The Wrangler's center tunnel is home to two shifters: one for the transmission (either a five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox) and another for the 4WD system.
A 2WD mode optimizes efficiency for on-road performance, but users can also select between two 4WD modes (with low and high gear ratios) for maximizing off-road grip.
At the push of a button, users can lock the front, rear, or both differentials. There's also an electronic anti-sway bar that can be disengaged to increase individual wheel articulation over extremely uneven surfaces.
The driver can easily remove one or both of the front roof panels in seconds. The entire roof can be popped off by two adults after removing a few bolts.
For what it's worth, the Wrangler Rubicon's interior does look nice. Many of the dashboard bits have been upgraded with soft-touch materials, but overall it's still pretty plasticky.
Instrumentation is simple, but a small monochromatic LCD below the speedometer can be used to display a digital compass and thermometer. The tachometer features green color coding to indicate the "green" driving zone and a small ECO light.
Dashboard mounted tweeters, and four mid-range speakers on the lower dash and roll cage perform valiantly, but are ultimately overwhelmed by bass and road noise without a bit of EQ tweaking.
The steering wheel is comfortable, which is good because you'll be gripping it in fear when a crosswind gets the Wrangler rocking and swaying at highway speeds.
The optional Uconnect system really should be standard and adds hands-free calling with voice dialing, Bluetooth Audio streaming, and USB connectivity for MP3 playback.
