2009 Jeep Wrangler User Reviews

Pros

solid axles, open body, comfortable seating, true 4x4

Cons

plastic headlights, plastic grill, plastic bumpers,engine,over engineered

Purchased As Not Purchased

I really like Jeep Wranglers and if I were to lose mine, I would get another. I may even get a 2009. I currently have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler and went to consider a 2009. Although the 2009 Wrangler is quite possibly the last true 4x4 with solid axles, I kept my 2006 Wrangler. I found the 2009 has plastic headlights and plastic grill. Plastic headlights are junk in my opinion. They turn gray in a few years and you can't see at night. I like to use my Wrangler like a 4x4 so a plastic grill is not very good protection aginst branches and off road obsticles. The grill is swept foward so it does not really look like the classic Jeep grill. I really could not believe that Wranglers are coming out with power windows. Aren't power windows the first thing to break on a vehicle? The gas peddle felt sluggish to me. I do not like the computer controlled accellerator. That's just one more thing to break when you are off road. I'd like to see the old cable controlled pedal instead. This is the first Jeep Wrangler with plastic molded bumpers. In other words, it has no bumpers to speak of, so they are not good for off roading. The plastic covering on the bumper is sure to fade, crack and peel. Although this complaint is purely about it's appearence, I have never seen a Jeep Wrangler with a curved windshield. The biggest complaint is the engine. The 3.8 Liter V6 is just not as powerful as the 4.0 Liter inline 6. I have been driving manual transmissions all my life and I stalled the engine several times on a take off due to the fact that the V6 is weak and the computer controlled gas pedal has lots of lag. I got the hang of it and still had lots of trouble getting any speed out of the 2009 Wrangler. I have no Idea why the 4.0 liter inline 6 engine was terminated after so many years of service. The 3.8 liter V6 makes nearly the same miles to the gallon that the 4.0 inline 6 engine made. I see no advantage to the V6. The interior of the new Wrangler is very comfortable. I like everything except the new dashboard. The new dashboard is just simply too over-engineered to be in a Wrangler. I know it sounds like a lot of complaints, but I would actually buy one if I did not already have my 2006. The 2009 is a down grade to the 2006 in my opinion. If I had not driven a 2006 or owned a 2006, I would jump at the chance to own a 2009. The bottom line is I would still recommend it. It's just too over engineered to be a true Wrangler and it's not for me. Soon the Jeep Wrangler we all know and love will be a thing of the past. The name may live on, but this is the beginning of the end. :