The Jeep TJ, the “original SUV”, has undergone a few changes. The “new-for-2005” long-wheelbase Unlimited was actually brought to market early in 2004, but for this calendar year, there’s a new go-anywhere Rubicon Unlimited. The TJ drops to three trim lines with the elimination of the Sahara. All receive a new six-speed manual to replace 2004’s five-speed. On the TJ, a seven-speaker system is standard on the TJ Rubicon and both Unlimiteds, and a six-disc CD changer is available on all models.
The short-wheelbase TJ comes in SE, Sport and Unlimited. The base model includes vinyl front bucket seats, removable folding rear bench seat, CD player with four speakers, 15-inch steel wheels with all-terrain tires, and Command-Trac part-time four-wheel-drive. On the TJ, standard full doors with roll-up windows can be optioned to half-doors with zip-out soft windows; on all models, a standard soft top can be optioned to a hard top.
The mid-line TJ Sport package adds a full centre console, cloth seats, aluminum wheels, and 3.07:1 rear axle. The TJ Rubicon includes the new premium speaker system, fog lamps, diamond plate steel sill guards, on/off-road tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels, tow hooks, heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles with 4.11:1 ratio, four-wheel disc brakes, electronically-controlled locking front and rear differential with rear limited-slip unit, and Rock-Trac heavy-duty part-time four-wheel-drive.
The long-wheelbase Unlimited comes with all of the base TJ features, plus auto-dimming rearview mirror, premium seats, seven speakers, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 15-inch cast aluminum wheels, 3.73:1 rear axle and Command-Trac. The Unlimited Rubicon shares the heavy-duty package with the regular-wheelbase Rubicon.
This is the Jeep that won the war and, save for some creature comforts, its spirit hasn’t changed. It’s still pretty rough-and-tumble, but you can’t expect a luxury ride in a vehicle that can crawl over rocks. There are other manufacturers making small 4x4 SUVs, but if you want to take off the roof and conquer the wilderness in anything other than a Humvee H1, this is the only game in town.
The Jeep TJ is built in Toledo, Ohio.
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