The Good 12 v4.0 Part 8 – Jeep Wrangler

The 2011 Jeep Wrangler – a vehicle many consider a handful of compromises too many – is more of an all-in-one vehicle than anything else on the market today. Listen to this list of demands and try and think of any other vehicle capable of even coming close to matching the requirements. First off, the vehicle needs to be priced low. Hundreds of models are crossed off the list. Next up, the vehicle needs to be a convertible. Now the choices are very limited. Torque would be nice. So would seating for four. The image needs to be right, too: nothing girly or cheesy or trendy.

Oh, and off-road capability is a must.

There is one such vehicle meeting these requirements on the market in North America. It happens to be priced very low. The convertible top, or should we say tops, are easy to manhandle. Wranglers aren’t road racers, but power is plentiful. Rear passengers don’t have acres of space, but your friends will feel so cool when you’re driving down Rodeo Drive and their hair is blowing in the wind. The Jeep’s image, of course, is set in stone. And yeah, Wranglers do alright when the pavement ends.

Engines: 202 horsepower; 237 lb-ft of torque from a 3.8L V6

Base USD/CAD Price: $22,045 / $21,595

City Fuel Economy: 15 miles per gallon

4×4: Wrangler ground clearance can be as high as 10.3 inches. Approach angles range from 40.8 degrees to 44.6; departure angles from 37.4 to 40.6. Wranglers are less than 13 feet long and barely more than six feet wide, capable of squeaking through the narrowest portions of most any trail. Every 2011 Jeep Wrangler is fitted with a Dana 30 front axle and a heavy-duty Dana 44 rear axle.

Sales Stats: In 2010, the Jeep Wrangler has routinely been on the Best Sellers lists both in Canada and the United States. Canadian year-to-date sales of the Wrangler were up 61% at the end of October. In America, 2010 sales will top 90,000 by New Year’s Eve.