Why the Jeep Wrangler Has Been One of the Best All Around Vehicles This Past Decade

For years, the Jeep has been a staple for off roaders and those who simply enjoy nature across the country and all it has to offer. As we all know, our beautiful Wranglers are not restricted to those taking them on some of the nation’s toughest trails in the United States. Many of us just enjoy the look, feel, and personality of the Jeep Wrangler.

Compared to previous decades, the 2010’s was the most transformative era of the Jeep Wrangler. Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Jeep’s parent company, has revamped the brand in a variety of ways, but one of the most obvious is the introduction of the Jeep Gladiator into their family of vehicles. Essentially a stretched Jeep Wrangler with the rear bed of a pickup truck, the Gladiator took the media by storm, creating mass hysteria from auto enthusiasts overnight.

Despite completing such a large project, FCA has ensured the Wrangler has continued to improve as well, with the addition of tons of new features, technology, and even colors to the vehicles over the past several years.

Today, we discuss some of the most significant changes over the past decade and why this has made the Jeep Wrangler a viable option for anyone in the market for a new or used vehicle.

Here’s why:

Fuel Efficiency

Previously, fuel efficiency was one of the main reasons why daily driving a Jeep Wrangler was not a good idea. The 2009 Wrangler was getting an abysmal 15 miles per gallon in the city and 19 miles on the highway. Critics cited often cited this as the number a sensible rationale to stay away from Jeep altogether.

However, the company’s commitment to their strong client base inspired them to improve fuel consumption issues on their engines through the past 11 years, doubling these EPA-sourced fuel efficiency numbers in 2020. You will see about 22 miles per gallon driving around the city in a new Wrangler, while getting nearly 30 miles on highways and interstates.

Fuel efficiency has been one of the largest improvements for the Jeep over past decade. Gas prices have also decreased significantly since the turn of last decade, coming off one of the worst financial crises of modern times. The combination of these two factors has made the Jeep Wrangler a valid option for those looking for something fun that is also relatively easy on the pocketbooks.

Jeep also released its first ever EcoDiesel engine, with certain sources citing their vehicle has reached mileage of over 30 miles per gallon. The EPA has also confirmed that this new diesel engine will provide greater fuel efficiency over the 3.6 Liter V6 gas engine, as well as the 2.0 Liter 4-cylinder. Additionally, there are tons of added benefits that come with owning this diesel engine - it is a massively strong drivetrain suited to slow speed off-road due to its enormous torque delivery built to match any trail in America.

Customizability

Unlike 95% of vehicle on the market, your Jeep is completely your own. What does this mean, you ask?

Similar to the winter fact about snowflakes, there is a popular saying in the Wrangler community that suggests ‘no two Wranglers are the same’. While this is technically a myth, due to the minority portion of Jeepers who opt to keeping their vehicle completely stock, there is some truth to it.

There are hundreds of thousands of different ways to personalize your Jeep Wrangler in a way that suits you and your lifestyle. Will it be the means of transportation for weekend camping trips? Install a tailgate table, quart size freezer, or literally anything that will make your adventures simple and smooth. Do you enjoy off-roading for fun or competitively? Install a lift kit and some 35” wheels to get the most out of 4x4 session. Don’t forget the mean torque of the EcoDiesel engine!

The variety of aftermarket parts for the Jeep Wrangler is quite impressive. Some of these options might really surprise you, giving you new ways to make your Jeep stand out of the pack!

Versatility

There are so many different uses for the Jeep Wrangler. With the improvements discussed in this article, the Wrangler has drastically improved its adaptability to nearly any situation you’ll face on the road.

The Wrangler was introduced to the market as an extremely capable and lightweight off-road beast – and it still retains this title.

As a daily driver, the Jeep Wrangler will provide you with industry standard fuel efficiency, saving you time on your commute, as well as saving you money at the pump. The exterior style and aesthetics of the Wrangler have been relatively unchanged since its release in the early 80’s, however this timeless design is known and loved by auto enthusiasts all over the world. In 2020, the Jeep Wrangler can definitely be seen as a fashion statement with the necessary upgrades to give it the desired look.

It’s improved technology with the inclusion of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the Uconnect have allowed it to keep up with the times as people remain attached to their cellular devices. Jeep has also improved the ergonomics of the seats on the Wrangler, allowing for a more comfortable ride both on your daily commute and while taking on obstacles off road.

In Summary...

Jeep has had a solidly successful decade run from 2010 to 2019. From the introduction of the Gladiator to the EcoDiesel engine, as well as the unveiling of the all new generation of the Jeep Wrangler, the JL.

In fact, Jeep hit the 200k landmark for the first time in 2015 and has hit this number consistently for the past two years. We see this trend continuing for the decade to come.

What do you want to see from Jeep in the next decade? With the amount of additions they’ve made in the past ten years alone, who knows what they’ll bring to the platform by 2030!