2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara: Lonely King of the Hill

As the years wear on, the ranks of traditional SUVs continue to thin.  We're now at the point where a vehicle like the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited sits nearly alone when considering how many off-road-ready rigs one can purchase right off the showroom floor, vehicles with no need to stop by an outfitter before hitting the trail.  In a world where only the Nissan Xterra and the TRD Pro edition of the Toyota 4Runner can be considered legitimate contenders to the Wrangler Unlimited's all-terrain crown, Jeep enjoys a near-monopoly in the market thanks to the well-cultivated image it has been able to nourish via its tough-as-nails heritage.

There's a price to pay, however, for the ability to strike out into the great unknown with little concern for traction or the proximity of towing services.  The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's character borders on uncouth when forced to earn its keep not in some rutted pasture, but rather on paved urban byways.  How much of that lack of civility you are willing to stomach on a daily basis is likely directly proportional to your passion for the Wrangler and all that it represents.

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Modernized Box

It helps to think of the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as a basic four-door box onto which a number of modern features have been grafted, with varying degrees of success.  A big part of the Wrangler Unlimited's appeal is the ability to fold down its windshield and remove its doors and hard or soft top to get the full outdoors experience, which means accepting a number of packaging sacrifices, unusual hinge designs and awkward opening angles to make this happen.  Then there's the nature of the interior, which is basic, easy-to-clean, and not all that accommodating of technological features aside from the touchscreen navigation unit outfitted to my Sahara trim.  Everything you absolutely need in daily driving can be found inside the Jeep, but presentation and workflow are very function-first in nature.

Hardcore Anatomy

Underneath the chassis things get even more hairy.  With a pair of solid axles front and rear keeping the Wrangler Unlimited tough on the trail, there's bound to be a number of sacrifices made in terms of handling and steering feel.  In two-wheel drive, the Jeep's turning radius is cumbersome, but with four-wheel drive engaged you’re going to be fighting binding at every curve.  Then there's the bounce: the Sahara model doesn't ride quite as stiff as the Rubicon, but hit a pothole at the right time and the rear of the Jeep will (predictably) crab from one side to the other.  The steering wheel itself feels as though it's using semaphore to keep in touch with the front wheels, particularly on the highway where constant adjustments must be made to keep the Wrangler Unlimited travelling in a straight line.  Part of that is due to the on-centre dead spot that comes with the Jeep, but a share of the blame must also be assigned to the SUV's large, knobby tires.

But Don't Let That Stop You

If you're thinking that I didn't enjoy my time in the Jeep, you're wrong.  The Wrangler Unlimited is a fantastic off-road implement, something I have expounded on in more detail in past reviews of similar models.  This time around, since I was entirely an urban warrior behind the wheel of this particular tester, I chose to focus my impressions on prowling city streets rather than fragrant pastures, which brought the above issues to light.

Alongside those perceived inadequacies comes a very strong 3.6-litre V-6 engine that's good for 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, stout enough numbers to keep the Wrangler Unlimited feeling strong off of the line and provide good acceleration when pulling out to pass on the highway, even with its older five-speed automatic transmission pulling duty.  The additional ride height that comes with the Jeep means not having to worry all that much about accumulated snow, and in fact, in the midst of an ice storm in Montreal I never once had to put the Wrangler Unlimited in four-wheel drive as it had more than enough stability and traction with just the rear wheels linked up to the transfer case.

Legitimate Room For Four

For a long time many Jeep fans found themselves on the sidelines due to the Wrangler's two-door, short-wheelbase configuration, which didn't allow for much family fun or make the purchase easy to justify when more than a few passengers were along on the regular.  The four-door Wrangler Unlimited neatly solves that problem by providing legitimate second-row room, giving it five-person capacity, along with an extended cargo area that is really quite useful regardless of whether the rear seatback is folded forward or not.  A caveat: the second set of doors attached to this Jeep are quite narrow, which will make getting up and into the cabin a bit of a challenge for some.

Know What You Are Getting Into

Looking for a crossover that features a car-like driving experience, a quiet, buttoned-down ride, and respectable fuel mileage?  Stay away from the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.  Interested in one of the last go-anywhere SUVs available, and willing to accept the Jeep's various foibles as 'character' rather than 'deal-breakers?'  Then the Wrangler Unlimited is calling your name.  With iconic styling that makes an instant connection with other drivers and pedestrians, and gobs of unstoppable traction and toughness, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited continues to fight the same good fight it has for decades.