The 2022 Jeep Wrangler Was Ranked No 1 – But Its Safety Scores Are Questionable
The Jeep Wrangler is one of those SUVs that people just can’t seem to get enough of. Jeep owners and wanna-be owners are dedicated to the Jeep brand as well as the small off-road SUV. Add to that favorable ratings from car sites like iSeeCars and it’s no surprise that the Jeep Wrangler is ranked number one on its list of best compact SUVs. Yet is that really where it belongs? Let’s take a look at the 2022 Jeep Wrangler’s safety scores to see if the top spot is deserving for the undeniably cool SUV.
The 2022 Jeep Wrangler’s safety scores are just so-so
The 2022 Jeep Wrangler was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and its safety scores aren’t exactly perfect. In fact, its small overlap crash test rating is marginal, which is the second-lowest score a vehicle can get. In addition, the updated side crash test is also marginal, and the headlight ratings are marginal and poor, with no good options available. This is important because more than half of fatal car crashes happen in the dark.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also crash-tested the Jeep Wrangler. The 2022 Jeep Wrangler with 4WD has four out of five stars for all of the frontal crash ratings, including overall front, front driver side, and front passenger side. The side crash tests weren’t performed on the Wrangler. The rollover rating is just three out of five stars.
The Jeep Wrangler is rated number one
iSeeCars ranks the 2022 Jeep Wrangler first for Best Small and Compact SUVs for 2022. iSeeCars analyzed the data from millions of vehicles to determine which vehicles are best. It gives the Jeep Wrangler an overall 9.2 out of 10 and a reliability rating of 8.5 out of 10.
Perhaps the reason that the 2022 Jeep Wrangler is rated number one despite its mediocre safety ratings is that iSeeCars shows the safety data for the Jeep Wrangler as being Not Available. iSeeCars uses data from the NHTSA to make its rankings and it’s possible that it analyzed the Wrangler’s data when the safety ratings weren’t available.
The Wrangler is great at off-roading
One of the things that iSeeCars likes the most about the 2022 Jeep Wrangler is its ability to handle off-road terrain easily. It has “Extreme off-road capability with locking differentials” as well as larger tires with extra ground clearance with the Extreme Rubicon package. Another thing that iSeeCars sees as a benefit to the Jeep Wrangler is that its roof and doors are removable, and the windshield folds down.
Some of the negative aspects of the 2022 Jeep Wrangler are that it can get pretty expensive fairly quickly. In addition, it doesn’t have great fuel economy. There’s also a lot of wind noise with the Jeep Wrangler.
So does the 2022 Jeep Wrangler deserve its top spot? That really depends on where your priorities lie. If you want a small off-road truck and safety is a secondary concern, then the Jeep Wrangler may be just what you’re looking for. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a small SUV to commute in or drive your kids in, you may want to consider shopping for something else.
