Drive Notes: 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition

A six-figured bang -- this is no cheap Jeep. You need to drop over $90K just to get in the door, and selecting the Final Edition means you are going to have to include items like leather seats, a Warn winch, fold-out table, special graphics and badging, special suspension, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels shod with 35-inch rubber, on-board air compressor, grille guard, and a Jeep tool kit. It's a bit confusing because of how Stellantis brands arrange their Monroneys, but as far as I can tell, the roll-back, soft-top power roof was the only stand-alone option on my test rig. The final price: $108,475 including D and D.

Under the hood is the 6.4-liter Hemi that makes 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, and it hooks up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It's got full-time four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case.

The suspension is lifted another half an inch on top of the Rubicon's two-inch and off-road goodies not previously mentioned include an intake that can funnel water away, electronic locking differentials, sway bar disconnect, off-road gauges available via the infotainment system, and a on-board trail guide.

Let's get on with the pros and cons.

Pros

• Despite the off-road tires and suspension, this Jeep was less annoying to drive than Wranglers of the past. You still need to saw the wheel more than usual, and the ride was far from soft, but it's livable for city driving. Not ideal, but livable.
• That exhaust sounds awesome. If you happen to be outside when someone else, say a valet, starts it, you hear it flare angrily before settling down. And you hear it from a distance. Uncle Sam approves. Your neighbors might not, but screw them. They probably drink tea and watch dramas about long-dead British royalty.
• UConnect infotainment remains among the industry best.
• Jeep designers embrace old-school knobs and buttons, and we thank them for it.
• The power top is an easy way to get the topless Jeep experience without having to use tools to take the roof off.
• All that power on tap is pretty handy when it comes to passing and merging.
• Jeep gives you the option whether to leave the exhaust in performance mode or not, and whatever you choose, it doesn't reset with each key cycle.
• Even in performance mode, the exhaust is pretty quiet at light throttle. You need to rev it to hear it sing.

Cons

• The fuel economy was predictably abysmal -- the computer showed me as low as 6 mpg and nothing higher than 8.3 -- that was after a freeway jaunt to the suburbs. I wasn't even driving hard, save for a couple of acceleration runs. City stop-and-go just isn't friendly to this rig's fuel consumption. OK, fine, confession: I did drop it into neutral and rev it a few times when stopped at a red light.
• Occasionally the auto function on the power top seemed to not work and I had to hold the button. Not sure if this is intentional design or not.
• Rain on the soft top is quite loud.
• Rear-seat room is tight.
• The rear cargo area is small, though I still managed to fit a decent amount of groceries back there. Even with some accessories stored behind the rear seat.
• The brakes felt a bit spongy.
• While there's prodigious power available, you have to slam the accelerator and give the transmission a second to figure out your ill intentions before it all comes to life.
• Center-console storage is relatively meager.
• Without running boards, entry and exit was awkward.
• Those hood graphics look cool but I bet tree branches and the like scratch them up when off-roading.

One note: I didn't have the time to trek to the nearest off-road park for a comprehensive off-road test. I hope I get that chance with one of these soon, since armed with those tires, I'd probably not get stuck. And if I did, the winch could dig me out.

Maybe I will get that chance -- even though Jeep calls this a Final Edition, the brand recently announced this trim will return for the 2025 model year. The 2025 will be nearly identical, though it will lose the grille guard and special Jeep toolkit (it's unclear if those items will be available via Mopar).

So if you missed out on being one of the 3,700 buyers of the 2024 model -- and you probably did, since limited-edition vehicles tend to sell out even before we can arrange a test loan -- you have another shot at one.

Just prepare to not only spend a lot on your car payment each month, but also have a large fuel budget handy.

Do it not for yourself, but for America.

[Images © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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