Jeep Wrangler Sahara 2.8 CRD Aut., test drive (Equipment, price and overall assessment)

Diego G. Moreira 15 October 2013 4 min.

Jeep Wrangler Sahara 2.8 CRD Aut., test drive (Equipment, price and overall assessment)

Final part of the Jeep Wrangler test drive, a pure 4×4 that we have tried with the 200 CV diesel engine. In this section we tell you everything about the equipment, Wrangler prices and our assessment of the car.

After several days talking about the Jeep Wrangler, today we bring the test drive to an end by telling you everything about the equipment, prices and our overall assessment of the car. We have tested this peculiar off-roader with the 2.8 CRD 200 CV diesel engine with automatic gearbox; everything about the engine and performance is covered in the first part of the test drive.

In the second part we talk about the exterior design, one of the most distinctive features of this Jeep. We also analyse the interior space, the quality of the materials and the boot. So now, let’s start with the equipment…

Equipment

To review the equipment, let’s start with the safety features. Standard from the base trim (Sport), the Wrangler comes with: four airbags, stability control, ABS with emergency brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring, electronic roll mitigation, front fog lights, among other elements. We cannot speak of EuroNCAP because it has not been submitted to the tests.

The Wrangler’s equipment is structured in three levels (Sport, Sahara and Rubicon), although there are numerous special editions with particular equipment. From the Sport trim, standard features include: automatic climate control, soft top, black bumpers and wheel arches, 16-inch alloy wheels, Command-Trac® four-wheel drive system with low-range transfer case, CD-MP3 radio with six speakers, cruise control, trip computer, hill start assist, among other elements.

In other words, although it may seem like a spartan car, it has all the typical equipment of a conventional model, and even more (in our Sahara unit). This means that driving it does not mean giving up the comforts that other models offer us.

The Sahara is the trim of our unit and one of the most complete, because on top of the above it adds: 18-inch wheels, hard top, light sensor, Uconnect Tunes sound system with CD/DVD/MP3 radio, 30 GB hard drive and 6.5-inch touchscreen, six-speaker system with subwoofer in the boot (Alpine), among other elements.

We liked the operation of the touch radio, as well as the sound quality of its Alpine speaker system; even without the rear soft top, the design of the speakers and their layout ensure we always get excellent sound quality.

Prices

Wrangler 2.8 CRD Sport 34,076 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Sahara 39,344 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Moab (Spec. Ed.) 39,968 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Sahara Auto 42,206 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Moab Auto (Spec. Ed.) 42,854 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Rubicon Auto 44,400 euros
Wrangler 2.8 CRD Rubicon 10th Anniv. Auto (Spec. Ed.) 47,590 euros
Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Sport 36,586 euros
Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Sahara 41,831 euros
Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Sahara Auto 44,788 euros
Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Rubicon Auto 46,983 euros
Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Rubicon 10th Anniv. Auto (Spec. Ed.) 50,173 euros

Overall Assessment

The Jeep Wrangler is not a typical vehicle, it is almost an endangered species (even more so since we know that its natural rival, the Land Rover Defender, is being discontinued in 2015). But since then Jeep has done a good job of “taming” this rugged, rural 4×4. I say taming because, although it is a car designed for the most extreme use off the asphalt, it does not give up all kinds of comforts.

The first thing we like is its engine, an old acquaintance of the brand, but very performance-oriented with its 200 CV. Horsepower that gives it good response on motorways, on country roads and off-road. The automatic gearbox is a recommended extra, because it gains comfort especially in urban environments.

It is not a sports car, but on the road it holds its own, it now has a good list of safety features (ESP, ABS, airbags, etc.), that is, matching the safety of a conventional vehicle today.

As for space, it is a roomy car, but if we opt for the two-door version, it should be noted that access to the (spacious) rear seats is not very good. And it doesn’t matter whether we choose the four- or two-door version as far as the boot goes, which remains small for a car like this.

What does the Wrangler offer us? The first thing is obvious: good off-road qualities. But it has also become an exclusive car, with the different special editions and the fact that it is not a very common sight, which make it an exclusive model, ideal for those looking for a different car with good capabilities. And above all, it offers us freedom, it may sound cliché, but driving and knowing we can travel over almost any type of terrain, that is freedom of movement (literally).