Welp, Boredom Hit! Time for a Change...

October 23, 2024

Back in April, I sold my lifted Lexus LX570 and purchased my new-to-me Lexus GX470. I made that decision because I preferred the small size of the GX over the LX for daily use. For the full read on why I made that decision and the details of the GX, check my post here.

Change Can be Unexpected

We all acknowledge that I am a Toyota fanboy, but as we know I also appreciate modern engineering. For example, part of the reason that I love the new Toyota Land Cruiser is the hybrid powertrain while a lot of other people hate this aspect because its not a naturally-aspirated (NA) V8. I even wrote an entire post on the new Land Cruiser and its mechanical clone the sixth generation Toyota 4Runner just talking about how it is the logical next step in my daily driver lineage. 

In September, Risa (my wife) and I took a trip with a couple of friends (including Jake from the Cannonball Run series) to Jackson, WY. Our trip consisted of exploring Jackson, downhill mountain biking, e-biking through Grand Tetons National Park and driving around Yellowstone. Here were a few pictures from that trip:

We knew that we would need a rental car while we were in Jackson, but obviously you never know what you're going to get. We ended up renting a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the 4xE powertrain; I honestly knew nothing of the 4xE prior to this. I pulled out of the parking lot and floored it (just as I would do in any rental car) to see what it would do. My expectation versus reality were VERY different as it pulled like a freight train throwing everyone back in their seats. We were all shocked...

Immediately, Jake and I started researching power specifications and information on the Wrangler 4xE to find out that it comes with a mind-boggling 375HP and 470ft/lbs of torque achieving a 0-60 time of just over 5 seconds in a stock vehicle with locking differentials... For context on those numbers:

• Same amount of torque as the Wrangler 392
• Faster 0-60 than my 2.5L engine-swapped NC Miata
• Arguably more capable off-road than than my lifted GX470

We drove our rental Wrangler for the 5 days that we were Jackson. This included some mild off-road use and a long road trip (8 hours) through Yellowstone. We were surprised at how comfortable it was, quiet it was (for a car where the roof comes off), and how powerful it was all while achieving 28+ miles/gallon (MPG)... I left that trip saying that I wanted a Wrangler Rubicon 4xE.

The Search Begins

Before the search officially began, I did have to perform an inaugural (and final) run in my GX470 to make sure I actually wanted to change and push its capability off-road. Needless to say, I was impressed pushing it but for the first time really opened by eyes to wanting to try something different (further emphasizing a shift to the Wrangler). Here were a few pictures from that trip:

And after a SUPER thorough wash...

Upon arriving home from that off-road trip I began researching. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I will just buy it without doing research. I understood power figures as stated above, but wanted to understand how the powertrain worked and the common issues associated with it (it's a Stellantis product, so surely there are issues). Here is some of my research:

• 4xE powertrain is a plug-in hybrid that is able to operate as a full EV (electric vehicle) or mild hybrid system.
• When operating as an EV, there are 20 to 25 miles of charge if the battery is at 100%. The battery can be charged in 3 ways:
• Plug-in to a wall either 110V or 220V. 110V takes 12 hours for full charge, while 220V takes ~2 hours.
• Brake regeneration. While you brake, it will charge the battery albeit VERY slowly
• E-Save mode uses the engine as a generator to charge the battery. E-Save mode can be configured to either save the charge in the battery for later or use the engine as the generator.
• The gasoline side of the powertrain is the 2.0L turbo engine that is offered as an option in other Wranglers
• The electric motor of the  drivetrain is between the engine and transmission. This means that in full EV mode, the transmission does shift like a normal vehicle
• Running out of charge (0% on battery) does NOT mean this vehicle has reduced power; it just can't run in full EV mode until sufficiently recharged.

As far as issues were concerned (as of August 2024), there were a few isolated issues within the forums but nothing was major and there were no recalls to speak of. I knew that if I was going to pull the trigger I would want the lowest mileage with an extended warranty to make sure I wasn't liable for repairing complex issues that this Wrangler could potentially present. Here was my defined criteria:

• 2022+ (didn't want 2021 as it was initial model year)
• 4xE powertrain
• Rubicon (comes with lift and lockers)
• As few miles as possible
• Sub-$40,0000

Within a few short days of starting to look, I ran across this Wrangler locally from a Private Seller. It was a 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xE Rubicon with 9,000 miles and a CarMax warranty (purchased by current owner) to 75,000 miles. The seller was asking $39,900 (nearly half of original MSRP).

Risa went with me to go look at it and neither of us could find a single flaw or issue with the Wrangler. In case you were wondering how a nearly new vehicle came from CarMax; the owner had purchased the Wrangler from CarMax with 277 miles and had purchased the warranty on top of the manufacturer warranty. Being double-covered under warranty and given the condition, we decided to purchase for $39,500. Here were some more pictures of it:

Within a couple of days of the Wrangler purchase, one of my other best friends purchased the GX meaning I get to continue to see it for years to come (thank god, because I do love the GX).

What I've Done & What's Next

The first thing I had to do was figure out a way to mount my phone. Unlike the GX, I don't need the iPad anymore but I do need a way to have it up and mounted. I found this for about $30 on Amazon specifically for the 4xE and purchased immediately (great purchase).

The next issue was a bit larger... Driving the Jeep with the soft top is like driving a giant Miata as its VERY loud rendering it pretty bad for daily use and extended drives (30 minutes or more). A hard top was required. 

After a few days of searching Facebook Marketplace, I found a "good" example (some scratches and scuffs) of a hardtop for a grand total of $450 delivered (individual I bought from was a mover and the person he was moving that day didn't need the hard top anymore, so they gave it to him to sell). Here it was once we moved it into the garage:

Now I had to figure out how to store and mount it, so I started doing research. I did some measuring and found that my garage is tall enough to support the hard top above the garage door, so I decided to go with a winch-type hoist system mounted on the ceiling allowing it to drop onto the Jeep with just the click of a button. Here is the winch that I went with ($60 on Amazon).

As for the mounting points (turns out soft tops don't actually come with these from the factory), I found these on Amazon for $40.

Buying things is the easy part; execution is a bit harder. The hard top weighs approximately 150lbs and the winch weighs about 30lbs. I wanted to make this mount a bit overkill, so I mounted a piece of uni-strut into a couple of studs with 4 lag bolts. The winch was mounted onto the uni-strut and plugged into the same outlet as the garage door (worked out perfectly). Here was the final product:

Now for the transformation shots:

And after getting the hardtop on and mounted successfully, I went and took what may be the best automotive photos I've ever taken.

In the few days the hard top has been mounted, I have to credit it with a significant reduction in noise and far better daily-ability. I do miss the ease of putting the soft top down though... Guess its a good thing that I have both tops and I can learn to swap them in 20 minutes like this guy!

As for next steps, I want to test the Wrangler's capability out. I do not expect to lift or go crazy due to warranty concerns and desire to maintain road manners (solid front axle definitely takes getting used to). My next mods will include a hitch, roof rack for the hard top, and probably 35's when the stock BFGoodrich 33" KO2's give out. Aside from that I am very happy with the purchase and overall driving dynamics. It is amazing how far the Wrangler has come from being a toy to being a vehicle that truly can be driven every day without suffering.

I purchased this Wrangler 3 weeks prior to the currently issued 4xE recall and I am impacted. If you want to read about that recall, please reference here. I am following guidelines to not charge/park outside, but I will not be posting anything negative as mistakes happen (even with Toyota). I will note other issues that I have with the vehicle during my ownership.