We’d have to gather our backpacks, camping gear, and mountain adventure tools together and fully agree with the staff of Motor Trend regarding their recent thoughts on the 2024 Jeep Wrangler! The Rubicon 392 holds quite a large amount of clout among the go-anywhere crowd here at Landmark Dodge of Morrow, and we are thrilled that there will be a potent V8 lodged in a Wrangler before EVs arrive for good. This year’s version simply “hits different”, with plenty of sweet additions to set it distinctively apart from the rest.
There was an all-out consumer fervor when the Wrangler was first released, with this year’s model beginning with the same tune it carried when it debuted in 2021. It remains “poised for field and stream assault” courtesy of 470 horsepower and a matching 470 lb-ft of torque. The 392 makes ¾ of this peak torque at the idle interval, which provides the low-end grunt needed for conquering boulders and extreme-level water fording. The Hydro-Guide air intake prevents a torrent of water from seeping into the engine and can re-route 15 gallons per minute away from the powered vitals.
This very capable and Goliath-grade engine can propel the Rubicon 392 up to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, and eats up a quarter mile of pavement in 13.2 seconds with a top speed of 101.8 mph. The active exhaust kicks in during extreme acceleration and intricately allows full power open. Once you are fully enjoying triple-digit speeds on the regular, this model doesn't provide the same intense wobble due to its excellent axle construction. The extra-wide 66.9-inch track takes a fair amount of credit for this increased stability, and the Motor Trend group felt at home driving anywhere unpaved.
The first members of the greeting crew for the dirt are 35-inch BFGoodrich tires wrapped around grippy 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels. An 8-speed automatic brilliantly drives very capable live front and rear axles, with a full-float Dana 44 rear new for this year. Jeep is notorious for how sensationally good their full-time automatic transfer case is, and here you are avidly hitting the wild with an electronically disconnecting front anti-roll bar to boot. The suspension is lifted an additional 1.5 inches to accommodate the V8, with a grand total of 11.1 inches to contend with incoming craggy elements.
The testing crew headed to Bundy Hill Off-Road Park in Jerome, Michigan, where there was an abundance of mud and water to be challenged along with the park’s numerous rock features. This Wrangler responded very well to the gentlest of throttle inputs and was never caught off balance or was prone to sudden sliding. We must add here that this “sliding” business happens to the best of them: steep inclines are incredibly tough challenges to contend with, and even the best-equipped of nomads can endure a struggle.
Once they encountered some water holes for an appropriate fording challenge, they locked both axles and readied the transfer case for a vote of confidence. They were briefly worried that they’d be using the winch to become unstuck and realized all at once that it would take quite a bit to get this beast properly stuck. The Sky One-Touch retractable roof is an excellent means of enjoying the atmosphere, and the group easily proceeded over downed tree branches from the storm the night before. After wondering aloud what this Jeep couldn’t do, a hard day’s work of traversing, climbing, shaking, and rolling was completed without so much as a harbored object’s hitch!
