The ragtop Jeep Wrangler is one of the most popular vehicles you will see driven in California. During our trip, in order to be like the cool kids, and take full advantage of the warm San Diego weather, the husband rented a brand spanking new 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport SUV.
The white, 4-door, Jeep Wrangler Sport was fitted with a black soft convertible top. The convertible top was one of the reasons we chose to rent this vehicle versus any of the other available cars on the lot. Also, our daughter loves convertibles. Any mention of convertible, Mini Me is all smiles. While in San Diego, she loved for us to roll back the top when we cruised down the San Diego highways, taking in the sun, and letting the wind blow through our hair. It made each ride enjoyable and fun. In fact, our daughter would throw her hands up in the air as we drove the California Highways.
Although having the top down on the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport was one of the “cool” things to do, it was also one of the hardest. Lots of patience is needed to separate the foldable sunroof panel from the frame. It took my husband and his friend well-over 10-minutes to get it down. This made the soft top a little less appealing. But guess who it didn’t bother? If you guessed Mini Me, you are correct. She did not mind because the top could go down; however, there were things us adults did mind.
The husband felt like driving the Jeep was akin to driving a tank. He felt the handling was stiff, and had poor turning radius. I agree. One thing we both liked about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport was how quickly it moved. We owe that to its 3.6-liter V6 engine good for 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It felt a lot better and more natural picking up speed in this versus my 2014 Chevy Equinox.
The Jeep Wrangler [Rubicon] was one of my dream vehicles. I have an affinity for SUV’s. I also love the Jeep Wrangler for its ruggedness, but I had my doubts on how practical it would be for me as someone with a family.
The 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport was surprisingly a comfortable ride. It has a roomy backseat with plenty of legroom. Our luggage fit in the trunk well without any issues. However, in order for me to consider it a great family vehicle, it needs to have a multitude of safety features, which the Jeep Wrangler Sport lacks.
Every 2016 Jeep Wrangler comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control and front airbags; however, front side airbags are optional. I did not like that the Jeep Wrangler did not have a rearview camera, and one isn’t offered. I guess with the big tire at the back, it isn’t practical having one there. Also, there are no additional parking aids. I would have liked that the Jeep Wrangler had a blind spot mirror or indicator, too. In a car crash, the soft top does not protect you should the Jeep rollover.
Although we had fun cruising in the 4-door 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport SUV while visiting places like the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and SeaWorld San Diego, we, unfortunately have to eliminate it as one of the SUVs in the running to replace our 2014 Chevy Equinox. As a family of three, with plans to expand, safety is our number one priority and concern when choosing a new vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler, in that sense just does not cut it. It’s a great car for looking cool, but we are passed that phase. We hope that in the future that the Jeep brand will add additional safety features to keep up with the times without sacrificing the ruggedness for which the Wrangler it is known.