2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4-Door)

I ordered a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara in Sept, 07, taking delivery of the car at the end of Oct. I have now owned the vehicle for four months and have almost no complaints about it when considering the type of vehicle. Honestly, it cannot be compared to the majority of "Small SUVs" that others attempt to compare it with.

Admittedly, the Jeep is hardly longer than my 2002 Saturn Vue, so maybe it classes as small. However, it sits 2" higher off the ground and the roof is nearly a foot taller. This would make some feel that it should be top-heavy, but the firm body-on-frame construction with true truck suspension minimizes the difference in handling. Of course, the Saturn Vue also cannot go places the Jeep can.

Visibility is good, though it could possibly be better. The low, flat windshield makes seeing some traffic signals difficult, but the flat glass all around reduces distortion and minimizes blind spots since the roofs of all but the lowest sports cars are visible when driving in traffic. One exception to this visibility is in the very back, where the spare tire takes up the bottom half of the back glass right in the center. A car tailgating you is essentially invisible in that location.

Ride is firm, definitely not luxury class, but not as rough as older models. The added length over the 2-door Wrangler aids in stability and makes the Wrangler Unlimited quieter and easy to drive. Add to this Jeep's famously tight turning radius and you have a car that can go almost everywhere.

Again, for the type of vehicle, fuel economy is good, but not great. My Saturn Vue, while rated at 28 mpg highway actually manages 30... on a 4-cylinder engine. The Jeep is rated at 19 which should be poor, but on a long trip at highway speeds I managed well over 24mpg, just shy of 25. This is easily equivalent to most full-sized pickup trucks and maybe better than some. The aerodynamics are poor, Jeep rightfully choosing to retain the boxy styling that made the Wrangler what it is. Still, to achieve nearly 25mpg is a significant improvement over the older models. Even the in-town mileage could be worse, the car rated at 15 and I regularly getting 17 or better depending on traffic.

Finally, unlike the 2-door models, the 6-cylinder Jeep Wrangler Unlimited can tow up to a 3500 pound trailer (with towing option), a full 2000 pounds more than the 2-door Wrangler or my 4-cylinder Saturn Vue. This makes the Jeep an excellent tow vehicle for a small family with a lightweight trailer while giving you the ability to tow that trailer places most other SUVs can't go.

In summary, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited does in an SUV the ability to do almost anything a full-sized pickup truck can do in a compact, 5-seater package. Add to this the fact that you have a choice of a removable hardtop or convertible top (or both) and you have a vehicle that has no peer in the modern world.