Motor Trend - USA (2020-05)

M

otorTrend’s 2019 SUV of the Year is

roughly halfway through its year

with us, and it’s settled nicely into

its day-to-day life of commuting during

the week and exploring on the weekends.

Since our last update, we’ve ordered

a handful of Mopar accessories for our

Wrangler. We’ve also finally tested it at the

track and on our fuel economy loop.

Test Day Jeeps—or at least Wranglers—are

hardly known for lightning performance,

but our Wrangler Rubicon nevertheless

performed admirably at the test track.

Sporting an eTorque 2.0-liter mild hybrid

turbocharged I-4 with 270 hp and 295

lb-ft of torque and an eight-speed

automatic, it ran from 0 to 60 mph in 7.6

seconds and through the quarter mile in

16.0 seconds at 83.1 mph. That makes it

about 0.4 second quicker to 60 and 0.2

quicker in the quarter than a 2018 eTorque

Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon we tested.

Interestingly, our long-term Jeep is about

11 pounds heavier than that Wrangler;

we’re guessing the extra mileage on our

long-termer has improved performance.

In the equally important braking

and handling tests, our Wrangler also

outbraked and outhandled that 2018

Wrangler. Our Jeep needed 137 feet for

our 60–0 emergency stop test, and it

lapped the figure eight in 29.3 seconds at

0.55 g average.

Real MPG Results Soon after test day, the

Emissions Analytics team hooked its test

gear to our Jeep to see how it measures

up to its EPA 22/24/22 mpg city/highway/

combined rating. It returned from testing

with a 21.4/26.0/23.2 Real MPG result, a

slight improvement on the EPA's numbers.

“Stock Jeep Wranglers are rarer than hen’s teeth,

so I’ve raided the Mopar catalog for some parts.”

Christian Seabaugh

Service life:

6 mo/15,718 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 17.2 mpg

Avg CO2 1.13 lb/mi Energy cons 198 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved

problems None Maintenance cost $0 Normal-wear cost $0 Base

price $43,040 As-tested $57,110 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ

22/24/22 mpg Real MPG 21.4/26.0/23.2 mpg

2019 Jeep Wrangler

Anecdotally, I’ve found our Wrangler’s

fuel efficiency has varied considerably

depending on conditions and circum-

stance. In Los Angeles traffic, at speeds

under 55 mph, the Jeep regularly returns

17 to 20 mpg, as indicated by the trip

computer. Highway mileage varies wildly.

I’ve seen everything from an indicated

14 mpg in moderate winds while driving

up and down California’s I-5 on vacation

at the 70 mph speed limit to an indi-

cated 23 mpg on a calm, cool summer’s

morning across CA-14.

Mopar Accessories Jeep sent a slew of

accessories, including a tailgate table

($225), MOLLE bags ($145), front and

rear grab handles ($39 per pair), first

aid ($115) and roadside safety ($116) kits,

all-weather floormats ($165), door sill

guards ($75), and a cargo tray ($129).

I’ve installed the grab handles and

MOLLE bags. The bags clip to the back

of the front passenger seats and hold

small odds and ends that might other-

wise find themselves bouncing around

the cabin. They somewhat impede rear

legroom, though, so I remove them and

reinstall them as needed.

The grab handles are more useful.

These install onto the Wrangler’s Sport

Bar (rollcage to you and me) with a

simple T25 Torx bit and a handheld

impact driver. All in all, the entire process

took 15 minutes, and I must say that so

far, the extra handles are great to have

while off-roading.

As for the tailgate table, installation

requires a bit of drilling, so I’ll save that

installation for a future update.

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