 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
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Review and photos by Greg Wilson
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2011 Jeep Wrangler
At the end of the first ‘Terminator’ movie, Sarah Connor drives off into the Mexican desert just before Skynet initiates a nuclear war aimed at destroying humankind, leaving the newly self-aware machines in control of the planet. What vehicle is she driving? A Jeep Wrangler, of course.
Somehow, it just wouldn’t have been the same if she’d driven off in a Range Rover.
With its image eternally linked to the freedom-fighting World War Two Willys Jeep, the Jeep Wrangler has a longstanding reputation as a no-nonsense, affordable 4X4 that’s rugged and easy to fix (although not necessarily reliable). Successive generations of Jeeps – CJ, YJ, TJ and now JK – have adhered to the same basic design formula, though today’s Wrangler is much bigger than earlier models.
  2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
While most compact SUVs have switched to unit body designs and hands-off all-wheel drive systems (including the Jeep Compass and Patriot), the Wrangler still has a sturdy body-on-ladder frame design with solid axles front and rear, a generous ground clearance, skid plates, and a manually-operated part-time four-wheel drive system with a Low Range. It’s the only 4X4 that’s still comes with removeable doors (with roll-up windows), fold-down windscreen, and a full roll cage. A folding soft-top is standard and a hardtop is optional (three-piece removeable hardtop on four-door Unlimited model), making the Wrangler the only convertible SUV on the market.
Admittedly, the Wrangler is a workhorse that lacks the refinement, roadholding and comfort of car-based SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Escape, but for certain buyers such as farmers, miners, loggers, skiers, back-country adventurers, nature lovers, and anyone who lives in an area with no pavement and/or severe winter weather – the Wrangler is a vehicle that can handle extremes when necessary. The only other vehicle on the market that comes close in this price range is the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Even more rugged than the standard Wrangler Sport and Sahara models is the Wrangler Rubicon, like this week’s test vehicle. In both two and four-door versions, it adds a heavy duty “Rock-Trac” two-speed transfer case with a 4:1 low range axle ratio, Dana 44 heavy-duty solid front and rear axles, front and rear remote electronic locking differentials, tuned suspension, electronic disconnecting front sway bar, and beefy BF Goodrich Mud Terrain LT255/55-17-inch on/off-road tires.
Like all Wranglers, the Rubicon includes standard electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, hill-start assist (with manual transmission), all-speed traction control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Brake Assist.
   2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
On the road, the Wrangler Rubicon has a comfortable ride over smooth pavement and its tall sixth gear leaves the engine revving at just 2,200 rpm at a steady 100 km/h, making highway driving surprisingly comfortable and quiet (assuming the top is up). Even those knobby BF Goodrich mud terrain tires don’t make a lot of noise at highway speeds.
The venerable 3.8-litre pushrod V6 has lots of torque (237 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm) but doesn’t like to rev high. It sounds rough over 5,000 rpm, and I found myself shifting gears under 3,000 rpm. Official fuel consumption figures (L/100 km) are 14.5 city/10.0 hwy, but my onboard fuel economy gauge was showing an average of about 15 L/100 km.
The floor shifter has a long handle and it’s easy to shift gears, while the stubby shifter for four-wheel drive can be shifted from 2 High to 4 High at speeds up to 88 km/h. Shifting into Low Range requires the vehicle be stopped or slowly coasting and the transmission in Neutral – no electronic pushbuttons here. The optional automatic transmission is a four-speed unit which I haven’t tested.
When it comes to traversing back-country trails, rock crawling, fording streams, slogging through mud bogs, or traversing logs, the Rubicon model is almost unbeatable. Its Low Range gearing, which is really, really low, allows it to crawl at a snail’s pace up or down a steep hill; front and rear axle locks keep all the wheels turning when traction is needed in deep snow or mud; the disconnecting front sway bar allows additional wheel articulation to traverse boulders and ruts; short front and rear overhangs and a high 10-inch ground clearance under the axles allow the Wrangler to go over steep drop-offs and through gulleys without getting hung up; the Wrangler’s wide track adds stability and a feeling of security when traversing side inclines; skid plates under the fuel tank, engine, and transmission help mitigate potentially expensive rock damage; big plastic fenders reduce rock spray damage, reduce noise and eliminate the possibility of rust; and front and rear tow hooks provide a lifeline if the vehicle gets stuck.
A Toyota FJ Cruiser with the off-road package comes closest to the Wrangler Rubicon’s abilities, but it’s a more “civilized” 4X4 occupying a niche somewhere between the extreme Rubicon and regular SUVs.
    2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
As you might expect, the Wrangler’s off-road attributes create some compromises for everyday use: its solid axles make for a rough ride over bad pavement surfaces and cause it to skip sideways briefly when traversing sudden bumps; its low transmission gearing and traditional overhead valve 3.8-litre V6 aren’t conducive to good fuel economy (although the standard six-speed manual transmission has a nice highway gear); its high ground clearance and raised door sills create a high step-in height; the doors swing out to their full length without stopping until they reach the end of the tether; and the rear tailgate is a two-piece affair: the tailgate swings out sideways along with the full-size spare tire, and the rear window lifts up.
Jeep has made some attempts to “gentrify” the Wrangler for urban buyers. Even the Rubicon model has made some concessions to the god of comfort: it’s available with heated leather seats, automatic climate control, 368-watt Infinity stereo with subwoofer, navigation system, Uconnect hands-free phone, power door locks and keyless entry.
For 2011, there’s a new interior design with nicer dash materials, easier to reach controls, a lockable console, softer armrests, and more soundproofing. New steering wheel controls allow the driver to operate the radio, phone and cruise without taking their hands off the wheel and there’s a new USB interface, a new 110-volt outlet, and more 12 volt outlets.
Due to its tall roof and boxy shape, the Wrangler Unlimited’s cabin is quite roomy. There’s plenty of headroom and legroom for four or five people, and the cargo area is very roomy, particularly if you fold down one or both of the articulating rear seats with automatically folding head restraints. There’s 46 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 86 cu. ft. with the seats folded – however, the loading height (80 cm/31.4 in.) is rather high and the convertible top mechanism sits in the middle of the load area. There’s also a storage area under the rear cargo floor.
The optional removeable plastic roof panels include twin panels over the front passengers and a single panel over the rear seats. All the panels can be removed by hand and put in a storage bag in the cargo area. A full roll bar cage, padded for safety, protects front and rear passengers in the unlikely event of a rollover.
The 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is definitely not for everybody, but its combination of extreme off-road abilities and acceptable on-road manners at such a reasonable price is impossible to beat. 2011 MSRPs for the Wrangler two-door range from $21,595 to $31,495. MSRPs for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited range from $26,695 to $33,495.
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Pricing: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
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