2004 JEEP WRANGLER NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler?
For 2004, a new model debuts called the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Based on a stretched version of the existing Jeep Wrangler Sport, the Unlimited model has a smidge more rear seat space and lots more cargo room thanks to 15 extra inches of body length. It’s powered by the familiar 190 horsepower, 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine and is available with either a soft or a hard top. On other Wranglers, a CD player is standard across the board, while the Wrangler X and SE models gain a standard tilt steering wheel. Newly optional on Sport and standard on Sahara is a Ravine wheel design. Mid-year, buyers in the Rocky Mountain region could equip a Wrangler with 30-inch tires, diamond-plate sill guards and tow hooks. New colors for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler include Electric Lime and Solar Yellow.

Advantages of the 2004 Jeep Wrangler:

• Incredible off-road bang for the buck
• Few vehicles possess this much sheer panache
• Extremely fun to drive
• No convertible surrenders occupants to the elements as completely as a Jeep Wrangler

Objections to the 2004 Jeep Wrangler:

• Fuel economy
• Seat comfort
• Rear seat room
• Limited cargo volume in regular Wrangler
• Difficult entry and exit
• Mediocre interior materials
• Soft top sounds like a tent flapping in the wind on the highway
• Soft plastic side windows a major pain in today’s drive-thru world
• Paved road handling limits are quickly reached

Editor's Advice:
Retro before retro was cool, the Jeep Wrangler has an undeniable and undying appeal. It represents American adventure, authenticity, and audacity. Plus it’s almost unstoppable no matter what the terrain. We think the Jeep Wrangler is plenty of fun to drive even though it performs terribly on paved roads and is among the most uncomfortable vehicles for sale today. This Jeep is noisy, rough riding, difficult to enter and exit, and the convertible top takes minutes rather than seconds to raise or lower. Operating the manual shifter is like rowing the towering stick of a school bus. The Wrangler lurches, rocks and tosses about on its short wheelbase and stiff suspension. Steering is utterly lifeless yet transmits so much road shock you might as well be gripping a jackhammer. Cargo space is quite limited, accessed through a tailgate that swings curbside to make loading that much more difficult. Interior materials rank sub-par, the front seats are mounted low and stuffed full of mushy foam, and the cabin drones like seat 25A on a Boeing 757 – and that’s with the hard top installed! But you know what? We love this damn thing.