The 2011 Jeep Wrangler Compact SUVs. Reviewers love the way the Jeep Wrangler can tackle rugged trails, but hate its clumsy and unrefined road manners.
The 2011 Jeep Wrangler is like a lumberjack (and that’s okay). The Wrangler excels at off-road pursuits, but reviewers say it’s hard to live with every day.
"The four-wheel-drive, go-anywhere Wrangler remains the quintessential rugged Jeep,” says Car and Driver.
Other Off-Road SUVs
There are few other off-road SUVs that offer styling as distinctive and off-road abilities as rugged as the Wrangler.
Details: Jeep Wrangler
For 2011, Jeep has improved the Wranglers interior, which has long been a sore spot for reviewers. The updated Wrangler has nicer materials, as well as more sound-deadening material and available high-tech features.
Jeep will be the first to tell you the Jeep Wrangler is a unique vehicle. We'll have to wait for a major update, but in the meantime, Jeep has subtly updated the iconic Wrangler with a new interior. Mike Manley, president and CEO of Jeep, knows he has a difficult task in front of him: Keep Jeep true to its heritage without ignoring the changing needs and desires of today's customers. On a more subtle note, Jeep's design team has tackled the angular and spartan 2011 Wrangler interior. Both Wranglers have a 15/19-mpg EPA rating, even though the four-door model weighs about 250 pounds more. For the most part, the changes to the 2011 model are centered on the dash layout. The head of Jeep Design, Mark Allen, wanted to soften up the interior by using more flexible and padded materials. Gone are the hard plastics on door handles and center console, replaced by soft-touch materials and new moldings. Headrests, as well, have been reshaped and designed to feel.
The Drive
Both two-door and four-door Wranglers have four different models (Sport, Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon) and range in price from $23,500 (2DR) to as high as $40,000 with all the options (4DR, nav, leather, premium audio, hardtop, etc). Thank goodness our Rubicon Wrangler was equipped with the extra-low (4:1) low-range gear and 4.10:1 axle ratios to overcome the anemic 202-hp V6 engine that is long overdue for an upgrade. In fact, Jeep's overall lineup offers three different V6 engines in three different models—the new PentaStar 3.6L (rated at 290 hp) in the new Grand Cherokee, the 3.7L (rated at 210 hp) in the Liberty and the 3.8L (rated at 202 hp) in the Wrangler.
True to the Jeep heritage most models will come standard with four-wheel drive; though a rear-wheel drive is available on the Unlimited model.
Here are the specifications of the 2011 Jeep Wrangler that we currently know:
Fuel economy: previous model got 15 mpg city/19 mpg highway and this model is expected to be very similar.
Warranty: three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty; five-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty; three-year/36,000 mile roadside assistance warranty; five-year/100,000 mile corrosion warranty
Wrangler Models
As expected the Wrangler is back with the base model X available along with the midlevel Sahara, and the serious off-road capable Rubicon. The 2011 Rubicon models offer the best in off-road readiness with heavy-duty axles, extra-low gearing, and electronically locking front and rear differentials. Again in 2011 the Wranglers will come with 2-door and 4-door frames available on all models.
Exterior Features
The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most recognizable cars on the road today and regarding the outside, the 2011 Wrangler looks nearly identical to its predecessors in the current Wrangler body style. Jeep made few changes to the outside of the 2011 Wrangler. The regular version of the Wrangler is a two-door car, but the four-door version is available, called the Unlimited.
Interior Features
Drivers will also notice a quieter ride inside the 2011 Wrangler as Jeep focused on reducing noise levels that previously plagued the Wrangler.
The 2011 Jeep Wrangler will have the same engine as the 2010 Jeep Wrangler; as a result, the 2011 model is expected to perform very similar to the 2010 model. Jeep vehicles are built for off-road fun, and the chances are that this vehicle will perform admirably off-road.
While the new 2011 Wrangler has made some impressive leaps forward with new creature comforts, it doesn't deviate much from the core principles Wrangler drivers hold dear.
How the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Compares to Other Small Affordable SUVs
Jeep vehicles are great for taking off-road; however, in the past, the Wrangler isn’t as refined on-road. The 2011 Jeep Wrangler, with its new engine, could perform better on-road as well; it’s too early to tell.
Jeep Patriot (for better fuel efficiency)