Your Clubs

Like most men his age, my husband has been trying to justify the purchase of a rough and tumble Jeep for more than ten years. My argument has always prevailed, as I consistently answered each plea with the "But honey, that's not a family vehicle" trump card. Much to my chagrin, he appeared at my desk one afternoon with a fresh car magazine and a mischievous gleam in his eye. He strategically placed the magazine directly in my line of vision, and quipped "There. Now we don't have an excuse anymore", as he walked away. Staring at the article, I saw the image of the four-door Jeep as a counter-attack, one which would likely cripple my defense.

Within days, I was informed that my next scheduled evaluation would be based on the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. At that point, I was completely indifferent. Neither a fan nor a foe, I had no prior experience with Wranglers, other than listening as my husband obsessed about the one he had prior to meeting me. He reflected on that old Jeep frequently, bragging about running this vehicle over all ends of the earth, abusing it endlessly, and how he just knew it was still alive somewhere. He claims that Jeeps are immortal. That's impressive, but I've never really been a fan of purpose-built vehicles.

When the Wrangler arrived at our home, you can probably guess who dashed out the front door first. I must admit I wondered if I would be able to pilot a vehicle of this proportion. The Jeep looked tall and wide, large and in charge. The Rescue Green paint even seemed to scream that this vehicle meant business. Our test model had a base price of $26,075, but being extremely well-equipped, the sticker price was increased to $29,540. I decided to give the Jeep the same fair chance I give each evaluation vehicle, reserving my opinions until after I had the chance to experience using it as my daily transportation.

As I opened the door, I expected to find a no-frills, archaic cabin. After all, isn't that what the image is about? While the interior layout was somewhat basic, the amenities were quite upscale. The gauges were large and visible, the shifter handle had brushed aluminum accents, and the cloth seats were surprisingly comfortable. The fact that the window switches are located just under the radio took some getting used to, but once I was able to adjust to that difference, it seemed like a much better idea than fumbling around looking for switches on the door panel. The Jeep was also equipped with a fully-padded roll bar, adding an extra sense of security.

In regular driving conditions, the Wrangler fared extremely well. For a vehicle of its stature, the Jeep had excellent braking and steering. While the suspension was rigid, I cannot fault the vehicle for that quality. This is a vehicle that was engineered to have superb off road capability as well as be well-mannered in everyday conditions. The 3.8 liter V6 supplied plenty of acceleration on demand, and cabin noise was at an amazing minimum. With a removable top and doors, one would expect the Wrangler to have issues with wind noise. Even at highway speeds, the passenger compartment remained peaceful and quiet. With our optional 4.10 axle ratio, calculated gas mileage in a mix of city and highway driving was 17.1 MPG. I found this figure to be more than acceptable, considering the fact that I spent a good eighty percent of my seat time in 4WD.