ROVEN Posted December 4, 2020 Posted December 4, 2020 We’ve been finding out if Jeep’s most hardcore 4x4 can cut it against techheavy new rivals. What’s the verdict? - 11 November 2020 They wave to each other, you know. Jeep Wrangler owners, that is. I didn’t know at first, but after a few months of remembering to wave back, I’ve got into it. US Wrangler fans refer to themselves as Jeepers. Like a Caterham or a motorcycle, the Wrangler is a recreational or hobby, not utility, vehicle. An off-road sports car, if you like. And it’s an enjoyable one. This Wrangler arrived in July in full hobbyist Rubicon specification, which means uprated axles, better off-roading angles and beefier tyres than lesser models in the Wrangler line-up. Those and a £50,000 price tag. It’s the purist’s choice, perhaps, although in the Wrangler’s home market, the US, loads of Jeeps are modified within a few weeks of being delivered, with lift kits and even more hardcore axles and bigger tyres, so a base starting point there would matter less. As standard off-roaders go, though, a Wrangler Rubicon is as tough as they come. Which was the point of us running one: to see if the original 4x4 is still the best car off road, and whether that compromises its on-road performance. Answers are: it’s there or thereabouts in the rough and bearable on road, at least for me. It arrived with 18,000 miles on and leaves with more than 25,000, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to find out. In effect it came and went as a used car, but was serviced before its arrival so needed no attention and no oil – and not even AdBlue – while it was with us. So, sadly, I can’t tell you too much about the ownership experience. Back to top Our big off-road test took place in August, alongside a new Land Rover Defender and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Neither was on tyres as knobbly as the Wrangler’s BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain KM2s (32in outside diameter), so we did our best to factor rubber out of the equation. That it was a dry, dusty day helped in that respect. But while the air suspension of the Land Rover Defender raised its ride height to boost its clearances, and the Mercedes had three locking diffs, the Jeep – you’ll not be that surprised to note – more than held its own. Ultimately, how easily a car gets over an off-road course depends on the specific obstacles. That the Jeep is narrower and lighter than its competitors will be as significant as the clearances, depending on the day. But it was the most engaging car in which to off-road. The most fun. Which is at least half of the point of it, really. A Defender seems to want to make travelling through the rough very easy; the Jeep thinks pulling levers and getting involved is all part of the appeal. And, for me, I think that’s true. If I was looking for a car to do hobby green-laning or off-roading, it would be my choice. Partly that’s also because the roof comes off. The two targa panels above the front seat occupants lift out quickly and easily and store on board, with the rest of the roof a five-minute operation involving just eight Torx bolts. You can even take the doors off and fold the windscreen down, for a fully open-air experience – although you lose the mirrors if you do. The roof squeaks a bit in general driving and rain patters on it like you’re inside a tent. But I don’t mind either of those, nor the hum that those Goodrich tyres make out on the road – my son always says he can hear it coming from quite a distance if I was on the way to pick him up. From the outside they might dim the noise of the 2.2-litre, 197bhp diesel that drives through an eight-speed auto, but from inside it takes quite a lot of road speed before you manage that. Aurally, this is quite an unsophisticated car but so pure in its purpose that I can live with it. And over serious distances? Having spent a day or two a little down the range in an Overland model, which was at the office for another magazine test, I can tell you that on milder tyres and less tough axles, and with more sound insulation in the roof, it’s possible to make the Jeep more refined without overtly dimming its character. But even this Rubicon is acceptable over long journeys – you’ve just got to change your perception a little. Two colleagues and I drove it to southern Germany and back for our upcoming Christmas road test and, sure, while a conventional saloon or executive car would have been quieter and more relaxed over the 1600-mile round trip, the Wrangler was fine and kept returning more than 32mpg – apart from a few stretches of autobahn. You just have to raise your voice a bit more to talk. After all, distances in the US are big and temperatures are extreme, so it’s not like it’s not built for them. It keeps itself as hot or cold as you’d like inside, it has heated seats and steering wheel and a comprehensive smartphone integration and cruise control. You don’t need more. You just want more. In the end, and because I like hobbyists cars, I wouldn’t have wanted for much more. You can, after all, dim the experience if you do. Second Opinion I agree with Matt that longer journeys in the Jeep require a change of perception. It’s certainly far less refined and comfortable than any road-biased SUV and the off-road tyres are noisy. My 6ft 3in frame also found the lack of space for my left foot irritating. Lawrence Allan Back to the top Love it: Towability Towing ability is excellent – the Jeep has pulled my own Defender to the mender’s once or twice… Off-road performance It’s superb off road. That you can lock diffs or disengage the anti-roll bar involves you in the process. Design touches There are some very cool visual details with historic and modern Jeep icons hidden around the car. Loathe it: Fuel cap lock Fuel filler cap needs the key put in it to open, like in the old days. Which is a bind. bright lights Oncoming traffic occasionally flashes the Jeep, although this is a common new car phenomenon. A mission to Germany highlights some surprising strengths - 21 October 2020 Our time with the Wrangler is nearing its end, which gave it the perfect opportunity to remind me of its usefulness. “When I’m gone,” it might as well have said, “who is going to tow your Land Rover Defender to the garage when its clutch packs up on a rainy Sunday October night?” Sigh. The Jeep, as a proper off-roader should, has snatch points front and rear, so it’s pretty easy to hook up a rigid tow pole. With just under two tonnes of 203,000-mile Defender 90 on the back (at which mileage I think we’ll allow it a clutch issue), you’d hardly know the Land Rover was there under gentle acceleration or braking, were it not for an alarmed face in the rear-view mirror. I suppose being towed at that distance is quite disconcerting. Anyway, it’s a bit extreme to keep a spare 4x4 hanging around in case another 4x4 doesn’t work, so it’s just as well that the Wrangler, for all of the rugged off-roady things we’ve used it for, has also turned out to be a surprisingly capable on-road vehicle. Not that everybody believes me. Last month, I took the Jeep to southern Germany as support vehicle for our Christmas road test; something we thought we should get in the bag while we’re still able. Logistically, it was quite involving, because the road test vehicle in question would end up several hundred miles and in a different country from where we started – a journey photographer Olgun Kordal would have to make in the car. And, I’ll be honest, he wasn’t looking forward to it, thinking his Skoda Superb would have done a better job. Back to top Perhaps it would, but the Wrangler’s ability to swallow loads of kit yet be left in 2WD mode and cruise on a motorway in reasonable comfort is, I think, quite commendable. Its engine, tyres and aerodynamics make it noisier than the alternatives, and asking for a lot of high-speed motorway performance dropped economy to about 27mpg from my usual average of 32mpg. But I don’t reckon it’s as unrefined as people expect. Between now and the Wrangler’s return to its maker, I’ll do a genuine economy run to see just how much you can squeeze out of it. I suspect 40mpg is possible, even on some of the gnarliest tyres you can buy. Loading up the Wrangler reveals a few things. Mostly good: it’s accommodating, with 548 litres behind the seats and 1059 litres with them folded. The boot floor is, understandably, quite high, although this is usually a good thing for your back. Only if heaving something very heavy into the car would that be a real bother. I suppose really huge objects could be baulked by the roll-cage, too. This isn’t a smooth-sided, van-like interior like some big SUVs. And the side-swinging tailgate is quite long, so it pays to leave a bigger gap behind the car when parking than you would with a top-hinge unit. But in the same way that it’s not meant to be a motorway cruiser, it’s not meant to be a hold-all, utility vehicle: it just happens to be adept at both. While retaining its true abilities for dealing with poorly maintained Defenders. Love it: Meet and greet Never noticed this before: Wrangler owners wave to each other as they pass, like Defender or Caterham owners. Loathe it: Flash Mob Oncoming traffic will occasionally flash their lights at night. I think the Wrangler’s dipped beam is quite bright, and can’t be lowered. Mileage: 25,065 Back to the top Life with a Jeep Wrangler: Month 2 In it for the long haul - 7 October 2020 The Jeep has been on a mostly motorway jaunt to Germany and back – 1800 miles in three days. Not quite what it was designed for (it’s noisy at speed), but it has a 550-mile range, rides well enough and swallows loads of photographic kit. It hits a limiter at 97mph, which feels fast enough, and at which point it’s no longer returning 30mpg-plus. Mileage: 23,014 Back to the top Which would you rather have? - 16 September 2020 We tried a softer, Overland version of the Wrangler the other day, with milder tyres, less hardcore axles and more insulation inside the roof. No question it smoothens the on-road driving experience, with sharper steering and a more settled ride, and it’s quieter. But I think if you’re going to go Wrangler, you might as well go full Rubicon-spec Wrangler.
Recommended Posts