2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4 (photos)

The Jeep Wrangler gains quite a few creature comforts and high-tech gizmos, but doesn't loose its off-road edge in the process.
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Jeep proudly proclaims "Since 1941" on a plate in the Jeep Wrangler's cabin. After 71 years, the iconic grille hasn't changed much.
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Under the Wrangler's hood breathes a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. Output is rated at 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.
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The Wrangler's center tunnel is home to two shifters: one for the transmission (either a five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox) and another for the 4WD system.
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A 2WD mode optimizes efficiency for on-road performance, but users can also select between two 4WD modes (with low and high gear ratios) for maximizing off-road grip.
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At the push of a button, users can lock the front, rear, or both differentials. There's also an electronic anti-sway bar that can be disengaged to increase individual wheel articulation over extremely uneven surfaces.
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The 2012 Wrangler is more aerodynamic than previous generations, but it's still a bit of a flying brick.
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The short overhangs and high ground clearance help the Wrangler Rubicon to traverse almost any terrain.
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The full-sized, rear-mounted spare tire is a bit of a Jeep Wrangler hallmark.
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The rear door swings aside and the rear glass swings up to reveal the cargo area.
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There's not a ton of space behind the rear seat. Fortunately, the whole assembly folds and flips forward.
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The hard plastic, three-piece Freedom Top is a $735 option.
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The driver can easily remove one or both of the front roof panels in seconds. The entire roof can be popped off by two adults after removing a few bolts.
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With the front roof panels removed, the Jeep becomes much more airy.
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Leather seats with heated front buckets are a $900 option that seem a bit out of place in a rugged ride with drain plugs in its floor.
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For what it's worth, the Wrangler Rubicon's interior does look nice. Many of the dashboard bits have been upgraded with soft-touch materials, but overall it's still pretty plasticky.
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Instrumentation is simple, but a small monochromatic LCD below the speedometer can be used to display a digital compass and thermometer. The tachometer features green color coding to indicate the "green" driving zone and a small ECO light.
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In the rear hatch storage area is a powered subwoofer--the star of the seven-speaker Infinity premium audio system.
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Dashboard mounted tweeters, and four mid-range speakers on the lower dash and roll cage perform valiantly, but are ultimately overwhelmed by bass and road noise without a bit of EQ tweaking.
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The steering wheel is comfortable, which is good because you'll be gripping it in fear when a crosswind gets the Wrangler rocking and swaying at highway speeds.
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The optional Uconnect system really should be standard and adds hands-free calling with voice dialing, Bluetooth Audio streaming, and USB connectivity for MP3 playback.
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Cruise control is standard on the Wrangler Rubicon, but we're sure that most of you are more interesting in hill decent and traction control.
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The basic Media Center 130 receiver gets the job done with CD/MP3 playback. Two navigation options are available.
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A powered 110-volt outlet keeps your equipment and gadgets powered in the great outdoors.
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When streaming audio via Bluetooth or reading from an MP3 CD or USB device, metadata is displayed on the Media Center 130's very basic display.
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One year of SiriusXM satellite radio is included.
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After syncing your address book, the Uconnect system can be used to dial by voice.
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