Test Drive: 2012 Jeep Wrangler refines 2011 redo

ByABC News
December 9, 2011, 10:10 AM

— -- In what's become an unsettling theme, Jeep-parent Chrysler Group was a year late getting the really good stuff into the updated Wrangler.

Happened on the big Chrysler 300 and similar Dodge Charger sedans, too. The 2011s got the looks that made them worth considering. The 2012s have the guts that make them worth buying: a well-tuned eight-speed automatic transmission, wider availability of all-wheel drive, better navi/info system, nicer screen for displaying it.

Thus, the Wrangler. Body and interior got modernization for 2011, but the drivetrain carried over. The 2012 gets Chrysler's modern Pentastar V-6 to replace a cranky old engine, and a five-speed automatic replaces the four-speed.

The big improvements for 2011 shouldn't be dismissed too quickly. They brought the crusty Wrangler nearer today's standards. For instance, bigger tailgate glass and side windows minimize claustrophobia. And mirror defoggers, heated seats, Bluetooth streaming audio to play tunes stored on your phone without plugging it in. All commendable.

Chrysler isn't withholding features on purpose. It's running to get new models into showrooms ASAP to generate revenue, and not everything is ready at once.

So, styling one year, drivetrain the next.

We had the chance to drive 2011 and 2012 Wrangler Unlimiteds (Jeep-speak for four doors) back-to-back.

Accelerating the 2011 is like trying to hurry a sleepy oaf by poking with a dull stick. Can be done, but wretchedly unsatisfying. Steering is slow. Ride is on the bouncy side, even for a Jeep.

The 2012's new drivetrain and the suspension changes that accompany it, however, make the new one a Jeep to savor. Not only can you still do hardcore Jeep things — slam around off-road, take off the doors and the top, fold down the windshield — but now you also can take it home to meet the family.

Though hardly on par with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the latest Wrangler is quick, smooth and refined enough to be an everyday driver for those a bit funky — who don't insist on the relative poshness of a Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox or Grand Cherokee.

Warning: Don't bite on a "good deal" on a leftover 2011 Wrangler if the money is anywhere close to a 2012. Day/night.

Some Wrangler compromises still can be annoying, though.

•Doors, windshield. It still matters to Jeep purists that Wrangler's doors can be removed and the windshield folded flat onto the hood. Windshield-down works well in dusty areas because the grit just keeps going, instead of swirling around an upright windshield, collecting on the glass and your face.

But to be demountable, the doors have as little hardware and weight as possible. Thus, power window switches are in the center of the dashboard. And the doors lack detents to hold them partially open, so unless you park facing downhill, expect them to slap back against you as you enter or exit.

Front stereo speakers aren't tucked inconspicuously into windshield pillars. They are in space-alien pods atop the dashboard to get their weight and wiring away from the folding windshield.

On all the test vehicles, the doors needed a good slamming to fully close and avoid the warning light.

•Backup camera. None. It would help avoid kids, tricycles, pets and other short stuff behind the vehicle, and it also could be a help off-road.