2021 Jeep Wrangler Overland Unlimited review

I posted some pictures of the JL Wrangler Overland on social media and received a heap of responses from friends, male and female, saying Jeep’s archetypal model is their dream car.

Because I know these people, I can confidently say it’s unlikely many would engage the Wrangler in regular off-roading, so I’m keen to see how it performs as a daily driver and if it can reconcile with their aspirations.

This long-wheelbase Overland Ultimate is probably best suited to the task. It’s the most luxuriously appointed Wrangler variant and, special editions aside, the second-most expensive after the long-wheelbase Rubicon Ultimate.

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It’s easy to see why people find it so attractive. It looks cool and exudes an adventurous spirit with genuine ruggedness that oozes from the usual SUV cookie cutter.

There are downsides to the Jeep’s utilitarian nature, however, including rudimentary ride comfort and a rather poor safety rating that, as with the Ford Mustang, people are willing to overlook.

We’ll go into all that below, but first an overview.

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"When you open the roof, you feel that outdoor spirit that made you want a Wrangler in the first place."

The Wrangler range comes in five specification grades including the three-door short-wheelbase Sport S that retails for $52,750 before on-roads.

That’s followed by the five-door Willy and Night Eagle versions while, at the higher end of the range, you can select the Overland and Rubicon specs that are available in both short- and long-wheelbase versions.

The short-wheelbase Overland retails for $62,250 and brings a host of additional features over the Sport S’s standard kit including a bigger 8.4-inch touchscreen, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, nine-speaker Alpine premium audio, front parking sensors, smart keyless entry, remote start, dual-zone climate control and 230-volt power outlet.

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The long-wheelbase variant, called the Overland Unlimited, has all that plus a 549mm longer wheelbase, extra doors and roomier rear seats, which take the retail price up to $66,750.

Our test vehicle comes with a few optional extras including an electric peel-back roof ($4950), Granite Crystal paint ($745) and Trail Management System ($450), which adds adjustable tie-down points in the boot to help properly secure your gear even on very rough roads and trails.

The Wrangler Overland Unlimited is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine that’s coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission that can send power to all four wheels through a high- and low-ratio transfer case for off-road driving.

What is the Jeep Wrangler Overland Unlimited like to live with?

The Wrangler’s rugged truck-like practicality is reflected in its rudimentary ride comfort.

Its off-road-tailored suspension is brilliant in its element, but its tight springs will ensure you feel every bump on paved roads.

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It’s pretty loud too, with road and wind noise seeping through the removable hardtop, or in the case of our test vehicle the electric concertina roof.

Most people would be expecting this and it kind of adds to the fun factor of driving something as iconic as a Wrangler, especially if your previous ride was something a little blander. But it can get a little grating once the novelty wears off.

That said, on a nice day, when you open the roof, you feel that outdoor spirit that made you want a Wrangler in the first place – even when driving to the shops.

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While the Wrangler’s rugged aesthetic turns heads, it isn’t just for appearance's sake as many of its utilitarian design features do maximise off-road capability.

It's a similar story with the interior, which seems rather agricultural despite the Overland’s creature comforts such as leather-trimmed seats and contrasting stitching, juxtaposed by a floor that can be hosed down.

The front seats are comfortable and feel sturdy and supportive. There are no power settings, but it’s easy to find a good driving position now the Wrangler’s steering wheel is reach-adjustable.

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Stalks are too short and hard to reach behind the steering wheel

The driving position is compromised by the wide transmission tunnel that doesn’t let you stretch your left leg. I also found myself subconsciously twisting my hips to the left to align myself with the tapered bonnet, which got a little uncomfortable after a while.

On the plus side, the big leather-trimmed steering wheel feels good and has intuitively arranged buttons for the cruise control, audio and phone settings.

The flat dashboard looks a little truck-like but everything is laid out as you’d expect, with the exception of window buttons that are below the climate-control dials in order to simplify electrical connections with the removable doors.

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Storage space includes a deep centre console tub with a padded lid/armrest, a smallish glove box and nets attached to the door cards in lieu of door bins to better secure loose objects on rough roads.

Moving to the back seats, you’ll find a lot more space than in the short-wheelbase version but legroom is a little tight compared to other similar-sized SUVs, though there is plenty of space under the front seats in which to tuck feet.

The seats themselves feel a bit too upright, though again that is probably designed with off-road driving in mind.

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The middle seat isn’t comfortable due to the convex cushion that pushes into your back, but the shallow transmission tunnel does allow for reasonable legroom for anyone who draws the short straw.

Should you have one or two rear-seat passengers, the middle seatback folds down to become a centre armrest with cup holders.

Three children will fit okay, but it’s worth noting the Overland’s high 242mm ground clearance and narrow rear door opening can make strapping them in a bit of a chore, while making entry and egress challenging for anyone with mobility issues.

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Second-row amenities include 2 x USB and 2 x micro-USB ports, air vents, door nets, map pockets behind the front seats and two huge Alpine audio speakers embedded in the roll bar just a few centimetres from the passengers' heads.

With five seats in play, the boot space is a cavernous 897 litres and expands to 2050 litres with the seats folded down.

The Wrangler has a two-piece tailgate comprising a lower swing door and separate pull-up window. However, you can’t open the window on its own to conveniently reach in and quickly grab something because of the door-mounted spare wheel.

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If you need to carry more, the Overland Unlimited has a braked towing capacity of 2495kg, or 750kg for an unbraked trailer.

Towing is aided by the V6 petrol engine that produces 209kW peak power and 347Nm of torque. With that comes a rather greedy official combined fuel consumption rating of 9.7L/100km, and that’s without anything hitched to the tow bar.

Service intervals are 12 months or 12,000km, which isn’t much if you use the Wrangler to regularly explore the great outdoors. The good news is the first five services are each capped at $399.

The Jeep Wrangler is covered by a five-year, 100,000km warranty that includes free roadside assist.

What is the Jeep Wrangler Overland Ultimate like to drive?

The Wrangler isn’t exactly a driver's car.

Its ageing 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine does its job faithfully and the eight-speed automatic transmission responds to throttle inputs well, so the Wrangler always seems to have enough power on tap when needed.

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As well as feeling unsettled on minor road imperfections, the JL Wrangler’s suspension – solid axles at both ends, each with two upper and two lower arms linked to them – tends to rock on the springs and you don’t have to brake too hard for the nose to dip whenever you come to a stop.

The electro-hydraulic steering feels a little distant from the front axle and the wide 12.4-metre turning circle means negotiating tight spots can be a bit of a chore.

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The stock 18-inch Bridgestone Dueler tyres offer an excellent compromise between on and off-road driving; they feel at home on gravel and chew through mud really well.

At 4.9 metres in length, the long-wheelbase Wrangler can be a challenge to park. The flat nose restricts immediate front vision and it’s pretty hard to see out the back, meaning you'll often have to rely on the reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors to avoid obstacles.

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What about safety in the Jeep Wrangler Overland Ultimate?

Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the JL Wrangler's ANCAP safety rating which, when it first arrived in Australia in 2019 was just one out of a possible five stars.

This was increased to a still below-average three stars in December that year with the introduction of the MY20 model that brought active safety features such as updated autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and blind-spot monitoring (BSM).

However, there are still concerns about the Wrangler's structural integrity that were revealed in the crash testing where it achieved a low 60 per cent score for adult occupant protection. While this included a perfect 8.0 out of 8.0 points or side impact, the Wrangler failed miserably when it came to whiplash protection, scoring just 1.67 out of 8.0, while no points were awarded for the oblique pole test.

"The Wrangler has just four airbags... with no protection for the second row."

On the frontal offset test, the Wrangler achieved 3.89 out of 8.0 and 5.72 out of 8.0 for full-width frontal impact.

Child occupant protection was a more reasonable 80 per cent, while the AEB’s inability to detect pedestrians and cyclists led in part to scoring just 49 per cent for vulnerable road user protection.

The Wrangler has just four airbags protecting front occupants including forward-facing and side bags, with no protection for the second row.

Advanced driver assistance technology includes the aforementioned AEB and BSM plus adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, and rear-cross traffic alert.

The verdict

Despite its poor safety rating, the Jeep Wrangler continues to ooze an adventurous spirit that manages to woo many city folks who see it as a way to escape the weekly grind.

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But finally jumping in one is a bit like meeting your hero – it will either bring a smile to your face or leave you vaguely disappointed.

If you’re in the market for a family SUV and just choosing the Wrangler on its looks, the chances are its poor road manners will see you fall into the latter camp and rue that you didn’t spend $67,000 on something much plusher.

However, if you regularly embrace its fun side – be it on dirt, with the roof off or a bit of both – the Overland Ultimate has sufficient creature comforts to keep you happy on the daily drive despite its urban shortcomings.

2021 Jeep Wrangler Overland Ultimate specifications