Price (as tested) 💲: 78,545
Powertrain ⚙️: 6.4-liter HEMI V8
Output 💪: 470 hp/470 lb-ft of torque
Transmission 🕹: 8-speed automatic
0-60 MPH 🚦: 4.5 seconds
Top Speed 💥: 149 mph
MPGe (as tested) ⛽️: 13 city/17 hwy/14 combined
Curb weight ⚖️: 5,130 lbs
How do you make the Jeep Wrangler – a vehicle that can take off its roof, fold down its windshield, remove its doors, and overcome tremendous off-road obstacles – better? Jeep thinks the answer is simple: add a HEMI V8. Well, simple in theory at least.
In practice, wedging a 392 cu in V8 engine into a compartment made for 4 and 6-cylinder engines is no small matter. The accessory drive and alternator placement, exhaust manifolds, oil filter, oil pan, and cooling module all needed tweaking to accommodate the bigger motor. Furthermore, Fox aluminum monotube shocks were substituted for Tenneco units, giving the truck an extra inch of ground clearance. Finishing touches included a third generation Dana 44 front axle from the Gladiator Mojave, stiffened chassis components, and a performance exhaust to unleash HEMI music on innocent bystanders.
The 2021 Rubicon 392 stands as the most expensive, powerful, and well-equipped Wrangler ever built and factory delivered. But is that enough to justify its $75K starting price? Competitors like the Ford Bronco, Lexus GX, and even Land Rover Defender 110 SE cost significantly less and offer components of the Wrangler 392’s package. To find out, Miles takes the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 through a series of on and off-road tests in this in-depth review.