2025 Jeep Wrangler vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was designed to project a sportier image within the Range Rover family. Its tall stance was complemented by a shorter wheelbase and a chopped top, giving it an athletic appearance. Large front air intakes and faux vents on the hood and fenders added to its sporty look, although from certain angles, it appeared a bit too tall and narrow. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. Inside, the SV Edition 2 boasted red leather upholstery and sport seats with illuminated inserts, maintaining a minimalist aesthetic with a touchscreen and a few controls. The interior felt enclosed, with high console and door panels, and material quality was up to luxury standards, though the use of piano black plastic was excessive.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S, encountered during a rental experience in Hawaii, was a black-on-black hardtop model with dark gray wheels. Despite the heat-absorbing color scheme, the Wrangler's appeal lay in its open-air driving experience, with removable panels and windows down. The Wrangler lineup included various trims, from the base Sport to the powerful Rubicon 392 with a 470-horsepower V8 engine. The Sport S model had a few options, including a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a black hardtop. The interior was functional, with gray fabric dashboard trim, metallic accents, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Wrangler's design evoked themes of American freedom, rooted in its military vehicle heritage, and its capability to traverse diverse terrains made it a popular choice despite its lack of sophistication compared to modern cars.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 355 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, along with a plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim could be equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering 543 hp and 590 lb-ft or a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two used the same V8 but with 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capability, with features like sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring enhancing its agility.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler offered a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with a six-speed manual transmission, or an optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The four-cylinder engine produced 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, offering slightly better fuel efficiency with an EPA rating of 21 mpg combined. During a test drive in Hawaii, the four-cylinder Wrangler achieved an average fuel economy of 19.2 mpg. The Wrangler's standard four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and generous approach and departure angles made it well-suited for off-road adventures. However, its ride was rough, and the steering felt disconnected. The Wrangler's three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA was a concern, but its off-road capabilities remained impressive, especially in the Rubicon trim with advanced off-road features.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was positioned between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover in terms of dimensions. It offered a two-row, five-seater configuration, with front-seat occupants enjoying similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs. Rear-seat headroom was adequate, and reclining rear seats were standard. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. It had a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models. The interior featured deep door pockets and large center-console cupholders, while the power-operated tailgate and air suspension's "access height" setting facilitated loading and unloading.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler's high ground clearance and narrow door openings made entry and exit challenging. The Sport S trim's cloth upholstery was comfortable, and the Convenience Group option added heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Wrangler accommodated five passengers, but four were more comfortable. Rear-seat legroom was adequate, though taller passengers needed to be cautious of plastic hooks on the front seatbacks. Storage space was limited, with small items often ending up in cupholders. The cargo area offered 31.7 cubic feet of space, expanding to 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Accessing the cargo area required opening the tailgate and lifting the rear window, which could be cumbersome in tight spaces.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration were standard. The minimalist design of the dashboard left few physical controls, relying heavily on the touchscreen for functions like climate control and drive mode selection. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 test car included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers that pulsed with music or relaxation programs, though the feature felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler's Uconnect 5 infotainment system included a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio preparation. The Sport S model had a standard eight-speaker stereo, with a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system optional. Jeep Connect offered connected services like a Wi-Fi hotspot and GPS Trail Logs for off-road navigation. The touchscreen remained bright and easy to use, even with the roof panels removed. The Convenience Group pack added a 7-inch digital display between analog gauges, passive entry, and a remote engine starting system. Rear parking sensors were available in the Active Safety Group option pack.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention monitor. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler added side curtain airbags for front and rear seats as standard equipment. Advanced driver assistance systems were optional, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert available on most trims. Forward collision warning with automatic braking was standard on the Sahara trim. Adaptive cruise control and automatic high-beam headlights were also available. The Wrangler received a four-star frontal-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS rated the Wrangler Good for side-impact protection and moderate overlap frontal-impact tests, but it received a Marginal rating in the small overlap frontal-impact test.