How do you make a Jeep, a vehicle known for its off-road capabilities, even Jeepier? Name it after one of the most grueling trails in the word, then add the appropriate hardware. That’s what Jeep did when it introduced the Wrangler Rubicon way back in 2003. Since then, it has sold one million TJ, JK, and JL Wrangler and JT Gladiator Rubicons.

Near the end of the TJ Wrangler’s model run (1997-2006), Jeep introduced Rubicon trim. Named after the Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Wrangler Rubicon was equipped with diamond-plate rock rails, Dana 44 axles, Tru-Lok front and rear lockers, Rock-Trac four-wheel drive, and 31-inch Goodyear MT/R off-road tires. A longer-wheelbase Rubicon Unlimited followed several years later.

As Wranglers do on difficult terrain, the Rubicon trim kept going. Jeep offered the Rubicon for the TJ’s successor, the 2007-2018 JK, which now included a four-door Unlimited.

I’ve been fortunate to have several experiences with the current JL version of the Wrangler Rubicon (there also is a more generously equipped Rubicon X variant). In 2017, I attended the media launch of the 2018 JL Wrangler in Tucson, Arizona, and learned on the rocky off-road test course that its 33-inch BFGoodrich KO2s had excellent grip and the 4LO throttle response was well tuned. A drive from Austin to Dallas and back a year or two later taught me that the Wrangler Rubicon is also a decent road-trip vehicle, although its solid axles don’t make for the smoothest ride. Last year, I tested the 470-horsepower 2025 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition, which was a Hemi-powered hoot on the road and a sure-footed source of inspiration to reach the top of the Four Peaks trail in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest.

Jeep revived the Gladiator nameplate for a Wrangler-based midsize pickup for the 2020 model year. Given its underpinnings, it was logical for Jeep to make a Rubicon model.

Together, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Gladiator Rubicon (albeit to a much lesser extent) have reached a major milestone. It’s safe to say that they won’t stop there — after all, they’re made to keep going.