10 Cars Similar to the Jeep Wrangler

JeepRenegade ・ Photo by Jeep

Finding cars that are similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler is no easy task. To track down any vehicle that can match the Wrangler’s off-road capability is a challenge, and remember, the iconic Jeep also offers additional uncommon benefits—such as a simple-to-operate convertible top and a made-in-America pedigree. Not everyone appreciates the whole rough-and-ready ownership experience of a Wrangler. With that in mind, Autobytel experts focused on the characteristics that people love most about the classic Jeep, then looked for vehicles that could match those advantages on a feature-by-feature basis. It’s a gallery that’s probably like no other, but then again, this just emphasizes the point: The Wrangler also is a vehicle like no other.

1) 2017 Subaru Impreza

The 2017 Subaru Impreza shares two key characteristics with the Wrangler. Both are compacts, and both come standard with all-wheel drive. Now, the Subaru doesn’t offer a hardcore off-road setup as does Jeep, but its well-regarded symmetrical AWD technology provides extra confidence — and capability — when the going gets tough. The Impreza also stands out from cars similar to the Jeep Wrangler because of another confidence builder, in the form of a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. Credit for that goes to the Subaru’s robust body structure along with safety technologies such as automatic reverse and forward braking, adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor, lane-change assistance, automatic high beams, a rearview camera, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Photo by Subaru

2) 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

When you talk about cars similar to the J2017 Jeep Wrangler, they don’t get much more similar than the four-door model. In fact, the only real physical differences between the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the two-door original are their sizes. The bigger sibling stretches 184.9 inches while the Wrangler itself is about 20.5 inches shorter. That, in turn, makes the Unlimited model much more family- and cargo-friendly. Now, the Wrangler, it’s true, can fit 61.2 cubic feet of gear behind the second row but that’s only if you remove the back seats. The Unlimited can deliver 70.6 cubic feet of cargo space by just folding the rear seats — which also have more legroom than in the standard Wrangler.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

3) 2018 Chevrolet Corvette

The 2018 Chevrolet Corvette is another one of the cars similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The common characteristic here? Removable hard roof panels. They’re standard in the Corvette coupe and optional for the Wrangler. More specifically, Chevy’s supercar has a standard body-color carbon-fiber roof panel that easily lifts out for open-air driving. Also available for the Corvette are transparent panels, a dual-roof system with body-color and transparent panels, and panels with the carbon-fiber visible. As for the Wrangler, Jeep’s available Freedom Top is made of three separate pieces, allowing owners to uncover the front row, the rear row, or both. The front panels can be stowed onboard, too, in the rear of the Wrangler.

Photo by General Motors

4) 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Coupe

A further factor to take into account is the Wrangler’s standard — yet relatively rare — two-door SUV body style. However, vehicles similar to the Jeep Wrangler in that regard do include the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Coupe. And to be clear, the Evoque doesn’t have a coupe-like shape and four doors, as is the case with some other premium vehicles. It has two doors, like a “real” coupe. Of course, unlike typical cars in that class, the Evoque matches the Wrangler as a small SUV with plenty of trail-friendly hardware. The Land Rover leads in luxury, though, with available Oxford leather seating, a heated and cooled front row, a 10-inch touchscreen, mobile Wi-Fi, and more.

Photo by Range Rover

5) 2017 Jeep Renegade

If you’re interested in a nimble yet capable SUV, but prefer a slightly more civilized package, the 2017 Jeep Renegade comes to mind. The Renegade is among the few vehicles similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler regarding both size and functionality. For example, there’s just a 2.3-inch difference in length between the two, with the Renegade slightly longer, and when that model is kitted out in its Trailhawk trim, it enables what Jeep calls “best-in-class 4X4 Trail Rated capability.” What sets the Renegade apart are its features including a more car-like unibody construction, a standard front-wheel-drive powertrain that can hit 31 mpg on the highway, two extra doors, and a $4,000 pricing advantage.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

6) 2017 Dodge Charger

The 2017 Jeep Wrangler is nearly as easy to customize as it is to take off-road which helps explain why it was named the Hottest 4X4 SUV of the most recent SEMA Show — the No. 1 annual exhibition for the automotive aftermarket industry. As a result, cars similar to the Jeep Wrangler have to be easy to modify as well, and the 2017 Dodge Charger certainly fits the bill. After all, the Charger won the Hottest Sedan category at SEMA at the same time as the Jeep. You also can rest assured that Dodge’s four-door muscle car is an impressive beast straight from the factory, especially in its supercharged Hellcat trim that serves up 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.

Photo by Dodge

7) 2018 Honda Accord

There also are many cars that are similar to the Jeep Wrangler when it comes to being built in the Buckeye state. For instance, the 2018 Honda Accord is manufactured about 100 miles south of the Wrangler’s Toledo home, in Marysville, Ohio. Nor is this a new development for either vehicle: Jeep has been building the Wrangler in Ohio since the 1940s, and the first Accord was manufactured there in 1982. Turning to the 2018 model, that’s the all-new 10th-generation Accord with a sporty design, turbocharged and electrified powertrains, a full complement of Honda Sensing safety technologies, and enhanced connectivity. Those tech highlights extend to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.

Photo by Honda

8) 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata

We mentioned the available hard top roof earlier in our discussion of cars similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler, yet let’s remember that that’s an option. The standard roof for the Wrangler is a manually removable soft top, which gives the Jeep something in common with the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata. The world’s most popular roadster is well known for having one of the world’s easiest-to-operate convertible roofs, and drivers can even raise and lower the top without having to leave their seat. On the topic of seats, both the driver and passenger also can enjoy built-in headrest speakers in the Miata, as part of a standard nine-speaker Bose audio system, and the Grand Touring trim increases year-round drop-top capability with multi-stage heated seats.

Photo by Mazda

9) 2017 Toyota 4Runner

Although most of today’s body-on-frame SUVs are full-size entries with massive footprints, some shoppers would rather have vehicles similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler, which has much more agile dimensions. In that situation, the 2017 Toyota 4Runner can bridge the gap between the compact Wrangler Unlimited and those bigger behemoths. The 4Runner checks in with mid-size measurements, five- or seven-seat cabins, and some of Toyota’s toughest off-road hardware. That includes full-time four-wheel drive, a lockable Torsen center differential, and a multi-mode drive system with a specific “Mogul” setting for extreme conditions. The ultimate off-road 4Runners, the TRD Pro editions, also can be ordered with a Toyota Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System that enhance both on- and off-road handling performance.

Photo by Toyota

10) 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For owners who want to stay comfortable inside while enjoying rugged conditions outside, there are vehicles similar to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler but with more premium luxuries. You can even keep things in the family with the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Cherokee is the flagship of the Jeep brand, and for the new model year, it treats owners to a newly available full-wrap leather cabin environment in which the dashboard, center console, and door panels are covered in Nappa leather, while the seats wear Laguna leather. Heated and ventilated front chairs, a heated second row, and heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel with real wood accents also are available. But so is a Trail Rated Trailhawk edition with Wrangler-style off-road capability.

Photo by Jeep