2025 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door Sport S Review: Origins of the Breed

If this 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S 2-Door had a scientific name, I’m positive it would be Jeep Jeep. You know, like bison bison.

The American brand has spread out into many segments over the 21st century, but to most people, the Wrangler is still the de facto Jeep model. Not the four-door either, even if that more practical option has quickly earned the lion’s share of yearly sales. Nope, it’s the humble two-door, the shortest off-roader on the market with a shape that’s instantly recognizable. Simply put, it is the most Jeep Jeep.

With a humble V6, a soft-top roof, and one of the rarest new-car features around—an actual six-speed manual—does this simplified Wrangler still satisfy, or is it an evolutionary dead end? I spent a week with one to find out.

Not a whole lot. The Wrangler saw an update for the 2024 model year that increased standard safety equipment and tech, with the sort of subtle stylistic tweaks you’d expect for an icon. This is, after all, basically Jeep’s 911. Late last year the brand brought back the eight-speed automatic for this V6 powerplant, after very briefly offering it with only the six-speed manual found here.

The biggest news is that power door locks and windows are now standard across the board. Honestly, that pales in comparison to the new door hinge design debuting on the ‘26 model, which no longer requires tools.

This is the sort of vehicle you can picture with your eyes closed. Though it’s a little surprising to see a new example with such humble features. Those 17-inch wheels come wrapped in mild rubber, the fender flares are plain black plastic, the roof is fabric; it’s a far cry from both the pavement princesses rolling on oversized wheels and low-profile rubber as well as the hardcore, zombie-apocalypse-spec builds. There’s something honest about this Sport S that even the bigger-boned Bronco can’t manage.

Notably, the Sport S includes additional spats between its bumper and arches, no doubt smoothing airflow compared to the Rubicon. 

Here at AutoGuide, we often talk about how everyday cars have too much power these days. A Toyota RAV4 will pump out over 320 horsepower, and even the least-powerful minivan is pushing out 240 hp.

This Wrangler does not feel like it has an abundance of power, even if the quoted 285 ponies is nearly 100 more than what the TJ started this millennium with. Peak torque (260 pound-feet) doesn’t arrive until 4,800 rpm, so one needs to hold onto gears to maximize forward progress. Gearing is best described as galactic. The shifter has all the engagement of rowing through a bag of hammers, with long throws and vague engagement. I hit my knuckles against the climate controls while shifting multiple times. Meanwhile the Wrangler’s upright seating position doesn’t make its clutch—also vague—the most comfortable pedal to so regularly interact with.

And you know what? I’m good with it. Few new vehicles require such deliberation to operate. The Wrangler basically forces the driver to be present with a key role in every action, from vigilantly watching each traffic light to keeping the go-pedal flat on anything resembling an incline just to maintain highway speeds. In a weird way it’d be a great first car, and not least because it is weirdly easy to rev match on downshifts, even with the considerable rev hang.

Okay, so the Wrangler is catastrophically thirsty for something so slow. Officially the V6 and 6MT combo is good for just 19 mpg (12.2 L/100 km) combined, but I saw usage closer to 17 mpg (13.8 L/100 km). 

With a short wheelbase and a seat placement closer to the rear axle than the front, the Wrangler is basically a sports car with comically low limits. The faintest whiff of eagerness will have the Nexen Roadians chirping in protest, and there’s an early sense that you’d rather not test the limits of the soft suspension and solid axles anyway. To its credit, the Wrangler does have good, natural weighting to its steering, and its compact dimensions and upright glass make it very easy to place on the road—or course-correct, as is necessary on the highway.

While it lacks all the trick sway bar disconnects and multiple locking diffs of a Rubicon, the Sport S still has a low-speed transfer case. It requires a hefty shove to get into, but 4LO is appropriately torquey and should be more than capable of taking the long way to the local campsite.

Possibly the strongest part of the Wrangler’s dynamic makeup is its brakes, with a progressive pedal feel and consistent stopping power. On the other end of the spectrum, the Sport S’ standard halogen headlights force the big question: how did we live with this low level of light at night time before?

With the intergalactic gearing requiring constant attention, the cloth top only partially muffling the outside world, and the busy ride the two-door’s tight dimensions create, the Sport S is the opposite of a sensory deprivation device. In its own very Jeep way, it’s more involving—and thus, potentially tiring to drive—than a 1,001-horsepower Lamborghini. The Wrangler isn’t a lot, but it’s also a lot, y’know?

Not that there’s any complaints about the front seats. Manually adjustable, the cloth-covered thrones are comfortable and supportive with effective heating to boot. Rear seats? Not the easiest to get to and not the most comfortable once there, with an obstructive view of the roof cross-member for any adults. At least the trade off is a small and awkward storage area, right? In all seriousness, the rear roof panel isn’t too hard to open up should you need to stow larger items.

No surprises here: the Wrangler’s cabin design is basic and functional. The ‘24 updates to the dashboard materials are welcome, mind you. The Wrangler groups most functions within the center stack, with large physical buttons and knobbly dials for easy access even with gloves. It’s a smart cabin that requires very little acclimatization. Is there a lot of black plastic? Sure, but if you're planning on exploring a trail or eight sans roof or doors, you'll be happy it's all so easy to clean. I unfortunately couldn't do this as the mercury barely cleared the freezing point for most of my time with the Wrangler.

One added bonus of the two-door is that the cabin heats up quickly. This almost makes up for the reflection-prone plastic windows during night drives. Almost.

A big 12.3-inch touchscreen is the one major concession to modernity within the Wrangler. As ever with Stellantis products, it’s a good one too, with simple wireless phone pairing and easy menu navigation. This tester has the upgraded Alpine audio system, and you’ll need it if you want to hear your music with reasonable clarity at highway speeds. 

Jeep made a lot of noise about the now-standard side-curtain airbags for the first and second row, which debuted for 2024. That’s good, but you’ll still need to shell out extra coin for features like adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, though I’d argue the two-door’s excellent visibility, especially with the roof off, makes the usual safety assists less necessary.

There is little sensible about any 2025 Jeep Wrangler though, and that’s especially true of the two-door Sport S flavor. This is a conscious decision not for the most capable model (Rubicon), the silliest (392) or even the most practical (four-doors, which account for roughly 90-percent of model sales), but for the purest, most classic Jeep format. The manual likely isn’t long for this world, and as much as it will anger the save-the-manuals crew I’d argue that’s for the best.

As agricultural as this particular Wrangler is, it is undeniably full of charm and remains one of the more affordable open-air new vehicles on the market. Certainly not for everyone, the Sport S is nonetheless a warrantied new Wrangler that offers a modest evolution of the original species.

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FAQs

Q: How much does the 2025 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door cost?

A: The 2025 Jeep Wrangler lineup starts at $34,090 ($42,995 CAD) including destination.

Q: Which 2025 Jeep Wrangler models feature a manual transmission?

A: Two- and four-door Wranglers equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 can be had with the six-speed manual.

Q: What is the fuel efficiency of the 2025 Jeep Wrangler?

A: When equipped with the V6 and manual transmission, the two-door Jeep Wrangler Sport S scores a combined 19 mpg (12.2 L/100 km).