off the road, but not smooth ride or pinpoint handling when on it. You don’t want to take corner s at speed though the wheelbase is longer.

Like all Wranglers, you can’t get power windows or power door locks on the Unlimited. You have to lock each door individually using the key or, to save time, press the lock button on each door and it’ll lock when you close them as you exit.

Just be sure you have the key in your hand before closing the doors.

We tested the ’04 1/2 Unlimited that comes with a standard softtop or optional removable composite plastic hardtop ($795). You’ll be able to get both in the same vehicle in the ’05 model year, Jeep says.

With the hardtop, you get yet another federally mandated sticker on your sun visors, this one reading: “Warning: The top and doors on this vehicle are designed only for protection against the elements. Do not rely on the top and doors to contain occupants within the vehicle or to protect against injury in an accident. Wear seat belts at all times.”

Not exactly a heart-warming message, and either are the other federal stickers on the sun visors to warn that 1) If you sit too close to the air bag when it deploys, you could be killed, and 2) If you take corners at speed in an SUV that stands high to provide off-road ground clearance, you could roll over.

The government, however, doesn’t require a warning label advising second-seat occupants that every bump in the road is going to ruffle their jeans. But, there’s only so many places to stick warning signs on.

Nice touches include the swing-out rear door to the cargo hold with full-size spare attached; the ability to flip and fold the second-row seat from inside the cabin as well as from the back door to expand the cargo hold; and a pair of power plugs, coin holder and dual cupholders in front, dual cupholders in back.

Those extra 13 inches devoted to the cargo hold provide ample space for several duffel bags and assorted gear. With the second-row seat flipped and folded, the cargo hold swells even more in size, though it’s still limited by the protruding wheel wells.

Other nice touches include a thickly padded rollbar (Jeep calls it a sports bar as if no one will know the reason it’s there) with speakers and dome lights attached to serve rear-seat occupants.

The 4WD Unlimited tested comes with a transfer case that allows four-wheel high and low settings for heavy snow as well as just about any off-road adventuring.

Unlimited is powered by a 4-liter, 190-horsepower 4-cylinder that produces 235 foot-pounds of torque for heavy-duty towing and heavy-duty off-roading. It’s teamed only with a 4-speed automatic for now and is rated at only 16 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway. The fact that the Unlimited tips the scales at 3,700 pounds contributes to the low-mileage rating. For ’05, a new 6-speed manual will be available as an option.

The Unlimited with 4WD starts at $24,385 and includes air conditioning, AM/FM stereo radio with in-dash CD player, four-wheel disc brakes, tinted windshield, halogen headlamps, dual manual folding outside mirrors (which should have grown along with the Unlimited’s other dimensions for better side and rear views), fog lamps and full-size spare. Add the side steps at $150. Anti-lock brakes are offered on the original Wrangler, not the Unlimited.

Strictly personal: “Everyone I’ve ever worked for–except the Army–went out of business,” Al Rothenberg, Business editor of Look magazine, joked as we stood outside a Ford preview in Dearborn, Mich., in 1971.

Al then motored back to his office to learn that Look was going to cease publication.

It was Al who volunteered to decipher the Detroit alphabet for the perplexed rookie from Chicago in the ’70s, when auto executives spoke of cars as A, B or C bodies rather than Monte Carlo, Impala or Caprice.

Al, who contributed numerous articles to the Tribune’s Transportation section, died last month of cancer. He’ll be misse d.

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TEST DRIVE

2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4WD

Wheelbase: 103.4 inches

Length: 155.4 inches

Engine: 4-liter, 190-h.p. 4-cylinder

Transmission: 4-speed automatic

Fuel economy: 16 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway

Base price: $24,385

Price as tested: $25,925. Includes $150 for body steps; $295 for audio system with seven speakers and subwoofer; $300 for leather-wrapped steering wheel and electronic speed control; $795 for black hardtop with rear window washer/wiper/defroster. Add $610 for freight.

Pluses: The look of the Wrangler but with 10-inch longer wheelbase, 15-inches added length, 13-inches more cargo space and 2-inches more rear-seat legroom than Wrangler Limited. Better ride, handling and road manners, not to mention room for those designated to ride in back. New tip-and-slide front seats for easier access to the back.

Minuses: Better ride, handling and road manners, but don’t expect to be pampered. Wish outside mirrors were longer and wider, too. Mileage.