The redesigned Jeep Wrangler JL is tougher and softer in all the right ways making it the best performing Wrangler since the 1986-1995 YJ
The redesigned Jeep Wrangler windshield still folds and the doors can still be removed. (Photos courtesy of Jeep)
BY MARK MAYNARD
T the Jeep Wrangler has long been forgiven for everything that made it a charming pain in the rough. But now, the redesigned 2018 Wrangler is a charmer, off-road or on main street. And the top-line Wrangler Rubicon is a standard-bearer of advanced technologies with its first use of a 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system.
The 2018 redesign steered this symbol of “Don’t tread on me” from the endangered specie’s list, threatened by ever-increasing clean-air standards for engines and new safety regulations.
It is tougher and softer, in all the right ways making it the best performing Wrangler since the 1986-1995 YJ model with square headlights. The windshield still folds (with greater simplicity), the doors can still be removed and there’s still a manual hand-brake lever on the shifter console. But as with all new cars, it is the electronics technologies that are almost the bigger story of the redesign.
There are new engines, including a turbocharged four-cylinder with mild hybrid technology and an upcoming four-cylinder diesel in 2020. And the carryover V-6 is still the base engine.
The redesigned Wrangler still waves the flag of ‘Don’t tread on me.’
The JL Wrangler
Experienced Jeepers will know this new Wrangler, codenamed JL, from the first slam of the door. That’s when they will realize the doors don’t need to be slammed. And more soundproofing allows occupants to have a conversation without shouting — and that’s with the top up. There is still a mild maelstrom at highway speeds in the soft-top cabin, but it’s about a hundred decibels more tolerable.
The cockpit and driver area were completely reconfigured for a somewhat ergonomic arrangement. There are several stash areas and device-charging ports.
Even the two-door’s ride quality has been tamed.
Even the two-door’s ride quality is not a fearsome bucking bronco. The wider track lets the short-wheelbase model seem more free-wheeling and stable. And there is a much tighter turning circle now. Tighter turning is an asset off-road, but it is just one more engineering feat that makes the Wrangler ideal for the city, too.
The new boxed frame is much stiffer, which helps for stability when teetering among boulders or slogging through a highway commute. For anyone who knew a previous-generation Wrangler, refinement is not a word associated with any part of it.
Drafty, noisy, and rough riding were accepted parts of the lifestyle, but now we see that those qualities are not intrinsic to the concept.
Rubicon equipment includes remote locking, push-button ignition, rearview camera, and an 8-speaker Pioneer audio system.
Jeep Wrangler Pricing
There are three garden-variety levels of Wrangler in two- and four-door Unlimited models plus the trail-agility-champion Rubicon, and all have various levels of four-wheel drive.
Starting prices range from $29,440 for the entry two-door Sport to $39,790 for the four-door Sahara Unlimited. The top-line Rubicon starts at $39,440 and $42,940 two-door or four-door. Pricing includes the freight charge from Toledo, Ohio.
Find current Jeep pricing here.
Braking is considerable from the large four-wheel discs.
Heavy-duty hardware
The two-door Rubicon tester was $49,555. That’s big money for a two-door Wrangler, but this one was the pinnacle of the line. It included Jeep’s most capable four-wheel-drive system with stability and rollover-mitigation controls.
The Jeep Wangler tester also was equipped with heavy-duty, third-gen Dana 44 solid axles front and rear with Tru-Lock electronic locking. The high- and low-range Rock-Trac transfer case has a manual shift lever at the console and a 4.10 gear ratio. Hill-start assist is beneficial for controlled trail ascents or descents.
Braking is considerable from four-wheel vented discs. The front rotors are 12.9 inches with twin-piston calipers. The 13.4-inch rear discs have a single-piston caliper.
There are heavy-duty Dana 44 solid axles front and rear with Tru-Lock electronic locking.
Front and rear sway bars disconnect for more wheel travel. Gas-charged, multi-valve monotube shock absorbers help manage its husky 4,175-pound curb weight.
But being a Jeep means there is much heavy steel in the frame, differentials, and suspension. There are four steel skid plates to shield vulnerable elements such as the fuel tank, four-wheel-drive transfer case, and transmission). And tubular steel rock rails at the frame edge are a trail-riding essential.
Compensating for some of the Jeep Wrangler’s curb weight are high-strength aluminum doors, hinges, hood, fenders, windshield frame, and a magnesium swing gate.
Jeep Wrangler Powertrains
Fuel economy has never been a selling point for the upright Wrangler shape. The 285-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 (with auto stop-start at idle) still can be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission. It has mileage ratings of 17 mpg city, 23 highway 19 mpg combined on 87 octane. Two-door models have an 18.5-gallon tank and four-door models have 21.5 gallons.
Upgrading to the 270-hp, turbocharged and direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder and the eight-speed automatic is a $3,000 upgrade. But it brings fuel economy ratings of 23/15/24 mpg; premium fuel is recommended but not required. And while the fuel economy isn’t a huge incentive, the power and acceleration can be brisk.
The two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon tester was $49,555 with many ‘on road’ conveniences.
eTorque technology
The new engine has Jeep’s so-called eTorque technology. The system applies hybrid functions of auto stop-start at idle, electric power assist, transmission shift management, intelligent battery charging, and regenerative braking. The engine and fuel flow can be turned off during stops, coasting, or when the engine is decelerating.
The electric motor gives a boost to the engine to get the rig moving and to smooth out shifts, Jeep says.
But inching forward for a foothold on a boulder might still require accelerator finesse to raise revs while awaiting the turbo to hit the peak 295 lb.-ft. torque at 3,000 rpm.
The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine (also with auto stop-start at idle) will be available in 2020 as an upgrade for four-door models. The engine has 260-hp but 442 foot-pounds of peak torque at a low 2,000 rpm and an eight-speed automatic.
Why buy the Jeep Wrangler?
The Wrangler is a cornerstone of Jeep heritage. The redesigned model is what happens when engineers and designers listen to owners and everybody works together.
SPECIFICATIONS
2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Body style: 2-door, 4-seat small SUV
Engine: 270-hp, turbocharged and direct-injection 2.0-liter 4-cylinder; 295 lb.-ft. torque at 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 8-spd automatic w/Rock-Trac 4WD
Fuel economy: 23/25/24 mpg city/hwy/combined; premium recommended, not required
BY THE NUMBERS
Ground clearance: 10.8 in.
Fuel tank: 18.5 gal.
Cargo space: 31.7-72.4 cu. ft.
Front head/leg room: 42.6/41.2 in. 42.6 in w/hardtop
Rear head/leg room: 40.2/35.7 in.
Length/wheelbase: 166.8/96.8 in.
Curb weight: 4,175 lbs.
Turning circle: 34.5 ft.
Tow capacity: 2,000 lbs.
FEATURES
Standard equipment includes: remote locking, push-button ignition, rearview camera, 8-speaker Pioneer audio system, 17-inch alloy wheels with 33-inch off-road all-terrain tires, locking front and rear Dana 44 axles, electronic front sway bar disconnect, steel rock rails, and skid plates,
Safety features include: 4 air bags, roll mitigation, trailer-sway damping, heavy-duty 4-wheel disc brakes, traction and stability controls
PRICING
Base price: $39,440, including $1,495 freight charge; price as tested $49,555
Options on test vehicle: black soft top $595; leather-trimmed bucket seats and premium door-panel trim $1,495; Cold weather group, $895, includes heated front seats, steering wheel; trailer tow group, $795, includes auxiliary switches and class II receiver hitch with 7- and 4-pin wiring harness; LED lighting, $895, includes reflector headlights, taillights and running lights; Uconnect 4C nav system, $1,495, includes GPS navigation, Alpine audio system and satellite radio; Active safety group, $795 adds ParkSensor rear park assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts; 8-speed auto transmission $2,000; 2.0-liter engine $1,000; Premium black soft top $595
Where assembled: Toledo, Ohio
A 1945 CJ-2A and its modern re-creation.
Most of his finds are beyond the financial resources of caring adopters to resuscitate these battered beauties and return them to a glorious rebirth. But it’s sure fun to read their stories. Among them, the complete but ratty 1966 Lotus Europa Type 46, bought from the original owner and stashed in a garage for 30 years. Cotter called it “a real time capsule,” still shod with 13-inch American Racing Libra aftermarket wheels. There is a lot of American iron on the pages of Motor City, most of which had been salted away in storage before the road salt ate the entire car. But there is shadowy intrigue in the occasional marque from Europe or from a race shop or an old chop job. Cotter tells a good tale and Ross has an explorer’s perspective in capturing the visual storytelling. Info: “Motor City Barn Finds: Detroit’s Lost Collector Cars,” published by Motorbooks; $35 hardcover; 208 pages. Quartoknows.com/Quarto-Drives/#titlelist
With the takeover by communists in 1959 and the subsequent trade embargos, whatever cars were on the island stayed on the island without access to parts. But that didn’t stop the locals from driving those beaters and keeping them on the road with creative alternatives to factory replacement parts. Tom Cotter, known largely for his barn-find car books, went back in time with Bill Warner (founder of the Amelia Island Concours) to learn the island’s automotive history. The initial assignment was a focus on early auto racing, which had a start in 1903 and continued in the mid-1950s for the three Cuban Grand Prix. Sir Stirling Moss, who won two of the three race, wrote the foreword. “The kidnapping of “El Maestro” Juan Manual Fangio, in 1958 somewhat defined the direction the country was to go,” he wrote. Cotter and Warner visited Cuba just as the country was again opened to the U.S. But Cotter urges that it will be too late to experience the old ways once they start building McDonald’s restaurants and Home Depots. The photos in “Cuba’s Car Culture” are familiar from others that I’ve seen online and in other books, but it is the storytelling of Cotter and Warner that weld fresh metal into the story. Info: “Cuba’s Car Culture: Celebrating the Island’s Automotive Love Affair,” published by Motorbooks; $35 hardcover; 192 pages. Quartoknows.com/Quarto-Drives/#titlelist
