2024 Model Questions

[SixStringSlinger]

I am trying to hone in on my first Jeep order ever - a 2024 Wrangler!

In looking through the Jeep site I still have some uncertainties across various models:

- Does every model, starting with the Rubicon, come stock with steel bumpers (ie when it has a 'steel bumper' package, that is just a winch installed bumper setup)?

- Compared to a Rubicon with XR package, is there anything on the Rubicon X that CAN'T be optioned on the Rubicon?

- There is no way, across any of the models, to get a XR package AND manual transmission?

To be honest, in addition to the above questions I am all over the place on which way I want to go:

1) 2-door Willy's with MT - seems like it could be the most 'pure', classic DNA and I could do mods to it aftermarket if I really got bit by the bug. I don't have kids, so don't necessarily need the space. It seems like an awesome get-around, 2nd fun car...I do worry it is much smaller than anything I have had, hear horror stories about recalls/dead feeling clutches, etc on the MT...and I don't know if rationale or not but I was a little worried about Jeeps not being as safe as prior vehicles and I wonder if this is even less safe than a 4-door??

2) Rubicon with XR or a Rubicon X - best of the modern classic without going to the v8. Lift and bigger tires appeal to some primitive DNA in me and wife actually likes it. Would be overkill but at least I would know no matter how much I got into the trails, crawling, etc the performance would always be there in the jeep. I actually am leaning a little more to the Rubicon (hence my question above) because I actually may prefer cloth to leather seating. I'd like to have the top down a lot and my assumption is black leather is going to feel damn HOT and the cloth would be better - and just seems a better rough and tumble fit...but I am off base with these assumptions? Any compelling reason to do the X??

3) 392 - I test drove a 2023...oh man, talk about arousing the primitive DNA. The exhaust note, the acceleration, the gurgling....it was an experience and that jeep had a TON of character with that engine! Someone talk me out of it, money aside - I know what it costs lol. It does strike me a little odd in a couple ways, though. The idea of essentially a muscle car engine in a jeep makes no performance sense. I like the idea of a jeep being purpose built. There is no added performance benefit to its intended purpose to have a v8 in there - or am I wrong? Of course, I get it, the purpose can be to have a fun toy but you know what I mean....off road, 4wd...it's doesn't necessarily seem a match for a v8. And because of that, it strikes me as potentially a little bit....poser-ish (ie look at me, look at what I've got)...I am really interested to hear what what more exeprienced jeep enthusiasts feel about the actual, objective merits of the 392 as well as qualitative thoughts about the model and its vibe....

Anyway, obviously a lot of thoughts racing through my head - would greatly appreciate any information on the specific questions I have and the more general thoughts on the 3 options I am trying to think through!

thanks!!

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[Wingnut96]

The metal bumper is not standard on the Rubicon. You also can't get leather seats or power seats. You need to upgrade to the X for those.

I opted for Katzkin leather seats regardless. It wasn't that much more that what the factory would have charged for the '23.

I wanted the 392, but it was 8 inches wider and wouldn't fit in my garage with my husband's Ram 1500.

I also have a bad hip, so I can't get the extreme wheel package, so I was forced into the Rubicon. I'm now waiting for some power steps to be made that will fit the 24, bit I love my new jeep!

 

[Old Jeeper]

I am trying to hone in on my first Jeep order ever - a 2024 Wrangler!

In looking through the Jeep site I still have some uncertainties across various models:

- Does every model, starting with the Rubicon, come stock with steel bumpers (ie when it has a 'steel bumper' package, that is just a winch installed bumper setup)?

- Compared to a Rubicon with XR package, is there anything on the Rubicon X that CAN'T be optioned on the Rubicon?

- There is no way, across any of the models, to get a XR package AND manual transmission?

To be honest, in addition to the above questions I am all over the place on which way I want to go:

1) 2-door Willy's with MT - seems like it could be the most 'pure', classic DNA and I could do mods to it aftermarket if I really got bit by the bug. I don't have kids, so don't necessarily need the space. It seems like an awesome get-around, 2nd fun car...I do worry it is much smaller than anything I have had, hear horror stories about recalls/dead feeling clutches, etc on the MT...and I don't know if rationale or not but I was a little worried about Jeeps not being as safe as prior vehicles and I wonder if this is even less safe than a 4-door??

2) Rubicon with XR or a Rubicon X - best of the modern classic without going to the v8. Lift and bigger tires appeal to some primitive DNA in me and wife actually likes it. Would be overkill but at least I would know no matter how much I got into the trails, crawling, etc the performance would always be there in the jeep. I actually am leaning a little more to the Rubicon (hence my question above) because I actually may prefer cloth to leather seating. I'd like to have the top down a lot and my assumption is black leather is going to feel damn HOT and the cloth would be better - and just seems a better rough and tumble fit...but I am off base with these assumptions? Any compelling reason to do the X??

3) 392 - I test drove a 2023...oh man, talk about arousing the primitive DNA. The exhaust note, the acceleration, the gurgling....it was an experience and that jeep had a TON of character with that engine! Someone talk me out of it, money aside - I know what it costs lol. It does strike me a little odd in a couple ways, though. The idea of essentially a muscle car engine in a jeep makes no performance sense. I like the idea of a jeep being purpose built. There is no added performance benefit to its intended purpose to have a v8 in there - or am I wrong? Of course, I get it, the purpose can be to have a fun toy but you know what I mean....off road, 4wd...it's doesn't necessarily seem a match for a v8. And because of that, it strikes me as potentially a little bit....poser-ish (ie look at me, look at what I've got)...I am really interested to hear what what more exeprienced jeep enthusiasts feel about the actual, objective merits of the 392 as well as qualitative thoughts about the model and its vibe....

Anyway, obviously a lot of thoughts racing through my head - would greatly appreciate any information on the specific questions I have and the more general thoughts on the 3 options I am trying to think through!

thanks!!

What do you want"

JLU or JL, 4 dr vs 2 dr?

What is your objective? Off road some but local and light, Moab, Rubicon Trail, Sonic drive In? All show, no go or all go and no show?

What do you want your Jeep look like a year from now?


Here is my 2024 JLR-X that I ordered, it will go to Moab and to work

 

[Texag88]

I am trying to hone in on my first Jeep order ever - a 2024 Wrangler!

You and I are in very similar position and I have many of the same questions. I had a chance to drive a family member's 392 several times during a weeklong visit. Man that thing drives well. Way better than I thought a Wrangler would. Power is never a bad thing. But I get your "poser" comment. Following some 392 groups online for many it is about the "bling".

At the same time a Rubicon or Rubicon x (or maybe even a Wilys) would probably meet all my offroading needs and be the capable utility vehicle I want. My last vehicle with cloth seats was over 30 years ago so I'm still trying to get my head around going back to cloth. Leather is so much easier to keep clean from spills, sweat etc. and living in TX getting into the Jeep covered in dirt and sweat is a common thing. Just yesterday I went mountain biking and was covered in dust and sweat. Easy to wipe down my seats when I got home.

I want the XR package and likely would keep it stock - only upgrading parts perhaps when original stuff wears out. Once I option up a Wilys or Rubicon the way I want the X is only a little bit more. If I look at ordering a 2024 from some of the dealers on here the difference between a X and a 392 is about $20k. Fuel costs over time will be more with the 392 as well of course and maybe insurance costs. But the 392 will not always be around and it would be nice to own one.

I'm leaning toward the 392 and trying to make a final decision to get my order in.

 

[danba]

I might be wrong, but I believe the Rubicon X includes Gorilla windshield and is not available on the Rubicon.

Re: the 392 - for us is about being able to really tow a 3500# trailer.

By "really" I mean going over steep inclines like we have in AZ and CO. A V6 (and even the 2.0) tows fine on flat terrain, but doing a 8% grade for miles will overheat it and/or make turtles seem fast.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

What do you want"

JLU or JL, 4 dr vs 2 dr?

What is your objective? Off road some but local and light, Moab, Rubicon Trail, Sonic drive In? All show, no go or all go and no show?

What do you want your Jeep look like a year from now?


Here is my 2024 JLR-X that I ordered, it will go to Moab and to work

I like that 'all show no go/all go no show) lol

So, it's a 2nd car - I don't need it as a daily driver as I work from home a lot and on the rare occasion I need to go into the office downtown my wife will be more than happy to take the jeep! i do want it for my primary car to hop around town in, however, so although it doesn't need to have all the creature comforts a decent ride would be welcome.

I've never driven trails myself (been on a few rides) - i'd like to get into it...wife and I have discussed making road trips out of it to Moab, So. Cal, etc...we live in S.F. Bay area so more out west. Would love to go up to PNW and Canda, as well!

 

[SixStringSlinger]

You and I are in very similar position and I have many of the same questions. I had a chance to drive a family member's 392 several times during a weeklong visit. Man that thing drives well. Way better than I thought a Wrangler would. Power is never a bad thing. But I get your "poser" comment. Following some 392 groups online for many it is about the "bling".

At the same time a Rubicon or Rubicon x (or maybe even a Wilys) would probably meet all my offroading needs and be the capable utility vehicle I want. My last vehicle with cloth seats was over 30 years ago so I'm still trying to get my head around going back to cloth. Leather is so much easier to keep clean from spills, sweat etc. and living in TX getting into the Jeep covered in dirt and sweat is a common thing. Just yesterday I went mountain biking and was covered in dust and sweat. Easy to wipe down my seats when I got home.

I want the XR package and likely would keep it stock - only upgrading parts perhaps when original stuff wears out. Once I option up a Wilys or Rubicon the way I want the X is only a little bit more. If I look at ordering a 2024 from some of the dealers on here the difference between a X and a 392 is about $20k. Fuel costs over time will be more with the 392 as well of course and maybe insurance costs. But the 392 will not always be around and it would be nice to own one.

I'm leaning toward the 392 and trying to make a final decision to get my order in.

Man, so similar to my thought process as well....the funny thing is I find the possible discontinuation of the v8 weighing on me some...but the reality is I never even knew about a v8 jeep even being a thing until 6-9 months ago. So, it's not like I've wanted that for years and years and years and here is my last chance. On the other hand, once you know it exists you know it exists

I also had the thought of wiping on leather vs absorbing on cloth...that is a big con to the cloth in my mind, for sure, being in CA. I guess the cloth might get hot with the top down and the sun beating on it, anyway (though maybe not quite so much as black leather), so maybe seats getting hot is something you need to solve for regardless.

I tell you, and I know everyone views money differently, if the difference between the X and the 392 was 30k+ I think I would likely skip the v8.....but paying mid-60k for a Jeep anyway and it starts to become an 'expensive' vehicle to me regardless...and at +/-20k more for the v8 and it's more of a dilemma for me

 

[Texag88]

I tell you, and I know everyone views money differently, if the difference between the X and the 392 was 30k+ I think I would likely skip the v8.....but paying mid-60k for a Jeep anyway and it starts to become an 'expensive' vehicle to me regardless...and at +/-20k more for the v8 and it's more of a dilemma for me

Exactly where I am. Being an accountant, I of course made a spreadsheet calculating Invoice and MSRP of all the possible options for a Rubi X and 392. Then plugged in the options I want and the Mark Dodge discounts (closest dealer on Ratberts spreadsheet). If my calcs are right (I plan to contact the dealer soon to confirm) the difference is exactly $20k. About $64k vs $84k. That is close enough to make me lean toward the 392. And I have no intention of ever selling the vehicle but if I ever HAD to for some reason these things really hold their value based on used prices in the area.

 

[Old Jeeper]

I like that 'all show no go/all go no show) lol

So, it's a 2nd car - I don't need it as a daily driver as I work from home a lot and on the rare occasion I need to go into the office downtown my wife will be more than happy to take the jeep! i do want it for my primary car to hop around town in, however, so although it doesn't need to have all the creature comforts a decent ride would be welcome.

I've never driven trails myself (been on a few rides) - i'd like to get into it...wife and I have discussed making road trips out of it to Moab, So. Cal, etc...we live in S.F. Bay area so more out west. Would love to go up to PNW and Canda, as well!

IF Moab is on the list, then Rubicon which was built to be a rock crawler. I got the regular V 6 engine and so I opted for the 4:88 gears in case I ever go 37s again. I was a SERIOUS rock crawler, in fact that is what DID I had sold my company, wife chose to keep on working and I hit the trails for almost 10 years some gone almost a month at a time and when not doing that I built Jeeps for customers in shop.

So what you need is a launch pad and Rubicon fills the bill if you to play outside of rocks then other Jeeps will fill that slot from Mud to Sand.

The Rubicon is OEM format with nothing but a good set of shoes will run most any trail in the US, if IF you can drive at that level. My observation is that 98% of those who own a Rubicon cannot not drive at the ability of the Rubicon that sits under them. It takes a lot of years to bring you skills set up to the Rubicon level...

 

[SixStringSlinger]

My observation is that 98% of those who own a Rubicon cannot not drive at the ability of the Rubicon that sits under them. It takes a lot of years to bring you skills set up to the Rubicon level...

this is definitely me! lol

If I were to add sand/dunes/desert type running to Moab (and actually lean more toward the desert/sand stuff), what do you figure would be the best platform for the desert with a decent amount of crawling mixed in?

the v8 clips sure look fun in the desert!!

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Exactly where I am. Being an accountant, I of course made a spreadsheet calculating Invoice and MSRP of all the possible options for a Rubi X and 392. Then plugged in the options I want and the Mark Dodge discounts (closest dealer on Ratberts spreadsheet). If my calcs are right (I plan to contact the dealer soon to confirm) the difference is exactly $20k. About $64k vs $84k. That is close enough to make me lean toward the 392. And I have no intention of ever selling the vehicle but if I ever HAD to for some reason these things really hold their value based on used prices in the area.

my brother!!! got my SS in hand too

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Exactly where I am. Being an accountant, I of course made a spreadsheet calculating Invoice and MSRP of all the possible options for a Rubi X and 392. Then plugged in the options I want and the Mark Dodge discounts (closest dealer on Ratberts spreadsheet). If my calcs are right (I plan to contact the dealer soon to confirm) the difference is exactly $20k. About $64k vs $84k. That is close enough to make me lean toward the 392. And I have no intention of ever selling the vehicle but if I ever HAD to for some reason these things really hold their value based on used prices in the area.

you know the other thing rattling around in my risk averse mind, though?

Am I really going to want to bang around an $85k jeep on trails and in the desert??

I guess it's like Don said - is it for show? or is it to go? lol

I start thinking along those lines, though, and I start wondering if I'd want to do it with a $65k vehicle either? And that's when I start thinking about just getting a Willy's again!

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

The 392 is only as blingy and “look at me“ as you want it to be. I live in the northeast so it’s mostly dirt road exploring for me and the 392 eats up dirt roads. All I have done is Hutchinson Rock Monster wheels because I frequently run 10psi on the dirt roads. RSE rock sliders, winch, onboard air, Teraflex tire carrier and Cooper STT pro 35s. It blends right in with any other Jeep and 90% of the public has no clue what’s under the hood. In quiet mode the AWE exhaust purrs like a relatively angry kitten, in loud mode is the only time people turn their heads.

if you have the funds to get a 392 I’d say do it. The biggest reason I say this is because they aren’t going to be producing them much longer and once they stop, they will never return. After that, finding a clean used one at a reasonable price will be like catching a unicorn. In a year or two if it’s not what you really want it will/should still have a high trade in value, especially tords a Willys.

 

[dstevens]

The X has these options which are unavailable on the base Rubicon:

- acoustic front seat area carpet
- laminated front door glass
- body color hard top
- body color fenders
- various leather wrapped things
- not sure about the seats

The main reason to get the X would be if your are getting many of the option groups (safety, technology, convenience, steel bumpers, hard top), in which case the price will be about the same. For me the X was $200 cheaper than the base Rubicon.

The irony with all the acoustic stuff is that my old JK with MT tires is quieter on the freeway than the X with AT tires. Seems to be more wind noise around the A pillar and mirror on the JL than the JK.

With the 392 there are less after market items that fit, but the deal breaker for me was the fuel range.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

With the 392 there are less after market items that fit, but the deal breaker for me was the fuel range.

I thought the Rubicon and 392 platform were essentially the same - but it sounds like aftermarket parts/mods that are readily available for the Rubicon aren't necessarily going to work with the 392?

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