If you're looking for an affordable, reliable and capable pass to weekend adventure, few machines satisfy as well as a Jeep. It's a brand that owns the landscape when toughness and capability are important, and they're sought after by owners who don't plan to travel paved roads on the weekend.
Here's a machine that presents a bit of a compromise. You'll be giving up some creature comforts in exchange for go-anywhere capability. The interior isn't exactly family-friendly, though it is relatively safe and well equipped. Dual airbags are installed, and the passenger-side airbag can be switched off on newer models if you've got a child-seat. Crash-impact ratings aren't bad either.
Roof's can be removed for open-topped fun, but the roll-cage beneath chews up interior space. The ride isn't uncomfortable- but it's far from plush or sporty. On the trails or tearing through the turf, little of that matters. Remember, this is a machine that got its start serving the military with go-anywhere operation for just about any job.
Beginning sales in 1996 for the 1997 model year, the TJ replaced the former YJ model, returning to a set of round headlights and adding improvements like a coil-spring suspension for better ride quality. You'll still find slow steering mixed with a bouncy ride on the street, but it's not the teeth-rattling experience of the previous model. It's all in the name of toughness, remember.
Power came from a pair of engines. The first was a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder mill with horsepower rated between 110 and 120, depending on the year. This was replaced by a more refined, efficient and powerful 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine in 2003.
Also available was the four-liter inline six cylinder engine, generating 190 horsepower. This engine is known to be something of a workhorse- and many an owner will tell you that it cannot be killed. Neither engine choice represents exceptional mileage or operational refinement, but they're both largely free of major mechanical problems.
Manual or automatic transmissions were available, and all models came with a part-time four-wheel drive system that was manipulated by a floor-mounted shift lever. The two-speed transfer case offered a low-range setting for crawling along, and an all-purpose mode for general turf-tossing. A selection of final-drive ratios were available, some more suitable for certain jobs than others depending on owner preference.
Here's a machine that presents a bit of a compromise. You'll be giving up some creature comforts in exchange for go-anywhere capability. The interior isn't exactly family-friendly, though it is relatively safe and well equipped. Dual airbags are installed, and the passenger-side airbag can be switched off on newer models if you've got a child-seat. Crash-impact ratings aren't bad either.
Roof's can be removed for open-topped fun, but the roll-cage beneath chews up interior space. The ride isn't uncomfortable- but it's far from plush or sporty. On the trails or tearing through the turf, little of that matters. Remember, this is a machine that got its start serving the military with go-anywhere operation for just about any job.
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| 1997 Jeep Wrangler |
Beginning sales in 1996 for the 1997 model year, the TJ replaced the former YJ model, returning to a set of round headlights and adding improvements like a coil-spring suspension for better ride quality. You'll still find slow steering mixed with a bouncy ride on the street, but it's not the teeth-rattling experience of the previous model. It's all in the name of toughness, remember.
Power came from a pair of engines. The first was a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder mill with horsepower rated between 110 and 120, depending on the year. This was replaced by a more refined, efficient and powerful 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine in 2003.
Also available was the four-liter inline six cylinder engine, generating 190 horsepower. This engine is known to be something of a workhorse- and many an owner will tell you that it cannot be killed. Neither engine choice represents exceptional mileage or operational refinement, but they're both largely free of major mechanical problems.
Manual or automatic transmissions were available, and all models came with a part-time four-wheel drive system that was manipulated by a floor-mounted shift lever. The two-speed transfer case offered a low-range setting for crawling along, and an all-purpose mode for general turf-tossing. A selection of final-drive ratios were available, some more suitable for certain jobs than others depending on owner preference.
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| 1997 Jeep Wrangler X-Ray. |