2018 Jeep Wrangler Road Test and Review

2018 Jeep Wrangler profile ・ Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

The Jeep Wrangler is as iconic as it is timeless - not only within the Jeep brand but among all manufacturer's products. It sits in an exclusive club of vehicles that are immediately recognizable. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Porsche 911 are also members, and, like the Wrangler, have maintained a look and feel consistent in design and characteristics of their original model. 

This puts tremendous pressure on each new evolution of a vehicle like the Wrangler. Not only because of its looks, but with its driving dynamics, extreme off-road capabilities and, simply put, its grit. There could have been a tendency, or even unavoidable aftereffect, to soften the Wrangler when trying to evolve and modernize it.

The good news is, in its most recent version of the next generation 2018 Jeep Wrangler, a lot has been improved. And the best part is, it still has grit.

It still undoubtedly looks like a Jeep Wrangler.

There is no doubt when looking at this new Wrangler that it is, well, a Wrangler. Most people might not even notice a difference between the outgoing model and this next generation. And how much you like or don’t like the amount of change will determine your opinion of the new design.

Let’s start with the grille…

The seven-slot grille is the most prominent design feature and is as iconic as the Wrangler itself. This new grille pays tribute to the Jeep CJ with the headlights slightly intruding into the outer slots of the grille. The slots are wider and the top of the grille is ever so slightly curved. This curve is a nice design element and improves fuel efficiency. The orange turn signal lights were eliminated thanks to lighting in the fenders all resulting in giving this new Wrangler a fresh and modern look all while maintaining its heritage.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Don’t forget the LEDs.

Lights have become a huge styling cue in today’s vehicles and have become a noticeable design element within the Jeep family. It was obvious that a lot of attention went into holding the lines and the shapes of the Wrangler’s headlights and taillights while working to amplify the aggressiveness with the use of LEDs. A tastefully nuanced difference was achieved with multi-light LEDs gracing the tried and true circular-shaped headlights. 

Jeep made a smart move here since LED headlights are a popular aftermarket mod that a lot of Jeep owners already install on their Wranglers. And what better LED lights would you want than those available straight from the factory? Well done. 

Lastly, the LED taillights have the same footprint as the outgoing model. This allows for an aggressive look while preserving the Wrangler’s rear design. Subtle, and nicely executed.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

The perfect balance of form and function inside.

Inspired by previous Wranglers (Willys MB, Jeep CJ and Wrangler YJ), this new interior will not disappoint. Jeep loyalists instead should feel right at home behind the wheel.

Given how demanding today’s consumers are, interiors need to be modern with premium materials and deliver on tech. The new Wrangler does all of this without sacrificing ruggedness or utility.

It now offers the latest comfort and conveniences, infotainment, and a lot of storage options. The new interior is packed with three available Uconnect systems offering 5-inch, 7-inch, and 8.4-inch screens. There is also an available instrument cluster 7-inch screen, customizable with over 100 personalized options. Since this is a Wrangler, you will find some pretty awesome off-road screens to provide assistance as you travel beyond the pavement. 

This all results in a nicely balanced offering that should appeal to current Jeep owners as well as new buyers who may not have considered a Wrangler in the past.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

The doors can still be removed.

Power windows, side view mirrors and door locks aside, the doors can still be removed and they are lighter than before. The driver and passenger doors are 17 lbs. lighter, and on the 4-door model, the rear passenger doors are 7 lbs. lighter.

Additionally, the doors have “lift assist” handles on the inside to grab when taking them off and on making it much easier to go doorless. The pins in the doors line-up when putting them back on their hinges and are offset in length allowing you to lineup one pin at a time instead of two. On the previous model Wrangler, you had to line up two pins at the same time, which, if you're not careful, could result in missing and scratching your paint.

The lighter doors are a perfect example of where this distinctive feature of the Wrangler has been nicely preserved and improved for ease of use.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

The windshield still folds down.

The all new and reimagined windshield is quite possibly my favorite feature on the new Wrangler. It is slightly more angled for fuel efficiency, but ever so optimally. This is great because, with the windshield still being flat, the angle of the windshield looks like we want it to - straight up. Thanks to the fully integrated roll bar, after you pop off the wipers, it just takes removing 4 bolts and about 4 minutes of your time to fold down the windshield.

This is a huge improvement from the previous model Wrangler, which involved committing at least an hour to deal with 28 bolts. This totally explains why hardly anyone ever folded down their windshield.

This new windshield is the best example of where the most distinguishing characteristic of the Wrangler has been preserved and fully embraced by making it very easy to enjoy open-air driving.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Finally, the top is no longer like assembling a tent.

The Wrangler’s soft top has been drastically improved. The zippers have been eliminated and it has a much easier system for sliding the rear side panels and rear window on and off. You can still pop the top back to just uncover the driver and passenger area, but if you want to fold the entire top down, it can now be done in seconds. Putting it back up is just as easy, only having to allow a little more time to slide the rear windows back into position.

Folding this new top up and down is not as easy as a soft top on all other convertibles. However, considering the Wrangler’s top can be completely removed and replaced with a hard top, the improvements should be welcomed by current Jeep owners. And potentially open-up the Wrangler to new consumers now that some of the soft top’s complexity has been addressed.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

Open Air Driving Made Easy

The available hardtop, which is pretty much identical to the previous model, now offers available inserts to give the inside of the top a more premium and finished look.

However, on the 4-door models, there is now an available hardtop with a power sliding convertible top and removable rear panels. Like every new enhancement offered on this new generation Wrangler, Jeep paid attention to their customers. They listened to what they wanted and observed how they were using the vehicle.

That said, most owners never remove their hardtops, especially on 4-door models. Now with this new top, you can simply press a button and the top electronically slides back. This can be done at speeds up to 60 miles-per-hour. Remove the rear panels, open the rear hatch, open your windows and you have the easiest transformation to open-air motoring ever offered in the history of the Jeep Wrangler.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Improved on-road driving dynamics.

When evaluating the new Wrangler, I started with a 2-Door Sport V-6. The unique driving characteristics of the 2-door Wrangler are still present. The high stance and short wheelbase make you feel like you’re driving fast on a bar stool, but not in a scary way. The Wrangler has always had a surreal handling capability. We’re not talking canyon carving at sport car levels, but you have always been able to confidently carve swooping roads, which you often encounter during outdoor adventures. None of this has been lost with the new Wrangler.

When driving the 4-door Sahara with the all new 2.0L Turbocharged inline four-cylinder, the overall on-road driving dynamics have been improved as well. You almost feel like you’re driving a “regular” SUV, but thankfully, the Jeep engineers found a way to make this improvement without eliminating any of the connection to the road and somewhat flick-able maneuverability the Wrangler has always provided.

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No off-road capabilities were sacrificed.

I drove the 2-door and 4-door Renegade equipped with the four-cylinder engine and 33-inch tires off the pavement. Nothing has changed in the Wrangler’s ability to handle anything from dirt roads to rock crawling. The Wrangler’s power, suspension, skid plates, wheel and tire setup and size along with all sorts of other goodies too long to list, allow it to blaze trails and scale mountains in ways that larger 4-wheel drive vehicles just can’t. None of this was lost – period.

The 33-inch tires are a new offering and improve off-road capabilities whereas you’ll find better on-road mannerisms with the standard smaller tire setup. When driving the 4-door Sahara with the standard tire setup, it was incredibly smooth on the road and handled the dirt trails with little to no effort. When it comes to rock crawling, you’ll want to step up to the Rubicon with its locking differentials, electronic front sway-bar disconnect, and standard 33-inch tires.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

So many improvements, it would take a novel to explain them all.

There are so many new features and improvements offered on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, that I haven’t even touched the surface. For instance, the Wrangler now offers more than 75 available advanced safety and security features including blind-spot monitoring and rear cross path detection. Also, a backup camera is now standard on all trims, and all-wheel drive is now available on the Sahara model.

In addition to the abundance of new features this next generation Wrangler is bringing to the table, there will be dozens of combinations available – plus more than 200 Mopar accessories.

During my day-long evaluation (both on and off-road), I got a good feel for what this new Wrangler is all about. The Jeep team has managed to keep the vehicle's famous grit while offering grace in in the Wrangler's design, along with all the modern amenities. With the new and nostalgic elements combined, it will surely cement the Wrangler in the hearts of generations to come.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles