The new Jeep Wrangler has come our way, bristling with new technology, but still the same no-nonsense Jeep that has been capturing the national imagination since WW II.

The biggest news is that there is now a four-door Wrangler Unlimited. The availability of four doors on the original Jeep Cherokee revolutionized the sport-utility (SUV) field in 1984, but Jeep Wrangler remains about the only competitor in its field, so this revolution will be somewhat less seismic. It continues the return to Jeep basics that Daimler/Chrysler began a few years ago. It looks like a Jeep, it rides like a Jeep, and it drives like a Jeep. Nothing seems to have changed very much, but everything is better.

The soft top is made of marine-spec vinyl, and it’s remarkably quiet and tight. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but in the manner of a good forklift seat, rather than Ranger Rover posh. You can still get one with crank-operated windows and manually-adjusted outside mirrors. There is not the slightest doubt that you’re driving a vehicle created to roam the boonies. This is no wimpy car-like crossover.

We all agreed that it was very reassuring to find the Jeep Wrangler still faithful to its original mission statement. It’s a machine, not a rolling conversation pit, and it never lets you forget that these things are supposed to be fun.

2007 Jeep Wrangler X

Engine: V-6, 3.8 liters, 12v

Output: 205 hp / 237 lb-ft

Weight: 3760 lb

Price As Tested: $23,355

+ Click here to read about WINDING ROAD tackling the Rubicon Trail in Jeep's new Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon !