While I personally almost never tow, those that do would appreciate how the longer wheelbase increases towing capacity, endowing the TJ Unlimited with a best-in-class rating of 1,588 kg (3,500 lbs), 680 kg (1,500 lbs) more towing capability than the standard TJ.
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| The TJ's 4.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine is extremely smooth and produces 190 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The TJ's 4.0-liter inline 6-cylinder workhorse soldiers on, being the last vehicle in the lineup to carry it over. It's an extremely smooth engine, an attribute inherent to inline sixes, and in 2005 tuning makes 190 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 235 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. I think it's great that Jeep has made the 42RLE 4-speed automatic gearbox standard, but find it difficult to understand why no manual will be offered. Whether a manual or automatic is better or worse for off-road duty is a personal thing, but it just seems strange not to make available something that shouldn't take a lot of engineering to integrate. Of course, I'm not an engineer nor have I seen the market research results that may have shown a manual-equipped TJ Unlimited wouldn't sell well. It's hard to say.
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| High-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers and a 3.73 axle ratio, plus tow hooks and fog lamps are included in the Unlimited package. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
It does feature a standard Dana 30 front and heavy-duty Dana 44 rear axle, as well as 30-inch tall R15 Goodyear Wrangler GSA tires on 15-inch Ravine aluminum rims, mind you. Also included are high-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers and a 3.73 axle ratio, plus tow hooks and fog lamps.
Unlike my CJ-5, full steel doors with deep tinted windows are part of the standard package, as is the padded Sport Bar - what used to be called a roll bar. Air conditioning, an AM/FM/CA audio system, fold and tumble rear seat, front and rear floor mats, next generation front driver and passenger airbags and power steering add standard refinement to the rough and tough image.
