Test Drive: 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport S

Having done a limited amount of off-roading in the test car (and a great amount in my friend’s old YJ) I should point out her that yes, the Wrangler Sport will carry you far enough into the backwoods that if you do get stuck you’ll need to phone an organization with “off road club” or “rescue service” in its name to come and get you unstuck (assuming you still have cell phone coverage where you are). And no, the Jeep Wrangler really doesn’t mind getting dirty. But while the interior may be fairly easy to wash out provided you’d remembered to remove the carpets, the outside of the vehicle has enough crevices and crannies that if you try washing it using the old bucket-and-sponge method it’ll be wearing mud in its fender seams and running board mounts forever after, like a backwoods badge of honour. To get a Jeep Wrangler truly clean, you need a spray wash.

At the end of the week, despite the rather steep fuel bill and the fact I’d had to take my camera bag with me every time I left the Wrangler Sport unattended, I was a little wistful returning it. If I lived anywhere else but the city – a tropical island say, or on a nice spread of land in BC’s expansive interior, a Wrangler Sport would be high on my list of vehicles to own. There’s a reason it’s still soldiering along in virtually the same form 75 years after it was first introduced, and that’s because despite its quirks – or perhaps, more accurately, because of them – it’s still thoroughly awesome.

Pricing: 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport
Base Price (Sport S trim): $30,945
Options: $6,545 (Automatic transmission $1,495, anti-spin rear differential $525, Connectivity Group $525, Power Convenience Group $1,000, Mopar Black Appearance Group $685, Supplemental side airbags $400, slush mats $50, Premium black Sunrider soft top $395, 6.5-inch touchscreen radio $775, Alpine premium audio system $695)
Freight: $1,745
A/C Tax: $100
Price as Tested: $39,335