Test drive: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the lord and master of off-road

Name: Jeep Wrangler 2019
Brand: Wrangler

Miguel Lorente 21 October 2019 6 min.

Test drive: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the lord and master of off-road

Climbing aboard and putting a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to the test is the best way to understand why it is the benchmark off-roader

Some cars are iconic in their segments, and some brands are recognised for their prestige in certain fields. That is why using the word Jeep is synonymous with adventure, toughness, fun and risk… but above all, it is associated with the purest meaning of the concept of “off-road vehicle”.

Even those who have never had the chance to enjoy driving or riding in a Jeep Wrangler understand that it is a vehicle where the only limits are set by nature and, generally, the only one that truly imposes them is the force that keeps us from floating away and, at the same time, keeps our feet on the ground: gravity.

But, having used one of these off-roaders to set out on an adventure, it is very easy to distort reality, underestimate the challenges and feel invincible at the controls. Because almost the only real limit in off-road situations, when one sits behind the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, is set by common sense.

Ver las 3

Born to be used off the tarmac

For this test I had a very special unit, the test drive of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, an off-roader with seating for 4 people and three doors which, like almost everything non-essential on this car, can be removed.

It features the 2.2-litre CRD diesel engine producing 200 CV at 3,500 rpm and 450 Nm of torque from 2,000 rpm, an 8-speed automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive, a low-range transfer case and incredible capabilities for tackling any obstacle off the tarmac.

Because, regarding the handling during the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon test on tarmac, the conclusion is that this car has been conceived entirely to be driven off the black asphalt.

Ver las 3

Because of its architecture, it is a complicated car to drive in conditions like those I experienced on the road during the drive: heavy rain accompanied by strong crosswinds, a combination that, together with the tyres designed for off-road use, turned this off-roader on the tarmac into a real bear on roller skates.

The light steering, a high driving position together with a small windscreen and gear ratios geared towards field use make this vehicle a real challenge for anyone not accustomed to driving it every day, which can actually be costly too, given the consumption obtained when driving it in rush hour and urban traffic, close to 12 litres of diesel per 100 km.

But, let’s be realistic, nobody in their right mind would choose to buy a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, priced from 58,900 euros to go grocery shopping, partly because of its small boot… And if they do, they have my blessing, because they will never be bored.

Be that as it may, I want to make clear that, although I have tackled the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon test on the road or on tarmac, what really matters about this car is its behaviour as an off-roader in off-road situations.

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon forces you to leave the tarmac

Ver las 3

Thanks to its architecture, built around a ladder chassis with twin rails, generous ground and wading clearance, optimised off-road approach, departure and breakover angles, along with rigid axle suspension, the disconnecting front anti-roll bar and differential locks, it is the combination of all of these that makes this car THE OFF-ROADER.

Apart from tarmac, it is a marvel to tackle any type of surface with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Apart from the absence of snow, while driving over dirt, gravel and rocks, mud and even water crossings, the sensation of having no limits beyond the physical ones instils an empowered belief when you grip its steering wheel and point it wherever you want to go.

Overcoming all kinds of gradients, uphill or downhill, is as simple as fixing your gaze on the points you want to pass, steering towards them, accelerating, and the car will climb the slope just as successfully as it descends.

Ver las 3

The balance of the available systems for off-road driving, whether the demands are low or extreme, means there is always a setup for every moment.

Descents produce sensations akin to being in love, or what, if I may be permitted the licence, butterflies in the stomach, as you point the nose of this car down an illogical incline for someone not used to off-road activities, and not only does it not end up rolling down the hill, but it proceeds with astonishing calm.

Climbing walls at an angle approaching a right angle is also thanks to the car-tyre combination , and the BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain tyres are this car’s best allies.

But it is this seemingly limitless capability that makes driving this car wherever one wishes so addictive, thanks to the Command-Trac system that manages traction in 4WD mode, the low-range transfer case and the differential locks.

Ver las 3

So much so that, after a few kilometres covering broken tracks without difficulty, I wanted to see just how capable this car is of getting out of awkward situations.

So I headed for a marshy area where the car began to sink until the mud covered the sidewall of the tyre and reached the rim of the wheel.

Given the situation, calm is the first rule behind the wheel of an off-roader in full action. Therefore, assessing the situation and knowing this car are essential to get out of trouble, or rather, to emerge victorious from the predicaments one seeks out for the sake of enjoyment and testing the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

It is a matter of setting the right configuration on the car and accelerating to leave behind what could otherwise have become a complication.

A benchmark car that, even though it incorporates new resources and technologies, moves forward without losing an ounce of its challenging and victorious character, which more than justifies its cost as long as it is used in pursuit of fun and adventure, because then whoever drives it can say that this car is priceless, since buying it means investing in happiness and fun.