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| 2005 Jeep TJ Unlimited Rubicon (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123) |
Me, my dad and my uncle were told about a abandoned quarry where four-wheelers supposedly sneak in for a little fun, ignoring the private property concrete blocks and, ahem, yellow police "crime scene" ribbon lines... it was Wednesday afternoon, so we were in no danger, I guess... We were impressed at how the Rubicon suddenly felt at home, like a captured animal released back in the wildlife.
We drove down the various trails, some were flat, and some were pretty steep. No sweat, pull the lever and switch to 4H for 4WD in high range, and off we went. First gear is perfect for creeping over obstacles, and the high ground clearance (8.3 inches, or 211 mm) makes off-roading easy for even novices like me. When we left the trail to head back home, the last obstacle between us and the road was a deep ditch. It was easy to cross going straight in and out, but then we tried crossing it on a 45 degree angle. In 4H mode, the front right and rear left tires were hanging in the air midway through and the Jeep ceased its forward motion. I backed up, yanked the lever in 4L mode (4WD Low) and tried again. No luck, the same wheels started spinning again. I backed up once more, and pressed the button on the dash titled "AXLE LOCK", which activates the Tru-Lok differential system. I headed for the ditch once again with the problematic 45-degree angle. It went straight through, and the wheels virtually didn't
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| 2005 Jeep TJ Unlimited Rubicon (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123) |
spin at all. It worked like a charm. The TJ is quite a slowpoke in low range, but it makes for great rock climbing, and the Tru-Lok gizmo is great for precarious situations when a wheel or two are airborne.
Inside the cab, the dash and door panels are molded in a hard, textured plastic. Since I usually rest my left elbow on the door, it was pretty sore at the end of the week because of the hard surface. The center armrest has a lockable storage bin, on which you hit your right elbow when changing gears. The instrument panel is about as simple as they come; but then again, a high-tech interior with fake wood-trim just wouldn't look good in this vehicle. Don't expect power windows or automatic climate control. As a matter of fact, don't expect anything with power in it, expect the CD player perhaps. And it has to stay that way, because too much luxury will scare off hardcore TJ buyers.
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| 2005 Jeep TJ Unlimited Rubicon (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123) |
The Unlimited model has 10 more inches (254 mm) in its wheelbase than the regular one, and is 15 inches (381 mm) longer overall. The result gives 2 more inches of legroom for those sitting in back, and 13 inches of additional cargo space in back. I didn't find that rear space particularly roomy, so I can imagine how small it is in back on the shorter TJ. One big advantage for rear-seat passengers, though, is that they will enjoy a less bumpy ride, thanks to the longer wheelbase.
