De TJ Unlimited

[Kameel]

Wie weet gaat er nog eens iemand in Nederland mee rijden.

Hier alvast een test. (8-11-2004)

De conclusies zijn uiteraard alweer bekend, maar het is een leuk geschreven stuk. Iemand die duidelijk niet vaak in een Jeep zit, daarmee krijg je leuke opmerkingen:

Steering, as expected for this type of vehicle, lacks precision from the recirculating ball setup. I found that when I am coming up to a curve in the road, so that I may properly engage it, it is necessary to turn in a little early to compensate for the slow response from the steering wheel inputs. Large off-road tires offer little in terms of grip and a very stiff suspension, accompanied by lots of body roll, do not make this vehicle very enjoyable to drive with any conviction on pavement.

The TJ just swallowed up everything I could drive it through. Inclines, declines, mud, small rocks and gravel were no match. Other SUVs could barely trek through the mud, let alone the ascents up small hills.

At speeds between 120 and 130 km/h, the soft canvas top begins to flap around. At one point, I had the impression that I was driving a tent.

The cabin is very narrow. To be comfortable while driving, I had to leave my elbow on the windowsill to avoid it being crammed against the door panel.

At first, I must admit, I was less than enthused with the TJ. But, as the kilometres accumulated, I got used to its quirks.

Regardless of what has been written above, negative or positive, it is undeniable that the Jeep TJ will continue to sell. It is basically a no compromise off-roading machine and most likely will always be. It is addressed to a specific crowd and diehard fans will always be found. To those enthusiasts, I can safely say that the Unlimited will not disappoint.

Good stuff:

Real off-roader

Fun and tough guy factor

Not so good stuff:

Soft-top

On road abilities

Noisy ride

[dezperado]

they won' t understand

It' s a JEEP thing