Jeep’s Wrangler Rubicon X 4xe – ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

Jeep’s Wrangler Rubicon X 4xe

ROCK* PAPER** SCISSORS***

*This thing will go over anything. **Loan paperwork might stretch to 84 months. ***Given the slower sales, Jeep is cutting prices!

We hear all the time about inflation, even as that inflation perceptibly cools. And beyond the cost of eggs or bread, if you need any further proof of inflation’s impact, look no further than the price of the current Jeep Wrangler, whose history began at the U.S. Army’s development center in the months leading up to World War II. Those early Jeeps continue to serve as today’s inspiration.

Our test Rubicon X 4xe (a plug-in hybrid) had a window sticker of $75K (which will buy you a Lexus GX 550 Overtrail, kids), and while the plug-in hybrid will qualify for a government rebate, that rebate won’t significantly reduce the monthly obligation to your lender. With 10% down you’ll have a finance balance of at least $60 Large. That’s somewhere around $1200/month for five years. Now, if you never buy gas – the 4xe offers almost 22 miles of all-electric range – you can save as much as $3K per year (at 20 miles per gallon over 15,000 miles, at $4/gallon). And in 25 years the Rubicon X will have paid for itself!

Finished in a yellow the marketing team at Jeep calls ‘High Velocity’ (because they can…), this Wrangler Rubicon 4-door certainly brings with it a presence. The Rubicon, as you’d probably know, includes Jeep’s entire menu of off-road capability to your driveway. A partial list includes Dana axles front and rear, Tru-Lok diffs front and rear, a 4.10 rear axle ratio, a heavy duty 4WD system and skid plates protecting everything but your own bum. Big off-road rubber is a welcome addition when going off-road, but less welcome when headed down the highway. And for this 29-inch inseam, climbing aboard is a real climb; no worries on a weekend, but it can get tiresome day-in and day-out.

Inside, the Wrangler’s (still) upright architecture limits shoulder room both front and rear, but I like the verticality of the windshield and almost 360 degrees of visibility. The Wrangler’s hardtop is detachable – and comes with a bag for its protection – but this isn’t a process that you do casually; it takes real work and real time. (Perhaps you have people?) Once off, however, you have the sun and the moon and the stars – but if it’s the sun bring, of course, sunscreen. 

Our test Rubicon included $9K of Jeep’s Customer Preferred Package 29Y, which gives you Nappa leather seating, power adjustable seats, heated front seats, acoustic front seat carpeting and Alpine premium audio – among a host of other adds less-than-essential to Jeeping, but things that will play well with your teenage drivers. And that NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS contributes significantly to the Rubicon’s $76K price tag, regardless of what the government, your Jeep dealer or Jeep’s marketing team hands you back. In my view anything north of $60K is a commitment, even if your spouse is the major wage earner…as mine is.

Behind the wheel the 4xe powertrain is a tale of two experiences. If you’ve plugged in and fully recharged, you’ll enjoy that 22 miles of all-electric driving. And when under electric power for those 22 (or so) miles the experience is almost sublime. Lose the charge, however, and Jeep’s 2.0 liter turbocharged four – with 270 horses and about 300 lb-ft of torque, without the added power of its hybrid motor – leans heavily into the agrarian; it’s both a bit rough and a bit noisy, and while doubtful you’d notice if (again) storming Normandy, they’ll notice it in Norman – and that’s not OK. 

Also of note: While the EPA suggests you’ll get a combined 20 miles per gallon when using gas only, our dash computer told us the reality was closer to the high teens. 

Of course, the raison d’être for the Rubicon is its off-road capability, and while we didn’t give that a try in the week we had it, we’ve driven Rubicons previously and they’ve never disappointed. The kicker, of course, is the additional weight  – the Rubicon PHEV is 5,600 pounds! – necessary for the plug-in drivetrain, weight that works against your off-road gymnastics. Think Simone Biles carrying an extra 30 pounds and you have an idea of what a 4X4 plug-in is asked to do. My take: If you’re sensitive about your environmental impact on the trails, buy a mountain bike…and leave your Jeep at the trailhead.

My wife and I have owned Jeeps since 1987, and have enjoyed Grand Cherokees continuously since 1998; in short, we get the appeal. If shopping for a new Wrangler, I’d probably opt for the more value-oriented Willys spec, and while that doesn’t give you everything the Rubicon supplies, there’s also some $20K in your pocket that you won’t have spent on the Rubicon. 

As you’d guess, that $20K will buy a lot of mountain bike. Hell, it might even buy a few e-Bikes…