Jeep wrangler unlimited auto or manual
In light of Jeep’s recent forays into crossover-dom—see the Renegade and Cherokee, please—we’ve been hit hard with nostalgia for the brand’s good ol’ days. You know, the ones filled with solid axles, real four-wheel drive with low-range gearing, and manly stick-shift transmissions. So we moseyed over to Jeep’s online configurator to start building out a Wrangler, only to remember that, holy crap, the things are expensive. ( Oh, and they’re huge.) That’s okay, our ideal Wrangler isn’t some gussied-up, ,000 toy—it’s a beastly, featureless stripper model, and thanks to Jeep’s addition of a sweet new off-road tire option to the base Sport for 2015, that fantasy can once again be had for relatively little money. This is how we’d build out a Wrangler: MODEL: Jeep Sport Two- Door Manual 4×4 (base price: ,790) There are no fewer than 9 different Wrangler trim levels, two body styles, and—on most models—the choice of a manual or an automatic transmission. With the top-level, four-door Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock pushing ,990, and even milder versions like the sweet-looking Willys Wheeler running between ,790 and ,590, we needed to stay toward the bottom of the pile to satiate our base-model fetish. It doesn’t get more basic than the Sport, which starts at ,790 and comes with steel wheels, crank windows, manual door locks, manual door mirrors, manual seats, a heater, Dana axles, four-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brakes, a six-speed manual transmission, fog lights, and a folding soft top. Air conditioning is optional, as is Bluetooth, a hardtop, and satellite radio. The interior is washable—there are drain plugs in the floor for evacuating water—and although there are wisps of decadence in the standard cruise control, steering-wheel audio controls, eight-speaker audio system, and the 284-hp Pentastar V-6, this is as stripped as Jeeps come. OPTIONS: Sunset Orange.
VIEW PHOTOS (41) | COMMENTS The iconic Jeep with Pentastar power and the right transmission. To hard-core loyalists, there is just one true Jeep—and the Wrangler is it. Sure, most of the Jeep lineup can keep going when the pavement ends, but not with the aplomb and determination of this gritty rig. More important, none of those other so-called Jeeps has anything close to the Wrangler’s old-time testosterone levels. We’re talking seriously butch here, as well as seriously all-terrain. Yes, there are all sorts of civilizing features. The Jeep has come a long way since the World War II all-purpose vehicle General George C. Marshall called “ America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.” Power windows probably wouldn’t have contributed much to modern warfare. Ditto air conditioning. Ditto Bluetooth connectivity. And World War II–era nav systems were something you could fold up and stick in your pocket. Nevertheless, the Jeep people take pains to preserve the rugged Jeepish spirit of the original: Note the exposed door and hood hinges. The readily removable doors. The exterior hood latches. Taillights that aren’t faired into the body shell. Front fenders that don’t extend all the way down to the bumper—itself a distinct frontal element, rather than integrated with the front fascia. And of course there’s a manual transmission, and a manual shifter for the four-wheel-drive transfer case. Jeep also offers a five-speed automatic option—we’ve recently tested it—for those who prefer its rock-crawling ease, but the manual is what you must have if you’re any kind of retro roughneck. Hey, how many automatic-transmission Jeeps were dodging Wehrmacht mortar rounds on Omaha Beach in 1944? Six- Speed Exclusivity So of course our Wrangler Sahara tester was equipped with the standard six-speed manual transmission and Command- Trac shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive. Beyond its.
Introduction Jeep Wrangler is what the Jeep brand is all about. Wrangler's origins date back to the World War II Willys MB. Today's Wrangler has been modernized with a contemporary engine and electronics, and its body panels are artfully curved for stiffness while appearing flat, but it retains the basic premise of a simple utility vehicle that can traverse the most rugged terrain imaginable. For 2015, a new 8-speaker audio system comes standard, and a 9-speaker Premium system with 552-watt amplifier is available. The subwoofer has been relocated under the cargo floor for 2015. All 2015 Jeep Wranglers include a new Torx Tool Kit for removing the roof, doors, and front bumper end caps (on Hard Rock edition). Included are torx heads in four sizes, a ratchet, and storage pouch. A new Black Steel and 31-inch Dueler Tire Package is available for 2015 Wrangler Sport. The 2015 Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock edition gets a unique new look, with a low-gloss black grille, along with a 9-speaker Alpine audio system. In addition to the Wrangler Sport, Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon models, special editions include the Willys Wheeler and Willys Wheeler W, the Freedom Edition, Rubicon X, and the Rubicon Hard Rock. The four-door Wrangler Unlimited is highly capable off-road, though not as maneuverable as the shorter two-door versions. The number of doors and the difference in wheelbases doesn't fully describe the differences between Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited, however. Upholstery ranges from cloth to leather, and heated front seats are available. Buyers must choose between hard tops and soft tops or both. You can swap the doors to half-size and fold down the windshield (though it's quite a chore or power up the windows and indulge in climate control. All Wranglers are powered by Chrysler's 24-valve 3.6-liter V6, rated at 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. There's a choice.
A lot of the old school four wheel drivers say that the only way to go off road is to use a manual vehicle. But we're finding these days that a lot of.