2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited SUV

The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive 4X4 off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986. The Wrangler was originally created for war when the U.S. Army asked all of the American automakers to invent a general-purpose, quarter-ton recon vehicle to be used in World War II. All Wrangler models continue to use a separate body and frame, rigid live axles both front and rear, a tapering nose design with flared fenders, a fold-flat windshield, and can be driven without doors. Also, with few exceptions, they have part-time four-wheel drive systems, with the choice of high and low gearing, and standard are open bodies with removable hard- or soft-tops. Wrangler has been complemented with long-wheelbase versions for the Wrangler Unlimited. The clear difference with the Unlimited version is its larger than the regular Wrangler. It offers four doors opposed to the Wrangler only offering two, and a fifth seat for the Unlimited allows it to add an additional passenger over the Wrangler. Both versions competitors are the Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, Land Rover Defender and Jeep Gladiator. Wranglers Reliability Rating is 3.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 25th out of 26 for compact SUVs. The Wrangler also earned Good ratings in four tests from the IIHS, and got a four-star rating overall in front crash tests from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).