A little more than five hours west of New York City, the Appalachian Mountain range touches on the Ohio/Pennsylvania border. This is a corner of unspoiled wilderness where temperatures would almost certainly dip below freezing in November, and we might even see snow. I was headed there for a grueling trail race that would test both my resolve and endurance. Of course I’d need a suitable vehicle for the trip, and few vehicles are more suitable for such an adventure than the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392.
After months of training, I felt as ready as I ever would for the Resilient Service Members’ Classic, a 50km & 20-mile trail race to raise money for Outdoor Immersion, an organization that helps veterans move from isolation to community through time spent in nature. What a perfect opportunity to showcase what is arguably Jeep’s most capable offering in the off-road sector.
I picked up the Jeep in Manhattan early Friday morning. I considered stopping in Chinatown, as the ‘Firecracker Red Clear-Coat’ paint ($595 option) would have looked good with a backdrop of dragons or some other Chinese design. But with traffic building, I made my escape to New Jersey through the Holland Tunnel. Once I cleared the suburban traffic, my first stop was Cracker Barrel for biscuits and gravy with black coffee.
I’ve tested many Jeeps over the years, but this model’s cabin was by far the most comfortable, just shy of luxurious. The hand-stitched red leather seats had a good amount of cushioning, and the dashboard featured everything I’m used to, plus all the latest tech. Despite the high end finishes of this model, it still felt like a Jeep, which is essential, as part of the Wrangler’s appeal is its storied legacy.
The next four hours were easy driving. For inspiration, I listened (on Audible.com) to Saul David’s brilliant book, SBS: Silent Warriors, which I had to turn up to hear against the noise from a ‘Sky One-Touch Power-Top’ ($3,795 option) and the beefy tires (LT315/70R17C 113/110S BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2). Saying that, the noise level (even at the upper speed limit) was bearable because I was in a Jeep. As someone who lusted after one as a teenager, that makes me tolerant of this off-roader’s idiosyncrasies, whether it’s noise or less-than-great crash test results. Despite its size, the ride was fairly smooth, the steering was tight. At higher speeds it felt rock solid.
If you’re mostly a highway driver, this model Jeep would be a foolish choice—unless of course, that highway turns into an ice-road in winter, or winds through the Mojave Desert. But the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 (RW100650) is not a car anyone would purchase by accident. With a 6.4-liter V8 SRT HEMI engine, most drivers not using that second gearstick would cry every time they enter a gas station (which would be often). For off-road enthusiasts and Jeep aficionados however, this vehicle is likely already on the radar, and that second gearstick would be used often and with the greatest relish. This Wrangler may be the best Jeep ever made, but at $95,945 it’s almost certainly one of the most expensive.
The next morning at dawn when I began climbing into the mountains to the start of the race, the monster opened its eyes. With 470 HP and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, the nimble steering was excellent on tight mountain corners, and the 8-speed automatic transition was flawless at low speeds ascending and descending. Pulling up to the race headquarters turned heads in a good way, as many of the participants were people who had spent a large part of their working lives in Humvees and had respect for something which has demonstrated its capability over decades. Or perhaps they were simply admiring the winch, a $1,995 option which I would definitely go for, as it offset the bougie paintjob and expensive wheels.
I finished the race in about 6.5 hours. It was hard, and from start to finish I was drenched in sweat. As I always carry a 45lb pack on races, (clothes, blankets, food, water, medical kit with collars and splints), I opted for the 20 mile race rather than 50km. Not really a race from my point of view, more a personal endurance event to raise money for a good cause.
I was tempted to drive the five hours back to NYC once I had changed into dry clothes, had a bowl of soup, and warmed up by the roaring fire, but my brother, a ‘Fan Dance Race’ finisher and hobby parachutist, warned me against it. Once the adrenaline had worn off, I’d likely ‘crash.’ I did drive for a couple of hours however, and the Jeep’s cabin was like my own version of heaven with its heated seats and heated steering wheel. When it started to get dark, I considered going for the long haul back to Gotham, as I was comfortable and the headlights were the best of any car I’ve ever tested. Why? I don’t know, but no matter how dark the road got, it was like driving through a football stadium.
Eventually I pulled off the highway, and with five McDonald’s fish sandwiches, a liter of water, Pedialyte powder, and my last MRE tucked into my Arktis A210 Arctic smock, I found the closest hotel and took a long soak in the tub.
With the Jeep tested coming in just south of $100k with all the options, the only other serious competitors would be the Ford Bronco Raptor and Land Rover Defender, though in many ways, the Jeep feels closer to the roots of what the original Land Rover was back when it was crossing rivers during the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition, or being reversed at Nazi bunkers by the British SAS—who fitted it with Lewis guns transferred from downed aircraft.
In the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, one feels the legacy of that DNA, but unless you plan on crossing Africa, pottering around the Arctic Circle, or tackling the Rockies in Winter, it might be worth sticking with an entry-level Rubicon for around $60k. You can use the money you save for an airlift, should you get mauled by a polar bear or gored by a wildebeest.
