2025 Jeep Wrangler: 7 reasons to love it, 3 reasons to think twice

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler is still one of the most capable off-road vehicles you can buy, but times are changing and the competition is serious.

Dec 30, 2024 - 08:44
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2025 Jeep Wrangler: 7 reasons to love it, 3 reasons to think twice

Despite all of the issues that parent company Stellantis is going through, Jeep still manages to sell vehicles. The Wrangler was once the jewel of the brand, but now they sell far more Jeep Grand Cherokees. Sales of the pedigreed model are way down, but the company still managed to move over 113,000 units in the United States.

Jeep Wrangler 80th Anniversary

Jeep

The main reason for the sales slump? Many Jeep enthusiasts cite the constant rising price. Others state that the competition is as good and often better. There's also a contingent of fans who feel that the Jeep Wrangler has lost some of its cool.

Reason to love it #1: You can still get a manual transmission

It’s an odd thing. Up until recently, Jeep was only offering the manual transmission with the “Pentastar” V6, and the 8-speed (850RE) automatic transmission was only available with the four-cylinder turbo and 4Xe Wranglers. I get it though, as banging through gears in a 4,000 - 4,600-lbs vehicle with 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque is pretty exhilarating, especially off-road.

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The Wrangler’s pickup truck cousin, the Gladiator, no longer offers a manual transmission at all. The only competitor that also offers a manual transmission is the Ford Bronco.

2024 Jeep Wrangler

Jeep

Reason to love it #2: New interior upgrades are nifty

The interior upgrades in the 2025 model Wrangler are truly noteworthy. You get a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Stellantis’s intuitive Uconnect 5 system mated to a customizable 7-inch digital cluster.

You also get one of the best screen locations I can think of. Rather than going vertical, making you lower your eyes to see something on the infotainment screen, Jeep’s screen is horizontal. It sits high, above the air vents, just under the windshield sight-line.

2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon with Level II upfit by American Expedition Vehicles (AEV)

Stellantis

Reason to love it #3: Solid axles - fore and aft

Articulation is the name of the game for anyone who needs to bound over rocks, trudge through deep ruts, or cross off-camber embankments. In cases like these, having a solid axle on both ends gives the tires a chance to maintain some contact with terra-firma.

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This is what helps the Jeep Wrangler maintain its outstanding off-road prowess. Many also feel that there is less to go wrong with solid axles off-road, and they are more rugged. While they are not ideal for pavement performance, the Wrangler has refined the experience over the decades.

2025 Jeep Wrangler

Jeep

Reason to love it #4: Sun worshipping toplessness

Yes, you can get a soft-top or hard-top version of the Ford Bronco (two-door, and four-door) just like the Wrangler. But the Jeep offers the Sky One-Touch sliding sunroof that is almost the best of both worlds. You can drop the soft, retractable, sliding top fairly close to the back of the roof. The side panels can also be removed, giving you nearly as much sunshine as with the removable tops without as much effort.

2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Summit Reserve

Stellantis

Reason to love it #5: The PHEV (4Xe) is very capable off-road too!

There is a misconception that the heavier, higher-tech Jeep Wrangler 4Xe, with its plug-in hybrid system, has issues off-road. In my experience, the Rubicon version of the 4Xe is just as capable as the non-PHEV Rubicon Unlimited. In fact, with its combined 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, it more than makes up for its additional heft.

You can off-road with it in all-electric mode, but only expect a few miles if you’re pushing it over hard terrain. The most efficient way to run the vehicle is by letting the hybrid system do its thing. Speaking of hybrids, as of 2025, Jeep has removed the fire-breathing 392 Hemi from its lineup.

2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Jeep

Reason to love it #6: They still look macho-cool

As many fellow automotive journalists have seen, the responsibility of designers to keep Jeeps looking like Jeeps is daunting at best. Minor updates, like a slightly tweaked or colored grill, are as far as some folks are willing to allow their precious Jeep Wrangler to be re-styled for now. The Jeep Wrangler is one of the easiest-to-recognize vehicles on the planet from every angle.

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It’s also one of the most customized vehicles on the planet. You will rarely find a Jeep Wrangler that is completely stock. Tires, wheels, suspensions, armor, lights - just about everything is often tweaked, improved, or replaced altogether. The aftermarket industry for Wranglers is a multi-billion-dollar world, and much of that is thanks to the Wrangler.

2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

Jeep

Reason to love it #7: So much fun to drive, even in the city

There is something to be said about the driving character of Jeep Wranglers when you commute in them. They tend to be fun all the time. Sure, it’s odd to see a Wrangler doing the 9-5 commute with the top down, but that’s part of the fun. They also aren't dogs on the road, like their ancestors. Even base-model Jeep Wranglers have enough power to get out of their own way.

If you have the wherewithal to remove even part of the top, there’s nothing like a blast down the road on a warm day. If you have the gumption to remove the whole top and pull off the doors, you lighten the vehicle, making it feel more frisky. In that configuration, you’re almost as exposed as riding a motorcycle. Just keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times.

Jeep Wrangler Renegade

Jeep

Reason to think twice #1: Not as utilitarian, or comfortable as others

I have argued countless times that when properly equipped, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is one of the best off-road vehicles you can buy. It still isn’t the most comfortable thing out there on the streets and its interior configuration is nowhere near as utilitarian as a Toyota, Ford, or even a Land Rover.

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Simply getting into a Wrangler can be a struggle for some. The side sill under the door requires extra effort to clear and seating positions are not as comfortable as others, especially for tall folk. The back seat space is fine on the four-door, but quite a squeeze with the two-door, and cargo space is equally as poor.

The two-door Wrangler can only pull 2,000 lbs, and most Unlimited Wranglers are rated at 3,500 lbs. With a new axle (if you get the right trim) you can pull 5,000 lbs, but you have to make compromises with the type of hitch you use as that spare tire takes up a lot of space.

Jeep Wrangler 4xe Powertrain

Jeep

Reason to think twice #2: Not very efficient

We know the Jeep Wrangler 4Xe has the potential to get good fuel mileage, but the  4-cylinder turbo and the ubiquitous Pentastar V6 don't do as great of a job. The Jeep Wrangler V6 Unlimited 4-door with the manual transmission gets an EPA rating of 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined.

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An Unlimited with the turbo 4-cylinder is rated at 20 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. The two-door models get about 1-2 mpg better, but very few are now being sold.

According to the EPA, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe gets an estimated 49 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) when using gas and electric power at the same time. If the battery is full, the Wrangler 4Xe can also travel up to 20 miles solely on electricity.

2024 Jeep Wrangler

Jeep

Reason to think twice #3: Price, price, price!

I’m not saying that the Jeep Wrangler is the most expensive option out there. In fact, the entry-level models completely undercut competition like the Ford Bronco, which now has an approximate $39,000 base price, the Toyota 4Runner at around $41,000, and the Land Cruiser hovers with its $57,000 MSRP.

A base model, stripped-down Jeep Wrangler has a very agreeable starting price. The 2025 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door Sport has a base MSRP of $32,690. Step up to an Unlimited 4-door and the base price goes up to $37,290. Right now, Jeep is offering a ton of incentives, rebates, cashback, and other financial boosters that could cut some of their prices even further.

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Final thoughts

That said, the days of a cheap and simple Jeep are long gone. If you want more off-road capability, you’re going to pay. Jeep Wrangler Rubicons start at over $52,000 while the Jeep Wrangler 4Xe base price comes in slightly under that. Special packages, limited editions, and upgrades can easily make both vehicles hover between $65,000 and $80,000. Insane.

Honestly, very few consumers will need the serious capability of the Rubicon, nor will they see much of a return on their 4Xe investment in the short term. It’s more about the tech, capability, and swagger that get people caught up in the more expensive Wranglers.

If you are willing to make a couple of sacrifices and keep the upgrades to a minimum, you might be able to get a Jeep Wrangler that’s almost affordable. A hardtop, 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport with an 8-speed automatic transmission runs just over $40,000. It will give you 90 percent of what a Wrangler can do, all the swagger you want, and an empty canvas to play with later on. 

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