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EMME HALL: Now the Jeep Wrangler has always been an icon,
but for the better part of 10 years
it hasn't had any real rivals.
But now it faces stiff competition
with the Ford Bronco, which brings just
about the same amount of capability,
but more tech and more refinement to this hardcore
off-roading world.
Now you didn't think Jeep was going to take that lying
down, did you?
Oh, no no no, because now we have a refresh
for the 2024 model year.
It's got a new rear axle.
It's got more tech, larger tires,
and just an overall better driving experience.
Now today we're going to take this thing off road, of course,
but we're also going to drive it on the pavement
to see if this new Wrangler goes far enough to beat
that Ford Bronco.
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Now on the outside not much has changed,
but we do have this shorter grille that's
taken right off the 20th anniversary Rubicon
from last year.
It offers up more cooling and it's wider,
but with this full bumper it kind of looks
like that emoji that's just like this.
I don't know.
Tell me what you guys think.
That's what I think.
We also have a factory Warn winch that you can get
as an option on the Rubicon.
Now there's a couple of things here.
So they've extended these little guys here so that if you happen
to crash, which I know you won't because y'all are really good
drivers, it's not going to just push this winch right
into your radiator.
Now if you know anything about winching,
you know to get the weight rating,
you're going to multiply the gross vehicle
weight of your vehicle by 1.5.
Well, when you do that with a four-door Wrangler,
you get about 8,400 pounds.
That is more than 8,000 pounds.
But Jeep has told me that this winch is specifically
designed for the Wrangler, and it
has been validated to work with this vehicle.
Seems like it's a little bit down on capacity,
but Jeep says that it should be just fine.
Now the Jeep Wrangler's Achilles heel
has always been its on-road manner.
So let's hop behind the wheel and see
if this refreshed generation gets any better.
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Nope.
And before you ask, yes, this vehicle does
have different springs in the front
to account for the extra weight of that winch, but you guys,
it's a solid front axle.
And solid front axle, it's going to do solid front axle things.
That's just the way it is.
However, I will say it's much quieter in here.
Jeep says it's about two to five decibels quieter.
And if hands-free calling is your jam,
that has also been made much better.
Not necessarily for you, but for the person that you're calling.
If you want something that drives smooth on the pavement,
you're going to want a Bronco with the independent front
suspension.
That's just what it is.
But what you will get, that the Bronco doesn't have,
is a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
In fact, this is the most popular PATV
that's sold in America.
And like, why not, right?
I mean, yeah I only get 21 miles of all-electric range, which
in the grand scheme of things is not great.
But if you commit to keeping it plugged in,
you're rewarded with 385 horsepower and 470 pound
feet of torque.
And that's what I like.
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Jeep has changed up its trim lineup just a little bit.
The 4 by E gets a new entry level model in the Sport S.
And you can now get a Willys with a standard rear locker, 33
inch tires, and rock rails.
But the big news here is the increased towing capability.
Now you've never been able to tow
more than 3,500 pounds in a Wrangler,
and that is frankly really, really bad.
But now you get a new full float solid rear
axle, which ups the towing quotient to 5,000 pounds.
That is a big improvement, and it's
better than the Ford Bronco.
Although, I will say the Bronco Raptor,
that can tow 4,500 pounds.
Now you would think this is great.
Right?
Sure.
Cool.
I can just get a Wrangler and tow 5,000 pounds,
tow my side-by-sides.
Yeah, but here's the thing.
It's only on the Rubicon.
It's only on the vehicle with 33 inch
tires, automatic transmission, four doors,
and in a 2 liter or 3.6 liters.
So this 4 by E that I'm in right here,
it can still only tow 3,500 pounds.
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So inside we've got a few key differences.
We've got side curtain airbags.
That's a super big deal for Jeeps.
Never happened before.
And also, it's never had an electronically-controlled seat.
I know that seems like really easy, but listen,
it's a first for the Wrangler.
Also a first here is this really large screen.
It's running Uconnect 5.
I've always loved Uconnect 5.
I love how it is integrated into the system.
And we've got a few really cool features here.
So number one, what I really like,
is that the off-road pages, it loads so much quicker
than it did before.
Before, it would just like wait forever and ever.
Now it is super fast.
And there is a new trails GPS.
So it is called Adventure Guides.
So you can search for trails near you, preloaded trails.
I'm going to go to preloaded trails
because I want to see what Hell's Revenge is all about.
So on this you'll get how long the trail
is, what the elevation is, how long it
should take you to do it.
And then it will give you a description
of what the trail is like.
And you'll also get numbered waypoints
so you know exactly where you are at all times.
This is really great to have.
Now you'll get over 200 trails when you get your Jeep,
but if you want to sign up for $39.99,
you'll get access to 3,000 trails.
And listen, if you don't want to use any of this in-dash nav,
don't worry, there's wireless CarPlay and Android Auto.
And if cool navigation is your thing,
be sure to go to edmunds.com because we've got reviews
of all kinds of new vehicles.
But y'all know it's not a Wrangler until you go off road,
so let's go hit the rocks.
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Here we go.
Getting that 44 degree approach angle.
There she goes.
What pitch have we got now?
20 and 31.
Now new for this year, in both the 4 by E and the Willys,
is the off road plus button, which I really, really
like because it allows you to lock the rear when
you're in four-wheel drive high and you're going really fast.
Normally it doesn't let you do that, but off road plus does.
It's super, super fun.
You can also use it while you're in four low.
It'll give you a little bit more control.
But I'm really glad to see that they have carried
that button over into both the Willys and the 4 by E
because frankly, they deserve it.
I will tell you something.
OK, that's 24 degree, 28 degree pitch, full seatbelt lock.
When it comes to the Bronco and its geometry,
we have to compare apples to apples.
Because this 4 by E is wearing 33 inch tires,
so I want to compare it to the base Bronco.
You could also go up to 35, and 35s here and 35s there,
but we're not doing that.
With 33 inch tires, this thing kicks the Bronco's ass all day
long when it comes to geometry.
Now the Bronco can get it done.
I mean, I've driven the Bronco plenty of rocks.
But at the end of the day, if you really,
really push the vehicle, this solid axle
is just going to be better because there's
more articulation.
You'll be able to keep your wheels on the ground
more often.
And that ultimately is going to give you
more traction, which means that you can move forward.
I'm not saying the Bronco's bad because the Bronco
is really good.
I'm just saying that if you really
want to get out there and go 100%,
you got to go with the solid axle.
You know what?
Argue with me in the comments.
I don't even care.
This 4 by E does have a lower crawl ratio than, let's say,
what you can find in the 3.6 liter gas engine,
but it doesn't matter because you
have 470 pound feet of torque.
But here's the kicker.
Remember, you have to keep this battery juiced up,
or it's not going to matter.
So my recommendation is before you hit the trail,
but when you're driving to the trail, put it in E-Save mode.
That's going to save your battery,
and you're just going to drive on gas to the trailhead.
Then switch it into hybrid mode, and that's
when you'll get all of that juicy, juicy torque.
But you know what, you guys?
It's been a real rough day.
I think I need a refreshing beverage.
Because I can plug this new power box into the battery
and like, sure I could power like a TV,
but who wants to do that when you
can make a smoothie on the trail?
So let's see if this works.
Here we go.
Liquefy.
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Oh, my god.
It's amazing.
Hee hee.
This is the best day ever.
Ah.
Mm.
Warm oatmilk is great, you guys.
It's real good.
So for 2024 the Jeep Wrangler is going
to start at right around $33,000, but you guys,
you can go way more than that.
Like the 392, the one with the V8, $89,000.
But the real question is did they
make enough improvements to bring it up
to par with the Bronco?
Well, that's all about what's important to you.
Right?
If you want a smooth ride on the pavement,
if that's the most paramount thing to you,
go ahead and get the Bronco.
But if you want to tow more, and if you
want better off-road capability at the limit,
you're not going to be able to beat this Wrangler.
Now we have tested the Bronco against last year's 4 by E,
so check out that video on edmunds.com.
And also, like and subscribe right here.
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Don't ever make anything with warm oat milk.
You really need to get that stuff cold.
Oh, my god.
Look at that.
Look at that camo G-Wagon.
Oh.