Key Takeaways
- The Sahara is the on road brother of the Rubicon, The Rubicon comes designed for the rocks, while the Sahara is better on the road with a quicker hybrid engine.
- The Sahara is equipped with the I4 hybrid powertrain of the Wrangler.
- The Sahara does not fully live up to the chops of its crazier brother the Rubicon, but it still manages to excite with its Jeep style and seven slot grille.
What is the difference between Sahara and Rubicon 2023?
The biggest difference between the Sahara and the Rubicon in 2023 is what they are geared towards. The Rubicon has just a few more off-roading features than the Sahara does. While the Sahara has a few more design and aesthetic features than the Rubicon does. For example the Rubicon gets 17 inch aluminum wheels with 33 inch all terrain tires, while the Sahara gets 18 inch aluminum wheels, but nondescript tires. The Rubicon also gets a part time rock trac 4x4 system with 4:1 low range and 100:1 crawl ratio, and unfortunately this is not standard on the Sahara. The Rubicon also has available 35 inch tires, which makes it just a bit geared more towards off-roading than the Sahara. The Sahara has available premium Mckinley trimmed seats and offers an available one touch power top to remove that bad boy for those sunny days. Beyond that, the Sahara is only available in the 4 door configuration, whereas the Rubicon can be in either the 2 or the 4 door configurations. The Sahara also comes standard with an inline 4 cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, this is not available on the Rubicon. Listed below are the features that Jeep says sets these trims apart from their compatriots.
Sahara
- Uconnect NAV with 8.4 touchscreen and premium audio
- 18 inch aluminum wheels
- Body-color fender flares
- Remote proximity keyless entry
- Available one touch power top
- Available premium Mckinley trimmed seats
- Available safety group
Rubicon
- 17 inch aluminum tires with 33 inch Off-road all terrain tires
- Part-time rock-trac 4x4 system with 4:1 low range and available 100:1 crawl ratio
- Uconnect 4C NAV with 8.4 touchscreen and premium audio
- Available Xtreme recon package with 35 inch off-road tires
- Electronic sway bar disconnect
- Locking front and rear differentials
- Steel rock rails
- Available one touch power top
What engine does the 2023 Jeep Sahara have?
The 2023 Jeep Sahara comes standard with a 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder engine that is paired with an electric motor to make for a hybrid powertrain. The Sahara is one of the quicker trims in the lineup as the electric motor helps the vehicle get up to speed faster and with a much lighter engine. A 3.6 liter V6 engine that is also paired with an electric motor is available on the Sahara, and this engine does deliver more power, but it is not necessarily as fast as the inline four cylinder. Strangely enough with the I4 engine, the Sahara trim is faster than the Rubicon.
What off-roading features does the 2023 Jeep Sahara have?
When compared to other trims on the Wrangler lineup, the Sahara has less off-roading features than the Rubicon, but it definitely still has more off-roading chops than most, if not all, of the other SUVs in its class. The Rubicon is the go-to for most off-roading fanatics as it comes with axles designed to go on rocks and has a 4x4 with an available 100:1 crawl ratio. The Sahara is designed more for on-road comfort as it comes standard in the 4 door model and has hybrid powertrains to make it more of a daily driver.