The Wrangler continues to be the off-road icon, even unmodified. The Jeep began as a vehicle for military use and has retained its Spartan utility while slowly evolving into a practical and popular means of transportation. The Wrangler has never lost its drive-me-hard-through-the-slop origins, despite its improvements for enjoyable daily commuting. And it's one of the cheapest convertibles around.

Available in SE, Sport and Sahara trim levels, the Wrangler fits into several budgets. Our favorite model is the Sport, with a gutsy 4.0-liter inline six engine that has allegedly been cured this year of one of our chief complaints, its noise. It can be hooked to either the standard five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. The SE is for people who don't mind a lack of power (a 2.5-liter is all she wrote at this level) and four-wheel ABS. The Sahara is the priciest of the batch, and while it gets you the same 4.0-liter offering as the Sport, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, front and rear tow hooks, the Convenience Group (with lockable storage and dual cupholders), and the Heavy-Duty Electrical Group are among its as official features.

Nobody, however, will mistake the Wrangler for a smooth-running family sedan; it's very much a truck, thanks to its high step-in height and abundant wind and road noise, particularly with the soft top. On the street, its petite size and tight turning radius make it a blast to maneuver, but it can get a little scary to drive and control at freeway speeds in severely high winds.

Its performance off-road is unmatchable. The Wrangler's Quadra-Coil suspension allows an additional 7 inches of articulation over the old leaf-spring setup, thus resulting in increased approach and departure angles. And the abundance of aftermarket parts to modify the Wrangler make it enormously popular with the rock-crawling crowd.

The Wrangler does have its quirks--rear visibility can be a challenge, and taking off and putting on the soft top aren't exactly going to be quick. And once it's on, be prepared for the flapping. Yet we're willing to look away from those flaws since Wrangler is fun to drive, cheap, and a terrific multipurpose tool.