MT GARAGE

ARRIVAL: 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB Fuel Econ:

22/24/22 mpg

“Speccing our long-term Wrangler involved quite a bit of arguing among the staff. I won.”
Christian Seabaugh

Base price $43,040 As tested $57,110

Never has ordering a new long-termer been more difficult than it was with our new 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

The process is supposed to be pretty simple, especially if the car is a recent award winner like the Wrangler—our 2019 SUV of the Year. In these cases, soon after the award has been announced, we’ll place an order for a long-termer in a feature-rich spec with the latest technologies so we can act as the canary in the coal mine, so to speak, for our readers. However, ordering a Wrangler isn’t as simple as deciding which new features to get.

The first argument started innocently enough, with associate road test editor Erick Ayapana, who’s responsible for managing all of our test cars, asking what trim levels we wanted: Sport, Sport S, Sahara, Rubicon, or the Moab special edition. It quickly devolved from there. Some argued for a bare-bones two-door Wrangler Sport. Others wanted a well-optioned Wrangler Rubicon soft top. Some pushed for a Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with the new power roof. Smart people, such as myself, fought in favor of a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

Eventually, we compromised on a four-door Wrangler Unlimited equipped with the new mild hybrid eTorque 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, which makes 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and its eight-speed automatic transmission. We let our social media followers decide the trim level. You guys picked the Rubicon. Thanks for making the right choice.

The choice of top, however, was given to its chaperone, and through timing and luck, I scored the keys to our new Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, optioned with the new, easily removable hardtop.

I have to admit, I’m more than a little pleased that I get to be our new Wrangler’s chaperone. After spending a year with the 2018 Ram 2500 Power Wagon (the final verdict is coming in the upcoming months), I’m quite happy you guys voted for the Wrangler Rubicon. We don’t need to spend a year with it to say it’s among the best factory off-roaders