Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is the quintessential Jeep. Soft-top, soft-doors, roll-bar, short wheelbase, rough ride and supremely capable offroad. It's always been a light-weight, small SUV high on fun and low on creature comforts.

With the 2007 model year, Jeep ushers in the latest in a long line of short wheelbase Jeeps, who's spiritual & actual start was in the 1940s. While similar only in concept, the latest Wrangler has the same sense of rugged go-anywhere ability that the original MB embodied.

With a hose-out interior, optional hard-top and rugged components designed to take a pounding, current Jeep Wrangler owners will feel right at home when the 2007 Wrangler roll onto dealer lots.

The Wrangler name truly came into it's own when the Jeep YJ debuted. The square-headlight Jeep was the successor to the CJ-7 model and brought a range of improvements to the line. The next Jeep Wrangler was the TJ model, which did away with leaf springs in favor of coils at all four corners. This made for a dramatic improvement in on-road ride quality, while preserving the Wrangler's ability to travel pretty much anywhere it was pointed offroad. The Wrangler TJ also saw Jeep return to round headlights.

Throughout it's life, the Wrangler has played host to numerous engines: 4.0L EFI straight-six 2.5L 4-cyl 4.2L straight-six 3.8L V6 (2007)

While the typical Wrangler was short on interior space, Jeep introduced the Wrangler Unlimited with an extra 15" overall in length added to the typical TJ version. With an extra 10" behind the driver & passenger seats and 5" behind the rear seats, the Wrangler Unlimited (TJ-L) brought new levels of on-road ride quality to the Wrangler - not to mention vastly increasing the utility of this icon. Jeep Wranglers have always been one of the last models upgraded - partly due to inherent design limitations, and partly due to Jeep's desire to NOT mess with a profitable model. This meant that for years, if you wanted an automatic transmission, it was a 3-speed with no overdrive. Today, though, you have a choice of a 6-speed manual or 4-speed auto with overdrive. Transfer cases have typically been of one variety - part time.

Jeep Wrangler - the future

With the introduction of the Rubicon model into the Wrangler line-up, Jeep reaffirmed it's commitment to die-hard Jeep fans. This model came equipped with lower gearing in it's transfer-case, lower gearing in the axles and air-operated lockers for both the front and rear axles. Riding on beefy 5-spoke, 16" allow wheels, and equipped with 31" Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires from the factory, this Jeep Wrangler was ready to turn right immediately and hit the dirt.

The next move forward came when Jeep applied this formula to the Unlimited version, creating the supremely capable Rubicon Unlimited. With it's lengthened wheelbase and upgraded capabilities, the Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited is the best performing off-the-shelf offroader Jeep has ever produced.

Soldiering on under the hood, the 4.0L straight six motor has proven time and again to be bulletproof reliable. It also delivers excellent low-speed torque. 2006 will mark the end of the 4.0L in the Wrangler, as it's replaced with a 3.8L V6 engine offering more power and more torque.

2007 also marks the latest iteration of the venerable Wrangler. With it's rugged good looks intact, it's hose-out interior still in place and it's go-anywhere ability virtually guaranteed based on the specs, it's going to be another winner. Jeep is staying true to it's spiritual roots with this Wrangler model, making it a serious performer offroad, right off the showroom floor. ...and they're keeping the live-axle up front!

2007 Jeep Wrangler specs