2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - 4x4 Off-Road Review | Autocar
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- There aren't many cars like the Jeep Wrangler in existence. The Jeep was first conceived for the military more than 70 years ago, became a civilian version and has been confidently yet sympathetically updated ever since. The Jeep is 'the one'. Subscribe now: smarturl.it/autocar
During that time it has remained arguably the world's most capable off-road vehicle, while it has developed a sense of fun over the years too. You can easily remove the roof, fold down the windscreen, even take off the doors, to turn an all-weather, all-season car into a toy for grown-ups.
Cleaner, more efficient and more capable than ever, this brand new JL variant arrives this year, replacing the JK that has been on sale since 2006. You can have it with two or four doors and, in Europe, with a 2.2-litre diesel engine. We test it on and off road to see whether it's still the don of off-roaders.
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A truly awesome off road vehicle. Very little else like it today.
UAZ and Lada Niva :D They aren't very luxurious and comfortable, but DIRT CHEAP and *very good* at offroading. On the other hand you can use the Wrangler for everyday commute on normal roads/asphalt, and Lada/UAZ not quite meant for that... That's a good point for the Wrangler.
Very nice review! Now for the specs.. We don’t get the actual Rock-Trac transfer case. We only get the SelecTrac in all models including the Rubicon.
The European Rock-Trac is rather a package of the SelecTrac with the 4H Auto mode + lockers and electronic sway-bar disconnect but with all the gearing of the US Rubicon (4:01 and 4:10 in the axles except the 2.2 diesel which is 3.73:1).
I believe the Rock-Trac is chain driven, which is stronger and better for hardcore pure rock crawling and the SelecTrac is clutch driven which is better for all round on and off roading.
We don’t get the the 3.6L V6 Pentastar, manual transmission, 3.0L V6 Ecodiesel (just the Fiat Alfa Romeo 2.2L 4cyl diesel), mild-hybrid (just the 2.0L 4cyl Turbo without hybrid system), wide axles, high fenders, steel bumpers or 33” BFG KO2 AT tires (just 31” BFG KM2 MT).
European models have quite a few differences.
At last...a British reviewer that understands Jeep... and doesn't nitpick simply because it's from the US.
Autocar has a long history of writing articles that reflected the short-comings of American cars of the past. I drove British vehicles (Land Rovers & Rovers) for most of my 70 years, because the American cars of the day, 1964-1994, lacked the handling and safety of Rover products. Autocar's TH-cam review of the "JL" Wrangler Rubicon is THE best review I've yet seen of the "JL" generation Rubicon. Well done, Autocar! Andy McKane, Springville, Utah.
British car reviewers tend not to "get" anything that isnt owned by a German corporation. I was reading a review of the Toyota Prado Utility and they gave it 2/5 stars and basically said you should buy a Skoda Kodiaq instead because it is cheaper and better on the road. The mind boggles...as if anyone who needs a Landcruiser would consider a Kodiaq. Almost all british car magazines think nobody in the world does off roading, towing or utility.
They dont actually have a clue and dont understand anything that fulfills a niche. They are idiots.
hats off to the director of the exterior shots. well done.
After watching your review I failed to say how impressed I was with everything you said about the new "JL" Wrangler Rubicon. Having just watched your review a second time, I may have to consider buying the short-wheelbase "JL" Wrangler Rubicon rather than the "Unlimited" (long wheelbase version). Great review, Autocar! I have a second set of wheels and tires I used on my "JK" Rubicon most of the year while we had the car in Utah. My second set of tires were Michelin LTX tires. These greatly reduced tire noise on paved roads; they did reasonable well in off-road conditions. And they made it possible to comfortably drive the "JK" Rubicon from my home in Utah to Glacier National Park in Montana (approximately 650 miles) without going deaf. And our Ruby was much more stable at highway speeds where strong cross-winds were involved. Thank you, Autocar!
This just showed up on my recommended list. Anyway I have a 2dr JL Rubicon since 2018 and the more I drive it, the more I love it. Absolutely provide the most intangible "happy" factor among ALL vehicles I have ever owned throughout my lifetime. That go anywhere, invincible feeling is priceless
Jeep hasn't made the mistakes Land Rover did with the Defender. Thankful to Jeep for retaining the formula!
Wow a review where you actually go off road. Well done autocar.
I've lived with mine since the end of January, and now have about 6,800 miles on it. The more you drive it, the more impressive it is. It has had zero issues and the fit and finish are outstanding, btw.
I've lived with my JK Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon since April 1964. It was a factory order. I have special bumpers, a 2.5" lift, two sets of wheels and tires and various other dealer added after market accessories. My Rubicon is now 3,500 miles away at our second home in Hawaii. When the diesel Wrangler Unlimited "JL" Rubicon goes into production, I plan to order one for our home here in Utah, USA. Living 184 miles north of Moab and not having our Wrangler available is tough on one's soul---even that of a 70 year old male! Andy McKane, Springville, Utah, USA.
Jk since 1964 wow
Interesting review thanks
Please make this the main review in the magazine when it comes out in the UK👌🏻
Great review! I own a JLUR 2019 and I absolutely love it! Merry Christmas from 🇨🇦!
Nice review, nice to see you guys get the spirit of it...
Nice overview!
I just loved this Carr💯💯🔥🔥
The Wrangler is so cool! They’ve just come to the U.K. and I am definitely buying one!
I was 16 when my father purchased our first Land Rover in April 1964. From that day on until about mid-1994, my dad owned and I owned a number of Land Rover "series" vehicles. I also had a few Rover P6 cars and two of the U.S. versions of the SD-1. (I had a Rover parts business in San Diego from 1974 to 1986.) For eleven months in 1982 I had one of the new (grey market) 4-door Range Rovers. From 1994 until April 2012 I did not own a vehicle capable of going off the road. I purchased my first Jeep product, a 2012 JK Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon in April 2012. I was so impressed with the Rubicon, I bought my wife a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland diesel in February 2014. Our JK Rubicon is now at our second home on the Island of Molokai. My wife's Grand Cherokee is NOT an off-road vehicle (when compared to the Series Land Rovers, and, especially, our JK Rubicon). I've driven several of the new 2018 JL Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons since this past January. We're planning to buy a 2019 JL Wrangler Rubicon diesel when that becomes available later this year. This second Wrangler will be for use at our primary residence in Springville, Utah (184 miles north of Moab). I'd love to test drive the replacement Land Rover Defender when that goes into production. But, having been a Jeep Wrangler owner for over six years, and a Grand Cherokee owner for over four years, Jaguar/Land Rover would have to make major improvements to product reliability to ever get me to seriously consider owning and driving their products again rather than our two Jeeps. (We've had a number of "issues" with my wife's Grand Cherokee. These issues have related primarily to the DEF filter becoming clogged and to a problem with a modulator in the car's air suspension. The ONLY issue I've had with our 2012 JK Rubicon is when the navigation system failed. That was replaced under warranty. Ever since 1964 right up to this day, I've loved every Land Rover I've ever driven. I'm a subscriber to Land Rover Monthly, which I read virtually cover-to-cover every month. My daily driver is a Buick Enclave with AWD (which, at just under 75,000 miles has been THE most reliable car I've ever owned). If I were asked what is my favorite car I've ever owned or driven, the answer would be the 2018 JL Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons I've borrowed from local Jeep dealerships. Jeep has done an amazing job with the latest generation Wrangler. I hope Land Rover makes similar improvements to the next Defender without turning it into more of a road-going vehicle than a true off-road performer like our Wrangler Rubicon is! Andrew "Andy" McKane IV, Springville, Utah & Molokai, Hawaii.
Nicest review !
2.2 Diesel? Would you know how it compares to the 3.6 Petrol?
Low end torque of this car is superb and conquer every terrain without hassle. It gives tough competition to land cruiser in terms of offroading
Dhruv Singh Pal good luck with jeeps reliability. 🤣
The pentstar engine is very reliable i have jk 3.6 with 180k km still zero problem with engine
I driven jeep in a simulator which have real car like handling 😅😅please don't mind it. Even I ride mahindra thar 4x4 ,I m also impressed with its torque
Off road wise it's better than the LandCruisers. Load capacity and reliability LandCruisers wins.
Ashish Patel Must have never heard of something called "land rover"
Does anyone know where this was filmed? Lovely
Adore this car, really want one. The new defender can learn a lot from this
wow that shot starting at 6:35 was crazy
Lovely jeep
indra bendi Di mana2 anjir
Muhamad Rizkiakbar 😁😀
indra bendi I bought the 4 door and love it there are a few annoying things tho. The engine shut off when stopped is annoying, and anytime there might be weather a huge pop up comes on the nav every 10 min.
I saw on TH-cam that people were having a steering wheel problem on the road is it true for all models or certain models?
There is nothing like a jeep and definitely nothing like the Rubicon when it comes to off roading.
I own a 4door black one and I love it
I want one so bad!
in love with Rubicon since Jurassic Park movie....
The styling on this is brilliant. I really hope that the new Defender is styled like the old one in the same way that the new Wrangler and G-Class are styled like their predecessors. Anything else and it’ll be a flop and deservedly so.
Gergely Hajos I don’t think it would sell very well because I live in the countryside and when I was younger there were always new Defenders here but now farmers have to get Ford Rangers and Toyota Hiluxs etc. The Defender needs to come back with better engines and safety but not completely different
swansea007791 the Defender is easy to work on and they last hundreds of thousands of miles, I’m not talking about Range Rovers or Freelanders here
@@pb7870 I now live in the Yorkshire dales. Still far more Defenders than anything else there.
Luv'n our Wrangler here in Oz.....!
Well said.
Matt said it brilliantly. Some manufacturers know what to do with their icons (Jeep Wrangler, Suzuki Jimny , Mercedes G-Class) and Toyota still sells the 70 series Land Cruiser in many markets.... and some don't. Honestly Land Rover should have already replaced the Defender by now. I'm worried they may over think it and make a mess of it really.
Wonderful car this is.
Hopefully Jaguar/Land Rover (via Tata) will keep the next generation Defender in the same class of utility vehicle and off-road vehicle that the original "series" vehicles and later Defenders were. And, hopefully, Land Rover will make the next generation Defender far more reliable than the Series IIA & Series III vehicles that I am familiar with, having owned a Land Rover/Rover parts business in San Diego, California for over eleven years. Andy McKane, Springville, Utah, USA.
Thks.
In the UK, imagine a sea of Range Rovers, Q7's, X5's etc etc in the Waitrose car park, a Wrangler really stands out, and that's a good thing. So is knowing none of them can take on remotely as tough terrain.
I am attracted to the new jeep wrangler rubicon. That being said my earlier wrangler owner experience invoved three water pumps in three years and along with that horried reviews regarding reliability. So, when off roading whats the risk with the new design going bonkers while off roading in the deep forest!?
JEEP FOREVER 🚙 OIIIIIIIO 🚙
nice
Eye candy
Why this rubicon with low fender lines?
The Euro spec Rubicon doesn't have the high fender.
Does the Euro diesel eTorque like the 2.0L turbo?
NIAtoolkit No. It doesn't. It doesn't need that. Its the Alfa Romeo 2.2.
NIAtoolkit I found out that European models don't have that e-torque. None. The 2.0 gas engine will come without it.
6.34 awesome...
Cant wait for the new Suzuki Jimny/Samurai review!
Some manufactures know what to do with their icons, some don't. Well said. Take some note Land Rover. Don't replace defender with another Range Rover badged as defender. Jeep need some competition. There is still a market for icons like these.
there is also the 2.8 crd!
Bella . Peccato aumento di prezzo .
An off road anglo review with something named other than 'land' and/or 'rover'??? I'm shocked.😱
Man O War I miss these Wranglers, they’re never about anymore and it’s a shame because they have a lot of character and do their job well
Excellent review, Auto Car. I've been an Auto Car reader for many years. Thanks!
rubicon 2018 v/v Range Rover svr 2018 off road review would be nice !!
I've not driven a Range Rover since February 1989 (when I was selling them for a dealership in San Diego). My wife has a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland diesel. We also have a 2012 JK Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Based on this information, I do not suspect any Range Rover ever made would be as capable off-road as the Wrangler Rubicon is. I can assure anyone that my JK Rubicon will go places no Land Rover product I ever owned or drove will go. And, our Wrangler Rubicon with between 26,000 and 27,000 miles on it has been 100 percent reliable with the exception of the factory's navigation system. And get this: Our 2012 Rubicon has NEVER leaked a single drop of oil; we've never broken an axle shaft; we've never had transmission problems (with "Ruby's" 5-speed automatic). Nor has our Rubicon's frame (rear cross member or front dumb-irons) rusted out. Andy McKane, Sprinville, UT, USA.
wow..!! tks for u reply and JW rubicon endorsement.. no comparison on the off-road and price.. but degrees really .. as a complete (or semi-complete) product for off-road and urban use is SVR.
The only comparison that would be appropriate would be to a Defender. Range Rover is a luxury SUV with some 4×4 technique to go with it's image. That's not the product you ever take out for serious offloading. SVR is simply marketing. Defenders are very good off-road. They are not as good as Rubicons for rock crawling. But a serious piece of kit in all aspects of non pavement use.
2.2l diesel? Why the hell not in America :(
Great review (0llllll0)
Manual locking diffs, not auto locking, sorry for the need to correct our reviewer, he didn't have time to read the spec sheet.
In america $40K
in India $116K
veekay Rubicons are closer to 50 here in the states.
Ahoohi In India its a luxury vehicle..!. 116K is not for the rubicon version i think...
crazy.. they aren't worth 100K that is for sure
Onoff314 Here they sell compass for Approx. $36K
@swansea007791 Thats why he is battling so hard to get tarrifs removed from American goods rather than placed on imported goods. He only puts tarrifs on things that America is being screwed on. Read the details before you believe the nonsense. Trump is very much in favour of free and fair trade. He just doesnt want government subsidised Chinese crap flooding the market and putting non subsidised American companies out of business. That is actually sensible.
Yeti on 4:01
g00dfeeling 'me like jeep'
polich
Does what it says on the Tin......
Off Road Liability insurance provides coverage for you if you injure someone else or cause damage to someone else’s property. offroad.capricmw.ca #dirtbikeinsurancevictoria #snowmobileinsurancesurrey #atvinsuranceportmoody #atvinsurancechilliwack
I dont trust in chrysler reliability, and never will. But i love the wrangler. Too bad. But i must say, they know what they are doing with the wrangler. Unlike Ford's icon the Mustang. I think they fucked it up royally on the front part. I see it and i dont see a mustang. It had already happened in the eighties and 90s. Mustangs that didnt look mustang. I wasnt asking for another retro looking mustang. But how difficult can it be to respect the cars design while being modern. I hope 2019 Is a totally new design. Since they have been changing it every 3 years since 2010
Images de moteur
Wow, the Euro spec version looks terrible.
Those aren’t the stock tires tho
Connor Link, actually those are the stock tires for the 2018 JL Rubicon. They are the 33” KO2 ATs that come stock; Metric 275/70 R17 or SAE 33 x 11 x 17.
Jeep will offer a different tire for the european market. That's why he sais the tires are humming like a military convoy. You kind of hear them especially with the soft top. They are BFG KM2 MTs. Also smaller. Not sure about the exact size, but definately not 33s. They thought that's more appropriate for Europe where it wiil be more about taversing mudd than rock crawling. Also the fenders are lower, the same as the Sport and Sahara. And the front bar is simply ridiculous(pedestrian safety). The axle ratios are not the same with this 2.2 diesel engine. The same transfer case just different axle gearing inside the same Dana 44s. When you take into consideration the first gear's ratio with the transfer case's 4:1 and axle ratios of 3.73 it will be an awesome machine. The engine comes from Alfa Romeo. Seems to me a good choice combined with the ZF 8 speed. I think it will have a decent mpg.
Incorrect, they are indeed 33" ATs on the JLR. You're getting conflated with the 32" MTs from the JKR.
N H mate, you got it mixed up. 33 BFG AT KO2s are standard for the US Rubicon. This îs another ball of soup. The European model comes with 31 KM2 MTs. Don't confuse it with the US spec JL. I posted the EU specs in my other commnent. They are spot on official EU dealer specs.
Thanks for clarifying and understood. Shame you don't get the 33s.
You saying that the 2 door is "better off-road" so matter-of-fact like that just shows your ignorance of off-roading.
Sure, in some situations, the 2 door can be better, but more often than not, you do want that extra wheelbase of the 4 door. Things like steep climbs and descents are the most obvious. You can take MUCH steeper hills in the 4 door than the 2 door. Other times the 4 door is better is climbing over boulders off camber. If your wheelbase is short, you have a greater chance of getting both tires on one side of the vehicle on the rock at the same time, leaving you vulnerable to flopping. With a longer wheelbase, you have more room to get your front tire back on the ground before your rear tire starts climbing, leaving you more stable. There are many obstacles that a short wheelbase jeep just can't get over that longer wheelbases can, while there are very few obstacles that work the other way. Longer wheelbases are just more stable in general.
It is pretty well accepted that the ideal wheelbase for most moderate to extreme off-roading is 105 to 120 inches. The vehicles that people fabricate from scratch to do things like the King of the Hammers race usually fall within that range, even though they only have one seat and don't need any storage room. And the 4 door wrangler falls in at the 118in mark. It is a balance between stability and maneuverability. You want as much stability as you can get without sacrificing too much turning radius. But on the flip side, it is better to sacrifice turning radius for stability. You can always take a 2 or 3 or 4 point turn if you have to negotiate a tight corner, but you can't do anything if you flop over onto your side.
Of course, optimal wheelbase also depends on tire size. The smaller your tires, the closer they need to be together. But once you get to 33s (stock size on the wrangler rubicon) 35s or even 37s, which the wrangler can run stock and with a 2in lift respectively, then that 105 to 120 inches becomes optimal.
It’s not a car its called a Jeep
It's still the same old crap, right?
I’m sorry but Jeeps are utter shite
Brian Westfield *land rover defender breaks down
alex yes they do. Wars are tough on Land Rovers. But believe you me mate, British work is far superior
Brian Westfield Hmm yeah, British work is so superior, their brands are considered some of the most unreliable and overpriced in the world.
Despite being unreliable, repairing them is extremely expensive/common. (Of course excluding the roadside assistance fees)
Matter of fact, there are no UK-owned cars companies making their own motors any more.
Bentley is owned by Volkswagen Group.
Rolls Royce and Mini are owned by BMW
Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover are owned by Tata Motors of India.
Aston Martin is owned by a consortium of companies based in Italy, the US, and Kuwait.
Lotus is owned by Proton of Malaysia.
MG is owned by Saic of China.
Andy C still better than Jeep!
Brian Westfield Yep that's what I thought, wouldn't expect any more of an intelligent response from a "Anything American is inferior" kid.
Facts don't care about your feelings.
Jeeps are way too over rated.
Lacks power
Sucks on mpg.
Is slower than a snail.
Interior feels like a cheap fiat.
Amoung other thugs.
N-O-P-E! I couldn't disagree with you more! Just took ownership of mine here in the USA, special ordered to build spec w/ 6 speed manual, took about 10 weeks to get. Cross shopped (i.e., test drove each) the JLU Rubicon with; Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, 4Runner TRD Pro, (both Toyota options typically sell for 3-5k over sticker price here in Colorado), and Chevy Colorado ZR2. Yes, comparing a Wrangler to pick-ups may seem a little out of the ordinary to the uninitiated, but really all four of the above vehicles are all cross shopped when comparing to the Jeep. That said, there really is nothing like the Wrangler currently available in the US market. To address your comments straight on; 1.the gas mileage across the comparable vehicles are all within 1 or 2 MPG, 2. The 0-60 time for the JLUR is approx. 6.1 seconds, over a full second faster than all of the others compared, the all-new JLU has a higher quality fit, finish and materials used in the interior than all of the above, and last but not least, the Wrangler JLU is just a far more capable off-road vehicle. Sooo, that all said, I'd wager you have either not been in the new JLU or you haven't cross shopped any of the competitor vehicles in the category. In any case, my 2 cents, the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler is head and shoulders above the rest. #Jeep #itsajeepthing
Ashish Patel why don't you stick to your Tata car.
Have you ever owned or driven a Jeep? The new "JL" Wrangler has made vast improvements to the quality of the interior components over those same items in my 2012 "JK" Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. But the interior of my 2012 Wrangler is certainly of better quality than any of the Series IIA & Series III Land-Rovers that I've ever owned or driven. Andrew "Andy" McKane, Springville, Utah, USA.