Car and Driver trashes the 4xe

[wranglerbro]

Trash article.

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[EJWF11]

Tis a bit harsh, but it’s very transparent.

That extra weight is killer, and its something most folks overlook. One benefit, snow traction should go up

 

[grimmjeeper]

Car and driver doesn't like something that isn't a BMW? I'm truly shocked.

 

[sentience]

But you probably won't, because driving that way, you're moving a 5318-pound brick with just 134 horsepower.

From the article. While technically correct, this is a misleading statement. For low speed driving (which is virtually all city driving) it’s torque that matters, not horsepower. That instant torque curve of an electric motor allows for quick acceleration from stop to city cruising speed.

 

[Low_Spark]

I'm more than happy with my 4xe, it's got some quirks compared to my old JK but I forget about every complaint that I could possibly have when I look at my trip odometer and see that I've gone 720 miles on just over half a tank of gas.

 

[FiveBoro]

They didn't even test it on the skidpad, lame

 

[bjm00se]

From the article:
To get the full fuel-economy benefit, you'll have to stay close to home and plug in often.

This part is definitely true. PHEV owners win by plugging in nightly, and as often as they can.

But then there's this part:
A 150-mile trip with only a single charge tanked our average fuel economy over roughly 200 miles to a dismal 16 MPGe. Owners who are religious about plugging in and puttering around in Electric mode will certainly fare better, although we suspect most buyers will come up well short of 49 MPGe.

PHEVs are not new. I'd expect automotive journalists to be able to grok how to measure PHEV mileage numbers and then be able to explain those numbers to the non-enthusiast public. Instead, we just get more misinformation and ignorance. Shame on you C/D.

This part cracks me up:
If you can tune out the powertrain's hiccups and awkward pauses, you'll find that the 4xe drives like any other Wrangler. There's enough slack in the steering, squish in the suspension, and imprecision in the all-terrain tires to hide the effect of all of that extra weight on the dynamics. Turns out there is an advantage to a numb and vague chassis after all.

and
Wrangler buyers are used to making those compromises. For years, Americans have happily paid a premium for a vehicle that's loud on the highway, thirsty at the pump, and cramped inside in order to own the ultimate do-anything vehicle.

Yep. Nailed it. These quotes exemplify the type of unvarnished biting critique that has characterised C/D over all these years. If a C/D review of a Wrangler didn't include something like this, I'd wonder who was doing the writing, and what they'd done with the real kidnapped staff.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

They don't like Wranglers or pickups. It is a car magazine after all. They have leaned towards foreign, especially European cars for decades.

To be fair, the 4Xe is not a great hybrid choice and it doesn't transform a Wrangler into a modern vehilce. It's not a Prius and will never compete with one. It won't ride like one, drive like one or get anywhere near the same economy as one, unless you drive a few miles a week. So a potential buyer new to Jeeps who is suddenly expecting a Wrangler to be something that it isn't would be kidding themselves.

 

[James Cole]

Two Electric Motors with one gas engine and 8-Speed Tranny…

Fact is, that it is too complicated.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

They don't like Wranglers or pickups.

To be fair, the 4Xe is not a great hybrid choice and it doesn't transform a Wrangler into a modern vehilce. It's not a Prius and will never compete with one. It won't ride like one, drive like one or get anywhere near the same economy as one, unless you drive a few miles a week.

Like anything else though, it completely depends upon the use case.

For me (working from home with a few errands during the week & local trails on the weekends) the 4xe will be incredibly efficient. Especially since I’ll be installing my own Level 2 charger day one and be able to charge after each trip. I’ll be in pure electric mode for most of my weekday driving.

 

[No IFS]

That story is in danger of getting banned it goes against the narrative. Very dangerous. How long before the Internet scrubs that story.

 

[yngrshr]

Ouch

[but...it does seem like they are shooting straight]

To an extent, yes. But then they get into the price. I priced out a nearly identical spec'd Sahara as my Sahara 4xe. My 4xe MSRP'd for only $2,800 higher than the 2.0 Sahara. Same packages, same paint, same everything (for the most part).

The $7,500 tax credit obviously more than makes up that gap.

The talk about some $10,750 premium is pretty much a bunch of BS and I'm not sure how that ever escaped editing before it was published.

Hell, when you spec out nearly identical trim Rubicons, the difference in price is about $5,250. Again, the tax credit eats that difference up.

 

[Landobando]

I picked up my 4xe rubicon about a month ago. Came from a 18' raptor, previous to that the 4runner. I also own a 04 disco that's completely built. This is what I'll say, the jeep is my favorite. I have never hooned my rigs, but this 4xe begs you to hit the pedal when on the dirt.... like many on the forum, I buy my vehicles to enjoy and I see the 4xe as a discounted 392.. I mean I pay 400 a month..

 

[old mike]

Careful Boys, I tried to humorously get Jeepers on this forum to stop and think more carefully about what the 4Xe really offers, other than a fad that Jeep can sell to the gullible at a high price, and all I got for my trouble was censored and banned from the site by the administrator.

 

[yngrshr]

That story is in danger of getting banned it goes against the narrative. Very dangerous. How long before the Internet scrubs that story.

The story is disingenuous as all hell, frankly. It should be "scrubbed" due to that. It's unclear if this is willful or just ignorance on C&Ds part.

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