Millennial Mom's Review: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe

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When I (and probably the majority of people) think of Jeep, I instantly think of the tire on the back. That’s fairly good marketing, if you ask me. The thought isn’t attached to anything else: it’s neither good nor bad; it doesn’t mean anything specific to me; it just is what it is. And I have no desire to question it.

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Another thing that doesn’t quite pique my interest is driving around with the doors removed. Don’t get me wrong: it’s cool that specific Jeeps are built to do that, and I can see the adventurous and wholesome fun that goes along with that. It’s just not for me. I’m not really into off-roading, and I don’t really prefer the wind in my frizzy hair, but again, I can see where the enjoyment comes from. And that is precisely why I didn’t tell my kids that it’s possible.

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Anyway, all of that has nothing to do with anything. You may (not) be wondering if the Jeep Wrangler is a family car. More than likely, the answer is probably not, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have the ability to be one.

When deciding to test-drive a Jeep Wrangler with my family of five, I thought, “This is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the world of Jurassic Park . If you’re a fan of the franchise, you may be thinking that the natural choice for roaming around a park with dinosaurs is a Ford Explorer, but that’s boring. Jeeps are cooler.

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You may recall the epic Jeeps from the movie, the ones they drive into Jurassic Park , when the scientists first lay their eyes on the dinosaurs. Well, Jeeps have come a long way — my tested Wrangler is the plug-in hybrid version. I also don’t think the one from the movie had a starting price of over $60,000 (with destination fees), although you never know what it could be auctioned for these days. According to HotCars , the original models from the movie were kept by Universal Pictures and sometimes pop up in public exhibits and car shows.

Fun facts: Jurassic Park celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2013, and this year Jurassic Park III celebrates its 20th anniversary. Yes, you’re that old. The franchise also spawned a new trilogy of movies featuring Chris Pratt. However, my kids can’t see past Chris’ role in Marvel and are confused about Star Lord being in Jurassic World .

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Now, as previously mentioned, I’m aware the Wrangler isn’t necessarily made for families of five who take long road trips, and for that reason, I can’t be too mad at the fact that it isn’t extremely family-friendly. That being said, it’s not as un-family-friendly as I thought it might be; for starters, we all fit. We can’t fit much more than ourselves, unless it’s in the extremely spacious trunk, but it could be worse. If I had to pick between a ton of pockets and space holders for crap at the front of the car (and the Wrangler seriously lacks those extras) or extra cargo space, I’d take the latter — I need a spot for my stroller in the back more than a phone holder in the front.

Anyway, I gathered my tribe and we travelled east, a little past Peterborough to a place where dinosaurs live forever: Canada’s Dinosaur Park in Indian River, Ontario.

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My initial plan was to do the dinosaur experience in fully electric mode — just because we could — except for the fact that we couldn’t because I used the electric mode a few days before (while driving to the drive-in theatre, and yup, it’s a great car for the drive-in, as well), and didn’t ever get around to recharging it. Oops. Yes, when driving in the other modes, it recharges itself a bit, and for argument’s sake, I probably had enough juice saved up to make it through the park, but in all honesty, I simply forgot about my plan. The stress of three screaming kids in a crowded car is enough to make anyone forget about switching to maximum green. If you’re interested in a deeper dive of the electric details, check out David Booth’s full review of the PHEV — he managed 34 km of fully electric range.

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In hindsight, I should have played the Jurassic Park score (that’s currently stuck in my head from watching the above YouTube video) while driving through the dinosaur park. It would have made it so much more epic — and dramatic — for me; the kids probably wouldn’t care.

When we pulled up to the park, there were a few dinos out on the lawn to greet us as we drove to the entrance where they scan the pre-bought ticket — you can also buy your ticket upon arrival. We were also told that for a small donation (used to operate the facility and sustain the rescued reptiles within their on-site sanctuary), we could do a second lap of the drive through, or purchase a surprise gift bag filled with reptile-related goodies.

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Some of the giant-sized creatures made noises and some moved a bit, which was already more than I’d expected, and we hadn’t even made it past the real entrance. As we approached the sign that claimed over 100 dinosaurs, we rolled down the windows, as well as opened up the top. And that is the reason I wanted to see the dinosaurs in the excitement of the Jeep Wrangler, instead of the Explorer. My son wasn’t quite as brave as his older sister, but she thoroughly enjoyed sticking her head out the top as we inched past the life-like dinosaurs. (There was also a kid in the car in front of us who was having conversations with each of the dinos, which was the cutest thing ever.)

We couldn’t get out of the car during the drive-through, but I am so glad we were in the Jeep that allowed great visibility in every direction.

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Sure, I would have appreciated a bit more width in the second row to comfortably fit three car seats, but again, the Wrangler isn’t necessarily made to fit my lifestyle, and that’s okay. Since I was in the driver’s seat, which I couldn’t quite make myself 100 per cent comfortable in, the second row had ample space for long legs — though none of my kids have long legs, yet. However, with a taller driver, there’s not much legroom for anyone — young, old, tall, short, etc. — in the back, but maybe you like feeling of cramped legs, or you just simply don’t care about space for back seat passengers; either way, all the Jeep power to you.

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The drive back home was two (very long) hours filled with complaining kids drowned out by the loud noises that the Jeep produces on the highway. It’s similar to the noises of the wind when the windows are open and you’re driving at highway speeds, except all the windows were closed. It’s unpleasant, but since it drowned out the complaints of children, I’m not complaining any more than I already have.

I know most Jeep Wrangler owners have their reasons for wanting this specific vehicle, and I can’t see a ton of them being large families. However, after driving it around for a week and getting a couple waves of acknowledgement from other Jeep owners, I can honestly say I wouldn’t mind keeping it. It wouldn’t be my first choice of vehicle for my family, but it’s far from the bottom of the list. Although, I would need to get serious about charging the battery to take full advantage of the electric side and save some fuel dollars.

Final note: window buttons should be close to the window.  I understand why they’re not there in the Wrangler — the doors can come off — but it should come with a warning or something. It would have been so embarrassing if I got to a fast food drive-through and couldn’t figure out the windows. Luckily, when I picked up the Jeep, it was boiling hot outside and opening the window was the very first thing I had to figure out — but yes, it took a couple sweaty minutes.