Jeep Wrangler’s $34,000 Convertible Plows Snow

A freak snowstorm frosted over the Northeast in October when I was testing the 2012-model Jeep Wrangler. Fortunate, since I was heading into Pennsylvania’s Pocono mountains, where snow was falling hard.

As I turned onto a rutted dirt road in the late afternoon, tree boughs were hanging heavy with the white stuff. The forest was beautiful, but the road was a mess.

I slipped the $28,770, two-door Sahara model into four- wheel drive and easily plowed through. Nothing like big knobby tires and plenty of ground clearance to joust with mother nature.

The word iconic gets thrown around way too often, but in the case of the Jeep it qualifies. With roots that stem from the World War II runabout, you’ll find generations of the vehicle still on the road.

Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari famously called the Jeep America’s only true sports car. That’s not entirely the case, but it’s not wrong-headed either. Its boxy shape is virtually imprinted with a go-West-and-find-adventure spirit. That undiluted design is deeply desirable.

The brand is owned by the Chrysler Group. As Chrysler’s fortunes (DAI) slid in the last few years, so too suffered the Wrangler. Lack of innovation left it with an inefficient, underpowered engine and creaky transmission. While the interiors were never luxurious, the latest generations just felt cheap.

Chrysler has been sprucing up all its models, and the 2012 Wrangler’s makeover is a good one. They left alone the exterior — don’t mess with a classic — and focused on the powertrain.