Our Week in the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - REVIEW

In my quiet moments, I picture sitting on an outcrop atop a lofty hill, a flask of coffee in one hand and a ham and cheese baguette in the other. A slightly mucky Wrangler Rubicon lurks slightly out of focus in the background. My rocky perch is gently lit by the sun rising gracefully over my remote campsite, and I am completely alone. I’ve cooked eggs and bacon over an open fire, and there is no mobile signal to interrupt my quietly-cloistered breakfast.

I don’t do one person tents, or indeed any tents. If pushed, a 4-person tent provides some level of personal comfort to this non-camper, otherwise the campest thing I do is dance to ABBA when drunk.

The track to this idyl of bucolic bliss is a little-used one, passable only by a vehicle capable of crossing continents in a single bound.

Now I have your attention: I’ve set a scene that buyers have in mind when they wander into a Jeep showroom, right?

What they actually get is a dreary commute in hideous peak hour traffic. A weekly shop is a highlight, and the only thing to prevent an attack of the vapours is an Ambient Music playlist you’ve saved on spotify. Cities are not conducive to conducting cosy campfire conversations, but it is what we all seem to yearn for.

Video Review: 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon FULL REVIEW- GayCarBoys review – Alan Zurvas

Video Review: Why My 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is the Best Gay Car Mini Review

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Heading out of town:

To that end, we 4 headed out on the big road north. The late getaway saw the sun slipping below the distant mountains as memories of city traffic became a dim, dark, whisp in the rearview mirror.

Ethan was driving, and since the driver gets to connect to CarPlay, we were all thankful he is no longer into self-help podcasts. However, 80’s rock is so wearing on shattered nerves that Max pulled the plug in a single deft movement, and that was that.

Ethan is a driver who longs for a 3^rd pedal and notchy set of gears, but not on this drive. The 8-speed automatic, a big lazy V6, and animated chatter, made cruising the open road a pleasure. We were once again heading into the valley for a weekend of rest, wine, and car-critique.

We’ve made ourselves at home over the last few years, gradually building supplies of essentials at The Cottages. We’ve developed suitable wardrobes in our favourite lodgings, so that all the car needs is to have food and delicious drinks on board.

Casper made road snacks, and beers, ginger beers of course. The only time we stop is the 45-minute timer signalling a driver change and potty break.

While the highway is fairly smooth, the choppy road into town is a different matter. Wrangler Rubicon soon displays her staunch off-road credentials by jiggling our bits that shouldn’t be jiggled. You thank yourself later where those same credentials get the Jeep out of sticky situations. There is a careful balance between road and goat track that all 4×4 designs must tread. Wrangler Rubiconis is happiest off-piste , so tends more to dirt tracks than cobbled street, comfort-wise.

See Specifications and Buyer’s guide HERE:jeep-wrangler-my23-buyers-guide-may-2023

Once through the village, it is only a short distance to the gaggle of quaint Cottages set in a quiet corner of the vineyard. The compound now has its own entrance, a gravelled drive that winds for well over 800m through rocky terrain, and is best taken at an easy pace.

Later, we sat around the fire pit, drinking wine while digging in to one of Casper’s famous pastas.

I gave each of the boys a Wrangler Rubicon subject on which to elucidate:

Casper:

Looks:

Wrangler Rubicon makes me happy. When I think of a 4×4, I think Wrangler. Our 4-door has a brilliant roof with central retracting canvas section, a huge sunroof if you will. We contemplated taking the roof and doors off just to see what it looks like, but decided looking at photos from an earlier story took less time.

The Rubicon costs 90 grand, and we were reluctant to take it “up the back passage,” a track known for land slides and rock falls. The 4×4 track would not stress the Wrangler, but it certainly wouldn’t do much for our nerves, and is best left alone when in someone else’s car, right?

Wrangler Rubicon is rugged, and looks the part. It makes every gay boy feel like a king, or queen.

Wrangler Rubicon looks how every rugged off-roader should look: plenty of ground clearance, and the recovery points that could haul a bus out of a bog.

Travis:

I used to drive a RAM, so Wrangler Rubicon feels like a baby compared to that big, butch, monster truck. Wrangler Rubicon handles better, is easier to park in town, is lighter when off-road, and will take 4 adults in comfort, or 5 at a pinch. There is plenty of space for gear too, and the household outlet in the second row comes in handy for personal appliances.

Switches and controls do exactly what they say they do, and the U-Connect system has wired CarPlay. The 2024 Wrangler Rubicon gets U-Connect 5 which has a bigger screen and wireless CarPlay.

Even though there are cool rubber floor mats with a map of the Rubicon Trail embossed on them, I just couldn’t see the interior bedeviled with schmutz.

Jeep has cleverly modernised Wrangler Rubicon while still keeping spirit of the original on show inside and out. This is one of the few cars that looks good with analogue driver dials, but I’d still like Grand Cherokee’s LCD set-up instead. Maybe jeep could give it a vintage twist.

See Specifications and Buyer’s guide HERE:jeep-wrangler-my23-buyers-guide-may-2023

With the roof and doors off, the windscreen hinged forward, and Wrangler Rubicon open to nature, passengers feel part of the environment. Removing the parts requires an eager helper, but once off, that’s that. The world’s weather is now on “Shuffle”, and New South Wales is taking 4-seaons-in-a-day literally. This week saw near 40c, then 20 degrees cooler next day. We’ve had sunny and rainy, wind then calm, all topped off by the occasional Arctic blow. With the roof on, you could hear the patter of rain overhead, and I like that. Once off, the roof and doors stay at home and if it rains you get wet.

Max:

I write this while nibbling the last of Casper’s smoked salmon blini, washed down with a glass of cabernet.

Normally I meet the boys here at the Cottages, a compound of rescued local worker’s residences. This week however, I caught a lift up from the city. You’ve often heard us mention The Cottages. We repurposed them a few years ago with the intention of renting them at weekends, but they’ve become off-grid second homes for a dozen wayward Sydneysiders. We sit around the fire pit at night, fixing the world’s woes over vats of local wine.

On the subject of the Jeep, we’ve enjoyed decent ride and a well-appointed cabin. Wrangler Rubicon is the gay poster boy for the iconic sunny summer holiday. It means beach, sand, mud, tents, trails, but most of all,fabulous company.

The road manners are passable, but off-road, few can better Wrangler’s grip and trick “disconnecting sway bar”. You can balance it delicately on 2 wheels, gently bringing it down on the 3^rd as you crawl down a rocky outcrop. Nothing breaks Jeep into a nervous dyspepsia

SUVs have their place, but a proper 4×4 needs low range, enough ground clearance for tough stuff, and a fuel tank that doesn’t need big hugs every 200km. Wrangler Rubicon is a proper 4×4 in spades.

Alan:

Wrangler Rubicon makes me happy. Wrangler Rubicon is “Jeep”, and is what it means to be properly outdoorsy. It is capable without being precious, and can go anywhere its owner desires.

It doesn’t pretend to be luxurious, or a city car, or thrifty, or a tourer, or a sports car. What you see is exactly what you get.

You don’t think Wrangler Rubicon will be easy to park, but it is. You can cope with peak our traffic, while highway mode includes radar cruise and blind spot monitor. There is no silly frippery to distract the passengers. Everything is there for a reason.

See Specifications and Buyer’s guide HERE:jeep-wrangler-my23-buyers-guide-may-2023

Converting to a fully open 5-seat off-roader takes 2 people, but once the parts are lifted off, they stay where ever you put them. In preference to the 3-part removeable roof, the fabric roof is retractable, running on side rails from front to back, yet the whole thing can still be taken off.

Wrangler Rubicon is as good as 2 tonnes, so don’t expect the V6 Pentastar to be thrifty. I’ll say no more on the subject.

Comfort brings nature inside without feeling as if it has intruded. Importantly, no matter where you decide to go, Wrangler Rubicon will accompany you, like an old mate.

Conclusion:

If I’m honest, I’d wait for the 2024 Wrangler, I quite fancy U-Connect 5.

As it is, the big Jeep is butch without being Mr. Boastypants. It makes no apologies, but it is not for everyone. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has stayed on the “favourite Gay Car Boys top 10” list for good reason.

Price: $90,450