What the new model year changes
The most useful update is small: quick-release door hinges. You can pull the doors without hunting for a Torx bit, which matters if you take them off more than once a summer. Jeep also added fresh paint colors and opened up steel bumpers with a factory WARN winch on the Willys, though only on the two-door body.
Two V8 trims sit at the top of the range. The Willys 392 starts at $69,995 and the Moab 392 at $79,995, both running a 6.4-liter HEMI with 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, 35-inch tires, and 11.1 inches of ground clearance. Jeep quotes a 0-60 time of about 4.5 seconds, which is absurd for a vehicle with this much roof.
There is also an 85th Anniversary Edition at $47,240, four-door only, with plaid cloth seats and gold stitching. Jeep says more limited editions will land on the 12th of each month through the model year, so if you are shopping late, check what just dropped.
One caution: the build-and-price tool currently lists gasoline and V8 models. If a plug-in 4xe is what you want, confirm availability with a dealer before you plan around it.
Where buyers get stuck
Trim sprawl and quiet price creep
The Sport opens at $39,040. The Rubicon is $50,535. The Rubicon X jumps to $61,230. Each step adds real hardware, but plenty of buyers pay for capability they will use twice a year at a state park.
The tire decision nobody explains
Rubicons ride on 33-inch all-terrains. The Xtreme 35 package and both 392 models go bigger, and Jeep claims a best-in-class available approach angle with that package. Bigger tires buy clearance and presence. They also buy heavier steering, more road noise at highway speed, a stiffer ride around town, and a five-tire replacement bill instead of four.
Running costs that stay off the window sticker
Fuel numbers vary more than shoppers expect. The turbo four with the automatic returns 20 mpg city and 22 highway in four-door form. The V6 with the automatic is rated 18 and 23. Choose the manual V6 and you are at 16 and 22. A 392 lands near 13 city and 16 highway, which is honest but thirsty.
Independent ownership data puts average annual repairs in the $700 to $900 range, above the industry average for SUVs. Insurance premiums also tend to run higher than a typical compact SUV, partly because of theft rates and crash-test scores. Get a quote before you fall in love with a color.
Living with a body that comes apart
A soft top at 75 mph is loud. That is not a defect, it is physics. Storing four doors takes floor space in a garage. A soft top invites a different level of security awareness in apartment parking. Owners who commute long distances often end up with the three-piece hardtop or the Sky One-Touch power top for exactly this reason.
One pairing rule that trips people up
In the two-door body, the V6 only comes with the six-speed manual. Want an automatic two-door? You are buying the turbo four. Plenty of shoppers discover this at the dealership, after they have settled on a color.
Matching the trim to your week
| Trim | Starting MSRP | Best for | Strengths | Trade-offs |
|---|
| Sport | $39,040 | Budget-focused first Wrangler | 12.3-inch touchscreen, four-wheel drive, removable top and doors | No standard forward collision warning, steel wheels, base audio |
| Sport S | $41,440 | Daily commuters | Gorilla-glass windshield, heated mirrors, adaptive cruise with automatic | Still needs optional safety bundle |
| Willys | $45,635 | Trail use several times a month | Rear locker, 33-inch mud tires, rock rails, auxiliary switches | Firmer ride, more tire noise |
| Sahara | $48,910 | Families and long highway runs | 18-inch wheels, heated seats, dual-zone climate, remote start | Least off-road hardware of the mid-range |
| Rubicon | $50,535 | Serious rock and trail work | Locking axles, disconnecting sway bar, 4:1 transfer case, 33s | Heaviest compromise on comfort and fuel |
| Rubicon X | $61,230 | Luxury plus capability | Nappa leather, power seats, Alpine audio, steel bumpers, TrailCam | Price approaches V8 territory |
| Willys 392 | $69,995 | Power with trail gear | 470 hp HEMI, 35-inch tires, beadlock-capable wheels, winch-ready bumper | 14 mpg combined, 3,500 lb towing limit |
| Moab 392 | $79,995 | Desert running and special-edition appeal | Full-time Selec-Trac 4x4, HEMI, premium interior | Highest entry cost, thirstiest setup |
Figures are starting MSRPs from Jeep's build-and-price tool, before destination and options.
Sarah, a physical therapist outside Grand Rapids, drives about 22,000 miles a year through lake-effect snow and road salt. She walked in set on a Rubicon for the badge. One test drive on 33s changed her mind. She bought a Sahara on 18-inch wheels, spent part of the savings on winter tires and a headliner for the hardtop, and says the highway ride is the reason she still likes the truck three winters in.
Marcus, who lives outside Grand Junction, Colorado, went the other direction. He runs Fins and Things and the trails around Moab a dozen times a season. A Willys with the rear locker and 33-inch mud tires cleared everything he pointed it at, and he kept roughly $5,000 in his pocket compared with a Rubicon.
A Denver couple with two kids landed on a four-door Sahara. With the rear seats folded, the four-door offers up to 72.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Maximum towing is 5,000 pounds on the V6 and turbo four, enough for a small camper or a fishing boat. The 392 models drop that to 3,500 pounds.
Before you sign anything
- Drive the exact tire and top combination you plan to buy. A soft-top Sport on 32s and a Rubicon X on 35s feel like different vehicles.
- Measure your garage. Height matters once you move to 35-inch tires, and door width matters if you store the panels inside.
- Pull an insurance quote with the VIN of the specific trim, not a generic model.
- Confirm the engine and transmission pairing for the body style you want.
- Price accessories after the deal, not during it. Rock rails, a winch, and a roof platform are cheaper from specialty shops than in the finance office.
- Compare financing before you sit down. A credit union pre-approval gives you a number to test dealer offers against.
- Use nearby trail resources. State-run off-highway vehicle parks such as Hollister Hills in California, Uwharrie in North Carolina, and the Badlands in Indiana run beginner-friendly weekends. Jeep club rides and Jeep Jamboree events are the fastest way to learn what your trim can actually do.
The Wrangler rewards matching over maxing. A Sahara on the right tires will handle more trails than most owners attempt, and a Willys covers the rest without the fuel bill of a V8. Book two test drives on the same afternoon, one on 33s and one on 35s, and let your commute make the decision for you.
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