05 Wrangler Unlimited Review
So you’re a Jeep purist and you’re just not too sure on how to take this new member of the family. It looks like a Jeep, Smells like a Jeep, is off-road capable like a Jeep but, is it a Jeep? The 2005 Wrangler Unlimited is everything you have come to expect in a Jeep TJ, plus a few more inches. Since when have a few more inches really been a bad thing, right? 10 inches in the wheelbase to be exact. The new Unlimited has been stretched to a wheelbase of 103 inches overall and has picked up an additional 13 inches of room behind the back seat and two inches of rear seat legroom. Having previously driven both the XJ body style Cherokee as well as the ZJ style Grand Cherokee, I can confidently say, this is the greatest Jeep yet! It combines the go-anywhere capability Wranglers have become legendary for with additional people and cargo room that has kept me in the aforementioned Jeep models until now. Opening the rear tailgate and not seeing the back seat staring you in the face is a welcome surprise to this former Cherokee advocate (may they rest in peace). The additional length of the Wrangler Unlimited is not just all about the additional space. Now here is where the purists get nervous.. The additional length also has impact on the vehicles ride characteristics... Being that this new Jeep Unlimited has a longer wheelbase, this also translates into a smoother ride through the pot-hole ridden asphalt jungle that is our daily commute this time of year. Where a short wheelbase (SWB) wrangler may be prone to kick to the side over a good sized bump, the Unlimited takes it in stride. Don’t get me wrong, this is no Cadillac, you still feel the bump but, you feel like you are in a truck that is in control of things. In addition to ride, the longer wheelbase also allows the Wrangler Unlimited to have a towing capacity of 3500 lbs. Now not only can you haul more in your wrangler, you can haul more behind it too! The other things that make a regular Wrangler TJ great are reporting for duty in the Wrangler Unlimited as well. The diehard 4.0L inline-six cylinder engine is standard equipment rated at 190 horsepower. For 2005, this engine is backed by either a 4 speed Automatic or a new for 2005 6spd Manual Transmission. The 4wd is put to the pavement via a part-time shift-on-the fly transfer case system operated via a lever on the floor which is much preferred over the push button complication of much of the Wrangler’s competition. So to answer my original question, is it a Jeep? Definitely! Now, like myself, there is just more to love… For more information visit: http://www.jeep.com/wrangler/models/unlimited.html