SUV Review: 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

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The Jeep Wrangler may be built on tradition, but it also has to keep up with the times. It was completely overhauled last year, which refined the styling and also added an all-new engine. That’s what’s under the beyond-brilliant-green hood of my 2019 Unlimited tester, and it’s a spectacular little powerplant that adds a touch of electric personality.

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The Wrangler’s usual 3.6L V6 remains the base engine, but it’s joined by this new turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder. Its 270 horsepower is less than that of the V6, but its 295 lb-ft of torque outranks it, and that twist-power peaks sooner. And it’s got eTorque, too.

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First seen on the Ram 1500, eTorque is a mild hybrid system that combines an electric motor with a self-charging battery. It can’t propel the Wrangler on electricity alone, and is meant primarily to smooth everything out. Engine speed rises as you accelerate, and then abruptly drops and rises again with each gear change. As this happens, the eTorque’s motor blends in some electric torque, effectively “filling in” these power peaks and valleys. What you get is strong, smooth, and very peppy acceleration that makes this Wrangler a hoot.

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The V6 can be hooked to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic, but the turbo four-cylinder comes only with the autobox. This engine-and-transmission combo perks up the price a fair bit, though. My Unlimited Sahara started at $46,745, and the 2.0L tacked on $2,590.

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All Wranglers are 4x4s, of course, but there are three systems available, starting with Command-Trac on the Sport S and my Sahara tester. It’s a part-time system and its four-wheel drive should only be used on loose surfaces. Driving in 4×4 on pavement can cause driveline and tire wear.

A Selec-Trac full-time system is available only on the Sahara, where it adds $795. It includes a 4Auto setting that can be used everywhere, which comes in handy on alternating terrain, such as on bare roads that have patches of snow or ice. The third system, Rock-Trac, includes an ultimate-tough-stuff crawl ratio of 4:1 and is used only on the Rubicon, which also has heavier-duty front and rear axles, and an electronic disconnecting front sway bar.

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As great as the turbo-four is to drive, I have a couple of friends who work at a Jeep dealership, and they’ve begged me to tell you that if you’re an absolute newbie, know what you’re getting into. It seems that at least once a week, someone brings in a Wrangler – having bought one without ever spending any time in one – complaining about whatever’s rough or noisy or rattly and that wasn’t an issue in the big, comfy car or crossover that was traded in on it.

The scoop is this: the bouncy ride, the wind noise, the road noise, and the steering corrections on the highway were all installed at the factory. This is what a Wrangler is, and why so many of them have “It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand” stickers on them. You don’t get that go-anywhere, open-air experience without making some compromises.

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And with the regular hardtop, getting that open-air experience is not quick or simple. It’s a pain in the butt to remove, and then you need a place to store it. For those who want to go topless on the spur of the moment, you need my tester’s Sky power-folding top – convenient, although it’s a chunk-of-change option at $3,995. Press a button and the roof’s large fabric panel obediently slides all the way to the back. You can take out the rear quarter windows and take off the doors, but the Sky roof’s frame isn’t removable.

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As much as purists raised hell when Jeep introduced a four-door Wrangler, the Unlimited outsells its two-door sibling for its take-friends-and-more-stuff-along practicality. In addition to plenty of space in the front seats, there’s a decent helping of legroom for those in back. The driver’s seat is manual-adjustment only, but I had no issues finding a comfortable position. I wish the truck had a dead pedal for my left foot, but I’m guessing it’s left off because it would interfere with the clutch pedal on stick-shift vehicles.

The rear half-door opens sideways while the back window flips up, and having the spare tire stuck on behind leaves lots of interior cargo space, including a bin under the floor.

A considerable number of options are available for the Wrangler and mine had quite a few, including heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, LED lighting and an upgraded infotainment system with navigation, among others. Totalled up, my tester hit a whopping $62,170 before freight and taxes – which led me to wonder how many people would pay that much and then head straight for the trails, which usually come complete with branches and rocks that are just itching to dent and scratch whatever’s coming through.

Of course, a great many super-capable vehicles never get to show off their ability; just knowing they can climb mountains they’ll never see is enough for some. And that’s fine too. With this great little engine, the on-road is just as good.