2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 3.6 from North America
Summary:
Not sensible, but very reliable, and HEAPS of fun
Faults:
Note: The following is due to a mistake by the dealer, and not the manufacturer
The check engine light came on and an error code indicating issues with the oil pressure popped up.
It turned out that the dealer had fitted the wrong oil filter during a service.
The oil filter was changed, the code was cleared, and the engine light has stayed off for 10k miles.
Problem solved.
General Comments:
I love this car. It makes no sense why I should, but I REALLY do! It's not fast, particularly comfortable, aerodynamic, convenient, etc.... but it just feels great to drive. It really does. My wife actually talked me out of a Grand Cherokee and into it. As usual, she was right.
It's much quieter than I thought it would be. Very little road noise, and as long as you stay under 60mph (I'd imagine this is due to how far away you are from the road and tires), the wind noise isn't bad at all. 60+ and the noise goes way up, and the fuel economy goes way down due to the brick-like aerodynamics.
The fuel economy isn't great: I get a combined of about 18 MPG.
The interior is not luxurious; there are plenty of very ordinary looking plastic bits, but leather and the like would be silly on this kind of vehicle. Having said that, I'm almost at 20k miles, and there's not a single squeak or rattle from the interior, and I've had it off-road a number of times.
Summer-time cruising or off-roading with the top off is a lot of fun. I cross shopped the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the Nissan Xterra, and the top-off driving afforded to the Wrangler driver was a big plus for me when deciding.
Get the 3.73 gearing and NOT the 3.21. There's a noticeable "pep" difference.
You'll never worry about door dings again! I have the tubular side-steps and the black plastic bumpers and fender flares. People opening their doors into my Wrangler only ends in them getting their paint chipped.
It's wonderful to be able to easily remove every bit of cloth or carpet from the interior and give it a wash.
The headlights could be way better. Still, some inexpensive shopping in the aftermarket market took care of that.
The Wrangler community and aftermarket scene is 2nd to none, in my opinion. So much can be done to it, and it's such an easy vehicle to work on.
I had never been off-roading (intentionally) before I bought this car, and it's opened up a whole new realm of weekend fun for me. Seriously, there's nothing like taking a vehicle up a muddy incline with rocks and ruts. I urge every motoring enthusiast to try it at least once.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2014
28th Sep 2014, 03:14
Nice review.
Document the installation of the wrong oil filter - should there be engine damage (down the road) from the oil pressure problem it created, it could save you big money.