Except for the Porsche 911, no vehicle has preserved its purity of essence like the Jeep Wrangler. Now its new Italian don has blessed it with the latest corporate power parts. Hit the jump to read the review.
Funk Flex
Find Flex Google+
Last year, the funslayers at Consumer Reports proclaimed the Jeep Wrangler the worst vehicle for sale in America, even over the Smart ForTwo. Noisy! Harsh! Vibrate-y! — which, to Jeep enthusiasts, are features, not bugs. But the funslayers have a point.
Since it came home from World War II and began civilian life as a glorified farm implement, the Wrangler has lured thousands of buyers promising a jamboree of toughness, only to reward them with the on-road manners of a surly mule and the durability of a box of pinot grigio at a Josh Grobin concert.
After Fiat saved Chrysler from its death wobble, the Jeep has undergone an inside-out transformation meant to address its faults among the Philistines, leading to this: a Wrangler with more standard horsepower than a Nissan 350Z sported just five years ago.
True Wrangler acolytes embrace changes with the giddy enthusiasm of Popes. Fans have never stopped mourning the death of the antique AMC 4-liter inline six motor, and with reason; The advent of the 3.8-liter V6 in 2007 with the heavier JK chassis and its cranky four-speed automatic transmission dragooned from Mopar minivans left Wranglers feeling as if forward motion came from a hundred junebugs bridled to the front tow hooks.
The new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, now the go-to power for all things Chrysler, sports 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, weighs 90 pounds less that the boat-anchor 3.8. Changes for Wrangler duty include new intakes, exhaust and an alternator that will give mechanics a “hey, lookit” moment: To ensure the engine could survive the Wrangler plowing into 30 inches of water, the alternator was not only raised but reversed, with its pulley facing the block. Behind it is Chrysler’s five-speed automatic transmission, the one 80% of buyers will take, along with the carryover six-speed manual for those who want to keep the mule whip in their hands.
