The 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon is a beast of a vehicle and comes with all the charm, ruggedness, and unpredictability you’d expect from an off-road legend.  If the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon were a person, it would be that friend who convinces you to go camping in a thunderstorm and then laughs as you scramble to set up the tent.

If you’re looking for a Rubicon with all the creature comforts, you can always spend an additional $9,000 and get the Rubicon X, it’s no better off-road it just has a more luxurious interior. I think this one is fine.

Iconic Looks

The Wrangler Rubicon looks like it just rolled out of a survivalist’s dream journal. It’s as if Jeep combined a mountain goat’s ability with a tank, and honestly, it works.  The seven-slot grille and iconic round headlights give it that familiar “ready for anything” expression like it’s daring you to find the toughest terrain. For an additional $1,995 you can option Warn Winch which will pull up to 8,000 lbs.

The Rubicon comes with a windshield made from Corning  Gorilla Glass which is a thin-yet-tough inner ply of this three-layer laminate. It allows the windshield to better withstand damage from the forces of nature like hail and stones, keeping you on the road for your next adventure.

To keep you planted over rough terrain the Rubicon comes standard with 17–inch machined Wheels w/Black Pockets wrapped in 285/70R-17 BFGoodrich All-Terrain K02 tires.

Standard Kit

The standard kit includes an electronically disconnecting front anti-roll bar, locking front and rear differentials, and with those 33-inch tires, 10.8 inches of ground clearance.

You also get the Rock–Trac® Heavy–Duty Full–Time 4WD System,  Off–Road Plus Mode,  Performance Suspension Rock–Protection Sill Rails,  Fuel Tank Skid Plate,  Shield Transfer Case Skid Plate Shield, and a Transmission Skid–Plate.

Off-Road Plus Mode

When in 4-Lo, Off-Road Plus Mode helps you to lower your speed while rock crawling. Once activated, the Off-Road Plus mode ensures a more controlled throttle response, lessening the lurching you may get when you apply too much power.

New for 2024

The Wrangler 4xe’s electrified powertrain allows it to operate for up to 21 miles as an EV. The Jeep’s turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four produces 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, but the 4xe combo bumps output to an impressive 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque.

Despite weighing in at 5,500 lbs it gets from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. Using gas only you will get 20 mpg on the highway combined up to 49mpge overall.

Under The Hood

The Wrangler 4xe’s electrified powertrain allows it to operate for up to 21 miles as an EV. The Jeep’s turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four produces 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, but the 4xe combo bumps output to an impressive 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Despite weighing in at 5,500 lbs it gets from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. Using gas only you will get 20 mpg on the highway combined up to 49mpge overall.

Driving

Once you are behind the wheel all will be familiar if you have driven a Wrangler before. The recirculating ball steering might be from the Dark Ages and vague when on the highway, but it’s inherently more durable than a rack and pinion system.

Running on electric only it’s weirdly quiet, despite wearing knobby all-terrain tires, and it’s only when the gas engine kicks do hear that typical gas thrum. Torque is plentiful especially when passing slower traffic and you can have some fun at traffic lights where other drivers see the Jeep dart off the line faster than it should.

The brakes provide good stopping even with the full regen turned on from a button in the center console, and the pedal feel is surprisingly normal for a hybrid vehicle. As you would expect the ride can get giggly over rougher pavement and you have to pay attention and give it plenty of steering input to keep in your lane.

Off-Road Star

We headed out to Sycamore Canyon in East San Diego, a trail I had never tried before which had some interesting tests for the Rubicon. The plan was to do a loop consisting of some fairly rough terrain, steep drops then a section of rock crawling before finally trying our luck with a very steep hill at the other end to complete the loop.

The first section was relatively easy and we kept it in 4 High Auto, a new setting that I had always wanted Jeep to introduce, you can drive at higher speeds and the system figures out which wheels get the power. Arriving at the rocks we were a tad hesitant at first since we didn’t have a backup vehicle in case of issues. We got about halfway along before deciding that it would be prudent to turn back, we simply didn’t not to get stuck or damage the vehicle.

The off-road pages are a cool feature especially pitch and roll although it doesn’t tell you what the limit is you just have to use common sense. On some of the steeper sections we saw 36% pitch and 16% roll, it was enough for us to prove the Jeep’s worth.

We made it to the other side and attempted to descent into the valley from the North side but the trail down was very steep, full of loose rocks and if we had made it down there we may not have been able to get back. We headed back up, still immensely impressed with our tester’s abilities.

Interior

Inside, the Wrangler Rubicon is a delightful mix of practical and quirky. The washable interior means you can spill your trail mix, get caught in a dust storm, or accidentally dump a cooler full of water and just hose it all down.

Creature comfort took a huge leap forward this year with the addition of a standard 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, which replaces the 5, 7, and 8.4-inch offerings from previous years. The infotainment system runs the latest Uconnect software, which in my opinion is one of the best automotive systems currently available. It’s easy to use and has great resolution and a logical menu system.

You can connect two phones via Bluetooth simultaneously, it’s loaded with off-road trail maps, and it includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

At the front 2 USB-C ports are a welcome addition for front-riding occupants, and the Wrangler can be outfitted with seven USB ports in total, split between USB-A and USB-C. The center armrest offers decent space for stuff and the top portion has a smaller space where you’ll find various tools.

Seats are covered in durable cloth, you have to spend $195 for leather and are decently comfortable but are manually adjustable, and the passenger doesn’t get seat height adjustment. Space in the back seat is adequate for most adults, has average head and legroom and you get an armrest and two cupholders.

Cargo Space

The 2024 Jeep Wrangler four-door model has 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats with all seating upright, and 72.4 cubic feet with the second-row bench seating folded down.

Pricing

The base price is $61,395, and my tester had a few options, the convenience Group for $995 gives you  – Heated Front Seats and a heated Steering Wheel.

It also has the Safety Group for $1,295 which gives you Blind–Spot and Cross–Path Detection,  Automatic High Beam Headlamp Control, and ParkSense Rear Park–Assist System

Finally, the Sky One-Touch Power Top for $3,995, Removable Rear Quarter Windows, Rear Window Defroster, Rear Window Wiper/Washer, and a Power Top Quarter Window Storage Bag. All that adds up to $69,745 including destination.

VIDEO REVIEW

Verdict 

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is still the standard for Factory Off-Roaders, it’s ridiculously capable while having all the subtlety of a bulldozer at a tea party.  Jeep has made the new Wrangler better, by making small changes along the way, it’s not perfect but it’s a fantastically fun car.

2024 Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Rubicon 4xe Numbers

BASE PRICE: $61,395
PRICE AS TESTED: $75,995
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4 -door SUV
ENGINE: 2.0-liter turbocharged  inline-4 + 2 AC motors
COMBINED POWER: 375 hp (270 hp + 44hp +134 hp)
TORQUE: 470 lb-ft
BATTERY PACK: 14 kWh
CHARGING TIME: 2 hours with level 2 charger
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 5,100 lb
0-60 MPH: 5.5 sec
CARGO SPACE: 12.9 cubic feet, 46.9 with seats folded down, 61 with seats removed
EPA Electric + Gas: 49 mpge
EPA Gas only: 20 mpg
OUR OBSERVED: 18.4 mpg
PROS: Excellent 2.0 Turbo motor + electric provides startling acceleration, spectacularly capable off-road, refined on-road manners,
CONS: Hybrid powertrain can be somewhat clunky