Used 2023 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Most automobiles these days are perfectly fine forms of personal transport. A handful become something more. The Jeep Wrangler belongs firmly in that second category.

It’s a great off-roading machine with a glorious history and a kind of romance. The Wrangler isn’t meant to pound the same old routes as everyone else.

This does, of course, involve some compromise when necessity dictates following these same old routes at times — such as comfort, noise levels, and ride quality — but the course of true romance never runs smoothly. For the right buyer, the highs outweigh the lows.

The 4-door model used to be called the Wrangler Unlimited. It’s longer than the 2-door, bringing more passenger space and a larger cargo area, but no wider. Jeep just calls it the Wrangler 4-door now.

The Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid is reviewed separately.

To that one person who might be thinking of buying a new Wrangler just for the looks and has no intention of going off-road: Dude, get a Prius. You’ll be far more comfortable, save a ton on gas, and people will think you’re an eco-warrior instead of a weekend warrior.

A noisy cabin, choppy ride quality, and vague steering conspire to make the on-road driving experience in a 2023 Wrangler SUV something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Beyond the tarmac, however, liabilities transform into assets.

As well as a choice of engines, Jeep offers 4-wheel-drive (4WD) systems of increasing sophistication, some with shift-on-the-fly transfer cases, others with heavy-duty rear axles, plus the option of a locking limited-slip rear differential.

The Rubicon model has an Off-Road Plus feature that takes care of throttle inputs, gear shifts, and traction-control intervention, leaving the driver free to concentrate on steering.

Off-road talent reaches a summit in the Rubicon 392 4-door with an electronically disconnecting front anti-roll bar for greater axle articulation, the most powerful engine, and a dedicated suspension from the specialist Fox company.

Washable mats, drain plugs, hand-crank windows, and a manual transmission. The most basic new Wrangler — Sport trim — has an inventory of standard equipment that would horrify the average commuter but delight the buyer who really gets what this SUV is all about.

It can be a blank slate for the many and varied aftermarket purchases, or a no-frills machine with a singular purpose. Alternatively, buyers can climb the trim level ladder to find what else might rock their socks, lock their differentials, or disconnect their anti-roll bars.

The 2-door Wrangler can accommodate four occupants, while there’s room for five in the 4-door version since it has an extra little middle seat in the rear bench. Rear legroom in the 2-door is somewhat tight at 35.7 inches. The 4-door has 38.3 inches.

Cargo space tells a similar story: 12.9 to 31.7 cubic feet for the 2-door, compared with 31.7 to 72.4 cubic feet for the 4-door.

Whether there are four doors or two on a 2023 Wrangler SUV, they’re all removable. The windshield can fold flat, and there’s a selection of detachable roofs. All Wranglers have skid plates protecting the fuel tank and transmission.

Excellent ground clearance and short overhangs contribute to off-road prowess, and are part of the Wrangler aura. It’s this emphasis on purpose that makes the styling so timeless.

For 2023, Jeep offers a limited-edition Freedom package bringing a steel front bumper, rock rails, and cosmetic touches like Stars & Stripes decals, plus an Oscar Mike badge on the tailgate. This latter item is derived from military jargon meaning “on the move.”

Actually, all new 2023 Wranglers come with American flag decals on their front fenders. Jeep says this honors the Wrangler’s military heritage while simultaneously paying homage to the American workers who build it.

Two new colors are Earl and Reign. Earl is essentially silver with flashes of aquamarine when the light catches it just right. The limited-availability Reign is purple. Purple Reign, Purple Reign (with apologies to Prince).

The Rubicon trim also gains new wheel designs for its 17-inch standard and optional alloys.

Overall length of the 2023 Wrangler 2-door is 13.9 feet. The Wrangler 4-door measures 15.7 feet.

1. Convertible roof
Since the 2023 Wrangler SUV is tailor-made for communing with nature, why not go the whole way? Take the roof off, remove the doors and fold down the windshield.

2. Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
As good as the base V6 is, this alternative is quite tempting. It’s lighter, by virtue of having fewer cylinders, and has more torque — which peaks lower in the rev range, an ideal attribute for off-roading.

3. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration
Not that there’s much cellphone signal in the wilderness where the Wrangler is most at home, but this standard feature will nevertheless be a welcome asset on the more mundane drives.

4. Corning Gorilla Glass windshield
Offered as an option across the 2023 Wrangler range, except for the base Sport models, this is extra-tough and scratch-resistant. Perfect for those gnarly off-road adventures.

5. Forward-facing off-road camera
We can’t always have spotters — people standing outside the vehicle watching out for tricky terrain. But this camera system, optional in all but the Sport trim, can provide a lot of information and reassurance.

6. Community
Admittedly, this is more of an abstract thing, but Jeep Wrangler owners often congregate to tackle famously difficult off-road challenges in settings like Moab, Utah.

The standard engine in the 2023 Wrangler lineup is a 3.6-liter V6 making 285 horsepower and 260-lb-ft of torque. It’s a superb unit, does the job well, and runs on regular gasoline.

A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, with an 8-speed automatic available as an option, which also brings a mild-hybrid system to smooth out the restart action of the engine stop-start function.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine running on regular gas is optional in most 2023 Wrangler variants, standard in the 4-door Sahara version. It develops 270 horsepower but exceeds the V6 with 295 lb-ft of torque, probably the most important aspect for an off-roader. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard at this point, and with the subsequent engine options.

The Wrangler 4-door offers the choice of a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine generating a muscular 442 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is not a Wrangler strong point, but this V6 can achieve 29 mpg on the highway.

Or there’s the Rubicon 392 Wrangler 4-door, with an exclusive 6.4-liter (or 392-cubic inch) V8 producing a mighty 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque from a diet of premium gasoline.

In case there’s any doubt, 4WD is standard in every Wrangler.

These fuel economy estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relate to 2022, but we don’t anticipate any changes for 2023.

3.6-liter V6
285 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg (2-door manual), 20/24 mpg (2-door auto), 17/23 mpg (4-door manual), 19/24 mpg (4-door auto)

2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
270 horsepower @ 5,250 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/24 mpg (2-door), 21/24 mpg (4-door)

3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 (4-door only)
260 horsepower @ 3,600 rpm
442 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400-2,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/29 mpg, 21/26 mpg (Rubicon)

6.4-liter V8 (4-door Rubicon 392)
470 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
470 lb-ft of torque @ 4,300 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/17 mpg