Driven: 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition Proves Saying Goodbye Is Hard

There will never be a vehicle like the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 ever again. Technically, the model will return for the 2025 model year, but after that, the brief era of the V8-powered Wrangler will end. Jeep’s short-lived decision to shove a Hemi engine under the hood of its iconic off-roader will go down as one of the company’s most entertaining decisions, and it will be missed once it’s gone. To give the V8 a proper send-off, Jeep created a Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition, which gets special touches that aren’t found on other models.

The Rubicon 392 sunsets as the pinnacle Wrangler, powered by a 6.4-liter V8 producing 470 horsepower. This ultimate off-roader also comes equipped with nearly all of Jeep’s best goodies, including 35-inch tires, locking differentials, and more. DrivingOnRoad spent one last week driving the 392 Rubicon Final Edition, a vehicle that may go down in history as the most outrageous Jeep ever built and possibly the most entertaining off-roader of all time.

Exterior: The Ultimate Wrangler

As this is the top-of-the-line Wrangler, it gets the most extreme off-road equipment that’s available from Jeep. All Rubicon 392 models ride on 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch beadlock-capable bronze wheels, which are part of the Xtreme 35 Package. The Final Edition takes things a step further with standard equipment like:

• Half-inch lift kit with 11.6 inches of ground clearance
• 34.5 inches of water fording capability
• 8,000-pound Warn winch integrated into the bumper
• Triple hood grille guard
• Heavy duty rock sliders
• Mopar fold-out swing gate table
• Special hood and fender decals denote the Final Edition and match the bronze theme on the exterior.

Despite being a limited production vehicle, the Final Edition is not limited in terms of exterior color, though all but Bright White will cost extra. The Earl color on our tester looks unique without being too bright, while options such as Firecracker Red and Limited Edition Tuscadero (Pink) are perfect for people who want to stand out with their Wrangler. The 392 comes with a hard top roof as standard, but a dual-top is available for $2,405 if you also want a soft top. Our tester included the Sky One-Touch Power-Top, a $3,995 retractable option that slides back electronically with a single button press. Though it adds a significant cost, we love the Sky One-Touch because it can be removed easily and put back on in 20 seconds if it starts to rain.

Interior: Modernity Arrives

Jeep updated the Wrangler for the 2024 model year, and the improvements make the iconic off-roader more modern than ever. The biggest change comes in the dashboard, where the old 8.4-inch touchscreen is replaced by a larger and higher-resolution 12.3-inch one. This newer screen offers wireless compatibility for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the ability to pair two phones on Bluetooth at the same time, and more legible front/rear cameras.

For the first time ever, you can now get a Wrangler with 12-way power-adjustable seats, which come wrapped in black/red Nappa leather on the Rubicon 392 or a special black with Mayan Gold stitching and Tupelo highlights for the Final Edition. These seats are heated, as is the steering wheel. We wouldn’t call this interior “luxurious,” but there are more soft-touch materials than past Jeeps, giving it a more premium feel. There are other small touches to denote the Final Edition, including a shifter medallion and a special plaque on the swing gate. Buying the Final Edition also gets you an 84-piece Mopar toolkit.

Practicality: Compromised Usability

The Rubicon 392 is only available as a four-door model, meaning it boasts reasonable but slightly compromised practicality compared to a unibody SUV. There’s 31.7 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which is slightly less than you get in the Ford Bronco four-door. Folding the seats opens up 72.4 cubes to the Bronco’s 77.6. The Rubicon 392 Final Edition boasts additional capabilities with a fold-out table on the swing gate and a built-in compressor that can reinflate the tires after letting the air out.

Rear seat legroom is measured at 38.3 inches with 41.7 inches of rear headroom. These numbers are fairly impressive given the Wrangler’s body-on-frame construction, which typically hinders interior space in exchange for off-road capability. For comparison, the Bronco has only 36.4 inches of rear legroom but more rear headroom at 43.3 inches.

Performance: The Last V8… Not Really

If you spot the number 392 on the hood of a Wrangler, it denotes the engine size in cubic inches. This is the same 6.4-liter Hemi V8 previously found in the Dodge Charger and Challenger, producing 470 hp and an equal amount of torque, making this the most powerful Wrangler to-date. This muscle car heart gives the Rubicon 392 gusty acceleration: 0-60 mph takes just 4.5 seconds (we recorded the sprint in 4.65 seconds) and it will complete the quarter-mile in 13 seconds flat.

* Manufacturer claimed

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a Selec-Trac two-speed transfer case. A low range setting enables a stellar 48:1 crawl ratio. Other upgraded components include Dana 44 HD axles, locking differentials, and a front sway bar disconnect. For further capability, the Final Edition adds that Warn winch that’s integrated into the bumper, retaining the front-facing camera.

As a trade-off for muscle car-level performance, the Wrangler’s already subpar fuel economy is reduced to abysmal levels. Though the V8 can shut down a bank of cylinders to run as a four-cylinder, it still only manages 13/16/14 MPG city/highway/combined, the worst of any Wrangler. In mixed driving, we couldn’t even match the EPA ratings, averaging a measly 12.7 MPG. If you buy a Rubicon 392, budget a healthy amount to keep it fueled because you will be filling up every 200 miles or so.

Driving Impressions: Yee Haw

The term “muscle car” is widely applied to American-made vehicles with large, powerful engines under the hood, and we believe the Wrangler Rubicon 392 qualifies. Jeep took an off-road SUV that typically produces less than 300 hp, and shoved a fire-spitting Hemi under the hood to create something hilarious. That’s what a muscle car is all about: whimsy. Very little about the Wrangler experience changes with the addition of a V8; it just gets a little louder and a little faster.

This vehicle still uses a recirculating ball steering system that’s about as vague as a politician being hammered on a policy question. You have a rough idea of where the front end is going, so you point the steering wheel and hope the Wrangler heads where you tell it. 35-inch all-terrain tires don’t do the most to inspire confidence around corners, but the Wrangler never feels dangerous as if it wants to tip over. Rough road imperfections are transmitted to the cabin, but the ride is reasonably compliant given this vehicle’s immense capability.

As you’d expect from a vehicle with a removable roof, there is plenty of noise that intrudes into the cabin, both from wind and the knobby tires. A new-for-2024 Gorilla glass windshield helps insulate the cabin a little bit, but it can still get noisy at highway speeds. Opting for the 392 adds a third source of noise: the exhaust. If you blindfolded a passenger and asked them what kind of car they were in, they’d probably guess a Dodge Charger or a Challenger. This Wrangler emits the same rumble you’d get from those muscle cars thanks to a performance exhaust that can be controlled via a button on the dash. Turning the exhaust off quiets the car down during normal driving, though it still roars (albeit a bit softer) when you mash the throttle. We personally enjoyed the V8 soundtrack, but we shut the exhaust off on the highway due to droning.

Pricing & Verdict: Get It While You Can

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is an astronomically expensive vehicle. For the same price, you could get a Wrangler Rubicon with the V6 and still have enough to buy a Charger or Challenger Scat Pack used with the same 6.4-liter Hemi. Pricing for the standard Rubicon 392 starts at $90,245 plus a $1,895 destination fee. If you want the Final Edition, which is limited to 3,700 units for 2024, be prepared to pay $99,995.

If Jeep was actually done selling the V8 Wrangler, we’d say the six-figure price tag would be worth it to get something that should be collectible in the future. However, the Rubicon 392 (including the Final Edition) will carry on into the 2025 model year, though no production numbers have been announced. The 2024 model will keep the triple hood roll bar and Mopar tool kit as exclusive features, but neither would deter us from waiting for the 2025 version and getting the actual, final V8 Wrangler.

For Jeep and muscle car fans alike, there has never been a product quite like the Wrangler Rubicon 392 and, as the Final Edition name implies, there will probably never be again. Does the world need a product like this? Absolutely not. But for a brief moment in time, Jeep offered an off-road experience like no other, and it put a huge smile on the face of anyone who drove it. When the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is finally gone, we will miss it dearly.