Rubicon Trail is a legendary California trail, a true shrine for American jeepers and a kind of testing ground for almost all off-road vehicles. This narrow path, densely strewn with huge boulders, sharply climbs from the valley to the man-made Lake Loon Lake, and not every standard SUV is able to conquer it. It is not hard to guess that the trim level name directly hints at the vehicle's full combat readiness to conquer the Rubicon Trail.
TRUE TO TRADITIONS
When I picked up the car for the test, it was drizzling, and the thermometer showed minus three, so the car quickly became covered with an icy crust. While the engine was warming up, I inspected the interior. Yes, since I sold my last faithful Wrangler YJ, these cars have come a long way! The trim has become richer, and the driver's seat is noticeably more comfortable. But the essence of the car remains the same. Only instead of a lever under the steering wheel, the automatic transmission selector is now located between the seats. And otherwise — no electric mirror adjustments, no climate control, no power seats. A real man's car. And most importantly, it is still a "transformer": the roof and doors are completely removable, leaving you alone with the elements. However, it's time to hit the road: the engine has not yet reached operating temperature, but the windows have already thawed — the Wrangler has always been famous for its excellent heater.
TWO FEET – TWO PEDALS
On the highway, I was surprised by excellent directional stability. Oh yes, this is the five-door version with a longer wheelbase. And during parking maneuvers, I didn't even notice it — maneuverability remained almost like that of the short Jeep. How pleasant it is to drive in the city with a good automatic transmission! And, of course, with a powerful gasoline engine. Press the gas — and you're already ahead. No need to wait for the engine to rev up or push through kickdown. Press the right pedal halfway — and you're already far away.
MIRACLE BUMPER
Oh, these passive safety standards! Because of them, SUV bumpers have acquired a completely ugly appearance. This trend did not bypass Jeep either — the Wrangler acquired a protruding additional "nose". But American engineers found a benefit here too. Old Wranglers were not respected on the road. But this one, with its ominous "beak" with fog lights glinting unkindly, looks much more solid... And what about the overhang? The clever shape of the lower part of the front bumper helped partially avoid negative consequences off-road — thanks to it, the approach angle hardly had to be sacrificed.
JEEP – THERE IS ONLY ONE!
Yes, the Rubicon trim is truly powerful. Many people spend a lot of money and time preparing expedition vehicles in tuning shops. But here, everything is already available in a production car. We drive in rear-wheel drive where recently tested crossovers couldn't go at all. What's more, we don't engage four-wheel drive in places where we crawled on a lifted Cherokee in low range. The stock 31-inch tires allow even the long-wheelbase vehicle to easily pass through gullies, and the automatic rear differential lock prevents it from sagging when the wheels are articulated. We switch to off-road mode — to do this, it's enough to engage four-wheel drive and press the button to disconnect the front anti-roll bar. The ride becomes soft and at the same time elastic. And our heads stop swaying like Chinese bobbleheads. I wonder what it can do in low range and with wheel locks? I couldn't resist a small jeep trial on the motocross track. Both differential locks are engaged with the same button. Sequentially. First the rear, then the front. They disengage in reverse order. With the front stabilizer disconnected and the differentials locked, the car can compete worthily with prepared trial vehicles in the "standard" class. And if you get your hands dirty and simply unbolt the rear anti-roll bar? Then articulation should become simply fantastic. I remember preparing my old leaf-spring Wrangler that way: you just unbolt the Panhard rods and stabilizers and get a completely different vehicle with huge suspension travel and axle articulation. And here, locks are already available, and for 33-inch tires, a minimal lift is needed (2.5 inches will suffice). The stock Rubicon protection is quite sufficient. The automatic transmission and transfer case are covered by a sturdy structure. The fuel tank protection is so strong that the designers were not afraid to attach the transfer case protection directly to it. But the evaporative emissions absorber from the fuel tank was cynically left unprotected under the belly by the Americans — it won't affect top speed or off-road capability anyway if it falls off.
SPECS: JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON UNLIMITED
The main quality of a real Jeep Wrangler is the ability to drive without a roof and doors. Haven't tried it? Well, then you simply can't understand this thrill. You can say thousands of words about it — and explain nothing. You just need to try it once. The intoxicating wind of freedom, the smells of nature, the sun overhead. A sideways glance: and the ground is right there — you can touch it with your hands! All sounds from the car disappear except the roar of the engine — the Jeep becomes as quiet as the best limousines. Complete unity with nature. The visibility is simply amazing, especially if you remember to fold down the windshield along with its frame. And in case of bad weather, you can raise the canopy, which is neatly packed in the trunk. There are also many options for installing the canopy — you don't have to seal the car completely; in most cases, it's enough to just stretch one top, without side panels. I could talk about this endlessly...
After driving the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited for just a few days, I realized that it is exactly the car of my dreams. And no special tuning is needed — you just get behind the wheel and go wherever you want. Install a winch and appropriate tires — that's all the investment. For hunting, expeditions, just for fun, and even for amateur competitions. Yes, I fully understand John Stack, the head of Chrysler's representative office in Russia — because it was his Rubicon we were driving.
