Is the Jeep Wrangler Fun Or Smart?
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An American icon, the Jeep has been around since World War II. The ever popular Jeep Wrangler is a spin off and successor of the legendary World War II jeep. Wranglers are a compact four-wheel sports utility vehicle that can be driven both on and off road. The Jeep Wranglers made their debut in’87, preceding the civilian jeep or better known as the CJ.
The Jeep Wrangler was a vast improvement over the CJ. The new Jeep Wrangler design offered far more passenger comfort, a larger wheel base, less ground clearance and the signature square headlights. These new enhancements made for a vehicle that was versatile both off and on road, appealing to a diverse group of consumers.
The live axels in both front and back mimicked the original CJ design. The Wrangler design was easily recognized as a workhorse and its off road ruggedness. Off road fans honored the Jeeps mechanics and found it to be a fun loving vehicle. However, the new upgrades changed the off road performance especially with the lower ground clearance and lower center of gravity. Many off road enthusiast detested the new design and nicknamed the Wrangler the “Yuppie Jeep”. The Wrangler proved to be very adaptable and began altering the views of the off road enthusiast.
In addition to the off road ruggedness and fun of the Wrangler, it is also a smart daily on road vehicle. The purchase price of the Jeep Wrangler is the lowest in comparison to the other 4×4 sports utility vehicles. The Jeep Wrangler has also been named as one of the best vehicles to hold its value. Not to mention, it also ranks in the top four for best resale value.
The Wrangler was designed and founded by AMC in’87. After the unveiling of the Wrangler, AMC sold out to Chrysler, who then created the Jeep Division. The Wrangler was originally manufactured in Ontario Canada until the plant shut down in’92. Manufacturing was then transferred to the Toledo Ohio plants where Wranglers are now generated from.
In’97 Chrysler decide it was time to revamp the Wrangler by including new features and additional modern equipment. The original body style stayed intact however, the wheel base was made wider and additional ground clearance was added. The notable revisions to the Wrangler included anti-sway bars, a lower center of gravity and the original round headlights. The new improvements appealed to both the modern consumer and the outdoor off road enthusiast. Purchasers loved the improved handling and added passenger comfort of the improved Wrangler.
Trying to stay ahead of the market, Chrysler released yet another revised model of the Wrangler in 2007. The new design added features such as a four door model with longer body style and added passenger comfort. However, Chrysler reserved the two door shorter body style Wrangler for the outdoor off road fans. Appealing to a broader range of purchasers made the Wrangler even more popular than before.
Jeep Wranglers can represent the classic rugged, durable and fun sports utility vehicle or the more modern durable inexpensive highly adaptable sports utility vehicle. Whether it is the classic or the more modern style, the Jeep Wrangler is both smart and fun.