What car did these characters all like – Lara Croft, the captain from MASH, Daisy Duke out of The Dukes of Hazzard, and the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park?
The answer of course is the Jeep. Three of the above were Wranglers, the pumped-up ‘modern’ version of the fourth one, the original wartime Jeep from MASH.
That first Jeep was a boneshaker supreme, but it did a sterling job in shocking conditions. It also created the template for the thankfully softer but still off-road capable Wrangler, a distinctive and fun machine that offers an affordable option to increasingly crazily-priced Land Rover Defenders.
Wranglers have been on the scene for an absolute age, so we'll limit ourselves to the models that came into the UK from 1993. The first one was the square-headlight YJ, brought in as left-hand drivers for conversion here.
The format – a lugging 4.0-litre straight-six engine nailed to a short but tough 4x4 chassis with a skeletal body on top – was simple but strangely appealing. You wouldn’t want to steam along a twisty Tarmac road in (or perhaps more accurately on) one, but for storming up or down daft, muddy hills there weren’t many better options.
They’re pretty agricultural in many ways, but then so is the Defender. The big difference is that Wrangler prices haven’t taken off to anything like the same levels. Early Wranglers can be picked up for as little as £2000. Try to find a driveable Defender at that money. For £5000 you can take your pick up from the very best right-hand-drive YJs.
In 1997, Jeep released the round-headlight TJ version, adding a posher 4.0-litre 'Limited' version and a slightly less thirsty 2.5-litre four-cylinder to the basic 4.0-litre offering. Between £3000 and £5000 will secure a high-mileage TJ in decent condition. £7000 and up will reduce the miles and give you a later example.
After that, you should be looking for a JK Wrangler, the TJ’s 2007 replacement. It was a bit wider than the TJ, reducing its useability on narrow tracks, but the combination of an increased wheelbase and reduced body length improved the approach and departure angles, making it more wieldy depending on the sort of terrain you were interested in conquering.
That TJ also marked the arrival in the UK of the first diesel Wrangler. It wasn’t the most refined or quiet diesel ever made, but the 200hp 2.8-litre was not short of poke and may be the sweet spot of the range if you're interested in affordable everyday useability. You’ll find plenty of choice in the used market. Mileage-dependent prices span the £10-£13,000 bracket.
There was a petrol-powered option, a quick 280hp 3.6-litre V6, but very few were sold in the UK so it will be hard to find one. Prices reflect that scarcity: expect to stump up at least £20,000.
