There aren't a whole lot of things that are truly American classics, but the Jeep Wrangler is an exception. Since the Jeep's inception as a "go anywhere, do anything" vehicle for the U.S. Army in World War II, it's been iconic. So when news filtered out that Jeep was messing with the Wrangler - making it bigger and adding a set of rear doors - brows furrowed and skepticism flared. Would the new Wrangler Unlimited be a bloated boondoggle? There was only one way  to find out: Get behind the wheel, and drive it into the dirt.

Although the Unlimited's wheelbase  is 20.6 inches longer than the standard Wrangler's, the big shooter doesn't look that much bigger at first glance. Score one for the Jeep design team. The designers increased the vehicle size of the Unlimited but kept the proportions and design cues, and they did it so well that many people don't even notice the extra doors when it's pulled up to the launch ramp. The designers kept some of the unique elements of the Jeep, including removable doors and your choice of a folding soft top or a removable hard top.

Climb inside the Unlimited, and those 20.6 inches of added wheelbase are immediately apparent and appreciated. There's not that much more room for the driver and front-seat passenger, but the rear seat is plenty big for a couple of adults, and there's still a full 46.4 cubic feet of cargo space. (The cargo space increases to 86.75 cubic feet if you fold the rear seats flat.) The folks up front will notice the Unlimited's dramatically smoother ride, another benefit of that longer wheelbase. Nobody will call the Unlimited's ride "yacht-like," but as long as you're on reasonably smooth pavement, you'll ride much more comfortably than you've ever ridden in a Jeep. The added wheelbase does increase the turning radius, so the Unlimited is somewhat less maneuverable in tight situations, so it's not as easy to stuff into a tiny downtown parking space, but the overall handling is solid.

Added size demands added power, so Jeep has put a 3.8L V6 under the Unlimited's hood, producing 205 hp and 240 pound per foot of torque. That may sound a little underpowered, but in our tests, the Unlimited performs well, with satisfactory acceleration, even on hills. You won't win any drag races with the Unlimited, but you'll be able to pull a full 3,500-pound trailer/boat combo, as long as you opt for the 4.10 axle and tow package (standard on the Rubicon model).

And, yes, the Unlimited is ridiculously capable when you get off the pavement. As part of the Boating World test, we take an Unlimited to the famous Rubicon Trail near Lake Tahoe, and the Unlimited climbs, crawls, and creeps the entire trail without a whimper. (And, no, we didn't try to haul a trailer the length of the Rubicon.)

Messing with an American classic is serious stuff; no one will ever forget the New Coke fiasco. But the designers and engineers at Jeep got this one right. The 2007 Wrangler Unlimited really is everything you want from a Jeep and more -   a great addition to an iconic legacy.