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With each passing year, it becomes increasingly challenging to locate brand-new vehicles equipped with manual windows. While larger trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado were some of the last to persist with hand cranks, nowadays, most come with electric switches instead. It’s unlikely that you’ll find any vehicles with crank windows on dealership lots. Fortunately, the most basic trims of the 2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator still allow you to manually roll down the glass if you have a strong aversion to electronic controls.
A quick visit to Jeep’s online configurator reveals that Wranglers and Gladiators in the Sport and Willys Sport configurations still come standard with manual windows. That’s where it ends, though—don’t expect to find the off-road enhancements of a Rubicon combined with the simplicity of hand cranks. I doubt this particular feature is a significant factor for most buyers because let’s face it: How many people base their purchase decision on this? A manual transmission, perhaps. But manual windows? Unlikely.
Nevertheless, it’s reassuring to know that Jeep gives you the choice to outfit a stripped-down off-road vehicle with the utilitarian ethos that has always been characteristic of its 4x4s. To the traditionalist’s credit, it’s one less component that could malfunction. At the very least, you’re assured that you can exit through the window in case a precarious creek crossing goes awry.
While a base Wrangler or Gladiator may be considerably more affordable compared to the higher-trimmed four-wheel drives we typically encounter, it would be wise to think twice before immersing approximately $35,000 into water. Moreover, if you reach a depth where your window controls cease to function, you probably should have abandoned ship much earlier. At that juncture, you’ll also need to be concerned about other electronic components failing, not to mention the possibility of the engine flooding. What’s the rationale behind this feature once more? Ah, the appeal of simplicity.
A cursory investigation into other new models equipped with manual windows yielded no contenders that are likely to hit the market in the near future. The 2023 Ford Bronco, which stands as the closest rival to the Wrangler, includes power windows as standard across all its variants. Even the most basic Nissan Versa with an MSRP below $17,000 utilizes electronic switches. The solitary exception we uncovered? A work-oriented Ford F-150 XL Regular or SuperCab still retains manual windows, though these trucks are scarce outside of fleet purchases.
And just in case anyone was contemplating mentioning the venerable Toyota Tacoma, let it be known that it too is devoid of crank windows. I’ve verified this!
Do you have a tip or question for the author? Feel free to reach out directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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