So you’ve been googling “used jeeps for sale,” and have come to understand that there are many, many variations of the Wrangler. Everyone seems to make their Jeep their own, and now that you are in the market for a Wrangler, you need to know what you are looking at. What features do you want? Is it possible to find a manual transmission? A Jeep with a winch? Maybe 33- inch tires or 18-inch wheels? Where do you start?
Let’s first narrow down how used we want this Jeep to be. Let’s say two or three years old, with low miles. So now we know we’re looking for a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, though you never know—you might just get surprised by an earlier model, but for now, we’ll look into what to expect from the 2017 model year.
What made you choose the Wrangler with so many options available in the SUV market? Well, for one, it’s an American original, and it’s up for any task, whether you are dropping the kids off at school or are out on a trail in the woods, the Wrangler is the closest a vehicle has come to being timeless. Plus, it’s fun to drive, even in the city. There’s an inherent sense of adventure in the Wrangler that is just too irresistible.
While other SUVs boast better ride comfort and on-road handling, the body-on-frame construction of the Jeep brings a peace of mind you don’t find in many vehicles. Also, the list of standard features is impressive: only the essentials. For instance, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler comes standard with a 285 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine with a 6-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive with a low-range option. The power is nice to have as standard, but what’s also great about this is the engine itself. Standard is a nearly indestructible Pentastar V6. These days everything is made out of plastic, but this is built to last. That’s one of the reasons why the Jeep has endured as an American legend.
What else is standard? Good question. The list is long: stability control with roll mitigation, skid plates to protect the fuel tank and transfer case, hill-start assist, a USB port, an 8-speaker audio system, and trailer-sway control. Keep in mind, this is just what’s standard. We haven’t even gotten to the fun stuff. Well, some of the standard features are fun too. How about removable doors and roof? That’s right, the Wrangler is a convertible and it’s a standard feature.
The only things that are not standard are the things, let’s be honest, that you can do without. Sure, we all can roll up our windows on our own, but we’ve gotten so used to having a button do it for us. You might even find that you enjoy rolling down your window on a summer day. That’s assuming, of course, that you haven’t already taken the doors off for the season.
So let’s take a look at what options you might run into on your search for a new-to-you Wrangler. Take a deep breath because the list is long for the optional features, just as it is for the standard features. The focus of the options is aimed at off-road capabilities, so while there are luxury options, they are more secondary features, such as the Power Convenience Group, which adds day-to-day comfort and convenience with features like keyless entry and power locks and windows.
This is a purposefully built off-roader, so let’s take a look at what options you might find on the dealer’s lot in a 2017 model.
Sport
The base model comes with 16-inch wheels, Command-Trac four-wheel drive, tow hooks, skid plates, a CD player with MP3 capability, and a washable interior with drain plugs. The Sport S model adds 17-inch wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, A/C, and the Power Convenience package.
Willys Wheeler
With this trim, you’ll find dark accents and more off-road features. Of note in this package are the 3.73 axle ratio with Trac-Lok limited slip differential, a Jeep Trail Rated kit, 32-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires, rock rails, sport bar grab handles, and the Connectivity package, which includes Uconnect Voice Command, a digital vehicle information center, tire-pressure display (which is great for airing-down your tires when you need better traction), and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The Willys Wheeler W is another variation of this package, and it adds the Power Convenience Group to the trim level.
Big Bear
Here you’ll find better tires, for one, and much more. BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tires come with this trim package, as well as a topographical map (seriously, how cool is that?), a 115-volt power outlet, 17-inch aluminum wheels, and a Premium Sunrider soft top.
Wrangler Freedom Edition
If you’re looking for a little luxury from your Wrangler, this is a good one to keep in mind. This special edition comes with black leather-trimmed seats with an Oscar Mike logo and 18-inch Mid-Gloss Granite Crystal aluminum wheels. You’ll also find fender flares and bumper accents, side steps, and black taillight guards.
Sahara
The Sahara, one of the more popular packages for the Wrangler, comes with available navigation and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, to start. Add side steps and fender flares, and you have a stylish trim package for your Wrangler. Embroidered cloth seats (leather is an option), LED headlights and fog lights are a few more of the options available with this trim level.
Rubicon
You probably didn’t know there are so many options to choose from when building your perfect Jeep. Well, the Rubicon is where things start to get really interesting. If you plan to use your Jeep for serious off-roading, this is the trim level where you should start your search. How about a 4:1 low range ratio? Upgraded Dana 44 front axle? Increasing its off-road capability, Jeep adds a Tru-Lok Differential on the front and rear axles, and electronically controlled front sway bar disconnect.
Smoky Mountain
With this trim level, you can add visual accents to your Jeep, such as 18-inch High-Gloss Black aluminum wheels with polished edges, a body-colored hardtop, High Gloss Black exterior accents, power bulge hood, and heated black leather-trimmed seats.
Chief and Winter
The Chief trim adds more luxury than you would probably expect from a Wrangler while the Winter trim takes it up a notch further. With the Chief, you’re looking at a premium audio system with an all-weather subwoofer, Fine Silver Metallic accents, and a vented power dome hood. The Winter brings an Alpine all-weather sound system, remote engine start, among other touches.
Rubicon Hard Rock and Recon
You can’t go wrong with any of these time levels and features, but you certainly can’t go wrong with these Rubicon trims. The Hard Rock has heated black leather-trimmed seats, a winch-capable steel front bumper, premium off-road rails, and a vented power dome hood. The Recon adds a steel rear bumper, military-inspired Dana 44 front axles and cast differential covers, remote start, premium off-road rails with tread plates, the Connectivity Group, and automatic climate control. Of course, you can always add a host of other options, such as a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Garmin navigation, Uconnect Wi-fi internet and hotspot, a Trailer Tow package, removable half-doors . . . as you can see, there are many, many options.
So, if a wrangler is your ideal choice when it comes to used Jeeps for sale, you certainly have plenty of options to find what you need. And that is simply in a 2017 model. There are more features added to newer models years and more bang for your buck as you look into older options. No matter the trim you decide on, enjoy the trails or take a cruise to the beach, just make sure to invite us!
