1991 Jeep Wrangler Base Sport Utility 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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2018 Jeep Wrangler Buying Guide | Answers to your SUV questions

There are few truly one-of-a-kind vehicles, but the Jeep Wrangler remains one of them. Available in traditional two-door form, or as the four-door Unlimited model, this proudly square-shaped SUV traces its origins back to the battlefields of World War II. While its shape seemingly hasn't changed much over the years, the 2018 Wrangler has been completely redesigned inside and out. A 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and all-wheel drive are standard across the extensive Wrangler lineup, including rock-crawling versions like the highly regarded Rubicon model. While it doesn't have any direct rivals, some buyers might prefer an SUV with more refined ride and handling characteristics. The Wrangler's solid front and rear axles' primary purpose is off-road adventure, not on-road comfort, no matter how much it's been improved over its predecessor. Here you'll find all the information needed to make an educated buying decision if you're considering a 2018 Jeep Wrangler including safety and reliability ratings, engine specs, horsepower, fuel economy ratings and pricing. We'll also summarize what Autoblog's professional auto reviewers think of the Wrangler. Is the 2018 Jeep Wrangler Safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not given the 2018 Jeep Wrangler an overall safety rating. However, the 2018 Wrangler is listed as scoring three out of five stars in frontal crash tests and rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which provides ratings for new vehicles based on its own comprehensive crash tests, did not give the 2017 model year (previous generation) Wrangler, the last one fully-tested, a recommended rating. The 2017 Wrangler scored a "marginal" rating for driver side safety in the small overlap frontal crash test (a passenger side rating was not recorded). Side impact performance came in at a "poor" rating, as did overall headlight performance. One bright spot in an otherwise dismal safety score was the Wrangler's "good" rating in the moderate overlap front crash test. Ratings may differ for Wrangler models from other model years, so be sure to visit the https://www.nhtsa.gov/ NHTSA and http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratingsIIHS websites to review ratings on the specific vehicle you're researching. At the time of this writing, the 2018 Wrangler is subject to one ongoing recall involving 106 vehicles.

FCA's shifter fiasco proves novel gear selectors are a bad idea

What's wrong with PRNDL? Why are automakers trying to overly complicate the simple task of selecting gears? If there's any lesson to learn from the recent news that NHTSA is investigating 853,000 Fiat Chrysler vehicles over its problematic gear selectors, it's that the trend of fancy shifters needs to stop. Now. Last year, NHTSA opened an investigation into Jeep Grand Cherokee models, and has now expanded this probe to include the 2012-14 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. The problem? The shifter – assembled by ZF – is confusing for many drivers. "Testing ... indicates that operation of the (electronic) shifter is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection," a NHTSA document states. More than 100 crashes and over a dozen injuries are linked to this problem, according to The Detroit Free Press. To us, the problem isn't just limited to FCA. These unnecessarily novel gear selectors are spreading like wildfire across the industry. Honda and Acura use a weird pushbutton setup. Lincolns have buttons on the dashboard. Jaguar's shifter electronically raises out of the center console. Mercedes uses a stalk with up-for-Reverse, down-for-Drive, push-for-Neutral arrangement. And what the hell is BMW thinking with its M cars? FCA has since abandoned the confusing shifters in question. The 300, Charger, and Grand Cherokee now use the rotary shift dial that's quickly proliferating across the company's brands. Simplistic gear selectors might not be sexy, but no one ever complained about not being able to find the right gear in a Hyundai Sonata. What's most interesting is that this NHTSA investigation could push FCA – and possibly other automakers – to redesign vehicle functions that otherwise operate as designed. Just because most people will never have a problem putting a Dodge Charger in Reverse doesn't mean there isn't a flaw with the design. But perhaps a more simplistic solution – good ol' PRNDL – would have prevented these issues from the start. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Jeep FCA shifters

First Jeepster prototype spotted with final, boxy form

The long-awaited baby Jeep is getting closer to production, as evidenced by these spy photos. Previously, the only images of the so-called Jeepster saw it wearing a Fiat 500L body (see below), while this new batch of photos show hefty amounts of camouflage. How is that better? Well, it's very likely there's a production body hiding under all that cladding.
While picking out styling details is virtually impossible thanks to all the camo, as our spies point out, this gives us a very sound idea of the Jeepster's final size. It's small, although we'd argue that it's only slightly smaller than the current Jeep Patriot, based on the images of the newest Jeep sitting in front of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
As we reported previously, this little bambino will be built on a Fiat platform, but the styling should be uniquely Jeep - likely to include a somewhat vertical seven-slat grille and round headlights. We can expect to see a production Jeepster, if that ends up being the actual name (Latitude has been rumored, although as that's traditionally a trim level, we imagine there'd be some confusion), when it debuts at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.