 RE-FIND
WRANGLERSJeep Icon Takes Another Evolutionary Step In 65-Year History By Bruce W. Smith Three-foot-high granite boulders and off-camber stairsteps are major off-road obstacles for the typical SUV in an era where building trucks more like cars is the mantra among the automotive manufacturers. Face a true off-road adventure and the majority of today’s SUVs would remain at the trailhead parked like trailer queens at a car show. Jeep is the odd one out—at least the group of engineers and designers heading up the Wrangler division. They continue to believe that having a vehicle with four-wheel-drive means it should be at home off-road, yet civilized enough to be both family and street friendly. Imagine that. We could. But we didn’t quite imagine just how well Jeep could refine the 2007 Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited until we drove them over the Rubicon and around the highways and streets of Lake Tahoe. Jeeps all-new models prove turning 65-years-old is a really good thing. MORE OF EVERYTHING During round-table discussions with passionate owners, one thing was
clear when it came to what they wanted So Jeep just added more of everything. More on-road refinement. More power. More off-road capability. More interior comfort and space. More safety features. More options. More convenience features. More value for the dollar. Yet it still looks like a Jeep Wrangler and retains the Wrangler familiarity in all the right places. The distinctive grille is still there, as is the familiar Jeep shape. Sure, the front bumper has integrated fog lights now, the headlights and taillights have a new shape and placement, fender flares are flatter and wider, the windshield has a slight curve to it, the body panel gaps are much tighter, and the door skins now wrap around into the interior panels. But the new look hasn’t degraded the Wrangler appeal in the least. The refinements are just that, refinements.
Paving the way for many of the additions and refinements is the new chassis. The 2007 Wrangler and four-door Unlimited have a new, fully-boxed frame that is now wider than Dodge Ram pickups, making the new model Jeep more than five inches wider overall than its predecessor, and giving it a 3.5-inche wider footprint. The four-door Unlimited benefits from the same chassis with 20.6 inches added to the wheelbase. We never found neither the extra width nor longer wheelbase to be a detriment on the demanding Rubicon. In fact, they added an increased level of off-road capability and comfort compared to the older models we’ve driven. On-road the difference the new chassis on both models makes is night and day. Despite the bigger presence, the Wrangler and Unlimited still maintain class-leading approach and departure angles, ground clearance, suspension travel and underbody protection; all key elements in maintaining true off-road capability.
A big part of that off-road prowess and refined street stability is the refined steering and new suspension. Jeep still retains the recirculating-ball system, but it’s been highly refines so it delivers a much faster responding, tighter and more precise feel than the old version. The suspension is also much nicer. Wranglers use a five-link coil suspension for the solid front and rear axles and softer spring rates in the front than the “TJ”. The track bars are now mounted outboard of the new frame and the springs inboard. In addition, the new high-pressure monotube,shocks are now canted inboard at the top, which Jeep engineers say provide much more consistent suspension control between a light load and a heavy load. But the coolest change is the electronic-disconnect front stabilizer bar, which debuted in the 2006 Dodge Power Wagon. Jeep calls the new setup the Active Sway Bar System (ASBS). It works fast and effectively. Push a button on the bottom of the instrument cluster stack and if the Wrangler is moving slower than 18mph in four-wheel-drive, one side of the front sway bar instantly disconnects giving 28-percent more suspension travel. The instant suspension and traction improvement with ASBS activated in demanding off-road conditions is remarkable to say the least. As soon as speed increase above 18mph ASBS automatically re-engages,
reducing body roll and shortening up MORE TRACTION FASTER Jeep has retained the same transfer cases and last year: the second-generation Command-Trac NV241, part-time, two-speed with the 2.72:1 low-range is in the Wrangler X and Sahara models while the Rock-Trac NV241 with the 4.0:1 low-range gearing is under the Rubicons The big change Jeep brought to the party is enhanced traction. The ’07 Rubicons come with beefy Dana 44 axles (standard models come with Dana 30 fronts and either a Dana 35 or Dana 44 rear axle) fitted with electric-locking Tru-Lock 4.10s. The Tru-Locks are electrically-actuated lockers—not limited-slips. No more waiting for the air-activated lockers of the past to engage. Now a single button next to the ASBS instantly activates the rear, or both rear and front lockers, giving the Wrangler Rubicon and Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon the kind of traction that used to be only available as an expensive aftermarket upgrade. COMPUTERIZED CONTROL If you are thinking of buying a plain Wrangler and think you’re being left out, don’t fret. Wranglers get Brake Lock Differentials (BLDs) along with Chrysler Group’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP)—both firsts for Jeep. BLD is built-in to ESP and allows the on-board computer to electronically control the amount of power going to each wheel and adjust tat using brae modulation to maximize traction whenever tires start spinning. The cool part is there’s a special BLD computer calibrations for both regular driving and when the transfer case is in 4-Low.
The system, which has three driver-selectable modes—“on,” “partial on,” and “full off”—includes Hydraulic Brake Assist, Traction Control, the BLDs, and Electronic Roll Mitigation. The latter applies braking at individual wheels when the system “sees” a scenario where vehicle speed, direction and steering input are on the verge of inducing a roll-over. Electronic Throttle Control is another key update to the new Wrangler. No more pogo-sticking as you bounce along the trail. Now throttle control is velvet smooth—on or off-pavement. V-POWER INSTEAD OF I-6 Speaking of throttle, gone is the straight-six. Under the new hood is a Chrysler 202hp 3.8-liter V6 mated to a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The V6 is lighter and shorter than the old engine, and it’s also more fuel efficient. EPA numbers show the four-wheel-drive Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited get 17/19 city/highway with the six-speed and 16/19 respectively with the automatic. The 2WD Wrangler Unlimited models get 17/21. The V6 doesn’t feel as torquey off-idle as the inline-six did at the lower rpm, but it definitely provides a wider, stronger, smoother power band above 3,400rpm. Towing capacity for those interested in toting ATVs, boats, pop-up camp trailers, or PWCs, is 2,000 pounds for the short-wheelbase Wrangler and 3,500 for the four-door Unlimited. The wider chassis and redesigned Wrangler body now leaves an engine bay that easily accommodates the V-6 and hints at V8-power in the future. But that’s just speculation. FINALLY, ROOM TO SPARE One area where there’s no need of speculations is the interior of the
new Wranglers. The all-new interior finally The wider body adds almost five square feet of space to the front seating area with 5.1 inches more should room and 4.6 inches more hip space. Rear passengers get a similar increase in space and an additional inch of legroom. The rear seats fold and tumble, too, providing a generous amount of rear cargo storage beyond what lies behind the second row seats. Jump into the four-door Unlimited and those with a family will think
they’ve gone to Jeep Nirvana. The interior is well done, the seats
comfortable, and access to both front and rear seating rivals any of
Jeep’s mid-size SUV As for cargo space, there’s more open space behind the second-row seats of the Unlimited than that found in the Toyota FJ Cruiser, Hummer H3 and Nissan Xterra. Fold the 60/40 split seats down and you instantly have nearly 87 cubic feet to work with. PRICED RIGHT Those are the types of features that will bring the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited onto the radar screens of a lot of SUV buyers who liked the icons looks but have never really considered buying one because of practicality issues. Another item that will be attractive is pricing: The all-new Wranglers average $1,200 less than similar ’06 models—and with more than $1,800 in upgraded contents added to each model. For example, the base model Wrangler X has an MSRP of $18,756 while the top-of-the line Wrangler Rubicon lists for $26,750. Unlimiteds start at $20,410 for the 2WD model and top out at $28,895 for the loaded four-door Unlimited Rubicon. Today that’s a lot of value for the dollar—especially when the four-wheel-drive is one that is just as comfortable in the mud, rocks, and sand and it is cruising the mall or dicing through rush-hour traffic. Happy birthday, Jeep! You proved Jeep lovers can have their cake and eat it too. –Bruce W. Smith Basic Specifications 2007 JEEP Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited (MSRP $18,756 - $28,895) Body Style....................................................................Wrangler (2-door) / Unlimited (4-door) Chassis……………………………………………….. boxed ladder frame Engine…………………………………… 3.8L OHV EFI V-6 Compression ratio…………..................................................... 9.6:1 Horsepower..................................................................... 205 hp @ 5,200 rpm) Torque..................................................................................... 240 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm Transmission………….6spd manual; 4spd automatic (opt) Axle Ratio...........................................................................3.21 Std., 4.10 Opt. (Std. on Rubicon) Transfer Case…… NV241 Command-Trac (2.72:1); NV241 Rock-Trac (4.0:1) Std on Rubicon Suspension/Front……………............................Live axle, leading arms, track bar, coil springs, stabilizer bar, low-pressure (on 16-inch wheel packages) gas-charged shock absorbers—std.; Monotube high-pressure (on 17- and 18-inch wheel packages) gas-charged shock absorbers—std.; Electronic Sway Bar Disconnect System (ASDS) opt. Suspension/Rear ....................................................Live axle, trailing arms, track bar, coil springs, stabilizer bar, low-pressure (on 16-inch wheel packages) gas-charged shock absorbers—std.; Monotube high-pressure (on 17- and 18-inch wheel packages) gas-charged shock absorbers Turning Diameter (curb-to-curb)…. ................................................. 41.2 ft. w/ 225/75R16 tires Steering Turns (lock-to-lock) ...............................................................................................3.5 Brakes …………………………………………… 4-wheel-disc ABS, ESP DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES General Overall Length.....................................................152.8” (Wrangler); 173.4” (Unlimited) Overall Width.....................................................................................73.9” Height.........................................................................................................................70.9” Wheelbase...........................................................95.4” (Wrangler); 116” (Unlimited) Track, Front ...............................................................................................................................61.9 Overhang, Front..........................................................................................................................26.7 Overhang, Rear...........................................................................................................................30.6 Maximum Payload (includes occupants and cargo)............................................................ 1000 lbs. (454 kg) Fuel Capacity ………………………………………………………19 gals Maximum Ground clearance: 10.5” front); 10.2” rear w/ LT255/75R17 Curb Weight………………………….3,760-4,129 lbs (Wrangler); 4,075-4,340 lbs (Unlimited)
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changed in the next generation Jeep: Nothing. 
A
LARGER PRESENCE
SUPERB
SUSPENSION 
front suspension travel.
ESP
brings a lot to the table, too. This sophisticated computer system helps
the driver maintain vehicle control and stability in all sorts of
situations that might otherwise lead to some undesirable consequences. 
brings a level of refinement and comfort never before seen in Jeep’s long
history. 
competitors.