Why do Jeep Wranglers have such terrible gas mileage?
Yes, they are a brick with wheels. Let me clarify a bit. Though Wranglers ARE NOT full-time 4X4, it does have a “live” front axle, but it’s not being driven by the front driveshaft until you shift INTO 4HI or 4 LO. All the front axle components are turning, and wearing, and creating friction & drag (thanks to shift-on-the-fly). This is why you don’t have to get out and lock the hubs anymore. The gearing of the rear end is actually pretty good. As stated by others (3.73 or 4.10). This is the number of times your driveshaft turns in relation to the rear wheels. To answer your question, it’s the lack of horsepower. The less HP you have, the longer it take to get up to speed. In turn, the more time it takes to develope the needed HP, the more gas you’re going to burn. MPGs are quite good in Wranglers that have V6 and V8 motors that get the HP up fast. Sorry for the long-winded answer.
