2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon: Double duty family fun
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is so true to its roots, that I have to spend time in one every chance I get. We all have those things in life that we love so much that we just can’t get enough of, despite their failings. In some consumer’s eyes, a vehicle like the Rubicon has lots of flaws. We’ll just let those folks continue to drive their beige hybrid while we get on with enjoying life.
If I said I loved everything about the WU, I would be telling a minor untruth. The reality is that the fuel economy is a bit rough with gas prices being what they are these days. That said, we acheived 14.8 l/100km in our week with the Rubi and that included an afternoon in low range. Not too bad, all things considered.
The only other thing I had issues with is that it is the only manual transmission vehicle that I have stalled almost every time I’ve driven one. This time, I figured out why. The Rubicon has a feature called Hill Start Assist, which applies the brakes when the truck is stopped on a hill and the clutch is released. This is to prevent one from rolling backwards on a hill. A neat feature, but in this case a bit too aggressive. I tend to use very little throttle when I leave a stop, which might explain the super long life I typically get from a clutch. That light touch however is not enough to trigger the HSA to release the brakes. As a result, the engine stalls. This time, the best one was when I stalled it in front of our daughter’s high school. Real smooth Dad. Fortunately, this feature can be disabled.
[nggallery id=86]Beyond that, I unapologetically love everything about the Jeep-est of the Jeeps. This is only my second video review and my editing skills still need more than a little polishing, so be gentle! Also, our first time with a new wireless microphone. It seems it was a bit more windy than I thought.