The Wrangler Rejuvenated

For 2012, the Wrangler has undergone the most significant improvement in decades: a truly new engine, Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. Photo: Courtesy Chrysler

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The Jeep Wrangler evolves at roughly the same rate as the shark, which has been rocking the same look for about 20 million years. Other than a flirtation with square headlights in the ’80s,  Jeep’s little proto-SUV has remained true to its stylistic roots since the days when Willys Jeeps were storming Normandy. Unfortunately, the adherence to tradition also extended to the hardware beneath the Wrangler’s slab-sided skin.This isn’t necessarily a Jeep club, and yet nearly everyone is driving a Wrangler (the exception is Mike, who’s in a jacked-up Blazer). The ringleader, David, explains that we’ll be climbing up into the hills toward a spot called Kodak Rock. I assume that Kodak Rock is so named because it overlooks some scenic vista, but I soon find out the rock itself is the photo op. When — or if — you make it over this rude geologic obstacle, you’ll want a memento to prove it.I’m driving the popular two-door Wrangler Sport, with a new five-speed ­automatic transmission. It has a shorter first gear, providing more precision when rock-crawling in low range. While this isn’t a full-attack Rubicon model, the Sport has an upgraded tire package with beefy 32-inch-tall Goodyears. With the big tires and short wheelbase, it evokes a bear cub that hasn’t quite grown into its paws.The trail is fairly mellow until we reach Kodak Rock. The boulder field amounts to a so-called moderate trail, but there’s no easy way up the cratered, rubber-smeared rock face. However, when your rearview mirror is filled with Blazer, there’s no way out but up. I carefully aim to put the largest rocks under the tires and hope for the best. I manage to scramble over a particularly unsavory segment, but the edge of the tailpipe gets pinched on a rock. Meanwhile, the towering Blazer behind me gets stuck. Mike wraps a tow strap around a tree and winches his way up. “This is what I’d call a Jeep trail,” he observes somewhat sourly.Still, even hardcore Jeep guys spend most of their time on the pavement, and that’s where Chrysler’s new V-6 really makes a difference. After the climb, I spend a few minutes talking with a guy named Chris who’s just bought a 2011 Wrangler. I toss him the keys to the 2012, and we pull out of the parking lot. I goad him into flooring it, and he runs to redline in first gear. “It pulled all the way to 6,500 rpm,” he says with some amazement. I point out that I’ve been getting more than 20 miles per gallon on the highway, because the more powerful motor means you don’t need to drive around at wide-open throttle to keep pace with traffic. “Holy crap,” he says. “I think mine’s getting something like 15.”Given that the prices have stayed about the same, the new motor is a win-win. Unless, that is, you just bought a 2011. Later, Chris utters a phrase that will probably leave the lips of many a 2011 Wrangler owner. As he hands me back the key, he says, “I should’ve waited a few months.”

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