2021 Jeep Wrangler

For 2021, the Wrangler also comes in a Rubicon 392 trim which gets a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 under the hood. The iconic design and looks remain more or less the same with a lot of exterior features and customization options available to equip and make the Wrangler completely personalized. Pricing starts at $28,000 and goes well above the $50K mark for the topmost variant with the largest engine and four doors. It competes with the 2021 Ford Bronco and the 2021 Toyota 4Runner.

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler is available in a total of 14 trims, including sub-trims and special editions. The basic trim levels are Sport, Sport S, Sahara, and Rubicon. The Sport and Sport S trims are further available in sub-trims including Willys Sport, Islander, Willys, 80th Edition, Freedom, and Altitude. The Sahara trim stands above the base options, followed by the Rubicon, which is the top-most variant. The Sahara is available in two sub-trims including Altitude and High Altitude. The Rubicon is the top-end variant that also comes in a Rubicon 392 Edition with a more powerful V8 engine along with shock absorbers from Fox and a 2-inch lifted stance. 

All Wranglers come as standard in a 4WD drivetrain configuration, and there are many more off-road-oriented features offered as standard and available, varying according to the trim chosen. The Wrangler is available in both 2-Door and 4-Door models, while some trims are available as 4-door only versions, and all 4-Door models are preceded by ‘Unlimited’ in their model names. Here we have taken the Wrangler Rubicon to trim in a 4-Door configuration against the Ford Bronco’s Outer Banks Advanced 4-Door trim and the Toyota 4Runner TRD Offroad trim, all of which are priced similarly for comparison.

We Recommend

The Wrangler Sahara would be the best option if you’re into mild offroading and more road-oriented driving. It comes with a great set of features over the base trims, which include both capability enhancing features as well as interior comfort-enhancing features. This would be a great package for casual offroading. But if you want a more serious off-roading machine, then opt for the Rubicon trim. It gets a more rugged set of features, including larger, grippier tires and locking front and rear Dana 44 heavy-duty axles, and a lot more. Both of these trims are available in both 2-door as well as 4-door versions.

The standard engine under the hood of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler is a 3.6-liter V6 that puts out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of maximum power and torque. This engine can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The other gas engines on offer include a turbocharged 2.0-liter Inline-4 that produces 270 hp and 295 lb-ft and comes only with the automatic transmission and a more powerful 6.4-liter HEMI V8, which is exclusively available on the Wrangler 392 trim and puts out 470 hp of power and torque. Both of these engines can only be mated to the automatic transmission. 

We will be mainly covering the 3.6 L V6 engine today as it is the standard one. The power output is pretty good, and the V6-powered 4-door Wrangler zips to 60mph in 6.8 seconds, which a respectable figure, but not the most exciting. The quarter-mile is passed in 15.2 seconds which is also not the very best but still is a strong number. The stronger V8-powered Rubicon 392, however, is very much faster and attains a speed of 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, which is super impressive. Overall in terms of straight-line fun, the Wrangler performs pretty well.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler is the most powerful among the competition, while also being the one with the least torque. The Bronco and the 4Runner are equally powerful, producing 270 hp at very similar RPMs. The Bronco, however, is the fastest, reaching 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, followed by the Wrangler. However, the Wrangler is a smidge faster when it comes to quarter-mile times. Overall, all of the competition is on similar grounds in terms of performance and straight-line speed.

How well does the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Drive and Handle?

Handling impressively on the road or in corners is not something off road vehicles excel in, and the same is the case with the Wrangler also. The body-on-frame construction and extra ground clearance do affect the Wrangler’s cornering abilities and driving dynamics. The steering also is not the best-responsive one and is very inaccurate at times, giving a very loose feel while driving. However, it is a whole other picture when it comes to offroading. 

It delivers a controlled and composed driving experience when taken off the road and is definitely one of the best driving experiences to enjoy on uneven terrains. The higher models specced up with better components and features elevate the off-road experience and make the ride off the tarmac much easier and easier to manage. It has always been one of the best off-roading machines and still remains the same compared to the competition. 

How efficient is the braking performance of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler? 

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler performs efficiently in terms of braking, but the thing is the braking is more tuned towards the offroading side. The result of this is that it might feel a bit unresponsive while on the road. However, the braking is pretty good, and it performs quite well. The Jeep Wrangler comes with 12.9-inch rotors in the front and 13.4-inch ones in the rear, bringing the SUV to a stop in just 159 ft, which is definitely not the best.

The 2021 Ford Bronco performs the best in terms of braking. It comes to a stop at just 134 ft, which is an impressive distance considering the class and size of the vehicles. The Toyota 4Runner follows the Ford, while the Jeep stays at last. But compared to the Toyota, the Jeep does perform a lot better in terms of braking control off the road. Overall, the Jeep Wrangler is an unimpressive performer in terms of just numbers but in real life actually does perform quite well.

The Jeep Wrangler delivers a respectable fuel economy when equipped with the standard V6 engine. The engine provides a fuel efficiency of 17 mpg in the city, 23 on the highway, and a combined fuel economy of 19 mpg. But when equipped with the stronger HEMI V8, the economy figures drop down to 13, 17, and 14 mpg, respectively which is much low, but then, the added power does take a toll. Combined with the 21.5-gallon fuel capacity, the Wrangler with its standard engine provides a combined range of 408 miles. 

The newest addition to the segment, the new Ford Bronco is the most efficient, delivering a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg. Combined with a 20.8-gallon fuel tank, it also provides a combined range of 437 miles. The Toyota 4Runner with the extra third row and the added heft happens to be the least efficient of the bunch. The Wrangler stays in between these in the middle ground with a respectable fuel economy and a good range.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler comes with a basic interior in all trims until it reaches the Sahara trim. From there and going upwards, more and more luxury gets added. The seats are upright and comfortable and placed in a high position for more visibility and come with adjustments for the driver and front passenger. The lower trims come with cloth-trimmed seats, while the higher variants get leather-trimmed ones. There are also Nappa leather-trimmed seats available in Black or Steel Grey color options with Caramel accent stitching. 

The interior is spacious and comes with enough room in both the first and second rows, whereas the cargo area is a bit low compared to the competition. However, compared to others in the competition, the shoulder room is quite low inside the cabin of the Wrangler. The ride quality and the comfort for the occupants inside the cabin are not the best as the body construction and suspension setup is obviously more off road focus, and hence it affects the road comfort.

The 4Runner is obviously the most spacious as it is the largest and has an extra row. However, with the extra row added, legroom decreases in the second row, but still, it is more spacious than the Wrangler, whereas the Bronco has the most spacious second row. The cargo area is also the most inside the 4Runner, while the Wrangler has the least. The following are some of the most important interior features inside the 2021 Jeep Wrangler:

• Automatic Temperature Control
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Heated Front Seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats
• 2-Way Manual Lumbar Adjustable Driver Seat
• 4-Way Manual Adjustable Front Passenger Seat
• 6-Way Manual Driver Seat

How intuitive is the 2021 Jeep Wrangler’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment unit in the 2021 Jeep Wrangler is a 5-inch unit in the base trims, a 7-inch one in the Sahara trims, and an even larger 8.4-inch unit inside the higher Rubicon trim. The highest-end model of the Wrangler also features a premium sound system from Alpine with 9 speakers, including an all-weather subwoofer, a 552-watt amplifier, and a 220-amp alternator. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also included as standard from the Sahar trim and upwards.

The following are the major infotainment features:

• 8.4-Inch Infotainment Unit
• 7-inch full-color Driver Information Display
• Alpine Premium Sound System 
• Siri Eyes Free
• 4g Wi-fi Hotspot
• Android Auto And Apple CarPlay

Well, it looks just like how it looked forever. Beautiful in its signature design language with the sharp cuts and lines making up the iconic boxy design. The Wrangler comes in a different attire in each of the trim with different exterior attachments and decals. The wheel options also range from 17-inch steel wheels to 20-inch ones in the highest-end trim. The Wrangler is a compact-looking machine with its iconic design making it a true style statement in the right eyes while others would just see a chunk of an SUV. 

The exterior elements, as mentioned earlier, differ drastically across trims. This is not only just visual differentiation but also states clearly that the higher trims mean serious offroad business. The Wrangler is available in three distinct roof options. The standard roof option is the Sunrider soft-top roof which uses heavy-duty waterproof cloth material to cover the roof. The second one is a modular hardtop option named Freedom top, which is also removable, and the last one is the new, Sky One-Touch power top which can be opened by the touch of a button.

The Wrangler and the Bronco come with their own distinct and iconic looks which state that these machines mean serious offroad legacy, whereas the 4Runner is more generic and just plain boxy. It can just be termed as the ugliest one among the competition, which is the truth. The Wrangler is obviously the most off-road oriented and comes with the best ground clearance of 10.8 inches which is superb for stepping out from the paved roads. The following are some of the main exterior features of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler:

• 20-inch fully painted aluminum wheels
• Automatic halogen headlamps and fog lamps
• Sports suspension
• Body-color front and rear bumpers with rear step pads
• Body-color grille with Gloss Black inserts
• Three distinct roof types available
• Premium dark exterior accents

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler has been safety tested and rated by both NHTSA as well as IIHS and received respectable ratings from both agencies. However, NHTSA has not given it an overall safety rating, but the front end does get a good rating of 4-Stars. The sides of the Wrangler were not rated by NHTSA, but it gets a rollover rating of 4-stars, which is quite disappointing. IIHS has provided the Wrangler with a rating of ‘Good’ under almost all parameters, which assure that it is a safe vehicle. Overall from these ratings, we can come to the conclusion that the 2021 Jeep Wrangler is a safe vehicle, but simply not the safest in its class or segment. The following are some of the standout safety features in the 2021 Jeep Wrangler:

• Parkview Rear Back-Up Camera
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 
• Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA) 
• Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)

2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco is a fancier vehicle with a better and updated interior with a refreshed feel all around as it is the newer model. But since it does have a retro vibe infused into it, obviously because it bears the Bronco badging, it is an overall nice vehicle to look at and to be in. The Bronco is also the faster vehicle offering more fuel efficiency and space on the inside. All of this makes the Bronco a better option. 

2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner only has an extra row over the Wrangler. At the first glance that is true, but then Toyota’s reliability and quality act as positive elements for it above the Jeep. The 4Runner is a more spacious vehicle offering better ride quality. However, the Wrangler is more powerful and comes with a lot more off-road capabilities in a compact body. The choice here is subjective, and you can choose either according to your needs.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler remains as iconic as it has always been. The Wrangler comes in a variety of trims and sub-trims that offer a lot of options. There’s a version of the Wrangler for you, which suits your needs, whether it is mild or heavy offroading. Yes, you heard it right, offroading should be on your bucket list if you are adamant about getting a Wrangler. Otherwise, there are many options that provide more luxury, interior features, as well as on-road ride quality. But for off-roading, think no more, the Wrangler is the absolute best in the segment and even segments above it.