On the Road
Automakers are getting better at finding middle ground between the extremes — nimble handling with reasonably good ride comfort, for example. The Wrangler is old-school; it swings unapologetically toward the extreme. The non-independent, solid-axle suspension delivers ride quality reminiscent of trucks in the 1990s. Encounter anything short of glass-smooth interstates, and the Wrangler bounces up and down erratically, barely resettling after one expansion joint before the next one sends it into another tizzy. My Rubicon's 32-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires did a decent job masking road noise, but wind noise became intrusive at highway speeds, and any bumps mid-corner sent the Wrangler hopping sideways. With a lighter-duty suspension, other Wranglers likely pack a more controlled ride. If you test-drive the Rubicon back-to-back with one of them, let me know your thoughts.
The Wrangler's 3.8-liter pushrod V-6 is old-school, seeing duty in some form through two decades of Chrysler products. Here it's good for 202 horsepower and 237 pounds-feet of torque — enough power for stop-and-go driving and torque-needy off-road maneuvers. But the Wrangler and its truck-based peers are heavy. My four-wheel-drive Rubicon weighed in at 4,340 pounds; that's a bit more than the four-wheel-drive FJ Cruiser and nearly 800 pounds more than a loaded Ford Escape or Honda CR-V. Highway acceleration is weak, and the engine sounds coarse when pushed.
A six-speed manual is standard. We drove it in a 2007 Wrangler, the first year of the current generation, and its rubbery throws and heavy clutch are typical of the manual transmissions you'll find in truck-based SUVs. Our 2010 Wrangler had the optional four-speed automatic. It upshifts smoothly but begs for more gears on the open road; 60-to-70 mph acceleration sends the automatic hunting between 3rd and 2nd gears, underpowered in one and bellowing furiously in the other. Non-Rubicon grades have a lower rear axle ratio — 3.21 or 3.73, to the Rubicon's 4.1. That could make off-the-line acceleration even worse. Still, the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is … well, slow. Our friends at "MotorWeek" tested a Wrangler Unlimited Sahara back in 2007, and it loafed to 60 mph in just under 11 seconds.
Given all that, it's hard to reconcile the Wrangler's gas mileage. At 15/19 mpg city/highway with either transmission, the four-wheel-drive Wrangler matches the stick-shift, four-wheel-drive Toyota FJ Cruiser but falls 1 to 2 mpg short of the automatic FJ and all four-wheel-drive versions of the Nissan Xterra. Towing capacity, at 2,000 pounds for the Wrangler and 3,500 pounds for the Wrangler Unlimited, also trails the competition.
Typical of a truck, the Rubicon's steering is a soupy mess. The wheel requires constant corrections to stay on course on the highway — something you'll be doing often, as the Wrangler's aerodynamics fall easy prey to crosswinds. Find a corner, and the vague steering turn-in and excessive body roll add an unsettling degree of uncertainty, even for an SUV. Steering this slow might befit tricky off-road situations, where you don't want to do anything too suddenly. On the pavement, however, it's a bane.
Urban weekenders should note that the Wrangler Unlimited's 41.2-foot turning circle (with 16-inch wheels) will make alley maneuvers and tight angles especially troublesome. The two-door Wrangler's 34.9-foot circle is a much better fit.
Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard across the board, but the mushy pedal doesn't inspire much confidence. Overall stopping power is modest: In "MotorWeek's" tests, the Wrangler Unlimited required 141 feet to stop from 60 mph. That's 11 feet longer than it took MotorWeek to stop a three-ton Toyota Sequoia.
See also:
Trip Conditions
Trip Odometer (ODO) / ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) — If Equipped
This display shows the distance traveled since the last reset. Press and release
the right button (on the instrument cluster) to swi ...
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total permissible weight of your vehicle including driver, passengers,
vehicle, options, trailer tongue weight, and cargo. The label also specifies maximum
capacities of front and ...
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to help the driver accelerate
the vehicle from a complete stop while on an incline. If
the driver releases the brake while stopped on an incline,
HSA will continue to ...