2017 Jeep Wrangler Road Test and Review

2017 Jeep Wrangler Orange 2 Door Parked ・ Photo by Jeep

When it comes to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler, I consider myself something of an expert. Every year, I organize an off-road event for my fellow automotive journalists in which we gather a bunch of off-road-capable pickups and SUVs and go bouncing around the rutted and rocky trails in the hills above Malibu, California. And every year, I ask the folks at Jeep to loan me a Wrangler for  set-up and supervision. There are plenty of off-road vehicles that will handle the trails, but I've found the Wrangler to be the best tool for the job — not just for the event itself, but all the chores that come before and after.

When you don't know what's out there, take a Jeep

A year of wind and rain (despite what the song says, it does sometimes rain in Southern California) take their toll on the trails, so planning the event starts with a some exploration. By the time the event rolls around, I need to have at least two clearly-marked trails, easy and hard, to ensure that I'm not sending any vehicle out to do more than it can handle. Planning for that requires an off-road vehicle that can handle anything—hence my preference for the Wrangler. It's one of the few vehicles I can trust to get me through all the trails, no matter how badly Mother Nature has beat them up.

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A solid off-road pedigree

Today's Wrangler traces its roots back to the original World War II Jeep. Small, simple and rugged, the Jeep was meant to crawl over whatever might come into its path. Sixty-five years later, the formula hasn't changed much. The Wrangler isn't exactly simple — no vehicle is, thanks to modern emissions standards — but it's still small and rugged. Small is key: The short wheelbase (particularly on two-door models) helps it get over rough terrain, plus it's easier to maneuver, something that comes in quite handy when a new trail I am exploring turns out to be a dead end. And the Wrangler's narrow width helps me to avoid scratching the paint on trail-side bushes, which will have to be cut back before bigger SUVs and pickups can tackle the trails.

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Axle articulation

Like the original Jeep, the current Wrangler has the engine in front, a manually-shifted low-range transfer case, and solid axles front and rear, which allow for maximum vertical movement of the wheels. This comes in handy during my trail exploration, as the winter rains open up deep ruts in the trails and bring loose rocks down from the hill. The Wrangler can bend itself over the most uneven terrain, the solid axles lifting the mechanical bits high over the biggest rocks. Optional skid plates protect the most vulnerable bits, something for which I am always grateful — it wouldn't be polite to return the Wrangler to Jeep with a big hole in the transmission pan.

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The off-roader that's also a convertible

With the trails picked out, it's time to check out the on-road routes. Because Malibu is such a beautiful place, we recently expanded our event to include convertible drives on the twisty canyon roads. And here, too, the Wrangler fits in: It's also a convertible, with the buyer's choice of a soft top or a removable hard top. Personally, I think those who opt for the hard top are missing out, because the Wrangler makes for a brilliant convertible, with a near-vertical windshield that enhances the open-air feel.

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Wrestling with the soft top

Unfortunately, putting the soft top down is not a pleasant task. Most modern convertibles have full-power tops that operate with a single switch, but the Wrangler is the complete opposite. First, you must remove the rear and rear-side windows and roll up the rear window. Then you need to release the fiddly latches above the windshield (watch your knuckles) and pull the back corners of the soft top away from the body (watch your fingertips). If you get everything just right and the stars are perfectly aligned, you can then fold the top into an untidy heap in the trunk. I've learned to do it alone, but a helper is nice, primarily because misery loves company. Putting the top up is slightly easier, though slightly more dangerous to knuckles and fingertips. The rear-side windows must be zipped into place just so, and no matter how many times I do it, one of them always seems to come just loose enough to flap about annoyingly at highway speeds.

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Configuration options

Once you master the Wrangler's soft top—or at least become adept at coping with it—you'll be pleasantly surprised at the ways you can configure it. If you don't want to deal with the whole top-lowering process, you can flip back just the front section to get the open-top motoring experience with out all the wind buffeting. During the off-road event I need to get lots of people and stuff in and out of the Wrangler, so I'll remove the side and rear windows and leave the top in place, which gives me a nice pleasant breeze but keeps the sun from baking my head. The Wrangler's doors are removable, and I always thought driving around without doors would be a nifty thing... until I tried it. At any speed above 30 mph, it's like having a front-row seat at a hurricane, and if you happen to be driving off road, any mud and debris kicked up by the tires has a clear shot at your your legs and arms. It's an experience I'll be happy never to repeat.

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On road: Not the Wrangler's strong suit

Since most convertibles are sports cars (or at least sporty cars), our drive routes are challenging, curvy roads. I'll usually scout them out in the Wrangler, but this is not the Jeep's strong suit: A suspension designed for worst-case off-roading is simply not set up for good on-road manners. That said, I'm amazed at how tame the latest iteration of the Wrangler is: The ride is hardly Cadillac-smooth, but it's nowhere near as abusive as earlier-generation Wranglers and more tolerable than some of the off-road pickups I've driven. Handling is nothing to write home about; the steering is vague and response is sluggish. It's not scary, but it is sloppy, and I always keep my speeds down in the curves.

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Stuffed to the gills

The day before the event, I go shopping: Cases of water and soda, and every one-ounce bottle of suntan lotion I can find. The two-door Wrangler's rear seat folds flat and flips up against the back seat, and while the four-door Wrangler Unlimited is a better cargo-carrier, I'm always surprised at how much stuff I can stuff into the two-door's 12.8 cubic foot trunk. Back at the ranch, help will have arrived: Land Rover always sends a couple of their highly-skilled off-road instructors, and they'll show up in either a brand new Range Rover or a twenty-year-old Discovery to help me get the trails marked and cleared. Land Rovers are among the most accomplished off-roaders in the business, and I always take a bit of pride in the fact that my American-made Jeep Wrangler can go anywhere the British-built Rovers can. Granted, the Land Rover guys will be more comfortable than me in the Jeep, but the Wrangler looks better when splattered with mud.

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The all-terrain taxicab

Event day! The trails are marked; rows of shiny new vehicles stand in neat lines, and a crowd of my fellow writers are chomping at the bit to go driving. First, I need to get my event staff up on the hill. A four-door SUV might be more expedient, but the Wrangler is already dirty, and despite having only two doors, back-seat access is better than you might expect. I drop off my trail workers, and with the windows removed, they can reach in and grab their camp chairs and coolers — no need to open the tailgate. Advantage Jeep!

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Drama-free off-roading

As the event progresses, I'll spend my day bouncing around the trails to make sure everything is running smoothly. Occasionally I take a lap in one of the other off-roaders, but mostly I stick to my Wrangler. The purpose of the event is to push these SUVs and pickups, and many of them require skill and finesse to get through the tougher sections of the trails. None of the trails challenge the Wrangler: It handles our toughest routes with ease, and with so much on my mind, I want as little drama as possible.

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