Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Jeep Wrangler

Jeep Wrangler

The 2008 Jeep Wrangler still maintains its stylish appeal for off-road fans. Two versions are offered—a two-door and a four-door model—and both soft and hard convertible tops are available.

Luckily for truly devoted fans of the Jeep, 2008 doesn’t change much. The Wrangler was completely redesigned in 2007, and most reviewers come down in favor of the Wrangler's style, which maintains traditional Jeep styling cues while still essentially being, as Car and Driver notes, a “cult vehicle.” Edmunds says the "2008 Jeep Wrangler firmly maintains its heritage, image and off-road ability while also being more refined." It’s also “larger and more refined” than the last-generation Wrangler Jeep, they add. Automobile notes some details that disguise the Wrangler’s gains in size: “Black plastic fender flares in place of body-color flares help disguise the fact that the Wrangler is nearly half a foot wider overall,” they write.

Styling is mostly “familiar,” Edmunds remarks. The new four-door, however, brings a new silhouette to the world; it “inhabits its own new market niche: the four-door convertible,” Automobile says. USAToday thinks it’s "fancy and genteel by Wrangler standards," while Cars.com calls it "refined and masculine," and Edmunds, “strangely attractive.” Cars.com says that now, with the extra two doors, "You could almost call it a civilized design."

The 2008 Jeep Wrangler’s cabin is no pleasure palace—and it’s in tune with the rugged exterior. Especially with the Wrangler, “Jeep interiors aren't the top of the class. They often feature too many bulky plastic surfaces, but considering the rugged nature of the Wrangler, we'll give them a pass,” Cars.com says.