Many of today's four wheel drives are either too expensive for serious off-road action or are pretenders with limited off-road abilities. Not so the Jeep Wrangler. This beast is built for serious action in the bush.

The Jeep Wrangler has an impressive pedigree. It was the Jeep that transported troops and equipment around Europe and the Pacific during World War II. And it was here that the Jeep earned its reputation as a rough, sturdy, dependable vehicle. Today, the Jeep Wrangler is still rough, sturdy and reliable when it's off the road.

This vehicle is at its best when it is in rough terrain. Its 4.0 litre 6-cylinder engine provides real grunt when needed, its high ground clearance will get you over the roughest of tracks and through the rockiest of creek beds and the turning circle will continuously get you out of a tight situation. The Jeep Wrangler feels more at home in the bush than on the road where the steering can tend to wander and the ride not as smooth as the average family car. But this is not why you buy a Jeep Wrangler. You buy a Jeep Wrangler for having fun in.

If you like to feel the wind when you're driving then the Jeep Wrangler will not let you down. Not only can you take down the soft top, but you can rip off the doors and lower the windscreen for that real exhilarating driving feeling. There's not many new four wheel drives, or any car for that matter, that you can feel this close to nature while you're driving.

New, the Jeep Wrangler starts at about $30,000 for the Jeep Wrangler Sport with a manual gearbox through to around $34,000 for the Jeep Wrangler Renegade Auto. If you're looking for a used car, check for body damage caused by off-road use. Also check the bumpers, under the door sills and the protective bars. Check that the gears shift easily in manuals and check for crunching gears when changing back down. Also, check for evidence of a leaking roof. Try and go for a good for a good one owner car, as owners may be tempted to drive them hard in the bush. And the more owners a car has had, the more likely it is to have been on the receiving end of some rough treatment

If you're after a car to do some fun, serious four wheel driving in, then the Jeep Wrangler may just be for you. On the other hand, if you want a four wheel drive to stick to the city and suburbs, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.