Long Term Verdict: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
When Jeep decided to build a four-door Wrangler, we were excited about its potential. This was, after all, the first time the legendary Jeep was given two more doors; also, its stretched wheelbase made the interior more people- and cargo-friendly. Then the company announced it was going to build a Rubicon version of the Unlimited, and we knew we'd have to try one out for long-term testing.
The Rubicon package provides enough off-road gear to make it the most capable Wrangler you can buy from the factory: Dana 44 axles front and rear, Tru-Lok remote locking differentials, Rock-Trac two-speed transfer case with 4.00:1 low range, 4.10 rearend (available only on the Rubicon), and BFG Mud Terrains, etc.
It quickly became clear that despite the extra interior volume, Jeep hadn't gone mad and turned the Wrangler into a dolled-up kid hauler. The price you pay for a Rubicon is for its extreme off-road ability, not leather seats (our tester's were cloth) or comfy, cushy headrests (one editor noted they were "hard as rocks"). After ordering a few more items, the bottom line came to $34,730. The MyGIG system also added a slot for a memory stick, which allows you to download music to the 20GB hard drive and use your own images as wallpaper on the screen. However, on two separate occasions, the nav system froze up and, when it started working again, took some time to display the correct location (at one point, the Wrangler's was shown to be in the Pacific Ocean). When we received the Wrangler, MyGIG was a fairly new feature. ( Of course, it never acted up for the dealer, so nothing was done.) We hope Jeep has worked out some of the bugs since then.
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