Test drive Jeep Wrangler 1996 - 2006 SUV
A chair on wheels
People deprived of romance can ask a question: why does the city man Jeep Wrangler?about the whole world, as in Russia, all -wheel drive cars are called a jeep. Chrysler was even offended at one time, but then it reasoned that it was the best to count, free oral advertising. Anyway, a real jeep can only be bought from them Jeep is a trademark of DaimlerchrySler. And the most jeepy in the Wrangler lineup.
This is a fairly unique phenomenon in the global car industry a car of increased cross -country ability with a body rubber. A similar machine with the name Jeep was produced by Mitsubishi for the Japanese market, but the project was closed last year. There is also an Indian Mahindra CJ, but this is the eastern dead end of the licensed development of the American Jeep family CJ3-CJ5.
And about Wrangler itself, we have a common opinion that this is a stool on wheels. Until the spring of 1997, I agree in the lineup. But the new Wrangler can no longer be called a stool.
New upholstery. Jeep Wrangler is a direct descendant of military American jeeps, which were first represented by Europe by the Red Army long before the direct manufacturer entered Willis into Normandy. And he has changed little in its entire history, although the civilian version survived the army military in the United States moved to Hummer.
In the army simplicity of the old Wrangler, practical meaning was concluded. After the most active jeeping, the salon was elementarily subjected to sanitary and epitheity using any hose. Rubbed rugs and oak leatherette can withstand almost any aggressive environment weaker than sulfuric acid.
With the new Wrangler, such jokes will not pass. If outwardly it has changed little, then it is almost completely inside. The old but faithful stool was painted and offered with an expensive fabric.
Painting, more precisely, external restyling came to insignificant changes in the form of some body panels, which is almost imperceptible, and to the appearance of good old round headlights, which is striking first of all. Actually, according to this principle, the old Wrangler is distinguished from the new. The windbreaks disappeared in the doorway, an additional feet signal appeared above the spare wheel. But inside Wrangler began to resemble his older brother Jeep Cherokee. There was a velor upholstery of the salon and the real torpedo
Recall that in the old jeep before the driver's eyes there was only a minimum tachometer and a speedometer, and all other devices were cut into a narrow panel between the driver and the passenger. Now everything is in an adult way. Before the driver is a familiar combination of devices with a full set of control lamps and sensors. A console appeared between the driver and the passenger, referred to as a beard, which was located traditionally a solid Kraisler radio and control of the stove and ventilation. Moreover, the quality of execution does not correspond to an inexpensive SUV, but rather a middle class sedan.
Another innovation touched the control of the distribution box by switching the modes now is carried out as on a more expensive cheerokee handle must be pulled to yourself and up, and not push left and right, as before.
Many appreciated Wrangler for the possibility of transforming it into a convertible. Previously, this procedure required a special key and a lot of time. We did not try to remove the hard roof from the new Wrangler. But, having studied the way to attach it to the body, they realized that now this procedure is greatly simplified. And another important innovation of a light summer awning, the so-called Bikini-Top, is now installed stationary on each car and for the time being rested in a folded state behind the rear seat, which has become much wider, and a couple of adults can be located there with greater comfort than than Before. Although this comfort is still relative.
BROWNIAN MOTION. America loves springs. But it was the spring suspension that was the most painful place for the previous generation Wrangler. It was because of her that he received an offensive nickname Stool. More stringent and uncompromising, combined with a short wheelbase of a car, it caused the strongest effect of goat not only on off -road, but also in urban conditions. Some witches proposed installing a compass on the old Wrangler to correctly determine the direction of the subsequent movement after getting into the speed of the hole.
Today, America is gradually losing ground. The switching handle of automatic transmission modes migrated from under the steering wheel to the floor, and a spring suspension appeared on Jeep Wrangler. We take a chance to call this an epoch -making event in the history of the development of Jeep Wrangler.
The contrast with the spring option is striking. Small and medium irregularities on a hard road swallow the jeep amazingly, which affects not only comfort, but also on handling. The steering wheel does not require constant control, and the effect of steering is disappeared from the process of driving.
City cowboy. Firstly, it is stylish. If you wear clothes from Marlboro Classics, then Jeep Wrangler will be a natural addition to your image, like cowboy boots made of crocodile leather.
Secondly, if your jeep is shod in good rubber, then even long trips around the city will give you pleasure. I will not say that a car with a 2.5 -liter engine is a hurricane, but from the start it leaves very sharply. Moreover, it does not require frequent manipulations with a gearbox. For a sharp acceleration of up to 6070 km/h, you will have enough first and second gears before the tachometer arrow rises into the red line, and the engine will begin to roar strayly. In conditions of a dense flow and on a road covered with ice or snow, we used for a long time only by the second transmission, slowly touched in the cork and quite lazily accelerated on small segments between traffic lights. The problem is that the left leg is tired of squeezing the clutch in sluggish traffic jams.
The small size of Wrangler plus high landing gives his driver one indisputable advantage. This car is literally created in order to squeeze into any holes in the road flow, as well as park in rather unexpected places. For example, on a snowy lawn or perpendicular to the sidewalk, climbing on it with front, and even better with the rear wheels. At the same time, the almost complete absence of convex parts of the body nullifies the danger of obtaining small scratches about neighboring cars, which is characteristic of more elegant cars.
The only problem we have encountered is a small course of the driver's seat. A tall driver is unlikely to be able to achieve a completely relaxed landing, pleasant when long trips around the city or long distances. But this is still a jeep, and he is characterized by other laws. And the gazepa stool landing fully justified itself on the impassability.
Exit session. The first congress from the asphalt to the snow virgin lands. We dump the speed up to 40 km/h and transfer the lever to position 4n. Wrangler obediently rushes us through a shallow and dense snow virgin to the snow marks half a kilometer from a civilized route. The speed of speed allows you to easily switch from the third to the fourth gear. At the same time, the motor rumbles calmly and enough.
We mentally lay ourselves a small route of the following geography: a sharp rise on a rather steep hill, a U -turn along the virgin lands, the descent, the eight in deep snow, back to the hill, and so on until completely exhausted. The task is to go through the entire track, even with minimal speed. Therefore, before the start, we transfer the distribution lever to position 4l. As taught, we turn on the second gear, touch and, having gained a small supply of move, we rush to the hill with the maximum acceleration of the gas pedal is tightly pressed to the floor. Highway rubber definitely intends to play a cruel joke with us, the engine roars at the limit and Wrangler greatly throws it from side to side. But he still climbs up. Slowly but surely. But the car flies to the comb with such an acceleration that you have to press the brake so that from the summer it is not to get to the Moscow River.
The Wrangler crawled down also, according to the laws of the genre, the first lowered, the legs are packed under the seat, the car crawls down itself. And there is the second or more programs, the gas pedal is squeezed, and we have fun for the snow virgin land in all directions.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Dmitry Novokreshhenov
Source: "Autopilot"
