2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4x4 Review

[TheConnoe]

I'm sorry but the jk wranglers are too refined

[Herecomeoleflattop]

I think Jeep should quit trying to smooth over the gas mileage (or kilometer-age). Let's face it, it's not good. Then again, who cares! The people that can afford these aren't concerned about that. (I cycle to work so I save on gas that way and fill up my Jeep about twice a month) I own one and did not buy it for the economy (or lack thereof) I bought it because I like Jeeps! Simple as that. I like the look, the capabilities, the uniqueness and the history. Oh...good review!!!

[psilokan]

@Herecomeoleflattop Agreed. I love this vehicle but the mileage sucks on it. I've been leaning towards a Patriot for that reason but they're impossible to find with a manual transmission and 4x4 :(

[THATYOUNGDIPPAH50]

hey i always wanted the jeep wrangler unlimited but the dodge 1500 bighorn im in love with so ill get to the chase im 6'1,6'2 and i just want to know what would be better

[519MaTT94KrZ]

fuck i want this car!!

[tryron78]

@519MaTT94KrZ Jeep Matt.. Jeep

[planetchasers]

I've got thatc

[smidet]

what is that sub in the back??

[djkasdjkasdjdjdj]

how much horsepower does the 3.7 V6 MT have exactly?????

[sfcedwinramos1]

I have a 2009 and is wonderful if you like to go off road and help others went they get stuck :)

[divisioneight]

Put a diesel in it, and I'm off to my Jeep dealer to swap my Commander for this one - maybe! ;-)

[bigbradford69]

15/19 is fucking awful

[94hourstilAHIG]

@bigbradford69 you don't buy a jeep for mpg anyway

[hehh543]

a CVT was need during the 0-60 lol.

[Sept0pus]

The Jeep website says it seats 6, but there is on 5 seats

[boardsk8tr]

how much they cost

[ed0985587]

0-60 in 10 seconds? that's what's holding me back from buying a wrangler....holding out for the pentastar which should be a much better suited engine in 2012.

[lpmoora]

This is going to be my second beast in my garage. My Mustang with the Wrangler Unlimited next to it.That will be day. For gas mileage, if Jeep puts in those newly developed 8 speeds and the 3.6 liter Pentastar engine, wow it could get excellent gas mileage.However, I am perfectly fine with having a less efficent engne for a very reliable one right now. My 4.0 Mustang is not up to par with it's engine size, but it is time tested. I know the 4.0 from Chrysler's are built tough too.

[cjj822000]

i know someone who was a 2009 jeep wrangler x 4x4

[guyNbluejeans]

This fellow knows how to give a great review.

[juliadennehy]

Anyone else find their Unlimited's engine 'working overtime' to keep speed going up hills? On highway my cruise keeps downshifting 2 gears to go up small grades...

[counkev]

No locking differential?

[BSDeez16]

@counkev The Rubicon model comes with locking differentials.

[JayGeePee1]

Chrysler is talking about putting a Hemi in the new Wranglers

[scotsmaninusa]

just got rid of mine,it was shite.it had a Dana on the back as I took the towing package but cheapskate chrysler left their shitty axle on the front.I ended up bending 3 of em and was on my fourth.I then read the 2012 sahara would have dana's front and rear so sold mine and I'll wait for the new one.if you want to seriously off road I'd wait for the 2012 .

[guyNbluejeans]

@scotsmaninusa Will one have to actually wait until 2012 to get one or will they be out sooner? Thanks!

[scotsmaninusa]

@guyNbluejeans supposed to be july onwards but seeing as the 300c was supposed to be out 2 month ago who knows.chrysler doesn't seem to be able to meet deadlines anymore?????

[guyNbluejeans]

@scotsmaninusa Thanks! I must confess I'm getting cold feet at the moment because fuel keeps going up and many are saying we could easily see $5 a gallon soon.:-(

[BSDeez16]

@scotsmaninusa My 08 Sahara has a Dana 30 in the front and Dana 44 in the rear.

[BSDeez16]

@scotsmaninusa Or get a Rubicon...they have the Dana 44 in the front and rear.

[scotsmaninusa]

@BSDeez16 yeah I hear ya but I liked the color coded fenders at the time so got the Sahara.I'd rather wait for the new pentastar engine now as 17 mpg was a bit hard to live with as well

cheers

[SpetsnazMax]

I bought an 08 Wrangler Unlimited Sport last month (4-door), and loving it. the smooth drive, stylish and off-road experience is incredible with roof off. I had a Nissan Patrol and Toyota Prado, but none of those beat this beat...GO Wrangler...and yes, manual all the way, why would you buy a serious off-roader in auto...

[steadylang101]

just giving real stats/ here in Qatar Jeep particularly the wrangler has the most number of roll over accidents and yes we do have alot of roundabouts here not hating the vehicle at all its just maybe stats do matter for safety.

[Jesus45U]

@steadylang101 Interestingly, sometimes a car can have bad accidents statistics because of it's buyers. Drunken hillbillies like pickups and jeeps. And guess what they often do while drunk ?

Yuup.

Ditch their cars while having a bit of fun.

[Nytherr]

That's it I'm signing and I'll head out to the Jeep dealership as soon as possible and get one. HIT THE GAS CLETUS, YEEEEEEHAWWWW!

[05front]

What kind of millage do you think you could have gotten with the 6 speed?

Thanx

[mpgomatic]

@05front It's tough to say ... the automatic and manual are rated identically, despite the manual having two more gears. Driving style (tactics & techniques) have a lot to do with it. Hopefully we'll see a diesel Wrangler here in the States soon ...

[05front]

@mpgomatic That would be awesome if they did and hopefully use the same 6 speed. Yea it all depends then. Thank you.

[NattDogg01]

@mpgomatic My step dad has the 6-speed Manual transmission and the ratios in all the gears are very high. I have found myself actually coming down to first gear to keep from stalling it on some inclines. As far as gas mileage goes. We get close to 17 MPG combined. I personally would prefer the Automatic gearbox.

[aviator147]

I WANT A JEEP!

[errenthovsep]

why the freakin hell would you buy an automatic JEEP? thats a disgrace! automatic cars are for girls! thumbs up if you agree!

[daibadrumu]

4 speed auto?

[TheSnipaKillzz]

@daibadrumu its what he was given. (shrugs)

[nydrummer44]

They should make a jeep wrangler hybrid. Gas Milage is terrible!  OllllllO

[crazyp2jimmy]

@nydrummer44 Better than my Grand Cherokee. I'm only getting 13 mpg....

[guyNbluejeans]

I just read that the F-150 uses chrome plastic around the tail lights. I hate that stuff. Does anyone know if Jeep uses chrome plastic anywhere on their vehicles?

Also, I've learned that Jeep is going to put a much better motor in their vehicles in a couple of years. Are the current motors that bad or would one be wise to wait for the newer ones? THANKS!

[guyNbluejeans]

Thanks for posting this!

In a month or two I suspect I'll be cashing in my 401k (because my job is being outsourced) and, thus, I'd like either a truck or a two door Jeep for fairly light off road activity. My hope is to get something that is very reliable and doesn't drink too much gas. Any thoughts regarding which type of vehicle I should get would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!

P.S. Do car dealers knock a lot off the price if one tells them they'll pay in cash?:-)

[taypuc31]

@ihatevegans My dad has an 07 JK without all the power locks and windows. It's all Jeep.

[tinyneedledick]

you could do all that offroading in a car

[mrjgonzales1]

i want a jeep if only mi mom and dad would bi me 1

[mtb416]

@uncleflaco I got some Beolab 9's and drive a Jeep. So I guess I'm pretty fucking cool.

[mdo686]

hmmm somthin fishy about my post here.....i didn`t say that lol

[watso64]

Only 202HP and 237 lb-ft of torque and gets 15 city and 19 highway. AWFUL! a Grand Cherokee with the 330hp Hemi is rated at 14 city and 20 hw Chrysler needs to put build a newer engine or put the old trusty 4.0 in these.

[Righty736]

@watso64 I drive a 3.8 wrangler and a 4.0 cherokee. The 3.8 does NOT feel like it makes 237 ftlbs of torque.  It just has no power compared to the 4.0. It may be the crappy drive-by-wire throttle doing it.

[baddestbart]

@Righty736 Or the fact that its not an inline six... Some people will swear that gives it better torque and such.

[skopjanec92]

this is the perfect car for "adventurous" men because you can use it off road but also in the city and it's very practical. plus like a convertible (in my opinion) it looks very beautiful. this car is a legend!!! :D

[Duskydriver]

FINALLY !

Someone tells it like it is. It is a JEEP. Not a fashion accessory like a Lexus or a Hummer.

[LABlizzard2049]

He sounds like Seth Green.. Just sayin

[whateverfast22]

Does the Wrangler have a 2 wheel drive option? I know you can get a full time 2 wheel drive, but it's a wrangler, who'd get a 2wd wrangler? Can you go from 4 wheel drive, then flip a switch or something so you get 2wd?

[meltingcube]

@whateverfast22 Yes, the model shown (Sahara) has 2wd for normal driving, and the ability to switch to 4wd high or low when off road, using a shifter in the cabin. The 4wd system on this one however is only a part-time system. If you want full time 4wd get the Rubicon model.

[whateverfast22]

@meltingcube Thats exactly what I need, a 2wd truck for the road, and a 4wd truck for everything else. thanks

[GirlsPlumber]

in my opinion Jeep Wrangler can easily turn over more than other 4x4 cars.

[amcarvalho]

@GirlsPlumber Yes it does. I have one and I am very carefull on sharp turns, since I've been in several uncomfortable situations.

[5cmpersec]

the engine is of a 10 year old design. no variable valve timing, no double over head cam, no direct injection. It is reasonable hp and torque for a old engine.

[sideburns2009]

@5cmpersec this engine does have a variable intake manifold but the new jeeps will get the pentastar engine with that plus dvvt, dohc, DI, and possible turbo applications. the 3.6 in the 2011 grand cherokee makes 280HP N/A.

[5cmpersec]

@sideburns2009 The new Pentastar engine would make jeep wrangler a lot more desirable. Hope we don't need to pay too much premium for the new engine

[sideburns2009]

@5cmpersec i doubt the price will go up. Fiat is doing some good things and keep prices reasonable is one of them, along with redesigned interior's that aren't plastic. can't wait til the 2011 lineup starts showing up.

[xTheShady1x]

Take the rear spare tire off to boost mpg.

[backdraftmagnet]

this jeep decked out or a 72 bronco decked out??? :( ??

[ELi2190]

SRT8 please

[parapipe]

Hi! what is the start video song name?

[desimunda116]

im sorry a 3.8L V6 and 200hp? My 2.0 inline 4 makes that much

[The0861marine]

@desimunda116 Im assuming thats the VW 2.0 turbo four that doesn't make the torque to compare to the Jeep?

[desimunda116]

@The0861marine well actually i own a civic si and yes i agree the torque is way off, but speaking of the 2.0L turbo from VW, it does get close to the amount of torque. And there are engines around that displacement that deliver a lot more. The 3.5 V6 from Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

[tuk2332]

@desimunda116 it may have that much hp but i doubt ur pulling 240 tourqe jeeps arnet for speed but for offroading

[desimunda116]

@tuk2332 the V6 engine thats put into the Accord has a smaller displacement and puts out 254lb-ft of tourqe and has better mpg. i realize jeeps are for offroading and not for speed i'm just saying that it shouldn't take that high of a displacement to produce those numbers.

[sideburns2009]

@desimunda116 well with the discontinue of the inline 6, 4.0 they had to use something and the only engine in production at the time (2006) was the 3.8, which produces adequate torque for this application. the new variates of the pentastar engine (which is what they've been putting a lot of work into) will be a great improvement.

[740ilPower]

my 1988 jeep willys is faster

really

[dhs012]

does the rubicon have 4 low?

[mdo686]

Bought an 08 unlimited, roof never leaked, no electrical or tranny problems (and I tow a boat), no problem at highway speeds, been in shop 11 times for oil changes......FJ cruisers are gay!

[uncleflaco]

@mdo686 Man, you are wrong - FJ Cruisers are beyond gay; they're f'ing tool mobiles. I mostly see chubbies with Tweety Bird stickers driving those circus mobiles. FJ Cruiser sucks Jap cock.

[BraveZombie]

@mdo686 whats ur top speed?

[ThePiperPunk]

@mdo686 I know this is random since that's an older comment, but do you drive the stick or automatic tranny. thinking about getting a wrangler and i'd like to know if theres a difference in the durability

[aeropostalbaby1]

@ThePiperPunk depends why youre buying it. offroading with an auto is brutal. if you get stuck with a standard you can at least raise your rpm before letting off the clutch and boost over the rock or whatever is in your way. not to mention to jeep enthusiasts, automatic transmissions are the gayest things you can possibly put in a jeep. i dont even wave to jeeps that have 4 doors because i know most of them are soccer moms that have never been offroad and wouldnt understand what it means.

[sirmasterpimp]

Needs a clean burning diesel or bring back the 4.0 I6 with a power upgrade to + 260 hp and near 300 lb torque. I'm kinda mad that they just took the 3.8 l v6 from the minivans (without upgrades since the early 90's) and slapped it in the new jeep. I would also like to see rubicon version with either the 4.7 or 5.7 v8. Yes I know it's not built for speed, but it needs enough torque to tow boats, trailers and have decent acceleration when entering a freeway.

[Theibogaineeffect]

@sirmasterpimp i heard that there coming out with a diesel this year or maybe that was just the normal wrangler

[GamePyro]

@Theibogaineeffect They already have a diesel, but the US won't allow it here (doesn't meet emissions tests)

[GamePyro]

@sirmasterpimp

I'm not trying to argue here, but if the 3.8 hasn't changed since the early 90's, then it must be a pretty good engine, right? :]

[and2244rew]

Its funny the new 4 door has opened up the Wrangler market to people who have no business driving one. Its like owning a supercar for the trails you have to make some sacrifices. Its slow, noisy, rides rough, and gets so so mpg. If your going to be a wimp don't get a Wrangler get a crossover like all the other offroad posers. I had a jeep and loved it.

[TwistyMcFisty]

Ha, tell that to Jeep salesmen. "I'm sorry sir, but since you dont have any intention on taking it off road, I'm not at liberty to sell you one." Who cares why people buy them. If they want it simply because it looks good, then thats fine with me.

[and2244rew]

True, I just get tire of hearing those people moan about the Jeep's problems.

[TwistyMcFisty]

I agree, you just got to tell them to suck it up. Its a purpose built vehicle. However, I dont agree with the opposite opinion either, who say that confort has no place in the Wrangler, that luxuries are out of place. I say make any alterations to it as you like, make it more confortable, make the interior more pleasing to the eye, make it quiter if you like....AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE: OFFROAD SUPERIORITY.

[lemons27772]

i agree with you, kind of. i drive a 2 door with friends i put in back all the time. i do go offroad very frequently and i think if i was starting over i would get a 4door. yes it ruins the full wrangler factor, but it is the only 5 seater that has a solid front axle.

[and2244rew]

Its not that I don't like the 4 door, I'm actually planning one getting after I graduate(need the extra room). Its just that the 4 doors gives people the idea that it is a civilized suv suitable for whimps and posers. Its not. Its better than the tj as far as comfort but its still a real jeep.

[TCB1468]

How is the road noise

I like the jeep wrangler unlimited but i dont know how bad the road noise will be

Would it be better to buy a FJ Cruiser

[proxima]

Bought an 08 unlimited. Roof leaked, had numerous electrial and tranny problems. Very unstable at highway speeds. In shop 11 times in 16 months.  Dealer finally said "what do you expect...it's a jeep.". Got an attorney and they took it back under lemon law. Will never own a jeep product again. Bought a FJ cruiser..far superior.

[bnsf7512]

i got a 07 jeep Sahara and im sorry to say this but its a peace of shit,no power ive had transmisson problems electic short.

[adharmabumm]

The best, all encompassing review I've found yet. Thanks a lot guys!

[SCOTTIEHOTTIE123]

One more thing, I've had numerous Chrysler products in my life. I love them all, but each one (minus the v8's) has a high-pitched whine starting around 3500rpm until redline...I mean my Town & Country's did this...our Jeep does this...our daughter's Sebring does this...I've always wondered what causes this. It does no harm, it's just interesting, like a signature sound lol

[Forgoten214]

Im not a huge fan of the new designs.

[SCOTTIEHOTTIE123]

Yeah I have this exact car in black and I consistently get 16/17 mpg and about 20 on the highway. It's an awesome car, nonetheless, but it almost seems impossible to get past 17. I have to drive it like a Prius in order to get that.

Then again, if you buy one of these, are you really buying it for fuel economy?

[abigcess]

i don't know how he consistently gets higher mpg than epa, edmunds owner reviews, motortrend, car and driver...etc.

[mpgomatic]

The manner in which you drive has dramatic effect on overall fuel efficiency. When you drive with a conscientious light-footed approach, you can beat the official numbers and those of the enthusiast publications.

Take a look at any window sticker ... those big numbers stand out, but right underneath the big city and highway #s you'll find find print that says "Expected range for most drivers X to Y MPG." We hit the Y by driving with a light foot.

It's all about using inertia ...

[GameUrg]

@mpgomatic you should make a video showing your magic mpg skilzz

[theclipper505]

The general shape hasnt changed in about 50 years....and a 4 speed auto..fail..with 1st going to 45?? If its so good at towing it should go to about 1/2 that. C'mon Chrysler!

[renodude18]

I have the 2007 Rubicon model, its nice but once it gets old as in 40,000 miles old parts start to malfunction, the computer acts funny but the car has yet to completely break down, thinking about trading in for the liberty because I'll be moving to a bigger city so that review would be really awesome!

[k00lball3r]

12 seconds 0-60 lol with a 3.8 haha fail. my 1996 mazda protege does it in 9 and its a 1.5 4 cylinder.

[chrisgman92]

if you knew anything about 4x4's, you'd know that they aren't meant to be fast. i clocked mine at 9.5 seconds.

[blazerk5drew]

thats terrible...its a way outdated minivan engine. i was so disapointed. lookup the one with the hemi in it. or atleast brign back the inline 6 atleast that had torque

[raptor750r]

i got about 11.2 seconds 0-60? pretty metiocre..

[4wheeler14]

Thanks for the review Dan! Finally a review that doesn't bash the ride or engine. The Wrangler is the best off-roader you can buy, period. Yes we can argue the 3.8 is slow and perhaps the 4.0 was a little better, but overall the Wrangler is a solid truck.

[bg1379]

I'm sorry, but how many people want a car that is great off road and horrible off road??? Is there anyone out there that would truly buy this over an Escape or RAV4??

[raptor750r]

i'm not sure if you can really compare this to an Escape or a RAV4...those are built on wimpy CAR chasis and are FWD (i know they have AWD/4WD but they're FWD when thats not engaged. The jeep is body-on-frame RWD and sturdy for light towing, light plowing and has good 4WD. I'm not saying i like this Jeep very much, but i will say, i find the people who buy these are simply Jeep gurus and buy it for the Jeep name/legend.

[bg1379]

I would agree that the vast majority of people that buy this buy it out of brand loyalty or image.

[rudolphna54]

The 3.8L is ok, but I miss the venerable 4.0L Inline 6 AMC engine.

[bajabusta]

lady at work JUST bought this rig! I like them, great review Dan

[gp40mc]

Cool I like the wrangler.