MotorTrend’s 2019 SUV of the Year is roughly halfway through its yearlong stay with us, and it’s settled nicely into its day-to-day life of commuting during the week and exploring on the weekends. Since our last update, where we went off-roading on the beaches on California’s central coast, we’ve ordered a handful of Mopar accessories for our Wrangler. We’ve also finally tested it at the track and on our fuel economy loop.
Test Day
Jeeps—or at least Wranglers—are hardly known for lightning performance, but our Wrangler Rubicon nevertheless performed admirably at the test track. Sporting an eTorque 2.0-liter mild hybrid turbocharged I-4 with 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and an eight-speed automatic, it ran from 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and through the quarter mile in 16.0 seconds at 83.1 mph. That makes it about four-tenths of a second quicker to 60 mph and two-tenths of a second quicker in the quarter mile than the last eTorque Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon we tested, a 2018 model. Interestingly, our long-term Jeep is about 11 pounds heavier than that last Wrangler Rubicon we tested, so we’re guessing the extra mileage on our long-termer has helped improve the Jeep’s performance.
In the equally important braking and handling tests, our Wrangler also outbraked and outhandled that 2018 Wrangler Rubicon. Our Jeep needed 137 feet for our 60–0 mph emergency stop test, and it lapped the figure eight in 29.3 seconds at 0.55 g average.
Real MPG Results
Soon after test day, we had the emissions analytics team hook up their test gear to our Jeep to see how it measures up to its EPA 22/24/22 mpg city/highway/combined rating. It returned from testing with a 21.4/26.0/23.2 Real MPG result, a slight improvement on the official EPA numbers.
Anecdotally, I’ve found our Wrangler’s fuel efficiency has varied considerably depending on conditions and circumstance. In Los Angeles traffic, at speeds under 55 mph, the Jeep regularly returns about 17 to 20 mpg, as indicated by the trip computer. Highway mileage varies wildly. I’ve seen everything from an indicated 14 mpg in moderate winds while driving up and down California’s I-5 on vacation at the 70 mph speed limit, to an indicated 23 mpg on a calm, cool, summer’s morning across CA-14, which winds up and over the San Gabriel Mountains and into the Mojave Desert.
Mopar Accessories
Jeep Wranglers are among the most modified vehicles on the road. Knowing this, Jeep was kind enough to send us a slew of Mopar accessories for our Wrangler, including a tailgate table ($225), MOLLE bags ($145), front and rear grab handles ($39 for each pair), a first aid kit ($115), a roadside safety kit ($116), as well as some all-weather floormats ($165), door sill guards ($75), and a rear cargo tray ($129).
It’s safe to say we’ll probably never use the latter three accessories, but I’ve installed the grab handles and MOLLE bags. The bags, which are designed to clip easily to the back of the front passenger seats, are sized perfectly to hold smaller odds and ends that might otherwise find themselves bouncing around the cabin. That said, they do somewhat impede into the legroom for back-seat passengers, so I find myself removing them and reinstalling them as needed.
Even more useful are the grab handles. These install onto the Wrangler’s Sport Bar (or roll cage, to you and me) with a simple T25 Torx bit and a handheld impact driver. I popped out the front two hardtop panels to give myself easier access to the Torx screws up front, but I didn’t bother removing the rear part of the roof to install the handles in back. My hand impact driver was small enough to work without removing the entire roof. All in all, the entire process took 15 minutes, and I must say that so far, having the extra “oh s–t!” handles are great to have while off-roading.
As for the tailgate table, installation requires a bit of drilling, so I’ll save that installation for a future update.
Read more about our long-term 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon:
- Arrival
- Update 1: Everyone’s Having Fun in Our Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Except Me
- Update 2: Would I Really Buy a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Like Our Unlimited Rubicon?
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