Consumer Reports review of the 2018 Wrangler JL

[Snerf]

We have a glc300 and odyysey. No US car can compare to tech and build quality. The jl is a concession were willing to take for the fun factor. Boring means get to where you need to be ready to out the box. There is no fun driving to lax only survival.

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[jeffrey4x4]

The only person that I can speak for is me. I'm 66 and have been retired 4 years. Before I retired I had owned Chevy's, Ford's, Toyota's, and Honda's. I drove over 10 different full sized pickups over my working career. When I retired, my son, and son in law both drove JKU Oscar Mikes and raved about them. I said live a little and bought a 2016, 2 door JK. WOW!!! It is far and away the most fun to drive vehicle I've ever driven. I drive it every day and have taken several long trips in it. I'm at the point in my life that I can drive whatever I want. I want to drive a Wrangler. I have a 4 door JL on order only because with the grandkids, I need another seat. I will miss my two door but after driving a new JL several times, I think I will like it even more. Just My Two Cents Worth.

Me too!

 

[Namib]

Not a very flattering review for somebody like me that was considering getting it as a daily driver. Not that there's anything against what it truly is... it's just making me rethink if this would in fact fit my wants and needs as a daily driver. I'll need to do more test driving once the slider roof and 2.0L or diesel hit the lots.

I have a soft top TJ with 4" lift and 33s as a daily driver... It is noisy, bouncy and a beast to keep on the road. I love it! I am sure the JL will drive like a dream compared to that.

 

[That One Guy]

I have a soft top TJ with 4" lift and 33s as a daily driver... It is noisy, bouncy and a beast to keep on the road. I love it! I am sure the JL will drive like a dream compared to that.

This is pretty much me. The JL is by no means comparable to modern cars in terms of ride and comfort in a daily driver, but that's fine. For me it's that I was perfectly fine with the ride and comfort of previous wranglers, so I'm ok with any upgrade.

 

[Skeethree]

Consumer Reports actually has the most advanced automotive test facility of any publication (https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-how-consumer-reports-tests-cars/), and they have very rigorous testing procedures. But this blurb was a "first look" kind of thing, so they haven't applied their rigorous methodology yet. And nothing they said is inaccurate anyway.

A bad grade from Consumer Reports for a 4x4 is a massive blessing; The Taco, Wrangler, FJ, and every other 4x4 that has ever been given awful scores by CR goes on to enjoy sales success and incredible resale value. Probably because CR uses rational methodology, but consumers are irrational creatures. There is no rational reason to buy a $50k Wrangler to use mostly for commuting, but a million irrational ones.

Consumer Reports has spent years bashing the Wrangler. With the exception of previous reviews that extolled the off-highway performance of Jeep, this is the first review I've seen from CR with any positive comment at all. I guess when a senior citizen tester climb stairs out of his Buick Grand Brougham Townhouse Coupe, and into a Wrangler, he's shocked by the difference and unable to analyze a Jeep for what it is. Did anyone notice though, that when CR reports on the percentage of owners that would purchase the same vehicle again, or the vehicle that retains the highest resale value, there's a Wrangler right at the top of the list? I guess we know something they don't.

 

[That One Guy]

Consumer Reports has spent years bashing the Wrangler. With the exception of previous reviews that extolled the off-highway performance of Jeep, this is the first review I've seen from CR with any positive comment at all. I guess when a senior citizen tester climb stairs out of his Buick Grand Brougham Townhouse Coupe, and into a Wrangler, he's shocked by the difference and unable to analyze a Jeep for what it is. Did anyone notice though, that when CR reports on the percentage of owners that would purchase the same vehicle again, or the vehicle that retains the highest resale value, there's a Wrangler right at the top of the list? I guess we know something they don't.

I think the answer to why they do that is that they care significantly more about on-road driving characteristics than anything else, and the wrangler has historically been very poor in that area. They're not the kind of people that are gonna award an extra ten points for it being a convertible, or still having a manual, or a true low range.

They compare it to crossovers, since very few real suvs are produced anymore. And the wrangler isn't the ideal boring people commuter nor sports car, which is what they care about.

 

[Skeethree]

I think the answer to why they do that is that they care significantly more about on-road driving characteristics than anything else, and the wrangler has historically been very poor in that area. They're not the kind of people that are gonna award an extra ten points for it being a convertible, or still having a manual, or a true low range.

They compare it to crossovers, since very few real suvs are produced anymore. And the wrangler isn't the ideal boring people commuter nor sports car, which is what they care about.

I guess if you discount the fun factor entirely, then it doesn't matter at all what kind of car you drive. I started out 43 years ago in a V8 CJ5 Renegade with headers, glass packs, and no power steering. As a commuter vehicle it was appalling. Every Jeep since then has been a major on road improvement, but the fun factor is still there. Yes, I still own a more conservative econo oriented vehicle for the daily slog, but looking at those cars in the garage, e Jeep is still the one I want to be in

 

[That One Guy]

I guess if you discount the fun factor entirely, then it doesn't matter at all what kind of car you drive. I started out 43 years ago in a V8 CJ5 Renegade with headers, glass packs, and no power steering. As a commuter vehicle it was appalling. Every Jeep since then has been a major on road improvement, but the fun factor is still there. Yes, I still own a more conservative econo oriented vehicle for the daily slog, but looking at those cars in the garage, e Jeep is still the one I want to be in

Smiles per gallon is the best measure for a vehicle

Honestly for me I think the bad road driving dynamics were *part* of the appeal. Makes you feel like you're driving a unique relic of history. Wranglers make you feel special, and the fact that wrangler owners still wave to each other is just awesome.

 

[That One Guy]

Completely unrelated sidebar, driving a topless YJ in summer to the sound of Gimme Shelter by the stones has to be one of the best car experiences I've ever had.

And Def Leppard in a TJ.

Try as I might, there's never really been an amazing driving+music experience in any of my Honda's, haha

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

Smiles per gallon is the best measure for a vehicle

I prefer Smiles per Miles, because gallons still makes me think of fuel economy... and the loss of 1 gallon to the JLU fuel tank, both of which... whereas Smiles per Miles makes me compete at increasing both in the Wrangler.

 

[That One Guy]

I prefer Smiles per Miles, because gallons still makes me think of fuel economy... and the loss of 1 gallon to the JLU fuel tank, both of which... whereas Smiles per Miles makes me compete at increasing both in the Wrangler.

It would've been really nice for them to increase fuel capacity in the new generation. Missed opportunity. Wranglers have always had a pretty low mile range. Basically you might as well carry gas cans if you're going exploring fairly hard.

 

[FrenchSSGTMike]

IMO, with gas prices rising, reducing the tank’s capacity limits the « psychological impact » of how expensive it can get to fill your Wrangler’s up... Just my 0,02
(Plus the less gas you carry, the lighter the vehicle, so the more MPGs you get, following the use of aluminium/magnesium and other tricks they pulled to improve gas economy)

 

[TopPinArcher]

Questions I get. What’s the fuel milage? Answer..good enough....How’s it drive? Then I have to ask where? Answer. It drives everywhere and anywhere I need to go and gets people out of spots they shouldn’t have gone, then I say,”here, take the keys and you tell me” then I get..”why are people waving at me?” Next thing you know a Jeeper is born...6 friends since 2010...anyway..Literally and simply it’s a Jeep thing. I like that it doesn’t drive like my grandmas navigator. I’ve owned 1 CJ, 1 TJ and 2 JKUR’s and test drove the JLUR and ordered it. It’s is a massive improvement all the way around yet it’s still a Jeep and of course it’s not the traditional 2 door but at 50 years old and 4 back surgeries my back needs the longer wheelbase or I would’ve got the 2 door but am thankful for the 4..I’m pretty excited and can’t wait for delivery!!!

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

The thing that irks me is that CR makes it seem like the ride is worse than my old first car Acadian in high-school with 6+ teenagers in it (depending on how many can squeeze into the hatch) riding on aging shocks, bald tyres and roller-skate rims.

When most people get into my JKUs for the first time, they usually comment first on the height when climbing in and view of the road, then on how it has all the amenities they didn’t think Wranglers had, and once we get going how smooth the ride is as they expected it to be as ‘jarring’ as CR puts it.

Sure the Wrangler isn’t a cushy GT sedan, but it’s also not the Horse & Buggy ride they make it out to be, especially by using hyperbole they don’t use as excessively for other non-GT vehicles.

 

[Skeethree]

Smiles per gallon is the best measure for a vehicle

Honestly for me I think the bad road driving dynamics were *part* of the appeal. Makes you feel like you're driving a unique relic of history. Wranglers make you feel special, and the fact that wrangler owners still wave to each other is just awesome.

One more minor advantage (and this one is courtesy of my wife), if you're a girl, and want to meet guys, drive a Jeep.

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