2024 Jeep Wrangler

The biggest design change this year lands inside, front and center, with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen stretched horizontally across the compass-oriented dash. It’s well integrated with classic Jeep dash elements, with a grab bar on the dash for the passenger (and grab handles at each pillar) and circular vents at the ends. Below the screen sits a thin vent panel, then traditional hard dials for fan speed, volume, and tuning. Also below are buttons for conveniences such as heated seats, as well as drive controls including ESC or a max regen setting for 4xe models. Wedged below that are the power window controls and two USB-C ports, underscored by off-road functions such as the front and rear lockers. 

It’s modern and classic Jeep at the same time.

Don’t discount the 270-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4; its 295 lb-ft peaks at 3,000 rpm, which is much lower than the V-6. It’s a quieter, quicker, better daily driver. It comes only with the 8-speed automatic, and it costs $2,500 more than the V-6 with the 8-speed. 

More Wrangler buyers are opting to pair that turbo-4 with a motor-generator as well as a traction motor integrated into the 8-speed automatic. It’s a good puppy. Fed by a 17.3-kwh battery pack, the 100-kw traction motor partners with the turbo-4 to generate 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It’s the best daily driver, quick and light off the line, quiet and smooth with its transitions, and with 22 miles of all-electric range and a default to electric power, many suburban Wrangler drivers can cross off their errands without using the gas engine. 

On the other side of the hill rumbles the Rubicon 392. It’s the have-it-all Wrangler, with a hungry 6.4-liter V-8 that makes 470 hp and 470 lb-ft. Opening up the exhaust baffles and hammering the throttle to hit 60 mph in a Jeep-estimated 4.5 seconds might feel more risky than tackling Moab in this top-heavy beast, but it’s a blast. 

Every Wrangler rides rough on its coil-sprung solid axles, jittering stiffly over road bumps and subject to lateral motions made more pronounced by wind gusts. The longer wheelbase four-door versions ride better than the two-door models, but it’s negligible. With its recirculating ball steering, the Wrangler wanders at highway speeds and requires frequent corrections, but the steering heft in 392 models feels more in place for the Wrangler than the light feel of 4xe models. 

Is the Jeep Wrangler 4WD?

That’s the only way it comes. But wait, there’s more. Jeep fits a basic 2-speed transfer case for part-time four-wheel drive in a bind, but it’s not suitable for four-wheel-drive use on dry pavement. If wet weather or snow are a concern, consider stepping up to the optional full-time setup called Selec-Trac that has an automatic mode. It’s standard on Rubicon 392 models, but optional on Sport and Sahara grades. 

An optional Rock-Trac system on Rubicon models offers the ease of Selec-Trac but with a greater 4:1 low-gear ratio that delivers more torque and a more consistent speed for serious off-roading. It’s abetted by an electronic front sway-bar disconnect, locking front and rear differentials and 17-inch aluminum wheels with 33-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. A new full-float rear axle standard on Rubicon models versus the semi-float axle on other models spreads the weight of the vehicle along the solid axle tube instead of just the axle shaft, making its main function to send power to the rear wheel hubs. 

How much can the Jeep Wrangler tow?

The 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can now tow up to 5,000 pounds but only with the turbo-4 and V-6 engines. Other models, as well as the 4xe and V-8 powertrains, are limited to the same 3,500-pound rating as last year (two-door models tow 2,000 pounds). 

In our testing of a 4,300-pound Airstream camper, the V-6 liter strained uphill, with the 8-speed automatic keeping the engine above 5,000 rpm. On milder ascents such as on-ramps, it held much calmer in the 3,000-4,000 rpm range. The discontinued turbodiesel and its 442 lb-ft of torque versus the 260 lb-ft in the V-6 likely would’ve hauled the load without complaint. In either case, the V-6 never felt overmatched by the hefty load, which was about a foot wider than the Wrangler. Dual side mirrors for towing would’ve helped, as would the available trailer camera lacking on our tester.  

With a ground clearance of at least 9.7 inches (10.1 inches on 4xe models) and topping out at 12.9 inches in Rubicon models, the Wrangler sits above the SUV class. It’s the off-road king, and the available 8,000-pound-capacity Warn winch on Rubicon models will make even more friends on the trail. It was used to recover at least two off-kilter Wranglers in our afternoon of off-roading; it took the Jeep team about five minutes to winch out a course correction.

Rear-seat riders may struggle to get in without a grab handle, and even four-door models have narrow openings with a high step. The rear legroom measures out to a spacious 38.3 inches (35.7 inches on two-door models) and the rear bench can be removed.

Jeep equips every 2024 Wrangler with more airbags, including side curtain airbags for both rows of seats this year that should help with side and rollover crashes. But for active safety features such as a forward-collision warning system and adaptive cruise control, Jeep expects you to step up to the Sport S or an option package that bundles adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking and a few other niceties. 

At least outward vision is good, with or without the doors on.

The Wrangler is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty plus three years of included maintenance. 

Which Jeep Wrangler should I buy?

So much depends on powertrain choices and body styles. If you just want the removable doors and the convertible feature, consider the $37,190 Sport S. It adds a tougher, lighter Gorilla glass windshield, keyless entry, automatic headlights, and power doors and locks. The new entry point for the 4xe costs $51,790. If off-roading is more a dream than reality, we’d suggest the Sport S 4xe and its lower cost of ownership offsetting its higher entry point. 

A Rubicon-light, the $41,190 Willys grade ratchets up the off-road ability with 33-inch all-terrain tires, an increased ground clearance from 9.7 to 10.8 inches, rock rails, a locking rear differential, a trailer tow package, LED headlights and fog lights, all-weather floor mats, and an available Xtreme off-road package. 

Sold only with four doors, the Sahara costs $49,620, but it includes the 8-speed automatic with the turbo-4. LEDs come standard on every exterior point. Inside it comes with heated seats and a heated steering wheel. It rides on 18-inch wheels with 32-inch tires.

How much is a fully loaded Jeep Wrangler?

A High Altitude model exclusive to the 4xe powertrain runs $68,790 and has Jeep's fancy stuff, such as a power top, acoustic glass, nappa leather upholstery, 12-way power front seats, and a premium Alpine sound system. That’s cheap compared to the  Wrangler Rubicon 392 at $93,440. That’s a whole lotta Wrangler.

With the turbodiesel no longer available, the most efficient combustion Wrangler is the turbo-4 at 22/24/23 mpg. 

Bottom of the pack? The Rubicon 392 at just 13/17/14 mpg.