Jeep Wrangler 2021 review: Overland four-door

Like a proper Jeep, the new Wrangler has stayed true to its roots with that signature shape, the rough and ready fixtures like the giant tyres, the spare tyre on the back, the square front with grille and huge bumpers. It looks like it means business, but in a fresh and modern way, with updated accents throughout. 

Inside the car has also been updated, and while it still looks classic, it feels quite luxe inside. There are leather seats, a leather steering wheel and leather gear shifter. It’s got aluminium interior door handles and trims which makes things feel premium.

But while there are some digital concessions like the multimedia screen, there are still analog dials in the instrument pod in front of the steering wheel to keep that old-school feeling alive. 

There are some digital concessions with the multimedia screen.

It’s been designed really well with a blend of old and new, and while it certainly hasn’t gone anywhere near as far as the new Land Rover Defender in terms of technology and moving into 2021, it does feel slightly more modern than its predecessor. Of course, you feel great driving it on the road, you’re in a Wrangler. 

Here’s where the old/new design has some drawbacks. Because yes, the design looks great, but is it the most practical? Not at all.

We don’t design cars this way anymore because we’ve figured out ways to make them more practical. That’s not to say the Wrangler is unusable, it’s just not as easy to use as other, regular cars. But they aren’t as fun, so take your pick here on what’s more important to you.

The doors are quite small, so if you're large, getting in and out won’t be easy.

The doors are quite small, so if you're large, getting in and out won’t be easy. There is a step so you can climb up into the car that my kids loved.

The window controls are on the centre console, just under the multimedia screen, which I found very strange. I’m sure you’d get used to this after, like, a year, but even a week wasn’t enough to get used to it for me. The front seats on this model are manually adjustable. 

Now for the fun bits. There is a completely open sunroof, and the roof comes off all together, as well as the doors for a totally open ride. But you'll have to pick your time and place carefully.

The Jeep Wrangler Overland features a completely open sunroof.

Note, I did not do this, mainly because it's not legal to drive on Australian roads with the doors removed (they take the exterior mirrors with them). 

Besides all the open-air possibilities, the Jeep Wrangler is also a fun car to drive. It zips around with the agility of a much smaller car, and even the turning circle is small for this size vehicle.

The Jeep Wrangler is also a fun car to drive.

It’s quick off the mark and zooms forward with a slight push on the accelerator, and handles well around corners. The steering is easy to turn and doesn’t feel heavy, either. 

There’s a 3.6L V6 engine which means it has enough power to go uphill quickly and I felt completely comfortable overtaking on highways. 

There’s a 3.6L V6 engine which means it has enough power to go uphill quickly.

I didn’t take it off-road this week, I stayed around suburbia, but it’s more than capable of going off-road and you can read a more detailed review on this in the CarsGuide Adventure section.

Parking is quite good with the small turning circle and there is a good reverse parking camera with guidelines to help direct you into the park.

The Jeep Wranger Overland has auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross path detection and rear parking assist.

There are four airbags (two front, two side seat). You’ll find two ISOFIX points and three top tether points for kids car seats to fit in safely.

The Jeep Wrangler costs $65,950 before on road costs and extras. Fuel consumption is a claimed 9.7L/100km and I averaged 10.9L/100km driving mostly around suburbia with some highway driving. 

The Jeep Wrangler costs $65,950 before on road costs and extras.

It’s covered by Jeep’s five year/100,000km (whichever comes first) warranty.