Five models of the Jeep Wrangler are available for 2004: SE ($16,270); X ($19,335); Sport ($21,320); Sahara ($24,910); and Rubicon ($25,085).
SE comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual gearbox; a four-speed automatic, all-new last year, is optional. The SE is a basic machine. It comes with a padded roll bar, steel half-doors with side curtains, tilt steering column, a mini-console with cupholders, skid plates for the fuel tank and transfer case, gas-charged shock absorbers and P215/75R15 Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires. But cloth upholstery, the rear seat, rear carpeting, any radio, and even wind-up windows, are extra-cost options. Options include air conditioning, cruise control, and a hard top.
The other Wrangler models (the X, Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon) come with a much more powerful 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine. A heavy-duty five-speed manual transmission is standard; a four-speed automatic is optional.
Wrangler X comes with cloth upholstery, a fold-down rear seat, full carpeting (covering the rear seat area, cargo area and wheel housings), and a four-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with a digital clock.
Sport adds full metal doors with wind-up windows, a full-length floor console, courtesy and underhood lights, and other features. Options expand at the Sport level, also, and include fog lamps, side steps, a seven-speaker stereo, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. And you can order the half-doors and side curtains, if that's what you prefer.
Sahara comes loaded with the high-zoot seven-speaker stereo, premium cloth on the seats, air conditioning, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, high-pressure gas shocks, monster tires (30x9.5xR15) on aluminum wheels, side steps, body-color fender flares (instead of black), and other features.
Rubicon comes equipped with diamond-plate sill guards, beefier front and rear axles (two Dana 44's, rather than the Dana 30 and 35 used in the front and rear, respectively, of other Wranglers), a heavy-duty transfer case with an ultra-low 4:1 ratio, driver-actuated locking differentials, a special off-road suspension and four-wheel-disc brakes. Also standard are 31-inch tall LT245/75 tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels. Despite its higher price, the Rubicon is not as luxuriously outfitted as the Sahara. Air conditioning and cruise control are optional, for example. So are roll-up windows. For the most part, Rubicon is comparable to the Sport for comfort and convenience equipment.
All models in the lineup include a fold-down windshield, removable doors and top, and a weatherproof interior. Drivers may choose the standard soft top, the extra-cost steel hard top, or a package that includes both, in matching colors. The hard top comes with roll-up windows, a rear wiper-washer and rear defroster.