Fun in the Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: OK, so the Freedom Edition isn’t my cup of tea -- I didn’t even know what Oscar Mike
meant until a younger colleague explained it to me. But I have complete
faith that Jeep knows its audience, and if some of them want stars and
military badging, then Jeep should rightfully sell it to ’em. God knows
it makes more sense than the 83 different BMW 3/4-series models that brand is peddling.
Take
away the stickers, though, and you’ve got a JK Wrangler here, a vehicle
which never fails to impress me in almost every way. While ours wasn’t a
rock-ready Rubicon model I have no doubt it could tackle hairier
terrain that I would be comfortable driving over, yet it was a perfectly
enjoyable companion running errands and even commuting in rush-hour
traffic. The Freedom Top’s front panels are incredibly easy to remove
and install (less so to stow), and in place they make for a tight,
rattle-free drive. Yank ’em off and there’s a targa-esque open-air
experience that was just right for our mid-spring/on-and-off showery
weekend. The entire Freedom Top comes off with just a handful of Torx
bolts and the front doors don’t take much more than that to remove, so
your Wrangler can be turned into a summer cruiser with just a half hour
and a friend.
The automatic transmission garnered a
chorus of groans around here, but again Jeep knows its market and the
five-speed slushbox did a perfectly fine job in city and freeway
driving. Gas mileage sucks with either transmission, so if you want an
automatic Jeep, get one and don’t apologize for it. The Pentastar V6 is
plenty powerful to get things moving as long as you remember you’re
driving a Jeep, and not one with an SRT badge, either.
One
thing I rediscovered during a weekend in the Wrangler was the reason
Jeep is selling so many Wrangler Unlimited four-door models. The
two-door is small, and the position of the doors makes getting into the
back seat difficult even for small kids. The trick double-action
passenger seat helps (it slides forward then “leaps” up and forward to
provide just a bit more clearance), but the Unlimited is really the one
to get if you plan to carry more than one passenger on anything like a
regular basis.
The Wrangler makes no sense for 99
percent of buyers, but like them, I’ll keep trying to figure out how to
justify buying one. It’s just a ton of fun. Isn’t that enough?
The Oscar Mike badge on the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition is video game military lingo for "on the move."
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: Since the AMC
days, Jeep has always had a thing for special editions. So I guess I
shouldn’t be surprised by this 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition, even
if it was one of the more embarrassing things I’ve driven around lately.
Let
me be perfectly clear here: I have nothing against the Wrangler itself.
I think you should choose your own gears in a Wrangler almost as a
matter of principle, but the five-speed (five-speed!) automatic in this
vehicle gets along nicely with the Pentastar V6.
We
often sing the praises of the ride quality of modern trucks, but I have a
feeling the Wrangler retains an old-school feel by design. You do get a
bit of bounce when speeding over rough roads, and there’s lean in
corners. I didn’t manage to trigger any death wobble, but I speak from
experience when I say that JK Wranglers (at least the early ones) aren’t
entirely immune.
The shorter wheelbase may contribute, and a Wrangler Unlimited might be more composed, but it’s still a Jeep
we’re talking about here. A WWII Army mechanic wouldn’t have any
trouble identifying anything on the underside of this brand-new vehicle,
and the Jeep fanatics that have built the brand into the centerpiece of
the Fiat/Chrysler empire wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s
not to say that the hard plastics in earlier Jeeps couldn’t have used
an upgrade. The interior of this Wrangler manages to feel rugged and
hard-wearing without coming off as cheap. For better or for worse, the
vehicle’s consoles, armrests, panels, etc. look designed rather
than bolted together to serve a purpose. Off-roaders may not care
either way; they’re probably going to just take the doors off. Everyone
else will appreciate the refinement.
But, man,
something about that Freedom Edition package got under my skin. With its
Air Force roundel decals and Oscar Mike badges (in case you don’t play a
lot of Xbox, that’s military lingo, or at least video game military
lingo, for “on the move”), it’s worse than the Dragon Edition -- which
is so over-the-top tacky that it’s almost cool -- but not quite as bad
as the utterly unbelievable Call of Duty: MW3 Edition.
I
think it’s pretty clear that someone in the styling department has a
huge crush on Captain America, but couldn’t get the licensing rights
hammered out. Jeep, have your people get in touch with Marvel’s people.
Shameless as a hypothetical full-fledged Star-Spangled Avenger Edition
Wrangler might be, there’s nothing worse than a knock-off.
I’m sure a heat gun would do wonders for those decals and “Oscar Mike” badges, though.
The special edition 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition includes some love-it or leave-it badges.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: I
was a little surprised how much the automatic detracted from my
enjoyment of this Jeep. I’d never driven an automatic JK on the street,
and it’s probably 50 percent less fun than the manual. Other than that,
you have a pretty typical JK driving experience. A little bounce, some
jostle and a whole bunch of wallow.
I am, however,
pretty uncomfortable with all the G.I. Joe stuff on the Oscar
Mike/Freedom Edition. Whenever I drive my Willys, people salute it,
thinking it’s a military Jeep. I almost always correct them and explain
that it’s a CJ -- civilian Jeep. The Freedom Edition makes me twice as
uncomfortable. It’s like being dressed as a soldier for Halloween and
running into a WWII vet.
Now, the Dragon Edition Wrangler, that’s something I’d be more than happy to be seen in.
The interior of the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition feels rugged and hard-wearing.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: I’ve
decided that the Jeep Wrangler two-door looks better with the top down,
and the Wrangler Unlimited four-door model looks better with the top
up. There’s something about the proportions, I think.
I
was never really a fan of Jeeps, but I understand why loads of people
like them, and I’m glad they’re still being built. I did a few days of
off-roading a few years ago, and it was way more fun than I expected.
Unfortunately, I found no opportunities for dirt in my two days with
this 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition.
On the
road, the Jeep feels very trucky. I noticed my head wobbling back and
forth every time I drove over a bump. It kind of jumps around a little,
too, when hitting bumps at speed. Steering is super light on center. I
felt like there was about three inches of play in the middle, before it
started to turn.
Acceleration is great from the
V6. I really feel bad for all those Jeep guys who dealt with the Iron
Duke four banger for so long because this one jumps off the line. It
does get a little noisy, especially on the expressway when you stomp on
it. I’m sure Jeepsters are used to that. The five-speed automatic is
fine, but I’d love to test out a manual, in the dust, on the mountains.
So,
there are a few things that annoy me. The doors are superlight, which I
like, but they never close with one swing, you have to slam those
suckers. I also despise the window controls in the middle. Some Saturn
vehicles had that, it took me two years to get used to and then another
two to unlearn it. The car also has no dead pedal. I know that’s less of
a big deal with an automatic, but I feel like my left foot has no where
to go.
The Oscar Mike badge doesn’t bother me;
I don’t really think people would confuse this new blue Jeep with
anything from the military.
The 2014 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition is a Jeep JK, and it never fails to impress.
Options: Freedom package 24F including black and mineral gray front and rear bumper, Freedom Edition badging, cloth/leather seats, grille, “Oscar Mike” badge, quick silver painted accents, rock rails, auto dimming mirrors with reading lamps, silver interior accents, body colored fender flares, connectivity group including Bluetooth hands-free, individual tire pressure monitoring display, electronic vehicle information center, air conditioning, 17-inch by 7.5-inch aluminum wheels, P255/75 R17 OWL on/off road tires, power convenience group, heated mirrors, power windows including one-touch-down on drivers window, power door locks, remote keyless entry, security alarm, leather wrapped steering wheel, deep tint sunscreen windows, black and chrome fuel filler door screws, black Mopar tail lamp guards, Sirius XM radio including 1-year subscription ($5,700); five-speed automatic transmission including hill decent ($1,295); Freedom Top including three-piece hard top, delete vinyl sunrider soft top, Freedom panel storage bag, rear window defroster and wiper/washer ($995); Uconnect 430 CD/DVD/MP3/HDD ($695); Alpine premium audio system ($595); supplemental front seat-mounted side airbags ($495)
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