JEEP WRANGLER 80TH EDITION

To celebrate Jeep’s 80th anniversary they have produced a - wait for it - an 80th anniversary model. On top of the vast array of features that already come as standard on a Wrangler, the 80th anniversary model includes a few other model specific accessories.

The first and most prominent is Jeep’s Sky One-Touch Power Top - basically, a full length fabric sunroof that works really well, especially at speed with barley any buffering.

The leather seats and dashboard with Light Tungsten interior accent stitching add to the occasion, as do the Berber floor mats and the 80th Anniversary badge and tags. Other touches include badges and the exclusive 18” granite crystal aluminium alloy wheels that create a look that is both modern yet faithful to the iconic Jeep tradition.

My Wrangler for the week was a 5-door model resplendent in Sarge green, and in my opinion at least, totally looked the part. Over the last 12 months or so I’ve borrowed and written about the JL Wrangler a number of times, so I’m not going to repeat myself by waffling on about how, with 272bhp on tap from the 2.0 litre petrol engine, they’re ridiculously quick, or that there’s nowhere to rest your left foot. Instead, I’ll regale you with a tale of off-road prowess.

Shod with 255/70R18” all-season tyres, the 80th handled all road conditions with ease, it was quiet and comfortable, just how you expect a modern 4x4 to be. Overall the 80th felt more secure and less vague that the Rubicon, which makes sense really, as it doesn’t have the Rubicon’s raised suspension and taller mud tyres.

However, just because a Wrangler isn’t a Rubicon and therefore lacks mud terrain tyres, front and rear lockers and anti sway bar disconnects, does that mean it’s mall-crawler or pavement princess? Far from it, and to prove it I decided to drive a couple of interesting green lanes here in the North West.

Lane 1

Setting off from Bolton I headed towards Oldham for my first lane, Trailwise ref SD9807-03, aka Lark Hill.

With a mild rocky climb it’s quite fun, and around a 1/2 of the way along there’s a diagonal channel that spans across the lane, nothing too challenging. Having said that, last time I was up here I was in Deux Smurf, and as I was crawled up slowly I got her cross-axles and lost traction due to a lack of momentum.

Engaging low box I aimed the 80th diagonally across the channel with the intention of both lifting a wheel and making it difficult for the Wrangler. Of course I stopped half way through to take photos. Jumping back in, engaging drive and releasing the handbrake and away I drove with no fuss whatsoever, as expected, really.

Lane 2

Upon reaching the top I turned left and followed SD9907-06 which is a long, straight wide dirt lane, and suitable for a 2wd car, with care. The coil suspension and a long wheel base gives the 80th a smooth drive over rough terrain, quit joyous really. Hitting a few deep puddles a tad quicker than I should have didn’t cause it a sweat, the 80th soaked up all the imperfections like a boss.

Lane 3

My next lane was Harrop Edge (SE0008-04), and despite only being short in distance, it’s quite a gnarly lane with a few deep ruts and a couple of bumper grinding steps to contend with.

Usually I drive down this lane, but on this occasion I figured I’d give the 80th a workout.

Starting at the bottom, it’s quite narrow and rocky, then after around 15 yards or so you’re faced with a tight left hand turn and a couple of rock steps. Despite being damp and the 80th not having individual lockers, with a few extra revs it climbed the steps without hardly any wheel spin. Very impressive.

Once past the next tight 90º right hand bend it becomes quite narrow again with a bit of a lean into some scratchy bushes, fortunately the traction I had from the allseason tyres was better than I expected.

My next challenge were a some very deep ruts, that in fairness can be mainly avoided, but where’s the fun in that?

Attacking them diagonally, with the off-side wheel first caused the 80th to lurch quite steeply, and climbing up the other side left the two opposing wheels flailing in the air and the remaining two on soft ground, that’s when I lost forward motion. I could have easily given the 80th a bit more power, but that would have caused damage to the lane, and no one wants that.

In the end it was the lack of traction from the tyres that stopped me from going forward, not talent or flex from the 80th.

Lane 4

Next was SE0109-01, and the last time I drove upwards I was shocked by the amount of damage that had been caused over the last two years, it was almost unrecognisable. What made the short lane attractive was two large opposing holes which really tested your suspension flex and traction control. Sadly there are plenty of videos out there of 4x4s losing traction and ‘gunning it’, but instead of driving out they simply made the holes deeper. So on arrival it was no surprise that it had been graded and is now as flat as a pancake.

Anyway, access to the now graded section is via a cobbled lane that has a few rain channels that cross it, handy if you want to take the odd snap of your 4x4 posing, which is something the 80th anniversary Wrangler does very well.

The following day the Wrangler was collected by Jeep, and I actually still miss it. With decent ground clearance, coil suspension and beam axles, it’s sadly becoming a rarity on UK roads. Does it drive like a car? Of course not, but the electronic stability control does a really good job of making it easy to live with on a daily basis.

You buy a Wrangler because you want a Wrangler, it’s as simple as that, and you accept its misgivings, though to be fair, there aren’t many of ‘em.