2004. Wrangler Unlimited , looks like the same ish to me

[barslut]

JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS KNOW WHAT it means to rough it. They spend their vacations camping and trail riding, brushing their teeth in the crisp mountain air and sometimes wearing the same pants for days on end. Oh, and they jamboree, which we think has something to do with many Wrangler owners getting together to wear the same pants for days on end.

It’s an honest life, devoid of the big-city hullabaloo that dominates the rest of the year. That is why these owners prefer the Wrangler: It’s an honest vehicle, purposeful and never superfluous. No power tops, no nav systems (a compass will do) and no fancy-pants styling.

Jeep, however, is about to throw these stalwarts a curveball. It is called the Wrangler Unlimited, and while it still doesn’t have a power top, it does offer two ways to let the sunshine in. The Unlimited’s soft top, called Sunrider, still allows you to unzip, unsnap and pry off the whole canvas shebang, but you can now fold back just the front section, giving your little off-roader a sort of sunroof effect.

The driver and front passenger enjoy a 45-inch-by-23-inch access to the elements with the Sunrider thusly deployed, while the rest of the passengers—and jamboreeing gear—remain sheltered.

Speaking of gear, the Wrangler Unlimited also lets you tote more of it along. That is because it sits on a stretched platform, with a 10-inch-longer wheelbase and five inches of increased rear overhang compared to the standard Wrangler. That adds up to 16.2 more cubic feet of storage space (or 28.2 cubic feet total) behind the rear seat. The longer design adds about 200 pounds to the vehicle, but an extra crossmember at the rear means there is no appreciable difference in torsional rigidity, says Jeep. It also uses higher-rated springs and shocks to compensate for the additional heft.

That extra length does take away some of the Wrangler’s go-anywhere-ability, though, with a slightly smaller breakover angle (22 degrees vs. 26) and departure angle (28 vs. 34) than the short-wheelbase version, but overall ground clearance remains unchanged.

The trade-off? The longer wheelbase gives the Unlimited a slightly smoother ride than standard Wranglers do; it feels less choppy over the road.

You get no extra horses to deal with it all, just the same 4.0-liter 190-hp I6 found in the rest of the lineup (at least it’s not the breathless 2.4-liter 147-horse four).

We consider it a fair swap, a little less breakover in exchange for a more comfortable ride and enough room to haul camping gear for four. Perhaps even a change of pants—for everyone!

LINK

[bigpoppanils]

there isnt much of a difference in rear seat room, despite what jeep claims. I've sat in both regular and extended wranglers, and it felt more tight.

the storage capacity is a huge difference. the flip up top is a nice feature.

my dad wishes that this wrangler came out sooner. then again he always has buyers remorse when it comes to cars.

[Guest saleen351]

Jeeps are so cool, till you ride in them or drive them, then your realize, you are in 70's technology... Plus they are the king of break downs, or atleast the old ones were...

They need to make a jeep for us folks who don't like to rough it so much, yet want that jeep setup..

[bigpoppanils]

Jeeps are so cool, till you ride in them or drive them, then your realize, you are in 70's technology

They need to make a jeep for us folks who don't like to rough it so much, yet want that jeep setup..

dont ya mean wranglers? the rest of the lineup is pretty modern.

and if you dont like to "rough" it, get a CRV, RAV4, or some other wimpy piece of crap.

[pgiddy]

They shouldn't change them, thats what cool about Jeeps, they have basically been unchanged for the last 20 years, cept for some minor things here and there. Times change but they just stay the same for the most part. I still like them, but once your over 25, you shouldn't be driving one, unless you live in Montana and your name is Jack. I had one in HS, had some 33's on it with just a 1 inch lift, light bar on front, one on the bumper that I could blind you with if you were tailgating me at night, thing was a beast, soo much fun. Lawnjobs late at night, ahh the memories. Everyone should own one at least once.......