Jeep Wrangler

The Wrangler (also known as the YJ and TJ, as explained below) is a small SUV from Jeep. It is a successor to the famous World War II GP vehicle by way of the 'Willy's' Jeep in the 1950s and later by the Jeep CJ series. The Wrangler debuted in 1987, was updated in 1997, and is still popular today.

The Wrangler is produced at the Toledo South Assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio.

YJ

The Jeep YJ, sold as the Wrangler, replaced the much-loved but slower-selling Jeep CJ in 1987. It was a new design with a longer wheelbase, less ground clearance, and more comfort, and some of its inspiration came from its stable mate, the Jeep Cherokee, rather than from its CJ predecessor alone. (This prompted some Jeep purists to interpret the YJ as a "yuppie Jeep" upon the model's introduction.) The YJ also had a leaf spring suspension similar to that of the CJ. 632,231 YJs were built through model year 1995. The YJ was replaced in 1996 by 1997's TJ. YJs are easily identifiable by their rectangular headlights.

The YJ used a 2.5L AMC I4 or optional 4.2L AMC I6 until 1991. That year, a fuel injected 180hp (134kW) 4.0L variant replaced the 112hp (84kW) 4.2L straight-6.

The roll cage was extended in 1992 to allow for rear shoulder belts, and anti-lock brakes were added as an option the next year. An automatic transmission option for 4-cylinder Wranglers came in 1994 along with a center high-mounted stop light.

On August 5, 1987, American Motors was bought by Chrysler, and the Jeep marque became a part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division.

TJ

The YJ gave way to the Jeep TJ for the 1997 model year. This updated Wrangler featured a coil-spring suspension (based on that of the Jeep Grand Cherokee) for better ride and handling, and a return to the CJ's iconic round headlamps. The engine is the same 4.0L AMC Straight-6 used in the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. A 2.5L AMC Inline-4 motor was available on entry-level models until 2003 when the 2.4L DOHC Neon 4-cylinder engine replaced it.