What am I going to hate?

[tomk62]

Right! ... and what @Philly said was "driving one where the battery is dead [i.e. the electric range is zero/can't drive it in electric mode] and you're dependent on the 2.0T, it took a lot of the joy of driving a Wrangler out of it for me."

How is that misinformation? That's his personal experience.

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[evo8904]

Yes I believe it always maintains about 14% charge if I recall correctly even if displays 0%. IF you are still running on engine it can still silently charge the battery even if you have not selected E-Save charge. I have driven 300 miles on the highway just to get on secondary roads for the last 200 miles on the same trip and when I hit the throttle to pass all the power is still there, every time ? .

I think the 4xe definitely works for some better than others depending upon their driving situations. I definitively wanted a Wrangler with the expectation of having more time in retirement to get off road and enjoy the capabilities of a Jeep. I also knew full well that in reality it still would be <10% of the total miles I would be driving the vehicle so I didn't want to live day in day out with 15mpg of the V8 but still wanted power when I needed it. Also didn't want the restrictions of a full electric vehicle although there really was nothing out there with Jeep capability in a full electric anyway. Having a level 2 charger at home makes a big difference. With 25% of my mileage being trips under 5 miles and 50% of my mileage being trips under 25 miles I can use a lot of electric. Making sure you don't finish those 25 mile trips with a couple miles of ICE is key to avoiding FORM though particularly in winter. I will also have to add that although I do not condone these programs getting a $7500 rebate and getting good discounts on the charger from local electric company did influence my decision. In the end the equation just works out for me as it was and is.

30k miles and only in once for a problem that was not a software update (the coolant pump one).

Well said! I have the same experience. Most of my trips throughout the day are short, 10-15 mile round trips. I come home, charge with a level 2 and go back out. There are multiple days a week that I will charge 2 to 3 times. On log trips I will usually save the battery and drive in e-save. That way once I get to a trail or in the mountains I can enjoy the electric.

 

[BigMaCro]

Right! ... and what @Philly said was "driving one where the battery is dead [i.e. the electric range is zero/can't drive it in electric mode] and you're dependent on the 2.0T, it took a lot of the joy of driving a Wrangler out of it for me."

How is that misinformation? That's his personal experience.

I certainly don't agree at all. With the battery at "0" it drives as least as well any other Wrangler. The indicator showing "0" doesn't mean there is no juice in the battery, it just means it's not going to let you drive full speed EV on the highway. Still can glide around parking lots and stop-go traffic at 0 without the engine, and when you stomp on it you still get boost from the electric motor, like any other full hybrid.

 

[BigMaCro]

I am not understanding these replies.

At what point is the battery useless then? Surely it can't provide unlimited power and you must use the ICE after a certain distance?

It's a HYBRID vehicle - the battery is a reservoir that is charged during deceleration and discharged through acceleration in normal driving. It operates like this at all times, without plugging in. There are millions of these vehicles on the road. In addition to this normal hybrid behavior, the 4xe has extra battery capacity that you can plug in and charge to provide more EV range.

 

[Bill_BCNtoNY]

I certainly don't agree at all. With the battery at "0" it drives as least as well any other Wrangler. The indicator showing "0" doesn't mean there is no juice in the battery, it just means it's not going to let you drive full speed EV on the highway. Still can glide around parking lots and stop-go traffic at 0 without the engine, and when you stomp on it you still get boost from the electric motor, like any other full hybrid.

As a former owner of a 4xe, I can attest to the fact that you can fully deplete the battery and then power goes way down. It’s not easy to achieve - I saw it happen when driving long distance on the highway, uphill and in the cold. Jan or Feb ‘23, driving from Westchester county to Buffalo with temps in the teens.

You can very clearly feel the moment where the car lost any battery power. It is nowhere to be seen though - as people already pointed out here, the battery % indicator only refers to the jeep’s ability to drive in full EV mode, not in hybrid.

If you keep driving fast on the highway in the cold and uphill like I did for a few hours, the hybrid ability doesn’t come back. On the way home where is was downhill the battery held up and hybrid power was available all the way, even if it was actually colder. But there was traffic, so less speed and more power available to recharge the battery, too, I guess.

 

[BXFXJeep]

Right! ... and what @Philly said was "driving one where the battery is dead [i.e. the electric range is zero/can't drive it in electric mode] and you're dependent on the 2.0T, it took a lot of the joy of driving a Wrangler out of it for me."

How is that misinformation? That's his personal experience.

Again this is a PHEV, it has a huge gas motor in the frunk, you seriously think the 4xe is a BEV with 21 mile range?

For me the real fun actually starts when the 4xe battery hits <1%, but that that point it's costing me 4x in fuel to drive the Wrangler, one if the reasons I traded in my 3.6 JL.

 

[BigMaCro]

As a former owner of a 4xe, I can attest to the fact that you can fully deplete the battery and then power goes way down. It’s not easy to achieve - I saw it happen when driving long distance on the highway, uphill and in the cold. Jan or Feb ‘23, driving from Westchester county to Buffalo with temps in the teens.

You can very clearly feel the moment where the car lost any battery power. It is nowhere to be seen though - as people already pointed out here, the battery % indicator only refers to the jeep’s ability to drive in full EV mode, not in hybrid.

If you keep driving fast on the highway in the cold and uphill like I did for a few hours, the hybrid ability doesn’t come back. On the way home where is was downhill the battery held up and hybrid power was available all the way, even if it was actually colder. But there was traffic, so less speed and more power available to recharge the battery, too, I guess.

Gosh, I guess your experience driving in inclement conditions trumps mine.

40,000 miles. Alaska. 100 mile daily commute. 37's on stock 4.10 gears. I climb hills at the speed limit without slowing down, passing most other traffic that does.

 

[evo8904]

Again this is a PHEV, it has a huge gas motor in the frunk, you seriously think the 4xe is a BEV with 21 mile range?

For me the real fun actually starts when the 4xe battery hits <1%, but that that point it's costing me 4x in fuel to drive the Wrangler, one if the reasons I traded in my 3.6 JL.

How is it costing you 4x in fuel? I call that overdramatized BS! Even with my 4xe Rubicon completely loaded for camping with a roof rack and 2 other passengers, I average 19-20 mpg on the highway in e-save.

 

[evo8904]

Gosh, I guess your experience driving in inclement conditions trumps mine.

40,000 miles. Alaska. 100 mile daily commute. 37's on stock 4.10 gears. I climb hills at the speed limit without slowing down, passing most other traffic that does.

I only can dream of having my Rubicon in Alaska lol! That would be so damn awesome!

 

[Bill_BCNtoNY]

Gosh, I guess your experience driving in inclement conditions trumps mine.

40,000 miles. Alaska. 100 mile daily commute. 37's on stock 4.10 gears. I climb hills at the speed limit without slowing down, passing most other traffic that does.

How is it costing you 4x in fuel? I call that overdramatized BS! Even with my 4xe Rubicon completely loaded for camping with a roof rack and 2 other passengers, I average 19-20 mpg on the highway in e-save.

Damn - either I drove faster than I remember or my Jeep had sth wrong with it. I averaged 16mpg in that trip to Buffalo and back where I fully depleted the battery…

 

[THAW]

That extra weight really did make the Jeep feel more planted and ride smoother. I wonder if anyone has messed around with just adding weight under the rear seat in a non-4xe to see if the same dynamic is achieved by adding even 400lbs, or if it has more to do with how the weight is spread evenly with the batteries. ?

The 4XE has heavier springs to compensate for the weight of the hybrid components. Adding weight and proportionally stiffening suspension typically isn't desirable for off-road handling.

 

[BigMaCro]

The 4XE has heavier springs to compensate for the weight of the hybrid components. Adding weight and proportionally stiffening suspension typically isn't desirable for off-road handling.

Yep, better stick with side-by-side UTV's.

Better not lift your Jeep or add armor or tire carriers either, because that impacts off-road handling.

 

[THAW]

Yep, better stick with side-by-side UTV's.

Better not lift your Jeep or add armor or tire carriers either, because that impacts off-road handling.

The question was about "adding weight under the rear seat in a non-4xe" to make it "feel more planted and ride smoother".

And do you think armor and tire carriers improve off-road handling?

 

[BigMaCro]

The question was about "adding weight under the rear seat in a non-4xe".

And do you think armor and tire carriers improve off-road handling?

Nope, but they sure do increase off-road usefulness, which is my point. We all bolt on and carry a lot of extra weight in our Jeeps to enjoy our vehicle's awesome capabilities.

 

[mcaltitude]

Not a 4xe owner but as someone who was interested, the clearance between back seats folded down and roof if you have a large animal is disappointing. My GSD is too big to fit in the back without constantly being hunched down.

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