The new JL Wrangler has been on sale for a few months ago. So far, this vehicle has been a huge hit in the US. It’s been praised for things such as improved ride quality, better interior materials, improved handling, and better interior comfort compared to the outgoing model. The new Wrangler comes with two engine choices: a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 making 285 horsepower, and a 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder making 275 horsepower. The model that I drove was the turbo four, which is good because it is a welcome change from the somewhat dated V6. What do I think of the new Wrangler? Below are some of my impressions.
Getting into the new Wrangler, the interior makes a solid first impression. I really like the look of the digital gauge cluster combined with general ruggedness of the interior. The center screen is just as clear and easy to use as all the other FCA products out there. The buttons feel solid, and the interior has a surprising aura of quality and luxuriousness for a Jeep Wrangler. You don’t feel like you’re sitting in a military-grade box on wheels like you would in the previous generations. The leather on the steering wheel is high quality, and the A/T shifter operates with really nice smoothness and sturdiness. The hardtop roof and the roll cage definitely gives it away that you’re still driving a Wrangler, but those utilitarian touches flow nicely with the premium dash and head unit. The old Wrangler made me feel like I was driving a death cage, but this new one feels like a high quality off-road SUV. The seats are also surprisingly comfortable, with really good back and thigh support.
Visibility in the Wrangler is pretty good. The driving position takes some getting used to, as it’s definitely a little unconventional. The windshield is basically a narrow, flat pane of glass. The front hood sticks out pretty far and is always visible in your line of sight. The driving position is definitely higher up compared to your typical unibody crossover, but the Wrangler gives you excellent frontward visibility. You can see the pavement directly in front of you really well, possibly designed that way for off-road use, and you feel like you have a really good picture on the traffic conditions ahead of you. It’s easy to see why so many people like the higher seating position of SUVs after driving the Wrangler. Rearward visibility is a little chunky due to the spare tire mounted on the back, but surprisingly your view is still very clear and unobstructed out of the back window. Side mirrors are a decent size, and checking your blindspot is easy as well.
As soon as you set off in the Wrangler, you can definitely tell that it feels more nimble and car-like compared to the previous generations. Everything responds with a certain smoothness, crispness, and fluidity that the JK Wrangler didn’t quite have. The steering feels more predictable, the throttle response feels sharper, the brakes have significantly less dead travel, and the ride quality isn’t nearly as jarring or choppy as the old one. Despite that, it definitely still feels rugged and more “hardcore” like a Wrangler should, so loyal Jeep fans should be satisfied that they didn’t turn this classic off-road machine into a stale, mind-numbing crossover.
The steering response is pretty typical of a Wrangler. It is a smoother steering rack compared to the last generation, but it still feels very “body on frame”. Somewhat choppy and a little non-linear, but predictable enough to feel confident and in control. It’s got a nice hefty steering weight as well. The return to center upon exiting a corner is much smoother and more refined compared to the last generation, although it is still a little course and requires some additional effort on your part to get the steering wheel straightened out. The Wrangler doesn’t point straight for very long, fairly typical of these vehicles and something that most Wrangler loyalists will be expecting. It is definitely more stable and assuring than the previous JK Wrangler, but the steering still requires more correction than I would like to keep this vehicle on a steady course. You get used to it quickly, though, and after a while I found myself not really minding it that much. It doesn’t necessarily make you feel like you don’t have control over the vehicle, but you do occasionally have to do a pretty hard pull to the left or the right to maintain your lane. I still think the on-center feel is pretty solid, despite some vagueness here and there. Overall, the steering definitely reminds you that you’re driving a Wrangler with huge beefy off-road tires, but it’s smoother, quicker, and more predictable than the last generation.
Handling of the JL Wrangler is surprisingly not bad. It definitely feels “tippy” if you try to drive it like an M3, but for just normal around-town driving, the Wrangler feels competent and secure for such a tall vehicle. The body doesn’t lean nearly as much as I thought it would, and you can make fairly speedy turns without feeling like you’re in an SUV. The new Wrangler definitely handles better than other truck-based SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner and the Chevrolet Tahoe. I was able to zip around in this thing almost as if I was driving a regular sedan, and the Wrangler just kind of took it without breaking a sweat. The Wrangler definitely has its fair share of handling limitations, but if you stay within those limits, the handling feels solid and predictable. You can carve out a turn or a cloverleaf off-ramp at a fairly normal speed and feel secure while you’re doing it, which isn’t something you could say about previous generation Wranglers.
The 2.0 turbocharged engine is surprisingly not bad. When you’re just driving the Wrangler normally from stop light to stop light, the engine response feels similar to the Pentestar V6. It’s a little bit soft at first, but it picks up nicely and gives you good torque past around 2,200 RPM. The torque band comes on very smoothly as well. I will say that this engine did feel gutless when I tried flooring it from a dead stop, but for just normal daily cruising, I think it works fine. I would probably rather have the 3.6 liter V6, but I could live with the four banger.
One thing to note about the engine is that it doesn’t sound very refined. In a world of turbo four cylinders with artificially injected engine noises, the Wrangler takes the simple route and gives you a very coarse, raw sounding 4 cylinder engine. It sounds too metallic and industrial, in my opinion. The power delivery is just fine, but I think the Wrangler’s 2.0T is definitely one of the worst sounding 4 cylinders on the market.
The 8-speed automatic in the Wrangler gives you very smooth and intuitive shifts. It’s not quick or sporty, but everything about this transmission feels predictable and well programed. The upshifts could be a little quicker, but it’s not like this transmission ever pauses or hesitates. Each gear gives you a very good amount of power from the engine and the upshifts are well timed. The transmission isn’t the quickest to give you a downshift, but the downshifting response is still decent, and the 8-speed always puts you in the correct gear. The 8-speed automatic in the Grand Cherokee feels slightly more refined and comfort-oriented, but the Wrangler’s 8-speed is much smoother and more linear compared to the outgoing 5-speed from the old Wrangler.
Ride quality in the Wrangler is good, for a Wrangler anyway. It is still a little choppy and course like the previous model. However, the dampening is much improved. You still feel bumps, but they aren’t jarring or disruptive like the old Wranglers. The suspension, while it doesn’t glide over bumps, sorts through the road imperfections pretty well. The Wrangler rides very smoothly over well-maintained road surfaces, and while you do feel some choppiness over rough patches, it doesn’t really disturb you.
Wind noise is pretty excessive. The Wrangler is a box on wheels, and it shows when you get this thing up to highway speeds. It is a tick quieter than the previous model, but you definitely hear more of what’s going on outside compared to other off-road SUVs.
As for general response, the accelerator pedal will feel very similar to the previous Wrangler. It is a pretty stiff accelerator, and a little mushy at the beginning of the travel, but the response builds up nicely. The brakes also have some dead travel to them at the beginning of the pedal, but the braking in the JL Wrangler feels considerably smoother, more refined, and more powerful compared to the last generation. The switchgear and material quality both feel a little more solid compared to the outgoing model as well.
And that about covers my thoughts on the JL Wrangler. It’s much smoother, more refined, and more fun to drive compared to the last generation. The handling is relatively flat for a body-on-frame SUV, the steering responds with more fluidity and precision, and the turbocharged 4 cylinder provides the Wrangler with decent pep, despite sounding grainy and mechanical. The interior quality is excellent, as the Wrangler makes you feel like you’re sitting in a more expensive off-road machine. Seat comfort was unexpectedly good as well. Overall, if I had to choose between the Wrangler and the 4Runner, I would definitely go with the Wrangler all the way. The handling is just so much better, the interior is way nicer, and the configurability (such as being able to remove the roof and the doors) makes this SUV much more fun compared to other off-road SUVs on the market. Go check out the new Wrangler for yourself, it’s definitely worth a look.