USED BUYER'S GUIDE Jeep Wrangler Mk4

FROM £32,000 Rough, tough, rugged and able to take a beating - you'll need to be all of these to live with a used Jeep Wrangler. And you'll need pretty deep pockets too

- Richard Dredge

NEXT year will mark 85 years since the birth of the Willys Jeep, which sired an all-new brand (Jeep) in the aftermath of WW2. With a focus on go-anywhere ability, the Jeep was perfect for those who wanted to tackle inhospitable terrain, or who regularly had to drive in seriously inclement weather.

Jeep has endured because it has stayed focused on the original goal of ensuring that its cars can cope with the worst conditions. That's what the Wrangler does, because as Jeep's most hardcore model, it’s perfectly suited to off-roading. But it’s seriously compromised on the road, and that’s why you have go into Wrangler ownership with your eyes open.

HISTORY

THE fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler went on sale in the UK in October 2018, priced from £44,865. There was a choice of 268bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol or 197bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel (Multijet II) engines, both of which came with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All Wranglers have four-wheel drive and there were two and four-door bodystyles.

The diesel engine was dropped in summer 2021, which is when extra safety kit (adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic full beam) became standard, and the range of exterior colour options was widened.

A facelifted Wrangler reached the UK in spring 2024, priced from £60,785. There was now a bigger (12.3-inch) touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, new safety kit, standard electric adjustment for the front seats and a higher-quality cabin with extra soundproofing.

WHICH SHOULD I BUY?

THE diesel isn’t much torquier than the petrol (450Nm compared with 400Nm) and it isn’t much more economical; virtually all of the Jeeps for sale have a petrol unit.