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 Jeep
JK Wrangler Review
An in-depth look at the new JK Wrangler,
Inside, outside, on the trail, and on the road.
featuring the
jeepfan.com JK Wrangler
Unlimited Rubicon
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Review Index
page 1 -
Introduction, On the Road, Performance
page 2 - Interior space, nice
features, and some room for improvement
page 3 -
On the Trail - Handling, ride, features, and
oddities
page 4 - Specifications
Trail Report -
Wheeling in Rattlesnake Country |
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We took the
opportunity to visit some trails in the central PA mountains
to do an in depth review of the new JK. We already did
a trail debrief from the
OK Auto Grand Reopening weekend but this would be
a little different. We were going to dig into the
nitty-gritty details of all aspects of the new JK.
From street driving to trail driving to likes and dislikes,
and even driver perspective and passenger perspective.
A driver
perspective - On the road
Our destination
was well over 200 miles from home, this would give an
excellent feel of what the JK was like to ride in for
several hours. We left around 7:30 am on a rainy
springtime morning. It was damp and a bit chilly, with
an adjustment of the JK's heat and some defrosters we hit
the highway. The cruise control was set at 65 mph and
the Sirius satellite radio was pumping out some classic
rock. Even with the
lift and larger tires the
JK rides very comfortably (at this point the Jeep still
suffers from it's steering pull - haven't had time to have
it looked at).
Sirius satellite radio |
instrument display |
center console controls |
rear view |
The
Toyo Open Country M/T
tires are quiet compared to most mud terrain type tires,
comparable in noise to an all terrain. One thing
to keep in mind regarding the ride, this vehicle is
still a Jeep and by design can only ride so good to an
extent. With solid front and rear axles the Jeep
still has ride characteristics of it's predecessors but
if more refined and smooth thanks to a long wheelbase
and softer coil spring rates.
 Rain
driving
We drove for
about an hour in a steady rain without incident.
The Jeep drove very confidently in the rain, the
defrosters and the wipers work well too.
From
the butt, legs, and finger tips
The
driver and passenger space is cozy but roomy, we
drove for about 1.5 hours without stopping and we
both were still feeling fine. The seats are
very comfortable and adjustable. With the
cruise on there wasn't much more to do than steer
and have endless conversation about Jeeps. The
controls for the lights, hvac, windows, etc. are
pretty convenient with exception of the off-road
controls for the sway bar and lockers. The
buttons are positioned at the bottom of the center
console, not really a bad location but does take
some getting used to.
locker, sway bar, hazard, and ESP controls
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Performance and Fuel Mileage
The Jeep
has been averaging 17-19 mpg. The majority of
this Jeep's driving is highway, even with the
addition of the taller Toyo tires there wasn't any
significant reduction in fuel mileage. This
trip the Jeep's mileage was closer to 20 due to the
extended highway time. It is well known that
the Jeep's 3.8L V6 is not a power house by any means
but was capable of maintaining speed even on some of
the longer hills. A power chip, open air
intake system, and cat back exhaust would probably
add some much needed horse power. Visit the
modifications and
reviews section to
check out some available performance systems for the
JK. |
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Next - Interior space,
nice features, and some room for improvement
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