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Photo: Jim Resnick
The Jeep Wrangler competes in the Compact SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2023 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, Jeep Wrangler owners rated their SUVs in 10 primary categories.
Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from what they like most about the Wrangler to what they like least:
In the 2023 APEAL Study, the Wrangler ranks 23rd out of 23 Compact SUV models.
Photo: Jim Resnick
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $97,840, including the $1,895 destination charge.
Photo: Jim Resnick
At the core of the Rubicon 392 model is the engine for which it's named. Jeep plucked the 392-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) Hemi V8, which also makes 470 pound-feet of torque, from the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT muscle cars with intake and exhaust differences to adapt it to the Jeep chassis. Other Wrangler iterations have a 270-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4, a 3.6-liter V6 making 285 hp, or a plug-in hybrid 4xe version rated at 375 hp.
With the muscle car roots of the engine, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 driving feel is entirely different. A bellowing V8 soundtrack changes to a genuine howl by a valve in the exhaust system that opens as you apply anything even near half-throttle. It makes the V8 seem even louder than the SRT Charger and Challenger.
The opened valve unleashes a sporadically unwelcome noise level like a drag race car with old-fashioned "lakes" pipes that bypass the mufflers altogether. While cracking the throttle sufficiently to open the exhaust might be fun, it's not exactly neighborly. It can become embarrassing when it's not wanted.
Of course, that racket accompanies some serious acceleration. Making 470 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque and pouring all that power through all four wheels, the 392 V8 rockets the Wrangler to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, according to Motor Trend. The Wrangler 392 would be even quicker if it didn't weigh a massive 5,268 pounds. That's heavier than the next Wrangler model down the weight scale (the Rubicon V6) by over 600 pounds.
An 8-speed automatic transmission backs up the big V8. You can shift it manually via paddles on the back of the steering wheel. During my test period, I did not use the paddles much, though. There was very little need for them. The transmission responded rapidly to throttle inputs and downshifted whenever I thought about a lower gear.
Seeing an average of 13.1 mpg over my week-long test period also causes a flash of sobriety. Given the official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel-economy figure of 14 mpg in combined driving, 13.1 mpg is on the low side of real-world expectations. However, the EPA cycle tests do not include any off-roading use, which will drastically reduce mileage and undoubtedly affected my results.
Photo: Jim Resnick
As the pinnacle of Wranglerdom (both in price and market position), the Rubicon 392 should offer the most off-road talent in the stable. And it certainly does. No other new Wrangler packs as much serious off-roading gear underneath.
A shorter 4.56:1 rear axle ratio bolsters the Selec-Trac full-time 4WD system. Like other Rubicon models, the 392 uses a fully floating rear axle assembly, which places the vehicle's weight on the axle tube rather than the axle shafts.
There are 2 inches of lift beyond the non-392 Rubicon model plus another 1.5 inches from the standard Xtreme 35 package. As part of the Xtreme 35 package, the 392 has beadlock-ready wheels. According to Jeep, these wheels have rings that can pinch the inner circumference of the tire (the bead) to the wheel for extremely heavy-duty, low-tire-pressure off-roading.
While I've never gotten stuck in any Wrangler, the Rubicon 392 laughs at off-road challenges shy of the genuinely questionable. I did not attempt rock crawling, though. When done solo, that's a fickle activity that can make you stranded instantly and break a whole menu of chassis parts.
Among the trails I tested, the 392 sailed through those exercises like a well-equipped Jeep should. The trail-hungry BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires are big—sized 315/70R17—and munch their way through anything loose like sand and mud and easily grip harder surfaces.
The cloud behind the silver lining lies in the on-road effect of all that off-road goodness. The Rubicon 392 is no sports car, nor should anyone expect it to be, but the compromise is palpable.
The compliant suspension allows the nose to dive markedly under braking on pavement. The body rolls a lot in corners. Driveway curbs and speed bumps taken diagonally cause the solid front and rear axles to impart their sharp roll to the Jeep's chassis, the seats, and then to your cranium (the latter called "head toss"). The steering wanders on the highway like every Wrangler, only slightly more so in the 392. For some enthusiastic off-roaders, the on-road body motions are a small price to pay.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Being a Wrangler, the Rubicon 392 must always be utilitarian to a degree and clean up easily after a day of eating dust on the trail. But a variety of upgrades pepper the 2024 interior. The 392's thicker, more luxurious carpeting doesn't exactly bolster the rough and ready image, even if they look and feel better than before.
The doors are still removable like on all Wranglers, and the Sky One-Touch power retracting roof reveals the heavens and does away with the cumbersome removable roof panels. But for heaven's sake, why make lipstick-red Nappa leather seats the only color for the 392? This color clashes with the test Jeep's Hydro Blue paint, as it does with half the available colors.
Beyond seat color, the chairs gain power adjustment for the first time—a welcome change. The Rubicon 392 features contrast stitching on the dashboard and a braille-like textured surface. Like all Wranglers, the front seats offer decent legroom, but at 6-foot 1-inch, I'm about as tall as one can be and have enough legroom. The rear seat provides less legroom but lots of headroom.
Jeep also fitted additional advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to the Wrangler family for 2024. Forward-collision warning and adaptive cruise control come standard on all trims except the base Sport model. Blind-spot warning, cross-path detection, and rear park assist come standard on High Altitude, Rubicon X, and Rubicon 392 trim levels. They are optional on the Sport S, Willys, Sahara, and Rubicon. All Wranglers get first- and second-row side curtain airbags for 2024, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and load limiters for the second-row outboard seatbelts.
One ADAS display, in particular, is too small. The adaptive cruise control graphic depicting your adjustable following distance from a leading car on the highway is microscopic.
Voice recognition within the infotainment system is lacking as well. It was easily flummoxed by non-Anglo words pronounced differently than they appear. The town of Mesa ("Maysa"), Arizona always came back as "Messa." It also had difficulty recognizing locations and businesses using Spanish, Italian, or French names.
Compounding that issue, the baseline interior noise in the Wrangler 392 at anything above 40 mph is relatively high, causing voice recognition to miss some spoken commands and proper names further.
Jeep's Uconnect 5 infotainment system uses a new 12.3-inch touchscreen. This is much larger than in prior years and a distinct improvement. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. The system runs on the Android platform, which also offers several built-in Google features, including Assistant, Maps, and more.
In my experience, every recent generation of Uconnect has been very easy to use, and this latest version works just as well and intuitively on the new widescreen display. You can customize your home screen. For off-roading, a new trail-mapping feature brings in off-road navigation with waypoints and landmarks, helping you seek your starting point and get back to paved roads.
Photo: Jim Resnick
For people who are open-minded to accept what the Wrangler is by its defining trait of adventure without pavement, living with the Rubicon 392 is easy and even fun. It makes each drive an occasion. Because it's not an overgrown uber-SUV or a full-size pickup truck, it's easy to park and maneuver.
At nearly 32 cubic feet and without a third row of seats clogging up the works, the cargo space behind the second row provides more than enough storage for everyday use. I loaded a whole P.A. system and my guitar amp and pedalboard in the back for a music gig and even had some room to spare. And being so upright, visibility from the driver's seat is excellent.
However, with the total additional 3.5 inches of height in the test Rubicon 392 (two inches thanks to the 392 model suspension changes and then a further 1.5 from the Xtreme 35 package), getting in and out of the SUV is not a graceful proposition, especially for shorter folks. Grab handles make it easier if you're somewhat nimble with a modicum of upper body strength.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The Jeep Wrangler has always been the hamburger of sorts in the automotive world. As a bare-bones dish with few condiments, you know you're getting an honest, unpretentious, dedicated meal (or travel companion) that's hard to mess up and will stand by you in the rough stuff.
Consequently, as a Hemi-engined, big-tired, tech-stuffed, leather-clad, adaptive-cruised off-roader with every condiment known to man (a gourmet burger), you're still getting an honest, mildly unpretentious, dedicated travel companion that will stand by you in the rough stuff.
Dividing the Wrangler from its foundational trait of readiness for anything is impossible. But then, at an official 13/16/14 mpg in city/highway/combined driving by the EPA (and 13.1 during my test period of mixed driving), the Rubicon 392 drinks fuel like it's at 1970 prices. And to be blunt, the 392 also costs Lexus or Mercedes money.
Then there's the Jeepness. Even if your day is full of mere shopping and getting the dry cleaning, the long way home over some nearby dirt trails will revive your spirits.
As ever, any Wrangler buyer must ask, "How often will I really go off-road?" And if you answer that question in the affirmative, would one of the less costly $50,000 Wranglers with 95 percent of the off-roading talent be sufficient? Do you need to spend nearly $100,000 for all that Jeepness?
You do not. Nearly all of the Wrangler 392's off-roading ability and far better fuel efficiency are reached in a regular Wrangler Rubicon for about $40,000 less. Even the Xtreme 35 package with giant tires is available on the regular Rubicon, making it a more sensible way to excite your adventurous senses. And that Rubicon's seats come in colors other than lipstick red.
Jim Resnick has been covering transportation and the automotive, technology, engineering, and motorsports fields for decades, his award-winning work appearing in numerous American and European media outlets. He also spent 13 years managing product information, media relations, marketing, and strategy with three luxury carmakers.
