Motor Trend - USA (2020-06)

with modern conveniences and comforts.

Furthermore, despite the abuse we’ve put

our Wrangler through so far, its cabin is

holding up well. The leather seats show

no obvious signs of wear and tear, the

switchgear all works perfectly, and the

removable hardtop panels have remained

leak- and draft-free, even in pouring rain.

How approachably capable it is: It’s

shocking how capable our Wrangler is—

and while many off-roaders are moving

to electronic off-road modes, the Jeep

proves you don’t need them. Simply

engage four-wheel drive with a lever, and

it will go just about anywhere. Need more

traction? Four low ought to solve your

trouble. And if it doesn’t, front and rear

differential locks and the Rubicon’s front

anti-roll bar disconnect—which improves

articulation and ride quality off-road—will

almost certainly do the trick.

We Don’t Like

Wildly fluctuating fuel economy: We

covered this in our last update, so I’ll

O

ur plucky 2019 Jeep Wrangler

Unlimited Rubicon remains one of

our more popular fleet regulars.

Given how much time we’ve spent in our

Jeep, here’s a list of things I like and don’t

like that I haven’t covered previously:

We Like

Looking at it: Design is often what draws

a buyer into a showroom, and in that

department, the Wrangler is far and away

one of the best-looking vehicles on the

road (or off it). I still find myself looking

back over my shoulder at our firetruck red

Jeep after I park it. Its iconic lines are like

a greatest hits of Jeep design: Its notched

seven-slot grille recalls the CJ, its lighting

elements the TJ Wrangler, and its flat

fenders and body lines the original military

Willys MB and Ford GPW. As a huge fan of

functional design, I don’t think I’ll ever get

tired of looking at our Wrangler.

Great interior: Jeep’s interior design

team hit it out of the park, too. The interior

effectively blends old Jeep styling cues

be brief. Our Wrangler’s real-world fuel

economy varies wildly based on outside

conditions. Due to its un-aerodynamic

shape, highway fuel economy has varied

from a self-reported 14 mpg average over

a tank of fuel on a windy day to around 23

mpg with a tailwind.

On-center steering feel: The more I drive

our Wrangler, the less enamored I am of its

on-center steering feel. With a live front

axle, slow-steering rack, and big, heavy,

33-inch off-road tires, the Wrangler has

a tendency to subtly wander in its lane at

highway speeds. It makes long drives far

more draining than they should be.

Our Wrangler was recalled back in

September to get a new steering damper

installed—designed to combat the

highway bump “death wobble” that some

customers of 2018 model year JL Wranglers

complained of (and an issue our Jeep never

experienced)—but the excessive heft and

lack of on-center feel nevertheless persist.

Its rear hatch: I’m nitpicking, but I’d love

to see Jeep rethink the means of access

to the Wrangler’s cargo area. Like it has

been since at least as far back as the Jeep

CJ-7, our Wrangler’s cargo area is accessed

by pulling the lower door and swinging it

out toward the passenger side and then

by lifting up the hard top’s rear glass. (The

process is made more difficult on softtop

Wranglers as the whole fabric panel needs

to be popped off and back on again.) The

reasons the rear hatch is designed this way

are pretty obvious—it allows Jeep to mount

a full-size spare on the door, and it makes

it easier to offer both a hard and soft top—

but it makes loading groceries, suitcases,

and other odds and ends a hassle.

That being said, I’m also not sure I have

a better solution. A one-piece rear hatch

is off the table as long as the Wrangler

continues to offer removable tops, and

moving the spare tire would be difficult

because, unlike the Gladiator, it wouldn’t

fit underneath the Wrangler or Wrangler

Unlimited, and it’d barely fit in the cargo

area. Similarly, a pickup-style swing-down

tailgate would be nice, but it’d likely add

an additional step of moving the spare tire

to gain access to the cargo area. It seems

like Jeep’s current solution is the lesser of all

evils, even if it does pose an inconvenience.

“The Wrangler earned our SUVOTY

title in 2019, but there is still room for

improvement.” Christian Seabaugh

Service life:

7 mo/17,1 2 4 miles • Avg Fuel Econ: 17.3 mpg

Avg CO2 1.12 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

20 19 Jeep Wrangler

MT GARAGE

The Jeep’s

instrument

cluster is clear

and easy to

read, and the

reconfigurable

screen is nice.

Wranglers don’t

exactly scream

“I’m practical!”

but with the rear

seats folded,

there’s a shocking

amount of space

in this Jeep’s

cargo area,

including storage

and for the bolts

that hold the

doors and roof on.

80 MOTORTREND.COM JUNE 2020