2025 Jeep Wrangler Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Playing rental car roulette sometimes makes you a winner, but this wasn’t one of those times. We walked to our assigned slot in the garage at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, and there it sat. A black on black on black 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S hardtop with dark gray wheels. Ugh. Not the Sport S part of that equation. That’s to be expected when renting a Jeep. It was the heat-sink color combination in a tropical climate that put frowny faces on our crew.

Ultimately, from behind the steering wheel, with the windows down, the overhead panels removed, and the liftglass open, the color didn’t matter. Because Hawaii. But it sure would have been nice to get a Wrangler in any other color and almost any other trim level. Jeep offers the 2025 Wrangler in Sport, Sport S, Willys, Sahara, Rubicon, Rubicon X (pictured), and Rubicon 392 trims. The 392 is special, equipped with a monstrous 470-horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine and an equally terrifying six-figure price tag. Jeep also sells a plug-in hybrid Wrangler known as the 4xe, but this review is about the regular gas-only versions, which range in price from $34,685 to $63,995, including the destination charge.

Our Sport S had only a few options. Incredibly, the black paint was a $595 upcharge, and the rental Wrangler had a black hardtop ($1,795), a Convenience Group ($1,995), and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission ($2,500). Astonishingly, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) was $49,175, including the $1,995 destination charge.

Despite its nearly $50,000 sticker price, the only fancy elements of the Wrangler’s interior were its classy gray fabric dashboard trim, metallic accents, and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Remember, Wranglers are designed to get dirty, wet, and, in our case, full of sand. The emphasis here is on function over form.

With that said, and despite our Sport S model’s black-hole color combination, uninspired wheel design, and wimpy-looking all-season tires, the Wrangler is a fundamentally appealing vehicle. It nostalgically draws upon themes of American freedom, both in a design rooted in a World War II military vehicle and in a capability to go almost anywhere at almost any time. Add a Made in the U.S.A. label marked Toledo, Ohio, that iconic seven-slot front grille and it’s no wonder the Wrangler is popular despite its lack of sophistication compared with most new cars.

The ‘standard’, entry-level powertrain for the Wrangler is a 3.6-liter V6 engine with a six-speed manual transmission. Alternatively, you can opt for the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It makes 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque—15 hp less and 35 lb-ft more than the V6.

If the two engines produce similar power, why offer a choice? For starters, you can save $2,500 by selecting the V6 and its six-speed manual transmission. Although adding the optional eight-speed auto to the V6 makes it more expensive than the four-cylinder. Go figure. If you live at a higher elevation, the turbocharged engine will likely feel livelier, however, and it’s also marginally more fuel-efficient, with an EPA rating of 21 mpg in combined driving instead of 19-20 mpg for the V6.

We put a couple of hundred miles on our four-cylinder rental, driving it all around O’ahu. Generally, speed limits are low in Hawaii, and we encountered plenty of traffic in Honolulu and along the North Shore. Our evaluation produced an average fuel economy of 19.2 mpg for the week, with four people aboard, the air conditioning blasting, and the windows down.

The Wrangler is well-suited to Hawaii. Depending on the island and where you decide to venture, its standard four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, generous approach and departure angles, and relatively narrow width are benefits. Outward visibility is good in every direction except for straight back, which the reversing camera resolves unless it’s dirty. Since you can’t drive very fast, either due to restrictive speed limits or heavy traffic, the Jeep’s slow steering and sloppy handling traits don’t matter. More concerning is the three-star rollover resistance rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So be careful when driving laterally across a slope.

Of course, no matter how fast you drive a Wrangler, the ride is rough, a steady stream of jiggles and jolts. And even at the modest speeds on Honolulu freeways, the Jeep’s disconnected on-center steering feel creates disconcerting feelings within the narrow lanes of the H1.

Unless you count the mud puddle we parked in to visit Lanikai Beach, we didn’t take the Wrangler Sport S off-roading. Previous experience in the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has demonstrated that, with the right version of this Jeep, the Rock Trac transfer case in 4-Lo, and locking front and rear axles, you can go places you never thought possible.

Getting into and out of a Wrangler is challenging because it sits high off the ground and has tall door sills combined with narrow door openings. Step rails are available, but they can actually make it more difficult to enter and exit, and easier to get dirt or grime on your clothing. Once you’re in, the Jeep’s front seats are comfortable, feeling soft and supportive. The Sport S trim level’s cloth upholstery is perfect for any climate, and with the Convenience Group option pack, the Wrangler includes heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. A manual seat height adjuster is available to the driver but, over time, as you slide in and out over the lever that operates it, the seat will gradually lower itself.

Though it has seating for five people, four are happier aboard a Jeep Wrangler. Rear-seat legroom is adequate, but taller people in the second row must take care not to bang their knees on the unfriendly plastic hooks jutting from the front seatback panels. Air conditioning vents and a center armrest with cupholders help to improve passenger comfort, though teenagers report that napping in a Wrangler is almost impossible.

Storage space is limited, which is odd for a vehicle seemingly singularly focused on utility. Small items wind up in the cupholders because the only other stash space is the little bin under the center armrest and flimsy nets mounted to the doors. We tossed the Wrangler’s chunky remote fob into the tiny tray carved into the front door panel armrest.

Cargo space is reasonable, but accessing it is a hassle. First you must open the tailgate, which swings from left to right and has the spare tire mounted to it. If a vehicle is parked close behind, or you’ve reversed close to a wall, you can’t access the cargo area. Second, you must lift the hardtop’s rear window. Note that with the standard fabric soft top, unless you feel like disassembling the plastic rear window apparatus, you load the Wrangler through the lower half of the opening, limiting the size of things you can carry. Once you’ve gained access, loading the square-shaped, 31.7 cubic-foot cargo hold is easy. Better yet, you can more than double the volume to 72.4 cubic feet by folding the back seat down.

Arguably, the most technologically advanced thing about the 2025 Wrangler is its Uconnect 5 infotainment system. It equips the Sport S with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio preparation. A decent eight-speaker stereo is standard, with a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system optional. More expensive models offer navigation and Jeep Connect connected services. Through Jeep Connect, the Wrangler provides access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, Adventure Guides, and GPS Trail Logs for off-road navigation capabilities. A Vehicle Finder ensures your Jeep is never lost, even if you are.

During our trip, we extensively used the wireless Apple CarPlay function to obtain directions and stream music. Naturally, you might wonder if the touchscreen suffers from excessive reflections and glare, especially with the roof panels unlatched, removed, and stowed in the cargo area. The answer is no. It remains remarkably bright and easy to reference and use.

Our evaluation vehicle’s Convenience Group pack added a 7-inch digital display between the analog gauges. It provides access to a variety of information. Other upgrades with that option package include passive entry and door locking for the front doors and a remote engine starting system. Rear parking sensors are a part of the Active Safety Group option pack, and past experience in other Wranglers demonstrates they’re helpful when reversing, especially if the rear camera is dirty.

Starting with the 2024 Jeep Wrangler, side curtain airbags are standard equipment for the front and rear seats. That’s the most remarkable safety feature Jeep has added to the Wrangler in a while. The few advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) available on a Wrangler are optional unless you choose one of the most expensive versions. The good news is that you can get a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert on any Wrangler except for the base Sport trim level. The bad news is that if you want forward collision warning with automatic braking, you must choose the Wrangler Sahara, which has a standard automatic transmission.

Other safety-related features for the 2025 Wrangler include adaptive cruise control (with stop and go functionality in models with an automatic transmission) and automatic high-beam headlights. Our rental had none of these upgrades and, given the testing environment, the ones we missed the most were the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems that are available in the Sport S model’s optional Active Safety Group package.

Unfortunately, Jeep Wrangler crash tests are incomplete. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t performed new side-impact testing since the side airbags became standard. The NHTSA does, however, give the Wrangler a four-star frontal-impact rating (out of five stars) and a three-star rollover resistance rating (out of five stars).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has performed new tests on the Wrangler since it added the side-impact airbags. The result is a Good rating for side-impact protection and a Good rating in the updated moderate overlap frontal-impact test. The problem remains the small overlap frontal-impact test result, in which the Wrangler tipped onto its side following the collision, resulting in a Marginal rating.

While the Jeep Wrangler’s base price of less than $35,000 seems appealing for a go-anywhere, do-anything convertible with four-wheel drive, you must remember that price is for a Sport two-door with a fabric roof and fairly basic specs. Our sparsely equipped Sport S four-door was almost $50,000, a flabbergasting amount of money.

Play around with the build-and-price tool on the automaker’s website, and you’ll find that when you option any version of the Wrangler with the features you’re most likely to want, it will end up costing you between $50,000 and $65,000. To make that pencil as a value, you’ve really gotta want the Wrangler’s off-roading ability, its top-off/doors-off capability, or its image.

You might be able to save some money in the long run by getting the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, plugging it in every night, and driving on electricity much of the time. Alternatively, you can swap the V6 engine for the turbocharged four-cylinder, which is a fine powerplant aside from its nasal idle note and loud cooling fan.

The Wrangler’s primary competitor, the Ford Bronco, is equally fun to drive and more refined, sophisticated, and technologically advanced. The same is true of the redesigned 2025 Toyota 4Runner, which is similar enough in philosophy even if the top and doors don’t come off and it doesn’t have the same kind of retro design appeal. The Ford and Toyota can also look like better value overall compared with the 2025 Wrangler. At the higher end of the Wrangler range, alternatives include the Land Rover Defender 110 and the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Still, that Jeep mystique is real, and despite all of this off-roader’s flaws, it’s still a blast to drive on-road with the windows down, roof panels off, music playing, and mauka breezes flowing through the cabin as aqua waters, tan sands, and swaying palms blur past.