đź’š Jeep Wrangler 4XE FAQ | Go Green w/Andy!

:wave: Hi, I’m Andy!

You may know me from my work with Hyundai cars and SUVs! (EV, PHEV, and Gas).

I’m here today to step outside the Hyundai bubble and post about the Jeep Wrangler 4XE.


Embedded image credit: ABC News. Biden touts electric vehicle goals as boon for climate, economy and jobs - ABC News

This plug-in-hybrid electric Jeep Wrangler has certainly been the talk of the
town. With OVER 9000 posts, and counting, on Vinny’s original
thread
,
it was becoming hard to make heads or tails of what was going on.

Somebody needed to step in to summarize what’s going on!

My goal is to provide answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about this deal in
one simple, concise place. (See my FAQ below)

Update 07/15/2022: 2023 Wrangler 4XE Order Banks Have Opened!

Ready to Order a Jeep Wrangler 4XE hybrid for 3% below MSRP?

Text me at 551-204-8712 to get started! Have your dream Jeep built-to-spec
on

Jeep.com
before reaching out! Be sure to read my FAQ here as well.

I am not taking orders for any other Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/RAM products at this
time. If you need something other than a Jeep Wrangler or Grand Cherokee 4XE, please see my deals for
Hyundai cars and SUVs instead.

Please understand that my dealership partners must sell-thru the majority of
ordered Jeeps to the ordering customer. Please don’t order if you’re not
serious, which, hopefully a $249 non-refundable broker fee, means you are.

NYC Metro Area Dealer. Enjoy local pickup & delivery options! (Delivery
additional charge).

I typically return texts within 24-48 hours. I try to get back to everyone as
fast as I can!

Jeep Wrangler 4XE FAQ

Table of Contents.

I try to answer as many questions as possible, and clear up misconceptions in my
*detailed* FAQ below. There are 4 sections:

What is 4XE?
if you’re confused about Hybrid vs regular Jeeps, start here!

What are the details of your deal?
How does it compare to Other LeaseHackr Brokers?

Government to Leasing Bank Incentives
if you want to understand why this Jeep is so cheap, start here)

Your price, getting one
if you want to start your research about leasing start here


Jeep Wrangler 4XE FAQ:

What is 4XE?

How does the “4XE” differ from a regular Jeep Wrangler?

The Wrangler 4XE is a “Plug-in-Hybrid Electric Vehicle” (PHEV). This means It’s
a regular Jeep Wrangler with the same base 2.0 Turbocharged engine that you find
in most base Jeep Wrangler JLs. You can put gasoline in it, and drive it like a
regular car. It looks like a Jeep, Quacks like a Jeep, Off-Roads like a Jeep.
This one even gets 375hp and 470 lb-ft of torque from the powertrain, compared
to the 270hp and 295 lb-ft from the gas-only model – so it’s significantly more
power when you put your foot down (for less money).

If you’re enthusiastic about Jeeps, but don’t care about Hybrids or EVs, this is
the Jeep for you!

If I don’t care about Hybrids or Electrics at all, why get this Jeep instead
of a regular gas model?

Because you’ll potentially save a ton of money compared to driving a gas-only
Wrangler. And it looks and feels basically the same. Plus, some forum members
are leasing these hybrid wranglers, buying out their lease, then flipping them
for tremendous profit.

If I don’t have to plug in this Jeep, what is the point of it being a hybrid?
What’s the catch?

There is no catch for the end-user. There is no disadvantage to driving a hybrid
Jeep vs a non-hybrid. The PHEV jeep contains a 14kWh battery, which can be used
for either 22 miles of electric range (not very useful), or for supporting a
hybrid mode that gives you significantly better gas mileage than a non-hybrid.

I’m confused about all these drives modes and charging.

Simple. Keep your Jeep in Hybrid or E-Save mode. You don’t ever need to charge it. Drive
it like a regular Jeep. You will enjoy superior gas mileage, cost savings, and
pickup because that expensive hybrid-battery is working to save you money. Enjoy
a range of well over 300 miles on a tank of regular unleaded gas.

What about the 22 miles of electric range?

So, the car has to offer the ability to drive those miles without ever starting
the engine, in order to qualify for the tax incentives that the car is
specifically engineered to comply with. Even if you have a commute that is only
11 miles each way, it’s still going to be better combined fuel economy to leave
the car on hybrid mode and let it do its thing. The engine will stay off when
you’re going slow or in traffic, and it’ll come on for the parts of your commute
where you need a little pep, all without the lag that you find in traditional
“auto-stop-start” systems. This type of hybrid is what every auto-stop-start car
should evolve into! The whole “how far can you go on electric only” is more
about emissions compliance than driving experience.

So you’re telling me that, even though I don’t have to plug it in, automakers
have been sitting on the technology this whole time to make a car as rugged as a
Wrangler, have better gas mileage with virtually no tradeoffs?

Yes! Prius technology is over 20 years old and can be applied to virtually any
vehicle. Better gas mileage is absolutely something that the automakers can give
you with minimal sweat off their backs. But, automakers have also realized that
a lot of people driving bigger trucks and SUVs “don’t care” about gas mileage,
so they didn’t feel the need to sink any R&D cost into making fuel economy
better for cars like Jeep Wranglers.

What is the Actual Gas Mileage of the Jeep?

20MPG City/Highway Combined (Gas only) or 49MPGe.

What is a MPGe?

“Miles per gallon equivalent”. If you plug in, and put gas in the jeep, you will
get somewhere between 20 and 49 MPG. If you just use gas, you’ll get an
EPA-estimated 20MPG combined (with city being better than highway, compare to a
traditional gas-only car).

It doesn’t seem that much better mileage than a Gas-only Jeep?

I’m not the EPA, but something tells me you’ll find the real-world City and
stop&go traffic MPG to be a lot better than the combined averages. Source: I
Drive EVs in city driving conditions very often.


What are the details of Your Deal? How does it compare with other LeaseHackr brokers?

3% Dealer Discount below MSRP

Base Money Factor (CCAP, Ally, or US Bank Options)

NO ONE PAY. No exceptions.

$899 Dealer Fee

$249 Non-Refundable Broker Fee

No Deposit. No payment to Dealer until your Car Arrives.

Acquisition Fee Waiver can be Applied if Applicable.

No Affiliate Discount/Corporate Programs Available on top of this.

  • My broker fee is *only $249*. It’s not like you’re risking a $500
    service fee, or hoping that a portion of it may be refunded. The entirety of
    what you pay me for my time is half of what other brokers are charging on a
    successful deal.

  • You do not have any deposit tied up with any dealership until your car
    arrives, making backing out as easy as one text message. You can even ghost
    me; I won’t be offended!

  • If you decide to purchase instead of lease, or secure your own awesome
    financing, you’ll still enjoy a 3% dealer discount, the lowest fees, and
    no dealer-addons.

  • I work with dealerships based out of the NYC metro area, with local delivery
    options for NJ/NY/CT buyers. If you’re in my region, it’s just so much
    easier than traveling to TN, DC Metro, the Southwest, and beyond for a deal
    you can replicate or beat closer to home.

I encourage you to do your research, and evaluate your different options for the
Wrangler 4XE on this forum. Only you can weigh the potential savings & risk
exposure and select a seller that makes the most sense for you!


Government to Leasing Bank Incentives

Okay so why is Jeep doing this all of a sudden and giving us a slightly more
fuel efficient & “environmentally friendly” Wrangler?

Government regulation! Stellantis must maintain an average fleet fuel economy on
new cars they sell, and since most of their cars are fuel-inefficient, they need
to get a volume seller with higher MPG out the door quickly.

So you’re telling me that the entire existence of the Wrangler 4XE is some
sort of loophole for an automaker’s tax and/or emissions compliance purposes?

Yes.

How was FCA/Stellantis selling so many fuel inefficient cars without any
hybrid EV offerings for so long?

Tesla. Much of Tesla’s revenue was coming from Stellantis/FCA buying emissions
credits from Tesla. Since Tesla’s cars are all zero-emission, and as an
automaker they are allowed to have a certain amount of emissions each year,
Tesla’s “right to pollute” credits were being sold and re-assigned to
FCA/Stellantis. Tesla is no longer doing this because they’re selling enough
Teslas on their own to avoid needing this money.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/03/fiat-chrysler-spent-eur-300-million-on-green-credits-mostly-from-tesla.html

So Stellantis actually HAS TO “sell” new Wrangler 4XEs to comply with
government fuel economy regulation? Even if they’re being “sold” to leasing
banks?

Yes. Which is one reason why they are not incentivizing purchases, but rather
leases. They need to give these cars away new in order to meet their fuel
economy quotas, but they don’t want to devalue the Jeeps in the used market by
offering huge upfront purchase rebates/incentives.

So Chrysler Capital, which is a captive bank owned by Stellantis, gets tax
credits for selling a “clean vehicle” every time someone leases one of these
gas-burning Wranglers from them? Just as much of a credit as Hyundai Motor
Finance gets for each full-EV that is leased?

Yup.

This seems like a misappropriation of taxpayer money!

I agree! Unfortunately, we can’t really do anything about it. This “Compliance
Car” loophole is between Stellantis and the US Government. If you don’t get a
great deal on this Wrangler, either another customer will take that car; or a
dealership will enjoy the profit margins that come from a less price-informed
Jeep customer. There’s no way for an individual to stop $7500 EV tax credits
going to these gas-guzzling Jeeps without the laws changing.

So you’re telling me that the Wrangler 4XE is specifically engineered to have
the minimum size battery it needs to claim federal tax incentives for PHEV/EVs,
just so that Stellantis gets a tax break?

Yes. The core technical reason why this car is a hybrid, is because Stellantis
pays less for the R&D and battery module than they get back in tax credits. They
put exactly as much battery as they need for $7500 worth of credit, and not an
ounce more, since EV batteries are still indeed expensive.

Is there any actual benefit to the environment at scale from driving PHEVs
instead of EVs?

If there is, it’s not a huge benefit. PHEVs are only a big environment win if
drivers plug them in. This is still a gas-burning Jeep. It has the same engine
that’s in most rental car Wranglers. It has an exhaust and tailpipe emissions.
With such a small battery, do you really think the majority of Jeep owners are
going to be making a significant positive environmental impact from driving
these? If you drove your 4XE entirely in electric mode, it could be more fuel
efficient than driving on gas, but how useful is a Jeep Wrangler that only has
22 miles of range?

What’s the solution to this tax loophole?

Long-term, the US really needs to phase out clean vehicle incentives for PHEVs,
and focus primarily on providing those incentives to true EVs. This already has
happened in Europe. Sure you *can* plug in your PHEV, but most people don’t
bother. They benefit from the incentives and reduced price, and then continue to
pollute just as much as the gas-burning cars that they are.

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/once-green-plug-in-hybrid-cars-suddenly-look-like-dinosaurs-europe-2021-04-12/

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/09/18/shocking-news-plug-in-hybrids-are-no-damn-good-if-you-dont-plug-them-in/

Got it, so this playbook has already been done in Europe. What’s different
about the US?

We’re just earlier in our cycle. Should we really be handing out the same $7500
clean-energy rebate to a gas-burning Jeep Wrangler that typically gets 20mpg, as
we do to a fully electric hatchback that gets 150 MPGe? Before these are phased
out, they will get popular, if Europe’s history here is any indication.

Does President Biden like the Wrangler 4xe?

https://www.reddit.com/r/EVgo/comments/oz91y2/president_biden_drives_an_electric_jeep_wrangler/
Yes, he liked it.


Your pricing & getting one

Yet again, a government-backed green vehicle subsidy can be extracted to the
financial benefit of only creditworthy individuals that can qualify to lease a
$60k MSRP vehicle?

Yes.

Have you done this before?

I’ve successfully completed this play with Hyundai Ioniqs. See my viral 2019
Hyundai Ioniq “money maker”
thread

here. I leased a 2019 Hyundai, then sold it to Vroom. I did not claim any tax
incentives or conditional green car incentives on this car. Hyundai may have
gotten a tax break, which may have indirectly helped them offer me such a good
deal, but I was free and clear to sell this car and make $3300 after driving it
for 9 months.

Could this opportunity change?

Well, the “Build Back Better” bill could change how this incentive is applied to
leasing banks. It could also change the amount of the credit. That is part of
the reason why there is a $249 risk associated with placing the order. Many
people that are ordering these Jeeps for resale are gambling – not only on
Jeep’s programs – but also on the final implementation of Build Back Better. You
can read the bill in it’s entirety
here. “PART
4—Greening the fleet and alternative vehicles” is where this starts being
discussed.

What is the specific risk with Biden’s Build Back Better?

There are basically 3 questions with this bill. One is when it will go into
effect. Two is whether or not leasing companies can claim the federal EV tax
incentive, or if the lessee would start claiming the rebate directly. Three is
how much credit this Jeep will be eligible for (the same $7500 as today, as
high as $12,000, or less because plug-ins get less than full EVs). I will update
as soon as the details become more clear!

And if it doesn’t change by the time I get my order?

Again, people on this forum are experiencing monumental flip opportunities with
these Jeeps. The final state of “Build Back Better” may significantly impact the
marketplace for these Jeeps, and there’s no real way to know whether it will get
better or worse. If the credit goes up, flippers might make even more money. If
the way to claim the credit changes, the Jeep may no longer be an attractive
flip by the time it lands on the ground.

What if I don’t want my Jeep when it arrives (for any reason)?

That’s fine. You won’t have committed any money to the dealership or the leasing
bank, or taken any credit hit. The only thing you don’t get back is the $249
you paid to me for time I spent working with you.

Okay, so the Jeep Wrangler PHEV illustrates everything that’s wrong with PHEVs
on a macro scale. On an individual scale, what’s in it for me?

Well, because of how Stellantis gets its tax credits, and because of how they
need to get these 4XEs on the road sooner than later, you, as an individual,
stand to get an incredible lease deal on this car. Furthermore, forum users have
reported a huge gap between what Stellantis is leasing these cars for, and what the market is selling these for.

Because Stellantis designed a car that’s eligible for federal tax credits, and
because Stellantis consumes those tax credits themselves when you lease the car,
and because Stellantis needs to get their fleet fuel economy up, they do not
need to care about what happens once these cars are reported sold as new cars.

It’s actually in their best interest to let flippers lease these, then start
saturating the used Wrangler market with hybrids.

How do I get a great deal on a Wrangler 4XE?

Simple! In-stock Wranglers 4XEs are not easy to score a deal on. But, as
mentioned above, Stellantis has an incentive to get a strong order pipeline of
these out the door. You’ll have to custom build your dream Jeep to get the best
deal. Unlike other deals where “what’s on the lot is the best deal” the opposite
is true here. Choose your favorite color, favorite type of roof, favorite
options, off-road extras, and whatever you fancy. Wait a few months for this
vehicle to actually arrive on the dealer lot, and secure as much as a 3%
dealer discount from MSRP!

What are the risks with factory ordering the Jeep?

Well, the big one, is that Chrysler Capital’s programs do not lock. Which means
that, if you order a Jeep today, we won’t know what your lease payments will be
until the month that the car arrives. Acquisition Fee waiver is a program that’s
in place now in some states – which is one of the Chrysler Capital program that
can swing your total lease cost by around $500. Other value that don’t lock are
the residual value and money factor of the lease. If you’re planning on
purchasing this Jeep, It’s easy for me to lock a 3% dealer discount. But,
lease numbers depend on bank numbers, which we unfortunately will not know until
your car is at the dealer on the ground.

That seems like a big risk – ordering a car to lease without having any idea
how much the payments will be.

Welcome to Leasehackr – where people take big risks on car leases, hoping they
can score a unicorn deal or profit thousands of dollars from the privilege of
driving their car lease. You are on a forum where members have described this
chase as a “sport” or a “game”. Some people here could easily afford to drive
any car they want, but put an extreme amount of effort into “best deal” on a car
and try to force or arbitrage “paid me to drive it” situations. Those are the
people that are generating the hype around the Wrangler 4XE.

Okay, how much risk?

Through my dealer partners – you will not have to place *any* deposit to order
the Jeep from the factory. Nothing gets paid to the dealership until the car
arrives, and you decide you want to go through with it.

However, nothing in life is free (of risk exposure). In order to place your
order through my brokerage, I charge a non-refundable $249 broker fee (same as
I always have, on all of my Hyundai deals). This fee is paid directly to me on a
major credit card, for taking the time to work with you directly over text
message, and submit your custom Jeep build through a partner dealer to be
manufactured.

Since I cannot control what the leasing bank will set prices to, when your car
comes, your credit situation, and other factors, and since I am only paid on my
$249 broker fee, you would have to pay me for my time upfront to place the
order. If you don’t proceed with taking the Jeep, the $249 fee paid to me is
sunk.

Can you please just give me some idea of how much the lease payments will
be?

I can’t commit to any specific payments, especially with the fluctuations in today’s market.

Okay, so $249 to Andy means that my dream Jeep order is sent to a Jeep
factory to be manufactured, and then that Jeep goes to the lot of one or more
Jeep dealerships in the tri-state area?

Exactly.

And I get first dibs at my “dream build” Jeep, when it arrives, with a 3%
dealer discount?

Yup.

And if leasing is too confusing, or if lease programs are just “Bad” when my
car arrives, I can just buy this Jeep from your partner dealer with a 3%
dealer discount, then claim whatever federal/state EV incentives are available
to me at that time?

Yup. You don’t need a PhD in Leasehacking to see that 3% off sticker (w/low
fees) is pretty good for a Jeep Wrangler in any market, especially this market.
$249 broker, $899 dealer doc, plus taxes/tags, 3% off sticker. No problem.

And if I don’t want the Jeep when it arrives in a few months, I’ve had paid
nothing to the dealership, just $249 to Andy which I don’t get back?

Exactly.

What if I want a different car other than the Jeep?
If the Jeep deal doesn’t work out, (i.e. car shows up but programs got worse and
price is too high), and you’ve already paid my broker fee, I am happy to apply
that broker fee as a credit towards assisting you or a loved one with procuring
any new Hyundai model in my lineup. I’m also happy to do my best in answering
any questions about leasing any car that may come up. I just cannot refund my
$249 broker fee on custom orders, even if you back out due to no fault of your
own.

You really can’t offer any sort of refund to your $249 broker fee if I back
out?

Unlike with the Jeep dealership, who can still sell your ordered Jeep at a
profit if you back out, I do not work for a dealership. I work for myself and am
only compensated directly for my time. You are taking on some risk by having the
factory manufacture your dream-Jeep to spec. Many of these Jeeps sticker at
$60,000 or more, putting my broker fee at less than 0.5% of the worth of the
car. My fee covers my time spent working with you when the order is placed. If I
were to offer refunds of my fee for custom orders, it would mean I’m working for
free, and that the customer assumes absolutely no risk to place an order (which
might mean that dealers get stuck with undesirable color/trim combos).

Somebody else is offering a similar deal with a refundable deposit. Can you
match?

You’ll notice that my pricing is lower on both the car itself, and on my broker
fee. Even in cases where the deposit is refundable, you are still being charged
$500 to your credit card, and hoping that either all, or half, of it is
refunded in the event of backing out. With my process, I only charge $249. It’s
not refundable, but it’s also less to lose and less to fight over than a $500
or more deposit. Some customers would rather pay the $500 and hound their
broker for a half-refund if something doesn’t work out. Others would rather risk
the $249, consider the $249 a sunk cost, and not have to pay any more broker
fee than that if the deal works out in their favor.

I do not have risk-tolerance for the $249 broker fee. Do you have options for
me that guarantee a car/price before I pay the broker fee?

Absolutely! My lineup of new Hyundai cars and SUVs are available to you with
these terms. With the Hyundais, my original “Safe Shopping with Andy” policy
applies – which protects your $249 broker fee payment against credit issues,
inventory issues, and the dealer/Hyundai changing the price issues.

The custom order Jeep Wrangler 4XE deals are only for those that are willing to
forfeit the broker fee in the event that Chrysler Capital pulls the rug out from
the deal.

I still don’t understand why I have to take on a $249 risk when I don’t know
how much the lease will cost

This is a crazy market. Whether you take the Jeep or not, I’ll need $249 for my time spent working with you.

You seem like you’re both against PHEVs, but also brokering deals for them.
What gives?

I’m not against PHEVs. In fact, I think all ICE cars should become either Mild
Hybrid or PHEV. Hybrid should essentially be the new “fuel injected” in the
sense that it will be the thing that prolongs the life and fuel economy of
internal combustion engines. There is zero disadvantage whatsoever to going
hybrid (mild or plug-in). Are there still any carbureted engines for sale in new
cars? This is the future I see for non-hybrid ICEs.

What I am against is, giving PHEVs the same tax credits as EVs. EVs represent a
meaningful change to how we drive and fuel our cars, and are a necessary step
towards the green clean energy future. PHEVs should continue to exist to satiate
the needs of people that still need/want a car with an internal combustion
engine. We should eventually live in a world where the Wrangler 4XE is the
*only* ICE wrangler you can buy. Why offer a non-hybrid if you can build this?

PHEVs aren’t raising the bar, just meeting the bar from 20 years ago. Also, I
may be frustrated when I need to charge my EV at a station, only to find the
station in use by a Jeep owner that could easily drive away on gasoline. Last
thing EV adopters need is people like
this(https://jalopnik.com/wise-guy-figures-out-a-way-to-park-free-on-college-camp-1846830481)
blocking access to charging because “their car is electric too”.

I’m a green car broker, in it for the long-haul. I don’t want money wasted on
PHEV incentives to dry up opportunities to get once-in-a-lifetime deals on
full-EVs in my deals to come!

And so, you’re helping more of these PHEV Jeeps onto the market, why?

The faster this happens, the faster it can be over. Jeep has a maximum number of
units that are eligible for the $7500 rebate before they use it all up. If this
Leasehackr customer base really claims all the rebates, Jeep will have no more Government-backed reason to keep incentivizing the
sale of new 4XE PHEV products. Meanwhile, more pre-owned 4XEs in the pre-owned
market will convert die-hard Jeep people that hybrid/electric is just as
“strong” as ICE and help with the overall market perception of EVs in the US. By
the time Joe Jeep Owner realizes he prefers a 4XE, I hope these deals to be long
gone, the LH community to have moved on to the next cheapest thing, and market
perception of hybrid Jeeps to clock in higher than market perception of gas-only
models.

You’re really all-in on Hyundai. Should I get my Jeep from more of a Jeep
specialist?

Hyundai is where my heart is, no doubt about that. I’m such a huge believer in
that brand. But so much of Hyundai’s future is in EVs, which has made me into a
bit of a green car specialist. I don’t know if I even know how to take the doors
off one of these Jeeps, but I know the green car market, I know this model is
popular and hyped up, and I know I can do a better job at logistics when it
comes to bringing this particular Jeep deal to market.

What Color Jeep should I Get?

That’s the beauty of the custom order, something I don’t (yet) offer on Hyundai.
You can get whatever color your heart desires!

1 Like

(Saving this post for my future comment)

10 Likes

I hope it’s Jeep Wrangler 4xe’s. We need more of those around here.

2 Likes

WTF is this?

4 Likes

It looks like he is going to be offering a new service or brand, and he is preparing the thread in advanced, for whatever reason.

I mean drafting this whole thing was an option.

3 Likes

I get that, it was a more existential “WTF” intended.

I, for one, hope it’s another customer appreciation thread.

1 Like

This is good marketing.

1 Like

Updated for “If Available” across the board for Acquisition Fee Waiver. This is based on where the customer lives and programs at the time the car arrives. If waivers are available, my partner dealer is participating.

posts crossed. I deleted mine since AA-NJ fixed it. No worries.

dont forget to add me to the chart too, bro. i actually feel left out.

8 Likes

I am aware of that.

But, you said @Clutch and @AutoCompanion are not offering an acq fee waiver which I believe is a misrepresentation and inaccurate.

1 Like

Already updated the parent post, this was a typo. If we can waive acquisition fees - we will!

Consistent with the competition.

Your doc fee for @Clutch is not correct. At least not for his southern dealer. Fee there is well under 300. I wish i could remember off the top of my head. 220? maybe?

Using $425 from this post for Clutch doc fee. I am happy to update the chart as the competition tightens. Please do not hesitate to heckle me if the comparison is not accurate or if new information comes in that changes things.

1 Like

oh, weird. I guess it went up, @Clutch ?

A new contender has arrived.

10 Likes

nothing wrong with competition. I think all are so close that what matters is location.

4 Likes

Agree. Best sales people are people who can deliver insights and teach people things. This was a good read.

3 Likes