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By Steve Walker

Introductionword count: 89

You might well be able to trace the Jeep Wrangler's noble bloodline back to World War Two but is that really something to be celebrated in the modern motoring era? Jeep fans will be angrily fixing bayonets at the very suggestion that the Wrangler is anything other than an American hero. The rest of us could easily view it as a bit of an anachronism. So what is the truth and should UK car buyers consider a used Wrangler alongside the myriad other 4x4s out there for similar money?

Modelsword count: 11

Models Covered: 2/3dr 4x4 hard/soft top: 2.5, 4.0 petrol [Sport, Sahara]

Historyword count: 178

We could set out on a detailed history of the Jeep Wrangler starting with the 1938 Willys Jeep but we'd still be here well into the next century. Instead, we're concentrating on the 2007 iteration, a vehicle that aimed to blend the classic Wrangler look and feel with newfangled modern excesses like interior space, ride comfort and fuel economy. This model was launched in the Spring of 2007, replacing the previous generation Wrangler which had been on sale in the UK for a decade and had grown conspicuously irrelevant by the time the axe fell. The all new 2007 model arrived with the old 4.0 V6 petrol engine and a 2.8-litre CRD diesel but the aging petrol unit that could only muster 174bhp from its six cylinders and quartet of litres was swiftly replaced by a more modern 3.8-litre 196bhp unit. The range was split between the short wheelbase two-door, soft-top models which more closely adhere to the iconic Wrangler formula and five-door, long wheelbase cars with fixed roofs and the feel of a rather uncompromising family 4x4.

What You Getword count: 206

Jeep was never about to change the Wrangler's styling too drastically. Round lights, the Jeep seven-slatted grille, trapezoidal wheel arches, external door hinges and rubber bonnet catches are all present and correct on this car. The Wrangler looks properly butch then, but the difference is it's bigger in this guise. Even on the short wheelbase model, the cabin is larger in all dimensions and a fold and tumble feature for the rear seat virtually doubles the available cargo capacity. For the first time in the car's history, it also received a curved glass windscreen to reduce drag and help refinement. The bad news is that in building the Wrangler, Jeep remained intent on showing Korean manufacturers how cheap interior plastics can feel if proper corporate commitment and resolve is directed at the task. The 'Freedom Top' roof also requires an entire page of instructions to remove, which would appear to make it a once a twelve month job. A simpler folding soft top was offered but only as an aftermarket accessory. Ergonomics are patchy, with electric window switches on the fascia and door mirrors that you need to prod the glass with your finger to adjust. Despite this, the Wrangler remains a big-hearted and likeable thing.

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