The Jeep Wrangler has earned its iconic standing albeit for a particularly narrow set of skills. Want to off-road anywhere between the Pacific Coast Highway and the Appalachians? The Wrangler is the vehicle of choice. Ironically, that legendary off-road capability has also made it a popular vehicle in suburban areas where a drive-thru lane might be the most treacherous terrain to navigate. Also contributing to the 2023 Wrangler's appeal is its overwhelming customizability. You can get it with two or four doors and one of six engine options that run the gamut from a four-cylinder engine to a thumping V8. Oh, and you can still get one with a manual transmission. In short, the Wrangler offers something for everyone and is one of the few vehicles around that, straight off the showroom floor, can take you to some of the most remote locations in the country.
Performance
There's no doubt the Wrangler is a beast when it comes to off-road prowess. That's especially the case with the Rubicon trim and its 33-inch tires and lockable differentials. But everyday steering and handling suffer because of the traditional body-on-frame construction, solid-axle suspension and old-school steering. The brake pedal travel is long, which is great for modulation off-road but not ideal for everyday driving. The 3.6-liter V6 is stout and makes plenty of power our four-door Sahara test Wrangler scooted to 60 mph in a respectable 7.6 seconds. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and always seems to be in the right gear.
Comfort
The Wrangler doesn't place a great importance on passenger comfort, but there are a few highlights here. The front seats are well shaped and remain livable on long trips. The rear bench is flatter and firmer, but it reclines a bit. We like the effective climate system, which also features rear air vents. But the body-on-frame construction that gives the Wrangler its ready-for-anything personality also contributes to a brittle ride on anything but the smoothest road surfaces. The boxy design and large tires create a heap of wind and road noise, though it offers a quieter cabin than previous Wranglers. The hardtop is significantly quieter than the soft top.
Storage
The Jeep's narrow body is an off-road strength, but it does limit ultimate cargo capacity. There's a decent amount of cargo space, but competitors offer a bit more. Even so, the rear seats fold neatly into the floor if you want to carry extra stuff. And there are even six rugged tie-down points and an underfloor compartment. Up front, there aren't many places to store small items, and the door pockets are nothing more than shallow nets. Car seats are easy to fit in the Unlimited so long as they're not too bulky you might have to move the front seat forward to fit a rear-facing seat. The Wrangler can tow up to 3,500 pounds and can be flat-towed behind a motorhome.
Fuel
At 20 mpg combined, the Wrangler Unlimited with 4WD and the V6 is 2 mpg better than the Toyota 4Runner, its closest SUV competitor. However, we've struggled to meet these estimates in traffic-clogged Los Angeles; our average fuel economy over 30,000 miles in a long-term Rubicon was 17.6 mpg. The optional 2.0-liter turbo is rated at 22 mpg combined, which nearly matches mainstream crossovers such as the Ford Edge and Toyota Highlander.
0 Comments