2008 Jeep Wrangler

Editor: New Car Test Drive
Unstoppable off road, livable on road.

Walk Around

The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most widely recognizable vehicles in the world. The '07 redesign retained its traditional look. The latest generation looks quite similar to the previous generation, which ended with the 2006 model year.

Up front you'll find the classic round headlamps, Jeep's seven-slot grille, and a front bumper with integrated fog lamps. The upright fold-down windshield is slightly curved for better aerodynamics and reduced wind noise.

Identifying a Wrangler Unlimited is easy: Just count the doors. Unlimited models have four doors.

Along the sides, all Wranglers have assist steps under the doors to make climbing in easier, and fender flares that are bolted on, so they can be easily taken off and replaced with cooler aftermarket flares. The bumpers, step assists and fender flares are all sturdy, flat-black plastic on the X.

The standard soft top is relatively easy to remove and install. The Sunrider soft top slides back half way, like a huge sunroof over the front seats. The optional three-piece modular hardtop (Freedom Top) has two front panels that easily pop on and off like a T-top, and can be stored behind the rear seat. The third panel over the rear seat can be removed separately and stored in the garage. The Freedom Top yields a total of six open-air possibilities.

Under the body, there's a boxed frame with seven cross members. Wide spaced frame rails cradle the fuel tank between the wheels. Three skid plates protect the fuel tank, transfer case and automatic transmission oil pan.

Interior

Wranglers have traditionally been known as cramped inside. The current Jeep Wrangler two-door is a lot roomier inside than pre-2007 models, thanks to its increased width. The comfortable high-back front seats, using a handsome stain-resistant gray or khaki-colored fabric in the Sahara and Rubicon, offer 5.1 inches more shoulder room and 4.6 inches more hip room than previous-generation models. The removable rear seat provides 3.9 inches more shoulder room, 1.6 inches more hip room and 1 inch more leg room for each of the two passengers. There's also 2 more inches behind the rear seat, which folds to provide nearly twice the cargo capacity as before.

The larger Unlimited offers more than 86 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded flat. Jeep claims that's more cargo space than the Toyota FJ Cruiser, Hummer H3, or Nissan Xterra offer. The headrests flip back, so they don't need to be removed, making it easy to switch between cargo and back-seat passenger modes. In the rear seat, the Unlimited offers 1.6 more inches of leg room and a whopping 12 inches more hip room than two-door models. That huge difference is because in the regular Wrangler, the rear passengers sit directly over the axle and between the wheel wells; in the Unlimited, the axle is located behind them. That also greatly improves the ride for back-seat riders in the Unlimited.

The layout of the clean instrument panel is excellent, against a background of dull (neither flat nor gloss) black plastic. The instruments, including the optional compass and temperature gauges, are easy to read, and the controls are soothingly simple. The solid square buttons look good and are easy to understand and operate. There's a nice leather-wrapped four-spoke steering wheel, with a short cruise-control stalk that's out of the way on the right side. The materials are made of sturdy plastic that works well in the utilitarian Wrangler.

The 368-watt Infinity sound system comes with seven speakers, including a subwoofer. That's a lot of speakers for a Jeep, but we think this is a good thing. It comes with Sirius satellite radio, good for keeping up with the news when out in the boonies. Located under the sound system controls are big climate control knobs, with buttons for available power windows above that.

Jeep's MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System comes with a 6.5-inch touch screen, a 20-gigabyte hard drive and a navigation system with voice control and real-time traffic information. The hard drive holds songs, pictures and navigation map information. CDs can be ripped right to the hard drive, and songs and pictures can be transferred via a USB port. A Gracenotes database sorts songs by artist, track and song title. We'd definitely spring for the navi with real-time traffic reporting.

Between the seats are the shift lever, a short four-wheel-drive lever, two cupholders, emergency brake handle, and a console that's wide and deep, if not long. The locking glove box is pretty big and there's a convenient grab handle above it. This is a Jeep, after all, so the grab handle will be used in the bouncy bits.

The modular Freedom Top for the Unlimited features sections above each passenger that easily lift off after twisting a fastener. These sections can be stored behind the rear seat. The larger section over the rear seat can also be removed but can't be stored in the vehicle; you'll have to leave it at home. We found storing the two roof panels eliminates most of the cargo space. Cargo space is not unlimited in the Unlimited. We couldn't fit four carry-on-sized bags behind the rear seat. And watch out for the rear glass on the Freedom Top; it rises on its own when opened, and will whack you on the chin (or forehead, or nose) if you forget to step back.