2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4 (photos)

The Jeep Wrangler gains quite a few creature comforts and high-tech gizmos, but doesn't loose its off-road edge in the process.

Antuan Goodwin

Feb. 17, 2012 4:07 p.m. PT

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2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4

The Jeep Wrangler gains quite a few creature comforts and high-tech gizmos, but doesn't loose its off-road edge in the process.

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71 years of tradition

Jeep proudly proclaims "Since 1941" on a plate in the Jeep Wrangler's cabin. After 71 years, the iconic grille hasn't changed much.

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3.6-liter V-6

Under the Wrangler's hood breathes a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. Output is rated at 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

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Two shifters

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.

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4x4 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.

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Electronic off-road aids

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.

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Aerodynamics

The 2012 Wrangler is more aerodynamic than previous generations, but it's still a bit of a flying brick.

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Ground clearance

The short overhangs and high ground clearance help the Wrangler Rubicon to traverse almost any terrain.

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Spare tire

The full-sized, rear-mounted spare tire is a bit of a Jeep Wrangler hallmark.

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Cargo area

The rear door swings aside and the rear glass swings up to reveal the cargo area.

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Folding rear bench

There's not a ton of space behind the rear seat. Fortunately, the whole assembly folds and flips forward.

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Freedom Top

The hard plastic, three-piece Freedom Top is a $735 option.

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Removable roof

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.

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Open air

With the front roof panels removed, the Jeep becomes much more airy.

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Optional leather seats

Leather seats with heated front buckets are a $900 option that seem a bit out of place in a rugged ride with drain plugs in its floor.

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Interior

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.

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Instrumentation

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.

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Infinity audio

In the rear hatch storage area is a powered subwoofer--the star of the seven-speaker Infinity premium audio system.

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Sound quality

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.

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Steering wheel

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.

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Uconnect Bluetooth

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.

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Cruise control

Cruise control is standard on the Wrangler Rubicon, but we're sure that most of you are more interesting in hill decent and traction control.

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Media Center 130 basic receiver

The basic Media Center 130 receiver gets the job done with CD/MP3 playback. Two navigation options are available.

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110-volt power

A powered 110-volt outlet keeps your equipment and gadgets powered in the great outdoors.

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Metadata over Bluetooth

When streaming audio via Bluetooth or reading from an MP3 CD or USB device, metadata is displayed on the Media Center 130's very basic display.

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