- The 2023 Jeep Wrangler offers two new factory-installed options: washout floors and weatherproof seats.
- The heavy-duty floor ($995) and heavy-duty seats ($1695) are now available to order on certain four-door Wranglers.
- Jeep looks to be responding with similar features already available on the Ford Bronco.
Jeep fans might start to appreciate the Ford Bronco a little more. After all, it appears that the Wrangler’s biggest rival is influencing the brand to introduce notable features, such as the washout floor and weatherproof seats that are now available as factory options on some four-door models.
weatherproofing a wrangler
When the Bronco debuted a few years back, it could be outfitted with factory-installed rubberized hose-it-out flooring and marine-grade vinyl upholstery—unlike most of its competition. Fast forward to 2023, the Jeep Wrangler can now be ordered with similar add-ons designed to help its interior better withstand the elements and make it easier to clean. The new optional heavy-duty flooring costs $995 and the heavy-duty seats cost $1695.
When the Wrangler’s top is off and the doors are removed, the cabin is noticeably more open. That’s where the optional vinyl seats come in handy, thanks to added protection against water, mildew, tears and more. Jeep’s weatherproof seats come in any color, as long as it’s black. It also gets light tungsten stitching and embroidered Wrangler grille on the seatbacks.
Swapping out the Wrangler’s standard floor for the Washout option does exactly what you’d expect: It makes surface cleaning even easier and includes integrated floor drains. Along with its superior ability to weather out, black heavy duty flooring consists of multiple layers which are said to provide sound deadening and thermal protection as well.
Unfortunately, these two new Jeep options aren’t compatible with every Wrangler. All plug-in-hybrid 4xe trims and any two-door configuration are specifically excluded from the weatherproofing funk. The 470-horsepower Rubicon 392 has also been dropped.
stick with the broncos
This isn’t the first time Jeep has learned something from Ford’s book. Shortly after the Bronco came out with exterior mirrors mounted at the base of the A-pillars instead of removable doors—as the Wrangler had always done—Jeep introduced an optional factory-installed door-locking mirror kit.
Jeep Wrangler with Xtreme Recon package.
The Wrangler Rubicon Extreme Recon package that followed also seemed like a direct response to the Bronco’s Sasquatch package, notably adding taller 35-inch tires and other hardware that had not yet been offered on Jeeps.
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Eric Stafford’s addiction to automobiles started before he could even walk, and it has fueled his passion for writing news, reviews, and more. car and driver Since 2016. Growing up, his aspiration was to become a millionaire with a car collection like Jay Leno’s. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers say, so he avoided financial success entirely in order to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, years of basically spending money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off car and driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.