Average Highway speeds

[Melchior]

Hi folks! Potential 2-door owner here. Just curious what your average high speeds are or at what point does the rig started getting a little sketchy for daily freeway driving. I currently drive an Outback wilderness and I tend to drive it at around 70mph.
I’ve never driven a wrangler and I’m expecting it to be whole different beast.

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[azwjowner]

There is a fair amount of variation from Jeep to Jeep. Things like the luck of the particular steering box unit that goes in at the factory, tires, wheel offset, etc. all affect how it drives.

My 2 door cruises like it's gliding on glass on the highway at 70 mph, not quite as good as a car but surprisingly close, and way better than my old WJ. I keep my tire pressure at 32 psi for 255/75/17, which makes the ride smoother and is appropriate for the weight of my 2 door. I think 70 mph is the max that a 2 door ought to be traveling as you want to be well within the comfort zone and allow yourself a buffer for safety.

That said, I've accidentally hit 85 mph on long mountain downhills without realizing it (which I would not recommend), but it was solid, you just wouldn't want to have anything go wrong at that speed, which could end very badly.

Before purchasing my JL I rented a 2019 2 door, and it sucked on the highway, with a dead spot in the wheel and requiring a fair amount of constant steering corrections. If you're buying a new one, it will probably be better than that as they changed the steering boxes in 2021 I think.

 

[AFD]

My 2-door Rubicon seems really well-behaved at highway speeds of 60 to 80, though I usually keep it to under 60 on the rural highways around here.

Other factors tend to come into play as well, like rain, snow and heavy side winds pushing you around. And personally, I'm still not too comfortable doing anything above the posted speed limit decreases for sharper bends and curves (and usually creep through 90° stoplight turns).

I recently came from an AWD Evo X and while they're literally nothing alike in terms of handling at speed, they both give me the fun feeling of driving a big go-kart.

Just keep in mind that your 2-door will be more than capable when going slow, just as capable at speed in straight, clear conditions, but it likely won't handle corners quite as well as your AWD Outback, so just keep your speed reasonable in that regard.

 

[Steph1]

70MPH is totally correct for a JL 4doors…. Cannot speak for the 2doors JL, but the previous 2 door models were quite sketchy on the highway, especially with high side winds that makes the shorter wheelbase quite evident and demand constent steering adjustments.

 

[Dgr401]

I have basically driven all my vehicles 65-70 including the 2 door JL. My JL feels very comfortable at those speeds and I am not worried about going above that speed if needed. If I need to get up to 75-80 to go around someone it is not a problem but it is not something I would do long distance, it’s not my driving style.

 

[azwjowner]

70MPH is totally correct for a JL 4doors…. Cannot speak for the 2doors JL, but the previous 2 door models were quite sketchy on the highway, especially with high side winds that makes the shorter wheelsbase quite evident and demand constent steering adjustments.

That is a good point. My 2 door drives very well in calm conditions, but I definitely notice crosswinds and they push me around laterally in the lane.

 

[Opus]

2-door, 2.0L turbo, soft top. The highway portion of my commute is generally 65-75 and there are no problems. You will feel heavy crosswinds but then we're all basically driving bricks with slightly rounded edges, so...

 

[lowmpg]

Hi folks! Potential 2-door owner here. Just curious what your average high speeds are or at what point does the rig started getting a little sketchy for daily freeway driving. I currently drive an Outback wilderness and I tend to drive it at around 70mph.
I’ve never driven a wrangler and I’m expecting it to be whole different beast.

If you've never driven a vehicle with a solid front axle, everything will feel sketchy. The Jeep is also shaped like a brick so wind gusts will absolutely move you. I have had mine as a daily driver since I bought it new and I have over 50k on it. My commute is 60 miles a day and I routinely hit 70-80mph, I have no issue and rarely does the vehicle ever feel 'sketchy'.

 

[Old Jeeper]

Hi folks! Potential 2-door owner here. Just curious what your average high speeds are or at what point does the rig started getting a little sketchy for daily freeway driving. I currently drive an Outback wilderness and I tend to drive it at around 70mph.
I’ve never driven a wrangler and I’m expecting it to be a whole different beast.

I can run with big boys, cruise control at 75 is not a problem, but sucks gasoline for sure. 65-68 will get you 16s to low 17s with CC on, light traffic, and no rain or headwinds.

Can I run with my v 6 in the 75>. YES! but it gonna suck gas like a hooker on payday Friday night for sure.

I prefer NOT to run in the 80s but sometimes I hit the early bird Friday nite going home traffic and if you are not running in the 80s in I 75 you will be run over.

Squrrily a bit, but that is SOP for 2 dr, and have been driving them for 58 years. SWB reacts faster to input, it just goes with Jeep space...

 

[Deleted member 59498]

70 to 80 mph is my sweet spot and it is stable as any other SUV or truck I have driven. It is not however the MPG sweet spot since my average is 17.5 to 18.

Oh missed the 2 door, don't know.

 

[GMONEY]

I usually try to run just under 70. Nor so much for handling purposes but for mileage. If I need to get up and go it's not a problem but I definitely see the mileage hit over 70. Like others have said tire pressure is a big thing too I like to run around 32 cold.

2DR/2.0/Rubi

 

[Melchior]

Thanks for the input everyone! Great to hear that you’re not white-knuckling it to keep up with the flow of traffic. Cheers!

 

[Petey]

Hi folks! Potential 2-door owner here. Just curious what your average high speeds are or at what point does the rig started getting a little sketchy for daily freeway driving. I currently drive an Outback wilderness and I tend to drive it at around 70mph.
I’ve never driven a wrangler and I’m expecting it to be whole different beast.

let us know @what speed you get the death wobble once u get a wrangler. mine come ob @ around 80mph

 

[Jeepeto]

Several MPH ?

(usually ~70-75 these days as Jeepeto identifies as a sailboat on road)

 

[Bback58]

I have a 2021 Willys 2 door. I have no issues at all driving 70-75 other than as others have mentioned, you can feel a good strong cross wind. It's not a sports car, but don't be afraid of the 2 door. I love mine!!

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