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2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Review

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Michel Deslauriers
Over the hills and through the woods
There aren’t many vehicles left on the road that enjoy the cult status that the Wrangler has. Like it or not, the classic Jeep has a loyal following and is the reason why Jeep has become a household name.

Today, a lot of people call any 4x4 a Jeep, like we call any facial tissue a Kleenex or any bandage a Band-Aid. This is the goal of every company seeking to improve their brand awareness, and Jeep has succeeded.

The Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon we’re driving is the toughest, most expensive one in the line-up. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

Drive a Wrangler and cross paths with another one, and you’ll get the regulatory wave and acknowledgement that you’re THE man (or woman). You must wave back. In the case of the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon we’re driving, it’s the toughest, most expensive one in the line-up, so expect to be saluted frequently.

Our Red Rock-coloured tester definitely looks cool. You’ll never mistake the Wrangler for anything other than a Wrangler. With every redesign comes a new form of the same basic shape that was first seen back in WWII. And that’s what Wrangler fans want; Jeep can’t mess with the truck’s looks, and making new with old is a challenge that they have surmounted so far.

With a little elbow grease and a lot of practice, you can detach the hardtop roof or lower the soft top, lower the windscreen, take off the doors, put on your cowboy hat and head for the boonies. The three-section hardtop is simple; it takes about 30 seconds to take off each of the two front sections, and they fit in back, but the biggest portion of the roof must be handled by at least two people when taken off.

I tried it solo, because there was no one around to help me and because I’m plain stupid, and quickly found out that it’s way heavier than I thought; I almost dropped it, scraping a corner of it on the ground and cutting a finger in the process. Lovely.

The biggest portion of the three-piece hardtop must be handled by at least two people. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)
Michel Deslauriers
Michel Deslauriers
Automotive expert
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