Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition Review: A Muscle Car That Can Rock Crawl

The ocean of new automobiles available for sale is somewhat monotonous. Some might even feel that way about Jeep’s lineup. It’s full of crossovers and SUVs that aren’t particularly good at evoking strong emotions. Even famous nameplates like the Wagoneer haven’t hit the way Jeep intended. 

The Wrangler is the one vehicle in the lineup that very clearly bucks that trend. It’s iconic in a way that very few other cars, trucks, or SUVs can claim to be. What happens when an automaker takes its most iconic and emotionally evocative model and turns it up to eleven? You get something like the $108,475 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition. 

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Over the course of a week in Little Rock, Arkansas, we drove this car on just about every surface that an owner might. It handled roads, streets, highways, dirt, mud, and rocks without flinching. In fact, the only thing that really made this SUV stop was what felt like an addiction to gasoline. 

QUICK FACTS

As the name might suggest, this is the most extreme Wrangler that Jeep sells. It’s built to take on hardcore off-road trails like the Rubicon. Under the hood is a 392 cubic inch Hemi V8, and Jeep has loaded this Wrangler up with just about every option available.

That’s why it’s called the Final Edition, though sales are so good that Jeep is bringing it back for 2025. Maybe that’ll be the Final Final edition. All we know is, this is the silliest Jeep to ever exist for so many reasons. 

A Brute Of An Engine

First, let’s talk about that engine because, after decades of clamoring for a V8 option, Jeep fans got one of the best in the business in the form of this naturally aspirated 6.4-liter Hemi. It makes 470 horsepower (350 kW) and 470 lb-ft (636 Nm) of torque and sends it to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, a two-speed transfer case, and locking differentials. 

For a little context, the base Wrangler comes with a 3.6-liter V6 that makes 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. An optional turbocharged four-cylinder makes 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Even the punchy 4Xe trim with its fancy plug-in hybrid powertrain only makes 375 horsepower. Granted, it matches the Rubicon 392 in terms of torque, but the point is clear. Nothing in the lineup comes anywhere close to the power figures available in the Rubicon 392. 

Of course, none of the trim levels guzzle gasoline as though it’s as abundant and cheap as oxygen, either. According to the EPA, this SUV will get 13 mpg in the city, 16 on the highway, and 14 combined. Over the course of a week, we managed 14.6 mpg, which was to be expected considering what we did with it. More on that shortly. 

The Most Luxurious Wrangler Ever

It’s likely fair to say that no Wrangler will ever feel luxurious the way that even a base Wagoneer will. That said, there is little doubt that this is the most posh Wrangler to ever exist by some margin. It has power-adjustable heated front seats, Nappa leather upholstery, an optional $3,995 one-touch retractable soft top that spans the entire vehicle, a 12.3-inch infotainment system, an Alpine sound system, and integrated voice commands. 

Let’s break down how well-executed some of those features are. The seating is spacious, comfortable, supportive, and looks great too. Both front passengers get power-adjustable lumbar support too. The one issue we found over the week was that rear-seat occupants get stuck with a single immovable pivot point for the seat belt so shorter riders ended up with the belt rubbing against their neck no matter what they did. 

The soft top is genuinely excellent. Not only does it fully seal out weather when closed (for now at least), but when it’s open this feels like a convertible rather than a car with a sunroof. The infotainment system is snappy, full of helpful off-road features, and intuitive to use. We also loved the integrated camera system since it made tackling off-road obstacles easier. 

The sound system and voice commands were nice additions too. Jeep, like its rival Ford, includes speakers in the roof-top crossbar, and that adds a nice layer of depth usually missing from off-road-focused vehicles. Speaking of off-roading, the luxurious feeling continues on that front too. 

This Rubicon itself adds sincerely useful features like a 115-volt auxiliary power outlet, auxiliary switches the owner can wire accessories into, and even an onboard ($1,995) air compressor built into the spare tire carrier. That last bit is actually an option as is, in fact, the entire Final Edition Package, but don’t brush it off; it’s far more than just some silly graphics. 

Those who go for the FEP also get 17×8-inch beadlock capable wheels, a Warn winch, rock sliders, all-weather floor mats, a triple-loop brush guard, a fold-out table in the rear swing gate, and of course, several somewhat silly graphics throughout the cabin and on the body. Jeep even includes a huge tool kit and a bag in which owners can store the doors without scratching them. 

In many ways, this Jeep comes with literally everything one might need for a day deep in the wilderness short of a satellite internet connection, a shovel, and a pair of recovery boards. No, it doesn’t have massaging seats, a starliner headliner, or a 37-speaker sound system, but for hardcore off-roaders, what this Jeep has is better than those luxury features found on other cars. 

Driving Jeep’s First Muscle Car

Many of you may remember the Grand Cherokee SRT8 as maybe the first high-performance Jeep, but this Wrangler is special too. While the SRT8 and later the Trackhawk were both very fast, they also weren’t as much like a muscle car as this Wrangler is. After all, the Grand Cherokee shared many components with Mercedes of the day. 

The Wrangler might as well have descended from a 1970 Dodge Charger, considering how it drives. Each morning it greeted us with a raucous and aggressive growl. Piloting it around town meant keeping in mind that while it accelerates and brakes remarkably fast, it hates corners more than a Chevrolet Corvair. 

Even at very low speeds on dry pavement, it was clear that the tires would lose a bit of grip from time to time in the bends. It never felt unsafe at reasonable speeds, but it was very interesting to drive a car on public roads that is so overwhelmingly powerful while also not having the cornering prowess accustomed to almost everything else on the road short of a semi-truck. 

That said, the engine and transmission are truly gems. Jeep says the Wrangler Rubicon 392 will go from 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds and we can confirm that measurement. Somewhat surprisingly, we managed that on a totally unprepared road multiple times. My guess is that it might dip lower given the right conditions. Put this Jeep on stickier tires than the BFG K02s it has and it would unquestionably be faster. 

At the same time, losing the BFGs would ruin what this SUV is all about. After all, if it can’t go off-road it’s somewhat pointless. Thankfully, not only can it go off-road but it’s outstanding when it gets there. About an hour from Little Rock, you’ll find the Ouachita Mountains where we took the Jeep for an entire day to tackle the hardest trails in the area. 

Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops

Quite frankly, I’m going to have to scout for something harder because the Wrangler 392 chewed up everything we threw at it. In fact, despite heavy rainfall throughout the week and lots of mud, there was no stopping this Hemi-powered SUV. 

Would I want to drive the Wrangler 392 across the country to the best trails in America? No. It’s not sharp enough on the road for my taste. For those who can handle it, though, it’s quieter in the cabin than I expected, and the ride on the highway is more stable and forgiving than in previous generations of the Wrangler. Honestly, if I could afford a $92,000 off-roading SUV, I’d likely just have it trailered there anyway. 

Competition

It’s worth saying that this particular Wrangler can technically cost less than six figures. Our test vehicle has a base price of $91,545. That’s before adding the “Final Edition” package which kicks it up to $108,475. Regardless of that, we’re talking about an SUV that is basically in a field of one. 

The Ford Bronco Raptor is probably a more practical and well-rounded vehicle as it’s better to drive on public roads and (barely) gets better fuel economy. It doesn’t sound as good as the Wrangler, though, and it leans into a very different subset of off-roading, namely, high-speed Baja-style driving. Those who prefer rock crawling will likely end up happier with the Wrangler. 

There are more luxurious offerings out there at this price point too. Land Rover and Mercedes both come to mind but neither really offers an option as wildly focused on pure capability, luxuries be put on the back burner, as Jeep does with this 392 Final Edition. 

The Verdict

I started this review by telling you that this is the silliest Jeep ever made and I think that holds true for several reasons. It’s prohibitively expensive for most of Jeep’s most loyal fans. It’s more capable in terms of performance on and off-road than any Wrangler in the past. And it wraps all of that extremeness into a mostly comfortable and luxurious (for off-roading) package.

This will almost certainly be the most extreme non-electrified Wrangler in history. It’s in a class of its own, and for those with the cash to flash, it’ll be an incredibly satisfying way to put a smile on their faces. The ultimate Wrangler. This is it.

Photo Credits: Stephen/Casey Rivers for Carscoops