MotorMouths

The new Wrangler stays true to the model’s roots, but now it’s a lot more fun to drive on-road.

With its military-use heritage, the Jeep Wrangler remains a duty-focused vehicle. Trudging through pothole-pitted roads, snow clogged arteries, and nasty off-road terrain is this compact SUV’s specialty.

The Jeep Wrangler has never been a refined road machine. But the new interior, combined with the revised powertrain, has made this 2012 model the most powerful, livable and quietest one yet.

With its two most glaring faults addressed over the last two years – upgrades to the interior and engine room – the only question now is: Why isn’t a 2012 Jeep Wrangler in your driveway?

The Wrangler Rubicon is a marvelously idiosyncratic vehicle that has lost none of its charm since 1941, but rather gained a lot of everyday practicality in the intervening years.

By taming its on-road manners while preserving its off-road skills, Chrysler has finally made the Wrangler a truck that people can live with, not in spite of.

No, the new Wrangler isn’t perfect. You may have to wait for the next generation for more power, more gears and better gas mileage. But the most glaring foibles have been worked out and its pure design remains undiluted.

The Wrangler has always charmed owners with its crude compromises. But now, with a livable interior and a decent powertrain, the Wrangler can serve as a daily driver.

While the Wrangler has always been an exceptional weekend adventure vehicle, it now also does an admirable job pulling double duty as an SUV for the whole family.

A loaded Wrangler Sport is certainly not cheap, but we would be just as happy with the base version. Even with 3.21 gears and open differentials on both ends, the Wrangler Sport is an unstoppable force of nature and a suitable heir to the throne.

The Wrangler continues to drive like… a Jeep. It’s not thrillingly quick. It’s not remotely athletic through curves. Rear seat room and comfort are merely sufficient. Which, frankly, is very much the way a Wrangler should be.

Archaic technical details duly noted, the Wrangler has plenty going for it. Jeep’s legendary 4×4 represents a rare confluence of history, practicality and fun. It’s the strangest car that we all take for granted.