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
Where’s David Tracy? No bylines in a while…
Yeah no only Chrysler products that come to my mind right now that would be worth 80k+ would be a Viper (if they still made them) or a fully loaded 3500 with a Cummins.
I question the 3500 price tag.
The viper was bespoke enough to maybe demand the price from a halo car standpoint, but the Hellcats kind of embarrassed it near the end.
Eh I was just basing it off the Gucci trims like F350 limited , Ram 3500 limited and Sierra 3500 Denali Ultimate prices all of those are 80k+ trucks are they worth it? No idea but if I was rich enough to spend 80k on an SUV or Truck from Chrysler would much rather have a Gucci ass truck I could pull trailers with and be comfortable in vs this wrangler. Now if it was 80k+ for a non Chrysler product I would much rather have a land cruiser.
“Bronco Raptor has it outclassed with its 13 inches of travel up front and 14 inches in the rear.”
Your mom wants 13″ up front and 14″ in the rear.
Why would a Wrangler buyer care about a “dated” interior, this ain’t Lexus. What’s next, are you going to bemoan that the Wrangler doesn’t have electronic door handles and 3 infotainment screens?
Personally I would love if most interiors went back to what they were +20 years ago.
Plus, despite the interior being dated, it’s actually pretty good. Nice layout, looks good, decently well built.
Now, the rest of the car… well, that’s where I’d be concerned.
$80,000 for a Stellantis product.
The only case for this to be made is to buy it new, and then sell it when the warranty expires.
Hopefully it doesn’t get recalled every Nov like my wife’s 4xe…just in time to deal with snow.
it’s expensive AF. I’ll go read the article now.
Rip. The trouble is that the Wrangler isn’t worth 60 grand. I mean, they can and do charge that, but its a terrible value. So adding more noise and power for 20 grand seems like a decent deal, until you realize its still a 40 grand truck with 40 grand of markup. See also – every luxury pickup.
This. I’ve owned multiple JK Rubicons, each progressively more expensive, but when it came time to get back into the Jeep game after playing with Toyotas, I ended up going with a TJ because the JLs are just too expensive for something I would beat up on the trails.
Everyone just wants a rubicon with the 5.7 hemi but then they couldn’t charge 80 grand for that so they put the 392 in it.. there is always hope they put the 5.7 in the gladiator.
I never really got the point of the 392 other than it’s making a sweet v8 burble.
I guess that part’s fun, but for off-roading even the 4 cylinder is powerful enough, the 3.6 is more than adequate. It can’t really tow a lot either, so no advantage there.
Bad MPG plus small tank hurts overlanding or touring capabilities.
And it’s never going to be great on-road, no matter what you do with it. It’s a brick with 2 solid axles and a body that flops in the wind above 80 mph.
I’m still glad it’s being sold, we just need some nonsensical vehicles.
its a jeep dealers can justify adding tons of markup and selling them for 100k to rich suckers with wayy too much money.
I have no experience with the 392, but the only reason I ever considered a V8 swamp into any of my Jeeps was because getting to the trail was a slog once you’ve lifted it and put big tires and 4.56 gears in the axles. More power when the transfer case was in 2-high would have been nice. But the real answer it turned out was to just buy a tow rig. Then I had the piece of mind of a way to get the Jeep back from the trail when I broke it.
After spending 20k to put a hemi in my JK, the factory price tag makes sense here. After, it’s hard to justify risking it off road. The 392 is a stout motor, so it should live a long life, so that’d be my pick.
The first gen 150 Raptors around me all look dated and worn, in 10 years I bet the Bronco looks the same.
You know what I would do if I had eighty thousand dollars? I would invest half of it in low risk mutual funds and then take the other half over to my friend Asadulah who works in securities…
Aaannnnnd it’s gone!!
Seems CarMax has already adjusted their pricing. The 6 cheapest V8 Wranglers near me are all from CarMax and under 65k. Everything else is at 72k and higher. Sucks to have paid full freight for one of these, or any Jeep (Stelantis) for that matter.
FCA should be offering $20k manufacturer rebates to compensate for all the quality issues owners can expect.
Brb, telling my truck that it’s no longer a passenger vehicle.
If the Ineos is a “car”, then surely Ram and Ford HD trucks are too.
I can’t have a fucking Twingo but by God I can have an $80,000 plastic bonanza with a solid front axle and the build quality of a knock-off Goggomobil.
The Wrangler is available in cooler colors, so there’s that 😛
Too bad there’s no Wrangler Hellcat, and too bad there’s no Wrangler Safari with a third row of seats. That shit would print money!
I honestly can’t believe they didn’t think of a 3 row Wrangler yet. The Gladiator is literally the starting point. It’s just a different body by that point.
The Gladiator’s bed is all crumple zone, you can’t put people in there. There’s no way they’d get a 3-row Wrangler to pass crash safety, because the Wrangler is already purpose-built to barely scrape by, expanding the survival cell to encompass more seats would require an all-new car.
I think they would if they can convince the right people. The 392 Wrangler here was a 15~ish year convincing act itself, but it did happen.
ALSO-the V8 Wranglers depreciate like lead balloons and now that they’re selling for $80,000 new rather than $100,000 it’s about to get even worse, so if for whatever reason this is your idea of a good time it won’t be that long until used ones are in the 40s.
You’ll be dealing with a 4-5 year old Stellantis product that’s undoubtedly been ridden hard and put away wet…but it’s not like parts are hard to find or there isn’t an entire universe of aftermarket support for Wranglers, so…idk, as long as safety and fuel efficiency are priorities 21 and 22 for you I think you could do worse.
Wranglers in general are amongst slowest depreciating vehicles you can possibly buy today. I don’t have data on the 392 specifically, but as a whole, Wranglers depreciate WAY less than the vast majority of vehicles.
Interior is decided dated? How?? Because it still has *buttons* and the gauge cluster isn’t one big giant screen? Personally, I prefer the JL interior to the Bronco interior.
Probably just because most journalists remember seeing this general interior back in late 2017, so with the exception of that screen they added in 2024, not much has changed. It’s a fair point from a journalist point of view, but to the average person hopping in one for the first time, nobody thinks it looks dated at all. Honestly I really hope they don’t do much with it when they release the next gen, it’s one of my favorite dashboard setups of any modern car bar none. Those designers had to make a good looking interior with the constraints of the design (the interior width of a 1994 Chevy S10, must be upright, must be easy to use, must be waterproof) and knocked it out of the park.
Thats why I am liking a lot Stellantis from interiors perspective, since most of them came out pre-covid or around covid, they still have interiors with buttons and things a normal user would expect. My 22 Pacifica has the same interior as the 17 and the 26 in regards the layout, its perfect for the average family.
If I won a big multi-state lottery (of course I’d have to play first…) and could arguably justify an $80K purchase for something meant as an off-road toy for 4-5 passengers with a removable roof and doors, I’d go for the Bronco Raptor (in Shelter Green, since Code Orange isn’t available anymore). However I’d buy a Raptor R first, even though they’re not directly comparable.
I’d also get a Ranger Raptor (also in green), to complete the Raptor set.
I can’t even begin to fathom spending 80 grand on a goddamn Wrangler but I guess people do
Something, something, wouldn’t understand, etc.
I know people that spent: $45,000 on a side by side;$55,000 on a Duck Hunting boat (that is useless for anything BUT duck hunting);$60,000 plus on a camper that gets used 3 times a year;$140k plus for a used plane;$75 grand for a pontoon boat
All these are different people of course, but all of these toys will depreciate WAY harder and be out of warranty WAY sooner than that Jeep.
Is it a solid financial decision? Oh god no.
Is it a better financial decision than every single other $80,000 and-up vehicle? I honestly think it is.
So jeep declared 2025 as the last model year for the 392, called it the Final Addition and charged nearly 100k for it. Then pretty much shrugged their shoulders came out with a 2026 and dropped the price 20%? Talk about depreciation. I’d be pissed if I bought one last year. Are they at least giving money back to anyone that overpaid last year?
They actually did this with Vipers in 2014-15, sort of.
When they dropped the MSRP by $15,000 across the board they gave $15K vouchers to anyone who bought one at the old price.
GM did it on something recently too (Bolts?) But only those that purchased in the prior 3 or 6 months.
Heh. Final Addition (to the price) version for 2025.
Final Subtraction for 2026, considering the 20% discount?
Yeah, autocorrect gets me too occasionally. Maybe they’ll actually make a Final Edition (in terms of production) someday.
This reminds me of ‘Limited Edition’ cars that are limited to the number they can sell. ‘Final Edition’ is getting the same treatment.
It’s $34k-ish for a factory powertrain warranty, 50 state emissions certification, running as well as a Jeep can run and all the supporting enhancement to handle that power. Put that way, it’s probably a decent deal compared to me hacking together the same thing in my garage.
Yes deathwobble is super improved by a nose heavy configuration w a big v8.
I have owned well over a dozen SFA Jeeps over the last decade and I have never once experienced death wobble. At a minimum, it’s grossly overstated, and likely stems from a badly balanced wheel or poor maintenance.
Stellantis has been sued multiple times. They lost.
Ford’s also being sued over the SFA of Super Duties, like with Lessin v. Ford Motor Company, et al., Case No. 3:19-cv01082 in the Southern District of California, to be fair. Doesn’t change the fact the current Wranglers are known for how they cheapened and lightened parts they shouldn’t have, that causes the more frequent DW in them, but I felt like it should be mentioned that they weren’t the only ones to be sued over this issue. Maybe Ford will win their cases, who knows.
Does losing in court mean you’re in the wrong or you should’ve gotten a better team of lawyers?
N=1 but the steering wheel on my JL moved like a jackhammer on the highway. It was fixed under warranty. I made the same assumptions you did.
I witnessed my first death wobble about 2 weeks ago. Newer Wrangler was in front of me while merging onto the highway for the morning commute. This person was not really paying attention to traffic in front of them and had to get on the brakes pretty hard. That front end started dancing like crazy.. they then left about 20 car lengths worth of space in front of them after they slowed down enough to stop the wobble.
But do you know if it was modified? Was it lifted? Any changes in suspension geometry without proper correction or turning can create DW. That’s not on the manufacturer, that’s on the whoever did the work. There’s not enough details for me to conclusively say anything, but I will say that Jeep in DW doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Stellantis’/Jeep’s fault. It could be the nut behind the wheel.
Just telling a story, bro.
“Death wobble” is misnamed and wildly over exaggerated as a common concern. To be fair, any solid front axle vehicle has the potential to experience it with high enough miles and badly worn front suspension components. Typically a steering stabilizer replacement solves the issue for the most part.
People who buy Wranglers and understand their characteristics aren’t concerned in the least, in spite of the conventional wisdom from uninformed people that it’s a common concern.
And yes, I’ve experienced it on my own XJ Cherokee when it hit 200k miles. It isn’t that big of a deal and certainly doesn’t cause “death”.
Thank you for a refreshing dose of reason and moderation in the conversation.
First, That Purple is FANTASTIC.
I think this is the Moab version which may not have all the Rubicon goodies like front locker and swaybar disconnect etc. This stuff most rubicon buyers never use anyway and for sure not that many 392 at the $90-100K price are not off road bashing that often so getting the V-8 and not paying for the stuff you will not use is a bargain, I guess.