Jeep Wrangler JL

The Wrangler is the direct descendant of the Willys MB military jeep, the platform that has essentially defined off-road capability for over 80 years. Jeep has held the Wrangler closer to its mechanical roots than any other production vehicle: solid axles front and rear, body-on-frame construction, removable doors and roof, fold-down windshield.

Double solid axles are the defining capability advantage. Almost every other modern SUV and pickup, including the redesigned Ford Bronco and the current Land Rover Defender, has moved to independent front suspension for road manners. The Wrangler is the last mass-market off-roader still running a one-piece live axle on both ends. The trade-off is some on-road compromise in exchange for dramatically better articulation, preserved ground clearance over uneven terrain, and a stronger drivetrain that holds up to the high-stress loading of rock crawling. It's why the Wrangler keeps showing up at the front of the field on the technical Moab and Rubicon Trail circuits decades after the original CJ.

The JL trim hierarchy runs from the 3.6L V6 Sport with Command-Trac part-time 4WD and open differentials, through the off-road-focused Rubicon (Dana 44 HD axles, Tru-Lok electronic lockers front and rear, 4:1 Rock-Trac transfer case, factory sway-bar disconnect, four pre-wired aux switches), up to the 6.4L V8 Moab 392 halo and the 4xe plug-in hybrid. The 4xe is new to the Wrangler line with the JL generation, launched for the 2021 model year. It pairs the 2.0L Turbo with an electric motor for 375 hp combined and roughly 21 miles of all-electric range, while retaining the Rubicon's lockers and sway-bar disconnect. Silent low-speed crawling on battery power is its own distinct off-road experience. The 4xe has been the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the US for multiple model years.

The JL is also the platform almost the entire overland aftermarket designs around. Lift kits, bumpers, rock sliders, roof racks, drawer systems: fitment is essentially guaranteed and the depth of parts coverage rivals only the Toyota Tacoma in the US market.