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2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited On- and Off-Road Test

The Wrangler Gets Practical

Chrysler Group opened up its Chelsea, Michigan Proving Grounds to journalists again this year, showing off all 2005 models and letting us test the various cars, trucks and sport utilities in a myriad of road conditions.

My priority was to test all the vehicles that I hadnt had the opportunity to drive up until that point, which meant I had to leave such tempting models as Dodges Viper SRT-10 to the end if at all. One of my top priorities was to test out the new Wrangler Unlimited, the extended wheelbase version of the legendary 4x4 that put Jeep on the map.

I remember how odd the 93.5-inch "long-wheelbase" CJ-7 looked when it debuted back in 1975 as a 76 model. It looked so long next to the "perfectly proportioned CJ-5, or so I thought. Up to that point only the CJ-5 had been offered, which was extremely crude in comparison to the 7, despite being sensational

While at Chryslers Chelsea, Michigan Proving Grounds, one of my top priorities was to test out the new Wrangler Unlimited. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

off-road. The new 7 offered the first-time option of an automatic transmission, all-metal doors with roll-down windows and vinyl door panels, an optional one-piece injection molded hardtop, plus a new steel liftgate offering easier access to its larger cargo area.

Being a "purist," whatever that means, I was a CJ-5 fan, and had the most obnoxious example on the planet. It didnt even have a softtop or doors, plus it featured massive aftermarket audio speakers hanging from the roll bar connected to a powerful Alpine AM/FM/cassette deck, Renegade decals

I can still remember how strange the "long-wheelbase" CJ-7 looked when it debuted back in 1975 as a 76 model.

on the hood and Jeeps overkill 304 cubic-inch V8 underneath. It made more than a rumble at start up thanks to headers and dual short side pipes that poked out from under the front fenders, just behind the front wheels.

Back in those days I didnt mind attracting unsolicited attention, and I got a lot of it; mostly sneering adults balking at the menacing sound of the growling V8 waking up the neighborhood and audio system blaring Talking Heads Burning Down the House or Psycho Killer.

While it might be possible to fix up a new Wrangler Unlimited similarly to the way the old CJ-5 was done up back in my heyday, I sure wouldnt want to. The new

From the outside, the Wrangler has purposely remained a throwback to the CJ, which itself was a throwback to the Willys. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Wrangler, whether in base or extended wheelbase guise, is so much more refined that its difficult to compare the two, at least from the inside. From the outside, the Wrangler has purposely remained a throwback to the CJ, which itself was a throwback to the Willys, which is still appreciated to this day by veterans the world over for so admirably fulfilling its duty in the Second World War.

The army sure couldve used the added versatility of the new Wrangler Unlimited for carrying troops back then, not to mention the benefits of a smoother ride and better high-speed stability, each directly resulting from the lengthened wheelbase, up 10 inches to 103 inches from the regular Wrangler. I really noticed both attributes

The longer wheelbase provides a smoother ride and better high-speed stability. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

while circling the ring road that runs adjacent to the high-speed oval amid Chrysler Groups Chelsea, Michigan Proving Grounds. The roadway is purposely bad, with downtown Detroit-like worn stretches of pavement mixed with cement, featuring gut-wrenching ruts, potholes and ridges, and uneven concrete-slab surfaces. The old CJ-5 would have had to negotiate some of its bumps and grinds at a crawl not to bounce end over front, but the Wrangler Unlimited was hardly unruffled. Sure, the Liberty and Grand Cherokee handled the circuit better, which should be expected due to the comparatively luxurious bias of both vehicles, but the Wrangler Unlimited held its own, delivering a relatively compliant ride and stable lane changes.

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