The massive wheels and purple paint really make this Moab edition look like a Tonka Trunk.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The Jeep Wrangler is an automotive icon, similar to the Mini Cooper and Porsche 911. All are instantly recognizable around the globe, with timeless designs that have more or less remained the same for decades.
For some drivers, cars like this are extensions of their personality – a confidence booster on the road, projecting an image of themselves they would like the world to see. The Wrangler is adventurous and rugged, offering a commanding, high seating position. However, owners need to put up with quite a bit in exchange for off-road capability and retro-military styling that closely resembles a brick with a windshield.
The Wrangler Moab has a one-touch softtop that opens all the way to the back.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
I have never understood the appeal. At highway speeds, the cabin is a cacophony of wind and road noise – a situation made worse without the hardtop – and driving in a straight line requires constant, minor steering corrections. At low speeds, the vague recirculating-ball steering rack resists centring itself, while the solid front and rear axles give the vehicle a truck-like feel. Handling is leery at best, and downright scary if you try to push it.
For the practical minded, the Wrangler – which is classified as a compact or mid-size SUV – doesn’t make much sense compared to a vehicle like the Honda CR-V, which is more efficient, more comfortable and nicer to drive.
The Wrangler Moab has a full set of physical buttons, a “PRNDL” gear lever and a proper manual handbrakeKunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The Moab has front and rear locking differentials.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
In that vein, the V8-powered Moab 392 edition of the Wrangler – which saw a significant price reduction and now starts at less than $100,000 – might just be the silliest vehicle on the market. It has no reason to exist because the last thing the Wrangler needed was more power. But after spending a week with one, the Moab shifted my opinion. I started to see the Wrangler through a new lens, greatly enhanced by eight burbling cylinders exhaling through an obnoxiously loud active-valve exhaust that can be quieted down, somewhat, for the sake of the neighbours.
If you see the Wrangler for what it actually is – a toy for grownups – then the Moab starts to make a lot more sense. It doubles down on everything that makes the Wrangler appealing, offering the highest-spec full-time four-wheel-drive system, front and rear locking differentials, rock rails and 35-inch tires wrapped around 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels. A special hood equipped with a cold air intake that combines a water separator for fording streams and rivers – along with an 8,000-pound winch bolted to the front bumper – means this Jeep can go just about anywhere.
The Moab has rock rails and 35-inch tires with 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
Rare for any vehicle these days, under the hood is a 6.4-litre V8.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The Moab has an 8,000-pound winch bolted to the front bumper.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The 6.4-litre Hemi makes 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque and sounds absolutely amazing, whether or not you have the exhaust button (read: loud) turned on.
Flooring it feels like driving a powerful speedboat as the engine emits a guttural roar and the hood rises over the horizon. Fuel economy is not good, which is obvious, but it isn’t much worse than less-powerful Wranglers considering its better power-to-weight ratio. And, because the vehicle is essentially a convertible, the V8 sound becomes even more enjoyable when the roof is retracted – which in my tester was possible with the touch of a button. Just like other Wranglers, the power top can be removed along with all the doors using the included socket set.
There’s something almost calming about the burble of the V8 engine at idle and low speeds, especially a powerplant like the 392 Hemi, which uses old-school pushrods to open the valves. There are only a few vehicles left through which a driver can still experience this – and the Moab is one of them, as unlikely as it seems.
Even the interior is decidedly old-school and a refreshing departure from screen-heavy modern dashboards, featuring a full set of physical buttons, a traditional gear lever and a proper manual handbrake. It makes the Wrangler feel even more like a childhood Tonka truck, complete with big rubber wheels and my tester’s purple paint job.
It is this same appeal that has made Jeep such a successful brand ever since Willys-Overland debuted the first Civilian Jeep, or CJ, in 1945. When Chrysler acquired AMC in 1987, the crown jewel of the purchase was Jeep – and the company has gone on to sell more than five million Wranglers since the nameplate debuted in 1986.
After introducing a long-wheelbase, four-door Unlimited version of the Wrangler in 2006, sales soared, transforming it from a niche vehicle into a mainstream family SUV almost overnight. Sales peaked in 2018 in the United States and 2019 in Canada before slumping in both countries following the pandemic, as Wrangler prices climbed to unprecedented highs.
A recent price correction throughout the Wrangler lineup has seen sales start to pick up again in the U.S., but they still remain well below peak figures in Canada.
The Moab 392, which was called the Rubicon 392 last year, sees the most significant price drop, falling to $99,995 from nearly $130,000.
The shift lever with a neat image and red button to move it.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The '392' on the hood indicates the engine's displacement in cubic inches. 392 is equal to 6.4 litres.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
Tech Specs
2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392
- Base price/as-tested: $99,995/$111,145 includes freight, pre-delivery inspection and fees, plus tax
- Engine: 6.4-litre V8
- Horsepower/torque (lb-ft): 470 / 470
- Transmission/drive: Eight-speed automatic/four-wheel drive
- Curb weight: 2,390 kilograms
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 18.7 city; 14.5 highway; 16.8 combined
- Alternatives: Ford Bronco Raptor
The seats, door handles and many other places include the red stitching.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The trunk on the Wrangler with the seats up.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
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