2026 Jeep Wrangler review

Let’s be real – the Jeep Wrangler two-door is a statement.

This is a vehicle that is very capable off-road, but it's also a two-door with a removable roof, and it’s not exactly cheap. All of which tells the world that the owner is probably an outdoorsy, adventure-seeking person with no kids and healthy finances.

While the model has history dating back 85 years, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Wrangler in Australia, with the original model costing $29,990 – roughly the same price as a Holden Commodore Executive at the time.

That may make the new Wrangler’s $82,000 price-tag seem expensive, but according to the RBA’s inflation calculator, the original 1996 model would be worth more than $97,000 in today’s money.

For off-road enthusiasts, the Wrangler comes with some impressive kit. Along with two-wheel drive, on-demand four-wheel drive, and high- and low-range four-wheel drive, Jeep has given it locking differentials front and rear, button-activated sway-bar disconnection, and Dana solid axles at both ends.

Gone is the 3.6-litre petrol V6, replaced with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with decent performance numbers.

But unlike the dual-cab Jeep Gladiator ute, which stretches across three time zones, our two-door Wrangler is a short-wheelbase model by its nature, making it a more compelling argument for those Bear Grylls types that are forced to work in the city.

Last year, Jeep revised the Wrangler lineup, dropping prices – after several years of increases – while axing several variants. Just the Wrangler Rubicon is left, available as a two-door or an 'Unlimited' four-door, but with more standard features than before.

What we want to know is, after three decades on sale in Australia, is the Jeep Wrangler still relevant?

How much does the Jeep Wrangler cost?

As mentioned, the Wrangler is now priced from around $82,000, with the Rubicon being the sole variant available – and buyers are simply given the option of how many doors they need.

However, for a limited time, Jeep has a limited-edition Wrangler 85th Anniversary available for $88,490 before on-road costs – which is expensive, but it comes with some pretty cool yellow plaid upholstery.

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Jeep Wrangler like on the inside?

If you’re looking for a luxury cabin, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Don’t get me wrong, the Wrangler comes with a decent amount of kit – and is astonishingly well built – but this won’t give you the Day Spa experience like so many other new cars try to these days.

It’s an odd mix of utilitarian design, premium materials, questionable packaging and ergonomics, and a level of build quality that could well be one of the best in the industry. It’s a difficult concept to get your head around at times.

Visibility is really excellent – even with the letterbox windscreen – thanks to the compact dimensions and the cube-like shape of the cabin.

While it has a nice big central infotainment screen and a digital screen for the driver, the latter is mounted between two analogue gauges – making it one of the very last cars on sale to have them. How quaint.

Jeep’s Uconnect 5 infotainment software is crisp and nice to use, and loads the wireless Apple CarPlay interface quickly. The reversing camera is positioned better than on the Jeep Gladiator I reviewed last year, but you only get forward and reverse cameras, rather than 360-degree cameras, as is the norm across the industry.

Having owned a Jeep XJ Cherokee from the 1990s – which I loved even though it had an interior made from the same type of cheap plastic used to house Woolworths cakes – I found the quality of the switchgear in the latest Wrangler to be astonishingly good. The red anodised toggle for the diff lockers is a particularly nice touch, and provides a little splash of colour that ties in with the red contrast stitching and Rubicon embroidery on the seats.

But, just like the Gladiator, the indicator stalk feels like it came out of a cereal box. Jeep could have used the stalk off a 1996 Wrangler and it would have felt more appropriate than the flimsy, hollow thing they chose to use.

Jeep was one of the first automakers to introduce hidden little ‘Easter Eggs’ – things like the postcode stamped into the Gladiator’s tub, a reference to the city where it’s built – but the company may have taken a fun idea and ruined it. Instead of Jeep emblems on the wheels and gear knob, there is a profile drawing of the original Willys GP from World War II. It comes across like a toddler who has just gotten their very first laugh from a group of adults, so they keep repeating the joke ad nauseam.

Speaking of, I was lucky enough to drive a real US military 'jeep' many moons ago, belonging to a wonderful veteran named Marty. While I cherished the experience, if I had to invade Normandy I think I'd rather be in the Rubicon.

Ergonomics in the Wrangler are good without being great. I like the steering wheel position, but the lack of a dead pedal for the left foot is tiresome. The nappa leather upholstery feels very hardy and high quality, but the seats themselves had me starting to ache after about 1.5 hours on the road, despite being reasonably well supported for off-roading. Both front pews are heated, but only the driver’s is electric. Ventilation would have been nice on the warmer summer days too.

There are back seats, but it’s a bit of an effort to access them, and they should be considered for emergencies rather than regular use. You're far better off just stowing the second row of seats and increasing the usable storage space from 365 to 898 litres – giving you almost 90 per cent of the boot space you get in a LandCruiser 300 Series in five-seat configuration. Though it's worth noting that different automakers measure their boot space differently...

Speaking of summer, we did get a chance to remove the two front roof panels one sunny Saturday afternoon, which were lightweight and easy to pop off and on. From her aggressive gesticulating, it looked like my Passenger Princess seemed to be enjoying her impromptu blow-dry (not that I could hear her). In fact, she was so happy with her new, fashion-forward hairdo that she didn’t talk to me once until we arrived at the restaurant. Having a targa-top convertible in a short-wheelbase, muscular off-road package is pretty fun, though.

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

As mentioned, Jeep has binned the Wrangler's old 209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre petrol V6 and replaced it with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, putting out 200kW of power and 400Nm of torque via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Jeep Wrangler drive?

Nose to tail, the Wrangler two-door is almost 23 per cent shorter than the Gladiator dual-cab, as well as almost 550mm shorter than the Unlimited four-door.

Having had a bit of personal experience with short-wheelbase SUVs in the past, including FJ40 and LJ70 LandCruisers, I know lacking in the length department can have a big impact on the way things ride. I mean, so I’ve heard. Ahem.

But the Wrangler actually rides pretty well, much to my surprise. There’s no bucking, and it tends to ride across speed humps and potholes relatively smoothly.

It’s also pretty good in the city. While the cabin itself isn’t all that wide, the guards stick out to give the tyres a spread-out footprint, so you do have to be a little more aware of your lane placement. However, parking the Wrangler is a breeze, even without 360-degree cameras. Nimble isn’t the right word, but on the road, it does feel relatively agile for a bigger girl. Like an English Bulldog with the zoomies.

The steering is unlike any new car I can remember driving in recent memory, though, Gladiator included. It’s quite a slow rack, requiring a few spins lock-to-lock, but the odd thing is the steering doesn’t want to return to centre – which might have something to do with the recirculating ball steering, which is good for off-roading but was retired by most car companies in the 1990s. And due to the shortness of the wheelbase, the car rotates quickly, meaning you have to be just as quick to roll off the steering lock in tight corners.

Once you’re aware of it, you get used to the steering pretty quickly.

Now, what I’m wondering is if this was a deliberate decision by Jeep engineers. I wonder if they’ve done research and found that a significant percentage of owners fit suspension lift kits and steering dampers, so the wheel caster in the Wrangler has been designed in such a way to accommodate those things.

I’m not trying to apologise for the Wrangler or explain its oddities away, but I did have the same thought with the Gladiator’s breakover angle. Are these cars being made with the idea that most will have big tyres and suspension kits slapped on as soon as they leave the dealership lot? If Instagram is anything to go by, that’s certainly the case in the US.

It also took me a little while to click with the new turbocharged engine. Driving in a relaxed fashion, the powertrain felt a little outdated. The automatic was oftentimes slow to react – getting caught out in the wrong gear when I needed to go for a gap – while the engine displayed some turbo lag on take-off.

The previous V6 was a bit of a wheezy old unit that didn’t do much unless you gave it a good kick in the guts, but it was smooth. Driving slowly, the new four-cylinder doesn’t match the V6 in that way. I was also doubting whether the 200kW and 400Nm were real numbers.

Then I began turning the wick up, so to speak, and that’s where the powertrain really begins to make more sense. If you like to drive at six-tenths everywhere, the turbocharged Wrangler is eager and ready to be your ride-or-die.

Again, it’s one of those odd tuning decisions by Jeep that makes me wonder if there’s just one dude named Chad in the engineering department who only sets up these cars to suit his personal driving style and the modifications he’s going to make.

But once you start to drive like Chad – applying a level of aggressiveness that won’t quite have other road users calling the police, but may have the monocle fall off the face of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class driver you just blasted past – the Wrangler really comes into its own. It’s surprisingly swift when you need it to be.

Remember though, this thing is on aggressive off-road tyres, has a short wheelbase, and uses a long steering ratio with front wheels that don’t want to return to centre. This isn’t like getting into a Volkswagen Golf R, which you can drive quickly with fists like ham hocks, and the thing will look after you no matter what. What I'm saying is, be safe, please.

While I didn’t get a chance to take the Wrangler off-road, the V6-powered Gladiator I had before was extremely capable. With the eagerness of that turbocharged engine, it has me dreaming of an empty beach or open field. Nobody talks about them in the same breath, but I suspect the Wrangler would be just as fun to attack a desert in as a Ford Ranger Raptor – perhaps even more so.

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

In mid-2025, Jeep slimmed down the Wrangler lineup, dropping the more affordable Sport S and Overland trims, while lowering the price of the feature-packed Rubicon.

2026 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• 32-inch off-road tyres
• LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Gorilla glass windscreen
• Acoustic laminated front door glass
• Rock-Trac four-wheel drive
• Four skid plates
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Forward-facing TrailCam
• 12-way power-adjustable front driver's seat with 4-way lumbar
• Heated front seats
• Nappa leather upholstery
• Tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment
• 240-amp alternator
• Auxiliary switch bank

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Jeep Wrangler safe?

All Jeep Wrangler vehicles built after January 1, 2026 are unrated by ANCAP, with the previous three-star score from 2019 expiring after six years.

The Jeep Wrangler comes with the following safety features:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Front and front-side airbags
• First- and second-row side curtain airbags
• Rear seat reminder
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Jeep Wrangler cost to run?

The Jeep Wrangler has service intervals of 12 months or 12,000km – whichever comes first – which is better than the 12-month/10,000km intervals of many Toyota off-road models, but not as good as the 12-month/15,000km intervals offered with a wide selection of other off-road vehicles.

However, all annual logbook services are capped at $399 through Jeep's dealership network.

As with the rest of the Jeep range, the Wrangler gets a five-year warranty – though that expires at the 100,000km mark, while many rivals offer longer warranty periods with unlimited mileage.

To see how the Jeep Wrangler lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s take on the Jeep Wrangler

I’d just stepped out of a Leapmotor C10 electric SUV before I jumped into the Jeep Wrangler – both being products related to Jeep parent company Stellantis – and it’s hard to imagine two cars with more polar philosophies. Just something that struck me at the time.

I had a similar experience with the Wrangler as I had with its bigger pickup sibling, the Gladiator. It both impressed and perplexed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined, but really endeared itself to me by the time I had to hand back the keys.

Most of the time, the powertrain felt like it wasn’t it – along with the ergonomics, the vibration of the knobbly off-road tyres at walking speed, the pirate-ship steering…

But then when you pull all the levers in just the right way – in terms of how you approach and transact with the Wrangler – everything clicks into place. It all suddenly makes sense.

Now, some people may find the Jeep suits them perfectly from the get-go, but for everyone else it’ll be up to you to adapt to the car to get the most out of it. It would be very easy to walk away from the Jeep after a quick drive with some less-than-positive thoughts.

Then there’s the price tag of $82,000. There are a whole lot of vehicles available for that kind of money, but none of them will offer you the off-road capability, the easy parking maneuverability, or the targa-top convertible experience the Wrangler does. It’s in a class of its own, built for those who want something more from life than the mundane.

They don’t come along often, but the Wrangler is a perfect example of a car that is more than its brochure. There are so many dimensions to this thing, and it takes a good while to get to know them.

After my time with the Wrangler, I found it had this confident, flawed character about it, which for some will be a big turn-off. For others – like me – it’s a beguiling vehicle. The type you wouldn’t recommend to anyone you liked, but you’d buy for yourself in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself.

Here's to another 30 years.

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