Hi peeps! The Jeep needed an oil change today so I figured do a little reconnaissance while I’m waiting. I called sales on Saturday. Said I’m coming in Tuesday at 10. I would like to drive a Wrangler with a one touch sky roof (closest thing to a cabana roof out there that I can think of) and I would like to drive a 4xe as I have never driven an electric hybrid. (I know it’s not an EREV but again it’s an electric hybrid and it will give me kind of the idea). Also wanted to get in a Wrangler with 35s to see how much different it is climbing into it. I currently have 33s on my Wrangler.
I specifically said I want to try the 4xe in all three modes. Gas only, EV only and hybrid mode where it decides.
They said sure, we will put you with Don. He’s very experienced and we will make sure he has the vehicles ready to go and the 4xe will be charged to 100% and he will meet you in service.
Welp, I’m sure you can all guess that things did not go as they said.
Got to service. No Don waiting for me with a vehicle ready to go. Had to go find Don. He asked what I was looking for. Told him exactly what I have in text messages with the manager who said Don would be ready for me. He then had to go to his computer to look up and see if they had what I was looking for.
He found a new Wrangler with 33s with the sky roof. A Rubicon with 35s. One used 4xe. Sure, great let’s go drive. Go out to the 4xe and he checks the battery. Completely dead. Of course.
I said okay let’s test drive the Wrangler with the roof and you can charge the 4xe. Great, off he goes to plug it in.
I then get in the Wrangler with the 33s with the Sky one touch roof. It’s almost empty. Has 17 miles left in the tank. At this point, whatever, let’s just drive it. So I drove out about 5 miles with the roof closed and 5 miles back with the roof open. The roof is black. It was quiet in the cabin while closed. Quieter than I thought it would be. I have something called a ClearLidz on my Wrangler. So a plexiglass roof above the driver and passenger seat and I love that open feeling. I wanted to drive with the roof open to see if I prefer that. Nope. It’s too dark inside with the roof closed. I’m driving in a cave and with it open my hair is blowing around and I don’t like it. So I’m solid in my glass roof decision. Check done.
Next, got into a Rubicon with rock sliders and 35s. No step. It did have a grab handle on the A pillar. It’s doable but it’s definitely more of a hike your hip up and pull yourself in. I really want to see a Traveler on 33s with an 18 inch wheel. If it looks as good as I think it’s going to, as much as I want 35s, for range saving, cost savings on new tires and ease of entry I may stick with 33s like I have now.
So then we go to the 4xe that’s been charging for about 15 to 20 minutes by now. It’s at 16% or 4 miles!! With that low of a range it won’t let you put it in EV only. He said it would have to get to 25 to 30% before it would allow EV only. I didn’t want to wait that long so I said let’s just drive it. In hybrid mode that car will flip back and forth. Below 30 mph and at lower rpm it will stay EV. Then at over 30
And higher rpm gas. It was a smooth transition. I couldn’t tell when it was switching back and forth. It was a very smooth transition. The EV was very quiet. You could definitely hear the tire noise more than you can in an ICE vehicle. It does have some regen braking and I could feel that. It felt like our Supra in sport mode when it’s slowing itself down. In our 15 minute test drive it used 2 miles of EV range. I did put it in all gas mode and you have that normal engine noise I am used to.
All this to say I’m glad I’m not getting a Wrangler. Love mine but don’t want a new one. No point. It’s not an upgrade to me. It’s just slightly better than what I have. There is no way I would buy a 4xe. It makes no sense. He said in perfect weather you are 60 to 70 miles of EV range and it takes all night to charge on Lv2. And the total range was under 300 miles because the gas tank is smaller to fit the battery. I get more range than that in my ICE Wrangler with an 18 gallon tank.
So I have made some more decisions and am still thinking about others.
1. Definitely glass roof. I love that thing.
2. Still unsure about 35s. 33 is probably where I will end up. I just really want to see one on 33s.
3. Most importantly. I even more am leaning towards a BEV. If I’m already plugging in and charging and for 90% of my trips the range is more than sufficient for around town, why do I need the Harvester? At this point, if I had to pick today BEV is where I would go.
I will post some pictures below.
I specifically said I want to try the 4xe in all three modes. Gas only, EV only and hybrid mode where it decides.
They said sure, we will put you with Don. He’s very experienced and we will make sure he has the vehicles ready to go and the 4xe will be charged to 100% and he will meet you in service.
Welp, I’m sure you can all guess that things did not go as they said.
Got to service. No Don waiting for me with a vehicle ready to go. Had to go find Don. He asked what I was looking for. Told him exactly what I have in text messages with the manager who said Don would be ready for me. He then had to go to his computer to look up and see if they had what I was looking for.
He found a new Wrangler with 33s with the sky roof. A Rubicon with 35s. One used 4xe. Sure, great let’s go drive. Go out to the 4xe and he checks the battery. Completely dead. Of course.
I said okay let’s test drive the Wrangler with the roof and you can charge the 4xe. Great, off he goes to plug it in.
I then get in the Wrangler with the 33s with the Sky one touch roof. It’s almost empty. Has 17 miles left in the tank. At this point, whatever, let’s just drive it. So I drove out about 5 miles with the roof closed and 5 miles back with the roof open. The roof is black. It was quiet in the cabin while closed. Quieter than I thought it would be. I have something called a ClearLidz on my Wrangler. So a plexiglass roof above the driver and passenger seat and I love that open feeling. I wanted to drive with the roof open to see if I prefer that. Nope. It’s too dark inside with the roof closed. I’m driving in a cave and with it open my hair is blowing around and I don’t like it. So I’m solid in my glass roof decision. Check done.
Next, got into a Rubicon with rock sliders and 35s. No step. It did have a grab handle on the A pillar. It’s doable but it’s definitely more of a hike your hip up and pull yourself in. I really want to see a Traveler on 33s with an 18 inch wheel. If it looks as good as I think it’s going to, as much as I want 35s, for range saving, cost savings on new tires and ease of entry I may stick with 33s like I have now.
So then we go to the 4xe that’s been charging for about 15 to 20 minutes by now. It’s at 16% or 4 miles!! With that low of a range it won’t let you put it in EV only. He said it would have to get to 25 to 30% before it would allow EV only. I didn’t want to wait that long so I said let’s just drive it. In hybrid mode that car will flip back and forth. Below 30 mph and at lower rpm it will stay EV. Then at over 30
And higher rpm gas. It was a smooth transition. I couldn’t tell when it was switching back and forth. It was a very smooth transition. The EV was very quiet. You could definitely hear the tire noise more than you can in an ICE vehicle. It does have some regen braking and I could feel that. It felt like our Supra in sport mode when it’s slowing itself down. In our 15 minute test drive it used 2 miles of EV range. I did put it in all gas mode and you have that normal engine noise I am used to.
All this to say I’m glad I’m not getting a Wrangler. Love mine but don’t want a new one. No point. It’s not an upgrade to me. It’s just slightly better than what I have. There is no way I would buy a 4xe. It makes no sense. He said in perfect weather you are 60 to 70 miles of EV range and it takes all night to charge on Lv2. And the total range was under 300 miles because the gas tank is smaller to fit the battery. I get more range than that in my ICE Wrangler with an 18 gallon tank.
So I have made some more decisions and am still thinking about others.
1. Definitely glass roof. I love that thing.
2. Still unsure about 35s. 33 is probably where I will end up. I just really want to see one on 33s.
3. Most importantly. I even more am leaning towards a BEV. If I’m already plugging in and charging and for 90% of my trips the range is more than sufficient for around town, why do I need the Harvester? At this point, if I had to pick today BEV is where I would go.
I will post some pictures below.