Compared to the original Jeep you know, the military vehicle, the 2025 Wrangler JL is a spaceship, even though by modern standards it’s a very old-school vehicle when compared to, say, the Ford Bronco or Toyota 4Runner. But father time, or, at least, father progress, is starting to catch up with the Wrangler, which is finally losing its manual crank-handle windows (as does the 2025 Gladiator).
The good news for anyone yearning for yesteryear is that the manual six-speed transmission is still around, even though for 2025 it becomes the only transmission choice for the Wrangler’s standard V-6 engine. Want an automatic? You’re automatically upgraded to the Jeep’s optional turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4
It’s probably a bit of a reach to say that the Wrangler JL is a stone-age vehicle. It features a modern five-link suspension system, electronic lockers, and nearly as much technology as those two aforementioned competitors do. The new JL also comes as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powerplant, something that the 4Runner is only just getting with its i-Force Max hybrid engine—just without the plug-in option—while the Bronco still doesn’t have an electrified version, yet. Oh, and there’s its newly standard 12.3-inch touchscreen that can magic-whiz-bang connect wirelessly to your smartphone.
And yet, th Wrangler’s continued use of live axles front and rear, doors that can easily be removed, and generally simple layout give it that old-school feeling that made the standard crank windows not seem so out of place
Alas, time moves on. The Jeep’s previously optional power windows and door locks are now standard fare. Whatever cost increase these represent on Jeep’s end are probably more than made up for by the streamlined trim structure and reduced build complexity—no more producing different doors for different Wranglers. And, fortunately, it won’t make taking the doors off any harder, really. As with all power-window, power-door-lock Wranglers until now, you need only unclip an electrical connector in addition to the usual unbolting process for the hinges.