4x4 AUGUST 2019 | 39
VERDICT
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Jeep Wrangler 2.0 5dr Rubicon
Brilliant at what it does, but let down by
an engine that doesn’t suit it
The Wrangler’s styling is all about its roughneck
brashness, and that might not appeal to you. But
everything about the way it drives is defined by a
sober focus on being the best in the business at
off-roading, and that certainly should. If you love
what it’s about, you’ll happily accept, even enjoy,
the way it is on the road, and you’ll delight in
its brilliance on all kinds of terrain. Few vehicles
are more readily suited to being modified into
still better off-roaders – yet, certainly in Rubicon
form, precisely no vehicles are already as good
straight from the showroom.standards, equally big depreciation.
We said above that it feels the way
that a modern off-roader should
- but in its fuel consumption, it’s
what an old, gas-guzzling off-road
monster was.
OFF-ROAD
You’re expecting us to say we’d far
sooner be driving a diesel here,
too. But in fact, with the Wrangler’s
transfer case dropped in to low
range, it gains a ¾exibility that
defies its high-reZZing torUue figure.
You can drive
almost anywhere
on a thread of
gas, and power
delivery remains
beautifully
smooth when
the ground gets
rougher, making it
very easy to crawl
steadily across
the obstacles.
Again, the
spread of gears
helps here. And
so too does the
;rangler’s ¾exible suspension,
aided if you want it to be by a
button on the dash which frees
up the front anti-roll bar to allow
greater wheel travel.
That feature is exclusive to the
Rubicon, and so too are the locking
front and rear diffs which mean
there’s almost nothing you can’t
tackle without needing to spin
your wheels. In this way, vehicles
with lockers are unsung heroes of
the 4x4 world, because if driven
responsibly they can take life at
a crawl –meaning they do little
or no damage to the ground, andtherefore to the reputation your
way of life enjoys/endures among
everyday people.
Once again, manoeuvrability is
outstanding for such a big truck.
The Wrangler is very easy to drive
slowly, to place on the terrain and
to keep under control as its weight
shifts. With its revvy, squirty engine,
you can very easily lapse into
driving it like a jerk, but there’s noneed for that. Whether on rocks,
mud or wet grass, it gives you a
combination of grip, balance and
control that’s enough to turn a
rank beginner into an off-road pro.
There’s not a lot of restraint to its
styling, far less its colour as tested
here – but if you can show some in
the way you drive, the reward will
be a performance so sure-footed it
makes you feel like a driving god.