Living with the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe for a week was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it’s a Jeep. Or rather, the Jeep. Rolling through town in a tough-looking machine hits different than when I’m in my old Toyota RAV4. I can definitely understand the draw the Wrangler and its ancestors have over its fans: it just has a presence few vehicles can match simply by existing.
The Willys trim level just adds more to the legend and its legendary off-road prowess, thanks to those all-terrain tires, high ride height, rock rails and under armor to protect the battery, and the ability to tow up to 3,500 pounds. Throw on a winch — like the one Warn built in collaboration with Jeep for the Rubicon trim — and the Wrangler 4xe is a slightly greener version of the do-it-all utility vehicle.
Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear
But then, the reality sets in. For starters, there’s no taking this Wrangler 4xe to the automatic car wash, not with the soft top, anyway. As some of my friends have warned, doing so may result in some leaks, though they add that it’s not a Jeep issue but a general soft top convertible issue. The Willys trim may have rock rails to protect the body, but it didn’t come with steps to help my mom — who is 5 foot 3 — or yours truly (5 foot 6) climb into and step out of the Jeep. Finally, the hybrid powertrain may make things ride better over the road, but it’s not the best at saving fuel along the way, coming at a combined 20 mpg when the gas engine is in play; I managed around 17.5 mpg during the week it was with me.
