Few purpose-built vehicles make it into production today. Most sedans, SUVs and crossovers are meant to be a little bit of everything to everybody. The best purpose-built machines are very good at one thing and acceptable at the rest.
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler is one of those purpose-built vehicles. It's one of the best in the world when the road gets rocky, and now, thanks to updates, completely acceptable on roads that aren't.
The 2024 model is a gentle refresh with an available full-float Dana rear axle (included on the Wrangler Rubicon X tested here), new factory Warn winch and an increased towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.
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The 2024 Jeep Wrangler is available in Sport, Sport S, Willys, Sahara, High Altitude, Rubicon, Rubicon X and Rubicon 392 models.
Jeep still offers Wrangler with the buyer's choice of four engines, including the 3.6-liter six-cylinder making 285 horsepower, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Wrangler 4xe hybrid making 375 hp and 470 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque, another traditional turbocharged 2.0-liter (270 hp and 295 lb-ft) and the 6.4-liter V8 with 470 horsepower.
The two-door Rubicon X tested here features the 270-hp four-cylinder along with an eight-speed automatic transmission and is one of the best for going off-road due to its short wheelbase (and the $12,950 Rubicon X package with 35-inch mud tires, heavy-duty four-wheel drive system, 4.56 rear axle ratio, and a bunch of interior and safety upgrades).
On the highway, even with the knobby mud tires the 2024 Wrangler was easy to handle at high speeds. The hardtop helps keep the noise out and seems to cut through the wind better than the soft top. The removable front portions are light and easy to handle and can be installed without a partner. The rear hardtop, however, will require help.
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The turbocharged 2.0-liter, with 295 lb-ft of torque is quick front a standstill and during passing. The Wrangler does lightly move around in its lane, pitch and roll with inputs, but not nearly as much as it did even a generation ago. It's much better in the wind compared to the old model.
It's also better at everything having to do with off-roading. With four-wheel drive system locked and the sway bar open it can climb up any boulder, hill or tree stump, even with a complete amateur behind the wheel.
Fuel mileage on the highway is rated at 24 miles per gallon (mpg) by the Environmental Protection Agency, but over a full tank of gas, both city and highway, the tester's average was about 17 mpg, which is the aerodynamic downside of driving a cube at 70 miles per hour.
This Wrangler Rubicon X in particular was hard to get into as it sits high off the ground with giant tires and didn't feature running boards. The kids had to put their knees up on the passengers-side sill and drag the rest of their bodies in. The driver's seat doesn't fold, as far as we could tell, meaning everyone in the back gets in on the passenger side. It's tough for anyone who's not in decent shape to hop in.
Inside, customers get a standard 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen radio (the Rubicon X package adds navigation), along with physical knobs and buttons for important features, which makes functions like volume and tuning easy to use without looking. With Rubicon X and Rubicon 392, a standard package adds acoustic front glass, thicker carpet and additional sound deadening foam in the windshield header, front cowl and B-pillars for a quieter ride.
The Nappa leather-wrapped seats are powered and heated in this Wrangler Rubicon X, and comfortable over long drives with good lateral support for when the road gets bumpy. The two door version feels okay in the front seat but cramped in the back, however it was fine for kids with booster seats.
There's also very little luggage space in the two-door version, with about a foot of depth behind the rear seats. With luggage for four the suitcases will have to be stuffed and stacked, as a second person closes the back swing gate.
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler Sport two-door starts at a very reasonable $31,895. The Wrangler 4xe hybrid is first available on the Sport S trim for $49,995. The two-door, Rubicon four-wheel drive tested here starts at $46,795, with the X package this vehicle has an as-tested price of $64,905.
That price is with all of the bells and whistles, but a supremely capable Wrangler can be had for less. The Ford Bronco is a returning and obvious competitor here. It starts at $39,630 but goes up even further than the Wrangler with Bronco Raptor and Raptor R variants. Both the Jeep and Bronco now offer V8s for high-speed desert runs, though the Bronco is probably better for that.
However, like it always has been, the Wrangler is impossible to beat on the trails at slow speeds, and nearly as fun as the Ford when speeds go up. Both offer tons of customization options for interior, exterior and performance parts, and both have a massive community of enthusiasts to help. They're both legends for a reason, and Jeep has said on several occasions how happy it is to have Ford back in the game.
If a purpose-built vehicle is built for a purpose the owner enjoys, like off-roading or track driving or ever serene comfort, compromising on the other purposes doesn't seem like much of a tradeoff.
