The standard-wheelbase Wrangler gets a new big brother

For car manufacturers hawking their wares, image is a very important thing. Just take a look at Scion. Toyota decided it wanted to woo young hipsters, and figured it wasn't going to get the job done with the stodgy Toyota nameplate. So it spun off Scion, and spent millions marketing each of the line's three vehicles as the cars to own if you're edgy and young (or young at heart). Toyota's ad dollars were well spent; the new brand sparked a fire in its target demographic.

Then there are those models for which image marketing is totally unnecessary. The Jeep Wrangler is one of these lucky few. It was born more than half a century ago as a military hauler, designed to bully rocky ravines and tortuous trails into submission. Over the years, the Wrangler's surefootedness has remained intact; its long history of billy-goat athleticism has made it the 'ute of choice not just for true off-roaders, but also for those seeking to bask in the glow of the rugged image assured by its legendary off-road prowess.

With a limited but fiercely loyal following, the Wrangler has triumphed at carving a niche for itself. With the Wrangler Unlimited, Jeep is seeking to deepen that niche. This new addition to the family gives Wrangler die-hards more of what they love, by upping the ante in terms of versatility, capability and comfort.

It all starts with a longer wheelbase. The Unlimited is 15 inches longer than a standard Jeep, including a 10-inch stretch between the wheels. This translates into 13 more inches of cargo room; maximum cargo capacity is 63 cubic feet for the Unlimited, versus 47 cubic feet for the standard Wrangler. There's also more room in which to stretch your legs, at least if you're traveling in the rear; the backseat gets an additional two inches of legroom. And the Unlimited can tow more, too. It's capable of pulling 1,500 pounds more than the standard Wrangler, for a maximum tow rating of 3,500 pounds.

Changes have also been made that render the Unlimited more pleasant to ride in than its standard-wheelbase sibling. In addition to the full top-down option, the soft top boasts a "sunroof" feature that gives passengers another alternative for wind-in-your-hair fun. Those unwilling to commit to a full open-air experience may fold the top back over the front row of seats to create a 45-inch-by-23-inch opening -- big enough to let the sunlight in, but not so big that you end your journey looking like you've just been swept through the eye of a hurricane. The Unlimited is also quieter than the standard Wrangler -- 30-percent quieter, according to Jeep, and none of our editors who've driven both take issue with this claim. This less raucous ride has been accomplished by adding an all-new sound liner under the hood, along with beefed-up carpet padding in the rear cargo area and more substantial padding on the dash.

Wisely, Jeep has been careful to preserve the prized off-road end of this Wrangler's equation. Breakover angle measures the sharpest angle a vehicle can clear without bumping its underside, and is an important aspect to consider if you're using your vehicle to scale hills, dunes or boulders. Despite its longer wheelbase, the Unlimited maintains the 20-degree breakover-angle minimum required for more serious off-road driving. Like its shorter-wheelbase siblings, this Wrangler won't let you down when the trail gets rough. To underscore this point, Jeep will sell an even more rugged Rubicon version of the Unlimited for 2005.

The Unlimited succeeds in mitigating one of our primary gripes about the standard Wrangler: its bumpy ride on pavement. This Jeep's added size and heft (it's 200 pounds heavier than the shorter-wheelbase model) leave it feeling more solidly planted. However, 'ute buyers weaned on the current crop of carlike SUVs should know that they're still in for a relatively rough ride; prepare to be jostled once the asphalt turns even the slightest bit patchy. Newbies thinking about joining the fold should also know that, in true Wrangler fashion, the Unlimited's cabin is, well, unyielding.

We wish the door openings were taller and wider; when coming and going, even our most diminutive editors complained of bumped shoulders and bruised shins. Secondary controls felt unusually stiff; activating the turn signal required not your typical gentle flick of the finger, but a more concentrated thrust. And soft-touch surfaces? Forget about it. We would have especially appreciated some give around the inside door handle; as we opened and closed the door, the rock-hard plastic often made contact with our knuckles in a less-than-pleasant way. We did, however, really enjoy sinking into the seats, which felt endlessly comfortable and supportive despite their crude adjustments.

The Unlimited's 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder packs 190 horses. When climbing hills and passing on the freeway, it provided adequate power to get the job done. Mileage was less than stellar. Though Jeep promises 14 mpg for city and 18 mpg for highway, we averaged a mere 11.9 mpg during our week spent with the vehicle.

Take the top down, and it's easy to see why the Wrangler has such a devoted cadre of fans. With the sun on your cheeks and the wind whistling in your ears, all of its quirks fade into obscurity. Weaving in and out of city traffic, or zipping along stretches of solitary blacktop, we felt at one with the road, and were reminded just how much of a blast open-air driving can be. However, if riding with the top down was fun and uncomplicated, actually getting the top down was anything but. There's real labor involved here, and it took two of our editors quite a few minutes to complete the job.

If you're a buyer who's not a dedicated off-roader and whose main fascination with all things Wrangler has to do with its top-down capability, we recommend you take a look at Land Rover's Freelander SE3. For around the Unlimited's mid-$20Ks starting price, the SE3 offers a detachable roof and a cabin that's considerably more comfortable and refined.

Unfortunately, dealing with the Freelander's detachable top is no picnic, either -- getting it off isn't too hard but putting it back on requires tools and plenty of patience. Further, with only 46.6 cubes of maximum cargo capacity, this Land Rover is not as generously endowed as the Unlimited.

The Unlimited was created to give aficionados a vehicle that's a shade more practical than your ordinary everyday Wrangler. In this respect, the Unlimited is a success -- roomier and quieter, this new Jeep offers more around-town versatility, without sacrificing the ruggedness that hard-core Wrangler owners want and love.

Copyright 2004 Edmunds.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Originally published on www.edmunds.com and reprinted with permission.