  2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
Review and Photos by Justin Mastine-Frost
Over the decades, few brands have maintained building a vehicle whose primary function is driving off the beaten path as much as Jeep, and in a lot of cases with good reason. The Jeep Wrangler, whose humble roots date clear back to World War II, has been a mainstay for off road enthusiasts wanting trail-ready capability right off the showroom floor, and continues to be the go-to for tough-guys and adventure seekers across the country. My first meeting with the modern Wrangler left me impressed me with its confidence-inspiring trail handling and mildly frustrated at its on-road capability, so when the Jeep folks rang and let me know that their flagship off-road beast, the 10th anniversary Rubicon Edition was heading my way I was excited to see just what kind of trouble I could get myself into out in BC’s wild back country.
Jeep may have gone slightly off the rails when they penned the upcoming 2014 Cherokee, but their designers have been much more timid when it comes to any kind of exterior changes to the Wrangler. I can already hear hardcore Jeep fans screaming at me, but in the grand scheme of things, the exterior styling of the Wrangler has remained grossly unchanged since all the way back in the days of the CJ-7 back in the mid-to-late 70s. Sure, there have been slight changes in proportions, and a change in headlight shape, and a change in materials used in building it all, but when you get right down to it the iconic Porsche 911 has seen more drastic changes in appearance over the years than the tried-and-true Jeep. On the other hand, there’s something really refreshing about seeing a vehicle left standing that hasn’t had to make any concessions to wind tunnel testing. After seeing the sad fate of the Nissan Pathfinder, transform from boxy and rugged SUV to a smooth and curvy urban people-mover, I can appreciate seeing a vehicle stick to its original intended purpose.
  2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
With the move to a four-door body in the Unlimited model, the Jeep has a tendency to look a bit like the big boxy Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon when the hardtop is painted to match the body, but with our Rubicon tester we were presented with the traditional black hard-top. Sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to strip the roof off however I wasn’t completely left out of the “topless experience”. Jeep got a bit clever when building the roof for the Unlimited, installing what they call a Freedom Top which consists of two panels over the front seats that can be removed, much like an old-school targa top without a centre support. When I hit the road leaving my apartment and heading to a new set of trails north of Squamish, I thought it would be a great idea to pop the panels out and see what it would be like to drive with the open roof. For the first 30 minutes or so making my way to the highway I was really impressed with that great open-air feel, but once I was on the highway and creeping up over 80 km/h the noise in the interior was horrendous. I made it about 30 minutes or so before pulling over and throwing the lid back on. Clearly this Freedom Top setup is best saved for in-town cruising, or off-road driving. Thankfully it only takes about five minutes to remove or install the panels.
    2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
The biggest surprise on my way out to the trails was the differences in handling between the Rubicon and the Sahara I had driven a couple months prior. When navigating the same roads in the Sahara, steering feel was incredibly vague and disconnected, and the thing just rolled around worse than a canoe caught out in a typhoon. The closest parallel I could relate it to was my childhood experience of driving a then 25 year old tractor. The Rubicon on the other hand, even with its chubby 17-inch off-road tires simply handled the highway stretch quite a bit better. I’m still a bit baffled by the difference knowing the suspension setup is mostly identical, although given the heavy Dana 44 axles and optional tow package this most likely came down to different spring rates. As much as the Rubicon’s handling was improved, neither model of Wrangler could ever claim to have good on-road manners. It’s more like the Rubicon is better on the road than the Sahara much in the way that a raccoon makes a better family pet than a skunk. If you’re shopping for a good tough-looking commuter that you may take out into the bush a couple times a year I would be quick to steer you away from either option and into something like an FJ Cruiser or even a quad-cab short box Nissan Frontier Pro-4X. As far as the engine goes, Jeep’s well respected 3.6L Pentastar V6 is more than up to the task of keeping things moving, putting out 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque pretty much right off the line. It’s not one of those “Wow, feel that power, listen to that engine!” kind of mills by any stretch, but it gets the job done with ease.
When I finally made it to the dark side of Squamish where my off road trek began, it was time to flick all the electronic goodies on and see where I wound up. Sway bar disconnected, 4LO selected, and differential locks on, my foot went down and I was off and climbing. Sadly there would be no muddy terrain this time around, as an incredibly dry and sunny summer has lead to local trails being full of dust and fire warnings. Much like the Sahara, the Rubicon inspires quite a bit of confidence in the rough stuff. There is nary a squeak or rattle to be heard in from inside the Jeep, which is a real treat after doing some off-roading in the new 4Runner where every piece of trim tried to play an off key symphony. On a couple of steep inclines on loose gravel I could definitely tell that all four wheels were clawing away to keep me moving, but aside from this the entire drive was a bit of a cakewalk. After hearing the ranting from my lifted 90s Pathfinder-driving colleague about this section of trail I was expecting something a bit more challenging, but instead I had little to do but just watch for deep ruts and keep moving forward. I’ll admit some of the loose bits may have been a challenge for the Sahara with its less rugged tires, but this was the Rubicon, and there was no stopping it. After all, between the 4:1 low range, and the heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles, this thing was designed to do so much more than my skill level can even keep up with (for now). I’ve been saying for a while now that there is a reason why every Wrangler add shows a Jeep clawing through mud and crossing rivers rather than cruising the smooth pavement. These things are meant to be all-terrain vehicles and not the poser-owned parking-lot princesses that we see so many of.
Unlike a few other test vehicles I’ve been in lately, the Rubicon is an easy one to peg down. If you are serious about off-road, have a penchant for taking off beyond the reach of cell-phone reception, and often come home covered in so much mud that thermal imaging won’t pick up your body temperature, the Rubicon will constantly feed your drive for adventure. If your motivation is just to cruise around and look all manly and rugged, but you live urban and don’t like getting your shoes dirty, I’d strongly suggest looking at one of the more civilized SUV or truck options out there.
  2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Click image to enlarge |
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Pricing: 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Base Price: $36,045
Options: $10,940 (Rubicon trim and decals, 10th anniversary badging, steel bumpers, Bluetooth connectivity, USB, tire pressure monitors, heated seats, voice command, leather shift knob, dual roof package, trailer hitch and wiring, supplemental side airbags, air conditioning, touchscreen navigation w/ 20GB hard drive)
Freight & PDI: $1,595
Price as tested: $48,580 plus applicable taxes
Competitors:
Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Edition
Nissan Exterra Pro-4X
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
