Category: Large 4x4s 
Price Range: £31,800 to £31,800
Excellent Mercedes diesel engine, proper off-roading ability, old-school styling and trad Jeep appeal, high equipment levels, looks good value for money
Wallowy ride, not much rear legroom or luggage space for such a huge vehicle, not a real seven-seater, cheap and contrived feel for the price
This retro Jeep is retro in more than just its appearance; it lacks the on-road finesse, interior versatility and general abilities of its main rivals. Great off-road, though.
This isn't going to be cheap; depreciation (loss in value) is likely to be heavier than that of the class-leaders in this category, though at least the competitive purchase price in the first place minimises the damage. Fuel consumption is predictably heavy - this thing has a kerbweight of 2400kg - with the diesel returning 26.2mpg and the HEMI V8 all of 18.2mpg despite displacement-on-demand cylinder shutdown technology (and we suspect the figures in real-life driving conditions to be even more scary). With carbon dioxide emissions of 284g/km and 368g/km (yes, 368g/km) respectively, tax bandings are correspondingly high, and likely to get even higher, if the Chancellor has his way and imposes an SUV super-tax.
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wrote on 11 09 2007