For a second there, I thought the Wrangler 392 was on its way out. The 2024 model year was marketed as a Final Edition, after all, with Jeep specifically saying that would be the last year for the eight-cylinder off-roader. That didn’t happen, obviously. The Final Edition was, hilariously, extended for another model year. And now, the ’26 version is out. And it’s a whole lot cheaper.
A full $20,000 cheaper, to be exact. MSRP for the 2026 V8 Wrangler comes in at $79,995, excluding a destination fee of $1,995. That’s a huge drop from last year’s model, which started at $99,995. The big ticket item—the 6.4-liter, 470-horsepower Hemi V8—is unchanged from last year. There are also beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels, a body-color hardtop, rock sliders, and black tow hooks. Inside, you’ll find Nappa leather and an Alpine audio system. Optional stuff includes the Wrangler’s funky Sky One-Touch power-folding convertible top and an 8,000-pound Warn winch.
A $20,000 drop in price puts the Wrangler 392 right alongside its closest competitor, the Ford Bronco Raptor, which starts at exactly the same price. I can’t decide if this means the Jeep is now a great deal, or if it’s still obscenely expensive.
The Argument For It Being Too Expensive
At its core, the Wrangler 392 is still just a Wrangler Rubicon with a V8. It has a reinforced frame and a bit of a lift, sure, but it’s not like the suspension was completely reengineered for high-speed Baja desert-running. Like any Wrangler, it can absolutely dominate the low-speed, rock-crawling aspects of off-roading. But when it comes to the high-speed stuff, the Bronco Raptor has it outclassed with its 13 inches of travel up front and 14 inches in the rear.
Despite the gargantuan price cut for 2026, the Wrangler 392 is still more expensive than it was when it first debuted in 2021. Back then, it started at $74,995 plus a $1,400 destination fee. It’s also still $34,000 more than a regular Rubicon. You’re paying for that V8, with its extra sound and fat glob of power. But you’re not getting much else.
The JL Wrangler is also just … old. It came out all the way back in 2017, meaning it’s inching up on nine years on the market. You could argue the Wrangler is a timeless vehicle—in several ways, it is—but its interior is decidedly dated, and doesn’t really hold up against modern competition. What I’m saying is, the concept of paying 80 grand for an old Jeep that happens to have a V8 just doesn’t compute in my mind.
The Argument For It Being A Great Deal
The Wrangler 392’s price tag makes a lot more sense when you look at everything around it. If you want a true off-road SUV powered by a V8, your options are extremely limited and vastly more expensive. The cheapest Defender V8 costs over $111,000, while the cheapest V8-powered Mercedes G-Wagen is no less than $196,700, including destination.
It’s also worth comparing the Wrangler with the Ineos Grenadier, the only other passenger car for sale in the U.S. that comes with a solid front axle. If ultimate rock-crawling supremacy is your goal, starting with a live axle up front is a smart move. But even the least expensive Ineos, which is powered by a turbocharged straight-six, is still a $72,600 SUV—and doesn’t even come with off-road tires. You’ll need to spend at least $80,000 for an Ineos to have one that can truly do battle with the Wrangler. If it were my money, I’d rather have the most expensive Wrangler than the cheapest Ineos.
You could argue that cheaper machines like the Ram Power Wagon or the Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 are cheaper V8-powered off-roaders, but those machines are also physically larger and less appropriate for true mudding.
While I haven’t driven a Wrangler 392, I have ridden in one. From that ride alone, I could tell it’s an absolute riot. If I had to choose between it and the (likely much better to drive) Bronco Raptor, I’d still probably pick the Jeep. But that’s just because sound and silliness matter to me more than ultimate desert-running supremacy.
Your choice might be different. And I’d love to know why. If you had to drop $80,000 on one of Detroit’s big-boy off-road SUVs, which one would you choose? Bronco Raptor or Wrangler 392?
Top graphic image: Jeep
the 392 is what maybe 5% of jeep owners that wanted a v8 asked for. i was pumped when i heard a v8 would be on the option list. then i was pissed when i saw it was the 392. nobody asked for that. all wrangler owners wanted was a 5.7 option. thats it. nothing crazy, no ridiculous sticker packages. just a plain jane vanilla 5.7. want more powa baby? let the aftermarket do its thing.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get the allure of spending $80K + on something like that. I loved my 2001 Honda CR-V. It was amazing in the snow. But I don’t want to go crawling over rocks and scraping things underneath.
Dealing with snow is sometimes a requirement. Rock crawling seems to be a hobby and not something we have to do. But you do you. No judgement.
The Grenadier is a riff on the old Defender (the good one), with a surprisingly solid BMW powerplant beneath it. I get tons of marketing for it (I’m in the demographic), I’ve test-driven one, and they’re actually pretty solid. I like ’em, but they’re a niche product.
And the argument for the Jeep gets kinda rough when we use “V8” as a proxy for “capable.” There are all kinds of inline-6 Jeeps, V8 Land Cruisers, various new and old (but not OJ-era) Ford Broncos, and V6 Tacos and 4Runners that make up the vast swath of narrow-track offroad-capable toys. That 470HP is sorta meaningless offroad, where torque and wheel-to-ground traction are going to be the limiting factors; it’s even less useful onroad, where the typical highway manners of a Jeep make them far worse than a G-Wagen or Rover product when on the pavement. It’s power that doesn’t spend except among the credulous friend group that might discuss it over beers in the driveway.
So, I’d argue it’s still way overpriced. If we put the G-Wagen and Defender in the “Luxury” category, where they belong (I’ve yet to see a G-Wagen offroad), Jeep doesn’t compare in any meaningful way (reliability, comfort, speed, whatever your metric is).
If we put the Jeep in the “Offroad” category, it’s not going to be able to really do anything its non-V8-powered brethren in the lineup cannot do. The only Ford Raptor product commonly seen in my neck of the woods is the Bronco, in large part because it can eat up washboard roads for a long time and it’s remarkably good at speed. You can do a lot of cool things on trail with it and it’ll hold up, because Ford built the suspension and engine as a system designed to get utility out of that power. Even as a Toyota fanboy, credit where it’s due – it’s a great system. The Jeep, itself, is capable – but it’s roughly as capable as far lower-cost Jeeps, which means the owner isn’t really getting any value for their money.
Even at $20K less, it’s obscene. That purple paint is nice though.
I would prefer to pour that money into another option. Buying a lesser Wrangler (or used) and then use the extra money to turn it into a real off road vehicle.
I reject your Nicolas Cage argument for the Jeep Wrangler 392. This is strictly a bad deal. When you compare to a Ineos or Land Rover it is a disingenuous attempt. The Land Rover and Ineos are built for wealthy people. The Wrangler at it heart was built as a utilitarian tool. It was beloved and became easy to perform aftermarket modifications. Jeep was of the people and has since lost its way.
If you want it to be a good deal, throw the 392 in the a low level model, and let the people customize they way they see fit.
I suppose its more reliable than the 4XE so thats worth something. I think I’d go Bronco Raptor at this point though.
It’s a great deal AND a terrible deal.
It’s a great deal for a V8 offroader.
And it’s a terrible deal because nobody needs a V8 Wrangler. From a TCO perspective, it’s awful.
But in my opinion, Jeep/Chrysler should keep selling models like this as long as there are
idiotspeople buying them.Keep catering to the old school crowd while phasing in the hybrids and BEVs.
It’s a great deal for being a V8, when the competition is bringing a V6
It’s a terrible deal because it’s a freaking 80k Wrangler
Now let’s hope Ford feels the punch and drop that Raptor to 60
Crackpot.
Or is it Crockpipe?
That is an argument of all time, for sure.
Ford make the bronco raptor R to rule them all
$80k for that doesn’t seem like a great value, but neither does $80k for a Raptor, I would probably give the nod to the Ineos, but I know I won’t be ripping it across the dunes. If I had to pick one the Wrangler would probably be my last choice. A manual Bronco would be on my list before the v8 version, and unless I start actually off-roading, I doubt I will ever own a vehicle with a straight front axle.
Honestly the lack of a manual on the v6 Bronco’s and the lack of a Raptor R Bronco even if sold in small numbers is a miss by Ford.
I wish they would throw manuals at more models, but I also understand why they won’t and I am part of the problem. I still won’t buy a new car…. I shopped new Tacomas to get a manual, and that truck is GOOD, so much better than the outgoing model, but at the end of the day I chose to compromise on the transmission to buy something else that seemed like a better value. As much as I want to say I would have gotten a manual 4runner since I prefer SUVs, that’s probably not the case either.
Honestly the only Bronco I would buy is the one with the 7 speed, and I would be frustrated it was saddled with the ecoboost 4 cylinder.
though I suppose the reason is not what you think. That high strung little motor is actually fine for most things Bronco. But I have run into way too many of them with cracked cylinder walls due to poorly designed Steam Passages between the Open cylinder Block Design. Though i have also run into some issues with the Nano V6’s lately too, so I am not sure a 2.7 or 3.0 would be better in the long run or not?
Quality concern issues and road noise scared me off the Bronco, the paint quality on my FiST was ATROCIOUS, with multiple rust bubbles at 2 years old. I still get excited whenever I spot a Bronco in the wild, though. My main car will probably never have a manual transmission again, but my toy will only be manual.