Is Jeep Wrangler Fuel Efficient? [+ How To Make It Fuel Efficient]

If you love mighty, rugged cars that can rip down the trail, you probably love Jeep Wrangler. Fuel efficiency isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind. Still, when dealing with finances, you’ll probably have to wonder at least once, Is Jeep Wrangler fuel efficient?

Jeep Wrangler isn’t a car that you’ll buy if you want to save on money. This boxy machine is known for drinking fuel, especially when it comes to older models.

However, just how much fuel does a Jeep Wrangler use?
How much is gas for a Jeep Wrangler per month?
Are there some models that are more fuel efficient than the others?

Stick around if you’d like to learn more!

Is Jeep Wrangler Fuel Efficient?

In general – no, Jeep Wrangler is not fuel efficient. However, we need to make a disclaimer: It is entirely subjective what efficiency means when it comes to vehicles and gas usage. In fact, many Jeep drivers would argue that Wrangler is fairly good on gas.

To understand is a Jeep Wrangler good on gas, you need to understand gas mileage. While most drivers know this, we’ll explain it in greater detail for all the beginners out there.

Gas mileage is an estimation of how many miles a vehicle can travel while using a certain amount of gas or any other fuel it runs on. A standard measurement is Mileage Per Gallon (MPG). As you might’ve guessed, this indicates how many miles you can drive using a gallon of fuel. The higher the MPG, the more fuel efficient a vehicle is.

Why is this important? It’s easy. Fuel efficient vehicles cost less to drive.

Still, even MPGs aren’t that simple. That’s because a car will have a different MPG depending on the occasion and the driving style.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are three important MPGs:

Highway MPG, which calculates how many miles you can drive on an open highway using high speeds.
City MPG, which calculates how many miles you can drive in the city, with constant stopping and starting.
EPA combined city/highway MPG, which is the average rating of the two aforementioned driving styles.

However, you also need to consider the type of fuel you’re using, as premium gasoline usually lasts longer than standard gasoline. You should also consider your way of driving, but we’ll talk about this later on. [1]

What Is the Jeep Wrangler’s MPG?

Despite what we’ve said about Jeep Wrangler not being exactly fuel efficient, it still has a rather impressive MPG. We’ll take the four-door, automatic Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport as an example, as this is one of the most common Wranglers out there.

According to the Fuel Economy, the MPGs of Unlimited Sport are:

24 MPG on the highway.
19 MPG in the city.
21 MPG combined.

However, not all Jeep Wranglers will use the same amount of fuel. We’ll get into this in a minute.

The main reason why Jeep Wranglers seem to have a fairly bad MPG rating is somewhat obvious: These are large vehicles with sturdy frames designed to drive over any surface possible. Not just that, but Wranglers and most SUVs have a rather boxy exterior. While good-looking, this type of frame reduces aerodynamics, as the wind resistance is rather high.

While a strong and heavy frame ensures Jeep is safe and strong, it also increases fuel consumption. This is why most large vehicles, including Wranglers, are not considered a good choice for those looking to save money on gas.

Competition Comparison

While these numbers are rather high, especially if you’re used to the MPG of smaller, city vehicles, they are actually quite impressive. This can be noticed when you compare the Wrangler with most of its SUV competition.

For example, these are the statistics of the 2021 Four Runner:

16 MPG in the city.
19 MPG on the highway.
17 MPG combined.

As you can see, the average Wrangler stands rather well in comparison.

How Much Is Gas for a Jeep Wrangler Per Month?

The monthly costs of driving your Wrangler can greatly depend on many factors. This includes how you drive it, where you drive it, and what distances you cross. People who are commuting to work usually won’t spend the same amount on gas as would people who are using Wrangler to go camping or on long travels.

The average American citizen spends between $150 and $200 on gas monthly. This is based on the estimation that an average commute is 39 miles. But will you be outside of this range if you’re driving a Jeep Wrangler?

Most Jeep Wranglers use Octane fuel. According to the Global Petrol Prices, the average price of a gallon of Octane fuel between April and July 2022 was 4.80 U.S. dollars – but keep in mind that this price can vary, too.

If we look into the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport, this means you’ll need about 1.9 gallons of fuel per day. If we consider that you have 22 working days each month, this means you’ll spend an average of $200 per month on fuel for commuting alone. This is on the higher end of the spectrum.

As for the jeep wrangler gas mileage per year, you can expect to spend around $2,400 yearly on gas. Once again, we’re speaking about the average commuting expenses, and nothing more than that.

This statistic is probably the most important factor when it comes to determining is Jeep Wrangler fuel efficient.

How Much Gas a Jeep Wrangler Holds?

Once again, it’s challenging to give you a precise answer without knowing what model you’re driving.

In general, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler gas tank has a capacity of anywhere between 17.2 gallons and 21.5 gallons depending on the car type and trim level. This means that you can expect to go around 350-450 miles with a full tank.

Also, you can expect you’ll need anywhere between $82.56 and $103.2 to fill the tank entirely.

However, certain models might not fall within this range. It’s always better to check with the manufacturer, just so you’re on the safe side. You don’t want to know the wrong fuel capacity, especially if you’re traveling long distances.

What Is the Most Fuel Efficient Jeep Wrangler?

If you’re on the lookout for the most fuel efficient Wrangler, maybe you should look into the Jeep Wrangler hybrid instead – the 4xe, Jeep’s first plug-in hybrid, to be more precise. It has an all-electric range of 21 miles, and 49 MPGe, which is equivalent to miles per gallon.

Another good option would be the 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel, with a combined MPG of 25. In fact, this was the most fuel efficient Wrangler until the 4xe model.

Here are some of the more popular Wrangler models and their consumption:

Jeep Wrangler 4WD

17 MPG in the city.
21 MPG on the highway.
18 MPG combined.

Jeep New Wrangler 4WD

17 MPG in the city.
25 MPG on the highway.
20 MPG combined.

Jeep New Wrangler Unlimited 4WD

17 MPG in the city.
23 MPG on the highway.
19 MPG combined.

2020 Jeep Wrangler 4WD

22 MPG in the city.
24 MPG on the highway.
23 MPG combined.

Looking at this, picking the 2022 models seems to be a bit better, as the manufacturer really seems to focus on efficiency rather than some other features, so you can hardly go wrong by picking the newer models.

It’s important to note that you should always know what you’re looking for when buying a Jeep Wrangler. If efficiency is important for you, avoid Wranglers with six-cylinder engines. Instead, focus on eight-speed four-cylinder engine ones. Sure, these models don’t have much torque, but they use less gas.

Also, stick to automatic models. Yes, you’ve heard that right. It is true that automatics used to spend more fuel than manual ones, but the newer technologies have switched things around. Newer automatic vehicles will use significantly less fuel than manual models from the same year.

How Can I Make My Jeep Wrangler More Fuel Efficient?

No matter what Jeep Wrangler you have, you are probably looking to save as much as possible on expenses such as fuel. Fortunately, there are certain things you can do if you’d like to make your Wrangler a bit more efficient.

Here’s what you can do:

Don’t stay idle for too long. This increases fuel consumption.
Unless you’re on a highway, avoid using A/C. Instead, stay cool by keeping your windows open.
Use Cruise Control instead of speeding. Studies show that 55mph is the optimal speed for saving fuel.
Avoid sudden braking and heavy acceleration.
If you have steel or aluminum flares, replace them with plastic ones. This will make your vehicle lighter.
Make sure you have proper hood latches. Faulty latches can cause the hood to flutter, leading to higher consumption.
Reinflate your tires. Your tires should be to spec. This will ensure you will be more economic with your fuel consumption, while also increasing the rolling resistance.
Make sure you use a higher gear.
Keep the Factory Rake. The Jeep Wrangler is designed to have a lower front than a back end. This is for a reason: Aerodynamics. Sure, you can install a lift kit, but make sure the front stays lower.
Make sure your engine is properly maintained. The most important components for fuel consumption are clean air filters and spark plugs.
Don’t load up your Wrangler. If you have to load a bunch of gear for camping, a big winch, or similar things, get a utility trailer. The more weight you have on the wheels, the lower the MPG.
Avoid any modifications that might increase the drag. This includes the light bar or a cumbersome roof rack.
Install a Cold Air Intake System. Believe it or not, this can improve your fuel consumption by as high as 2 MPG!

As you can see, maybe the true answer to the Is Jeep Wrangler fuel efficient? lies in your driving methods.

Bottom Line

So, now you know is Jeep Wrangler fuel efficient, which Jeep gets the best gas mileage, and the 2022 Jeep Wrangler fuel economy. Whether you’re considering buying a Wrangler, already owning one, or are just curious, this can be a very useful information.

Sure, SUVs are not the most affordable vehicles out there, and the costs only seem to increase if we look at the gas prices and MPG. However, there are many advantages to driving a Wrangler, especially if you plan on going camping or traveling long distances. As such, efficiency is a term we’ve used loosely.

Keep in mind that the numbers we’ve given you are only approximate values. How much fuel will any car spend depends on many factors such as engine condition and Jeep mileage, style of driving etc.