Putting the Serious Sport in a Sport Utility Vehicle
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 is about as throwback and old school as you can get. Remove the roof and side panels, lay the windshield flat, and you almost get whooshed back to 1945 when the earliest ancestor of this creature was patrolling the battlefields of Europe.
While it is far more civilized in its current iteration, the Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 is both iconic and venerable. If it is serious off-roading you seek, while having a unique vehicle that can be used in the city, then look no further. But don’t think the Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 is something it is not, as in a first-choice for your everyday driver or a family vehicle. This 4X4 is all 4X4, so if you consider buying one, make sure you will be doing it justice by getting the underside muddy on a regular basis.
Iconic Design
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 does just fine getting admiring looks. But get one painted in Hella Yella with a black interior like Clean Fleet Report did, and all bets are off for how fast someone wants to get a little closer and check it out.
With a striking yellow exterior and black roof, side panels, and fender flares, the raised stance alone of the Wrangler makes a statement—Don’t get in my way! The Rubicon trim included large steel bumpers and multiple skid plates along with the seven-slot grille and the round, LED reflector headlights. Jeep says it is “the most recognized vehicle in the world,” a claim we will not dispute.
Drivetrain Options
With two engine and two transmission choices, the 2019 Wrangler offers a range of performance that even includes a green element. The base engine is the 3.6-liter V6 delivering 285 horsepower (hp) and 260 pounds-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque, and comes with a six-speed manual transmission. Clean Fleet Report’s Wrangler had the optional 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder eTorque engine, with 270 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. The eTorque engine is a mild hybrid, where the alternator has been replaced with a motor generator that works with a 48-volt battery pack. The benefits of this is a seamless stop/start, a short duration torque addition and brake energy regeneration to increase efficiency and responsiveness. If you have ever driven a 4X4 in serious off-road conditions, these eTorque benefits are greatly appreciated and make the 2.0L a better choice when kicking up dust and rock crawling.
Clean Fleet Report’s Wrangler had an eight-speed automatic. Performance with the 2.0L turbo was seamless; it responded well and was in the right gear at the right time. Since most of our time in the Wrangler was spent on paved roads, we were interested in how the engine/transmission performed entering freeways and climbing mountain passes. Without hesitation this combination was smooth and provided the desired power when and where needed. The EPA fuel economy estimates of 23 city/25 highway/24 combined were pretty much what Clean Fleet Report got over the 415 miles we drove throughout Southern California.
Driving Experience: On the Road
Clean Fleet Report’s two-door Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 had a short wheelbase, so there was a bit of a driving learning curve. We had to come to grips with a high center of gravity, large tires and a stiff suspension that required paying attention at all times when driving at freeway speeds. Luckily, the aforementioned learning curve was short, so cruising at 65+ mph was not a challenge. It is important to note that quick, emergency maneuvers at speeds over 50 mph should be done only in the most dire of situations. Early on we had to make peace with the fact the Wrangler Rubicon 4X4 does not have the agility to avoid that cute bunny in the road when going at higher speeds. Fortunately, no furry friends were injured during our time in the Wrangler.
The electro-hydraulic steering was nicely neutral, delivering good road feel through the standard 33-inch BF Goodrich Baja Champion off-road all-terrain tires. Mounted on 17-inch painted and polished aluminum wheels, they were slightly louder on the freeway than a normal street tire, and handled quite well on sweeping mountain curves. Cornering was predictable once the learning curve taught us where the center point was, which resulted in little body roll or drifting through turns. So even though the Wrangler is not meant to be a road car, it actually handled far better than a first-glance would assume. One of the best aspects of the Wrangler was its very tight turning radius, which rivaled the smallest cars we have tested.
The Wrangler Rubicon 4X4, with 10.9-inches of ground clearance, is engineered to be the most capable off-road vehicle in its price range. Utilizing lightweight, high-strength aluminum doors, hinges, hood, fenders and windshield frame, as well as a magnesium swing gate, the Wrangler weighs-in at a reasonable 4,175 pounds. The Rubicon has the shift-on-the-fly Rock-Trac NV241 two-speed transfer case, electric front and rear locking differentials, and a disconnecting front sway bar. For a more detailed explanation of the Wrangler’s off-road capabilities, it is best to let Jeep do it here.
Driving Experience: Interior
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon interior is nicely appointed, considering at some point it will be exposed to the elements. The seating position is high, giving a commanding feel on the road. With the soft top and sides in place, the interior noise level is high, but not oppressive. Remove those pieces and you won’t care about the noise because the fun level just pegged the meter.
Clean Fleet Report’s Wrangler Rubicon had the optional leather trimmed seats with the fronts manually adjustable. The fold-and-tumble rear seat was also removable, offering additional storage space. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has audio, telephone, and cruise control buttons or toggles. A nice feature on the rear of the steering wheel is where the volume (right side) and channel selection (left) buttons are located. It is such a natural place for them that it is a wonder all other manufacturers don’t go to this placement.
Everything for the driver is laid-out in logical, easy-to-read locations. The optional 8.4-inch color touch screen (with pinch-and-zoom capability) is the command center for the easy-to-use Uconnect operating system that includes navigation. The all-weather subwoofer and a 552-watt amplifier powered an Alpine audio system that includes AM/FM/CD/MP3 HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. Voice command, with Bluetooth, for handsfree phone and streaming audio are operated by the steering wheel controls. A very nice feature is the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The more cars we see this in, the more we like it.
The highly optioned Wrangler Rubicon had convenience features such as a tilt and telescopic steering column, all-weather floor mats, trailer towing package, LED fog lamps and tail lights, power door locks, heated power exterior mirrors, automatic dual zone climate control, remote keyless entry, push button start, 12V power outlets (front and rear), AUX ports and multiple cup holders. Plus, a whole lot more!
Safety and Convenience
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was equipped with the Jeep Advanced Active Safety package. Additional safety features include adaptive cruise control, a rear backup camera with rear park assist, full-speed forward collision warning, blind spot and cross path detection, electronic stability control and roll mitigation, four-wheel ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, anti-theft engine immobilizer and a full-size spare.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler comes in four models—Sport, Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon, with base prices ranging from $28,045 to $38,045.Clean Fleet Report’s 2019 Wrangler Rubicon 4X4, with optional packages adding $11,585, came to $49,630. All prices exclude the $1,495 destination charge.
All 2019 Wranglers comes with these warranties:
- Basic – 36 months/36,000 miles
- Powertrain – 60 months/60,000 miles
- Corrosion Perforation – 60 months/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4X4
Clean Fleet Report reviews cars, crossovers, SUVs, trucks and minivans of all types. With maybe the exception of sports cars, no vehicle made us smile more than our time in the 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4X4. The attention and waves from passersby was only amplified when the top and sides were off and we were free-styling in the open air and sunshine. Living at the beach in Southern California, Wranglers are a common sight cruising Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu to San Clemente. We made sure to log some time in this iconic vehicle on this equally iconic road.
The Wrangler we drove was highly equipped, and its $51,125 price tag was evidence that it was going to be a nice ride. But with the base Wrangler priced at around $28,000, you don’t need to spend a lot to get a lot of fun and versatility from a Wrangler. Just make sure you have a need for this rugged vehicle; it’s far more at home crunching rocks and slogging through mud than rolling through the nicely paved parking lot at your local mall.
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Whatever you end up buying, Happy Driving!
Photos by Lex Adams
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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