In addition to the console bin there’s also a small cubby under the cargo area floor, and for about $300 you can buy a lockable cover for this, but my test vehicle had the optional Alpine Premium Audio system, which fills the cubby with a somewhat redundant subwoofer. I say “somewhat redundant” because the Wrangler Sport is small inside and the other eight speakers already pump out plenty of bass, to the point where I found myself turning using the equalizer to turn the bass way down. I’m a fan of a deep house and other bass-driven music, but in this instance I’d rather skip the subwoofer and have the stowage space. On the other hand I did appreciate the Sirius radio capability provided with the Alpine audio system, because reggae.

Security concerns aside, the Wrangler Sport (which starts at $25,495 not including freight) provides most of the essential comforts and conveniences: The front buckets are supportive and comfortable, with height adjustment for the driver’s seat combined with a tilting steering wheel to allow a good fit for most drivers. In the back there’s room for a couple of passengers, provided you haven’t already popped out the rear seat for added cargo space (it’s a bit of a contortion to get into the rear seat mind you, and the seat itself is distinctly flat and upright). The base model gets 16-inch steel wheels, fog lamps, cruise control (with steering wheel mounted cruise and audio controls), temperature and compass display, electronic stability control, skid plates for the fuel tank and transfer case, hill descent control (in automatic models), and Jeep’s famous “wash-out” interior with removable carpets and drain plugs.

The Sport S starts at $30,945 and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome-and-leather gearshift, and Sirius satellite radio, but notably not Bluetooth connectivity, which is a $525 option. From there you can go somewhat crazy, with models tailored either for greater off-road capability (adding things like upgraded axles, lower gear ratios, electronic front sway bar disconnect, rock rails and so on) or greater luxury (adding things like power locks and windows, navigation, heated leather-faced seating with mesh inserts and such).

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