Site icon The Daily Drive | Consumer Guide®

Quick Spin: 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon
2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392 (with Xtreme Recon Package) in Bright White

2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392 with Xtreme Recon Package

Class: Compact Crossover/SUV

Miles driven: 224

Fuel used: 17.3 gallons

Real-world fuel economy: 12.9 mpg

Driving mix: 55% city, 45% highway

CG Report Card
Room and ComfortB
Power and PerformanceA
Fit and FinishB
Fuel EconomyD
ValueC-
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.
Big & Tall Comfort
Big GuyC+
Tall GuyC+
Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.
Drivetrain
Engine Specs470-hp 6.4-liter
Engine TypeV8
Transmission 8-speed auto
Drive Wheels4WD

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 13/17/14 (mpg city/highway/combined)

Fuel type: Premium gas

Base price: $74,800 (not including $1595 destination charge)

Options on test car: Xtreme Recon 35-Inch Tire Package ($3995); Trail Rail management system ($195); all-weather floor mats by Mopar ($170); Sky One-Touch power top ($2050); integrated off-road camera ($595)

Price as tested: $83,400

 

Quick Hits

The great:  Brawny V8 supplies vigorous acceleration and one-of-a-kind high-performance attitude, off-road capability

The good: Control layout, upscale interior trim for a Wrangler, broad range of options

The not so good: Seriously thirsty for premium gasoline; luxury-brand pricing, on-road ride/handling refinement, so-so cargo volume

More Wrangler price and availability information

 

CG Says:

A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can help you go darn near anywhere. It just might not always let you go far.

The limiting factor is the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that became available for 4-door Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons in 2021. At 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, it’s a powerhouse with a healthy appetite for premium-grade gas. When Consumer Guide editors drove a 2022 Rubicon 392 (so named for the Hemi’s displacement in cubic inches) with the Xtreme Recon option package, they recorded just 12.9 mpg, that with 55 percent of their miles in city-type use. Round that up to 13 mpg—which just happens to be the EPA city estimate for a Rubicon 392—multiply by the 21.5-gallon fuel tank, and you’ll sputter to a stop in just 279.5 miles.

For 2022, the Jeep Wrangler answers the Ford Bronco’s Sasquatch Package (which includes 35-inch all-terrain tires, among other extreme-off-road-focused features) with the Xtreme Recon 35-Inch Tire Package. Visible at the rear of the roof in this photo is the retracted fabric top of the “Sky One-Touch” power panoramic sunroof, a $2050 option.

We can’t really absolve the $3995 Xtreme Recon group from having a role in that gulp-inducing math. Its most apparent feature is an upsized tire-and-wheel package, and to help get those clodhoppers turning to good effect rear-axle gearing is a 4.56:1 ratio that is no friend to fuel economy. Indeed, when CG tested a ’21 Rubicon 392 with slightly smaller footwear and a longer-legged 3.73:1 axle, overall mileage was 13.4 mpg despite a higher percentage of city driving.

Test Drive Gallery: 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road

The Rubicon 392 comes standard with a host of upscale interior features, including an upgraded Uconnect infotainment system, leather upholstery, heated seats, and an Alpine audio system.

The Xtreme Recon exists because there is a Ford Bronco with a Sasquatch package. Not the least bit interested in being overmatched in a new head-to-head battle of compact off-road vehicles, Jeep introduced the option late in the 2021 model run and makes it available for Wrangler Unlimiteds in Willys, Rubicon, and Rubicon 392 trims. Tires are 35-inch-diameter all-terrain rubber on 17×8-inch bronze beadlock-capable wheels. (Rubicon 392s without the package have 33-inch skins on 17×7.5-inch rims.) The suspension has been modified for 1.5 inches of lift, which gives the Jeep more ground clearance and greater approach and departure angles than the Bronco. Wheel-flare extensions shield the bigger paws, and the Mopar accessories catalog has been tapped for an extended tire mount and tailgate reinforcement to deal with the bigger, heavier spare tire.

Test Drive: 2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X

As part of the Xtreme Recon Package, the spare tire is also upgraded to a 35-inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A, and gets a 17×8-inch bronze beadlock-capable wheel to match. To accommodate the larger tire, a Mopar tire-relocation kit and hinge-gate reinforcement are factory-installed as well. Also included in the Xtreme Recon Package are a Mopar jack spacer, 4.56 rear-axle ratio, and wheel flare extensions on all four fenders.

With its Sky One-Touch power top, forward-facing integrated off-road camera, Mopar all-weather floor mats, and Trail Rail cargo-management system, our 2022 Rubicon 392 was equipped very much like our ’21 test truck was. We’ll refer you to that review for an accounting of standard and optional equipment. For ’22 the Hemi Rubicon starts at $76,395 with delivery, but the one we sampled came to $83,400 with options.

Quick Spin: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands

The Hemi V8 has a copious thirst for air as well as gasoline, hence the functional hood scoop. When the vehicle is been driven through deep water, an elaborate “Hydro-Guide” air-intake system keeps any water that sloshes over the hood from entering the engine (the Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon is capable of fording up to 33.6 inches of water).

There is no fundamental change in on-road driving behavior with the Xtreme Recon gear, though turning might not seem as tight to make allowance for the taller, wider rubber. Expect rising levels of noise from the tires the faster you go on the highway. A high step-up into the leather-upholstered cabin gets slightly taller with the Recon option. Rubicon 392s come with a beefed-up frame and heavy-duty brakes that do a good job of restraining this hyper Wrangler. It’s a good thing, too, considering the jailbreak acceleration from the Hemi and 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. Punch up “performance” mode for the dual exhausts (it opens up electronically controlled valves) and you’ll be subject to a muscle-car serenade.

The Rubicon 392 and Xtreme Recon package are hard-to-ignore examples of how far Jeep keeps taking the Wrangler. If you live 300 miles from somewhere fun, just don’t expect it to take you all that way without a stop for gas.

First Spin: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe

With its 470-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V8, jumbo off-road tires, and even-more-beefed-up stance, the 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 with the Xtreme Recon Package is… well… extreme. It’s also extremely expensive and extremely thirsty for premium gasoline, but that goes with the territory when you’re considering top-dog muscle machines.

2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon Gallery

Click below for enlarged images.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon

Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon

Test Drive: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392

Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon

Car Stuff Podcast

Share this:
Exit mobile version