rickinAZ
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
The Deal:
I bought both vehicles new. The 2021 Rubicon EcoDiesel was a factory order, and I paid 5% below invoice, which was nearly 11% below MSRP ($60,125). I received $34,500 for the trade-in, which was 65% of what I paid for it and 57% of what I had invested in it after mods. In fact, the "with mods" residual value is actually understated since I had the dealer transfer two high-ticket items (new 37s and ACE rock rails) from the EcoDiesel to the MOAB.
I bought the MOAB on the last day of the month, securing $6,400 off MSRP ($82,755). The dealer didn’t charge me to swap out the 37s and rock rails. I got to keep the MOAB take-off tires (currently listed in this forum’s marketplace), and the dealer covered the cost of putting new 35s on the EcoDiesel. Additionally, I added an 8-year, 60K-mile MOPAR bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for $1,175. Normally, I'm not a fan of extended warranties, but at that price, it was an obvious choice. Tip: It really pays to buy when dealers are pushing to meet their end-of-month quotas. I sent the same email request to six dealers. I was able to negotiate the deal—including the trade—without ever speaking on the phone to any of the dealers or bringing the trade in for inspection until I was ready to take delivery. The dealer pushing window etching was immediately dropped from contention.
Driving Impressions:
I was a fan of the EcoDiesel's menacing clattering, but the 392 takes it to another level. I had never heard or even sat in a 392 until the salesperson was doing the post-sale familiarization. When the engine first came to life, I told him that I knew it had a two-mode exhaust and asked how to turn it down. He smiled and replied, “It’s already turned down.”
For those forum members who’d like to see the 5.7 Hemi as an option (me included), I can tell you this: some time back, I owned a Grand Cherokee with the 5.7. Even though the GC was a full thousand pounds lighter, these two vehicles are in completely different power leagues. The 5.7 GC was sedate, whereas the 392 is a barely restrained beast—no PedalMonster required.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of "tip-in softness" in the throttle response in normal driving mode. The OffRoad+ mode acts as a sport setting: it sharpens throttle sensitivity, holds gears longer, and disables the MDS (Multi-Displacement System). Speaking of MDS, my thoughts are a bit mixed. While it does offer nearly 20mpg on city streets at a steady 45mph, it disrupts the exhaust note and engine sound that makes the 392 so fun to drive.
Fuel Mileage:
I’m still on my first tank, but based on my driving patterns, the MOAB is about 10mpg worse than the EcoDiesel. In fact, my EcoDiesel was getting around 22mpg, whereas the Hemi is averaging about 12mpg. I tend to do a lot of short (5-mile) trips around town, with little freeway driving. These short trips were the reason I gave up the EcoDiesel—unfortunately, it was eating the Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs), even though I loved the powertrain otherwise.
Seat-of-the-Pants Feel:
I mentioned that the MOAB’s power delivery is fierce, but in some ways, I still preferred the EcoDiesel’s. My EcoDiesel was tuned with a PedalMonster and a Bank’s Derringer, which still left it with a 200bhp deficit compared to the MOAB. However, it actually topped the MOAB in low-end torque (500lbft vs 470lbft for the MOAB), but more importantly, the diesel delivered its peak torque just off idle at 1,400rpm.
I’m still breaking in the MOAB, but I'm certain that if you mash the throttle at 10mph on both, the MOAB would leave the EcoDiesel in the dust in terms of acceleration. However, it would do so in a loud, “look at me” kind of way, while the diesel had a smooth, quiet, "hand-of-God pushing you" that felt way faster than it actually was. I always loved that effortless sensation from the EcoDiesel.
Modifications:
Here’s where the MOAB really shines—if you’re not planning on serious off-roading, it’s pretty much ready to go straight from the factory - it's totally loaded. I’ve added some cosmetics (37s and rock rails), as well as adjustable LCAs to improve caster (it came to me measuring at 4.5°), but that's it. The 37s even fit on the OEM spare mount without interfering with the backup warning sensors.
By the way, I’m sure that those wanting to off-road will want a lift, but the 1.5” factory lift accommodates the 37s in every way with absolutely no rubbing—even lock-to-lock.
My license plate frame reads: "No Replacement For Displacement".
I bought both vehicles new. The 2021 Rubicon EcoDiesel was a factory order, and I paid 5% below invoice, which was nearly 11% below MSRP ($60,125). I received $34,500 for the trade-in, which was 65% of what I paid for it and 57% of what I had invested in it after mods. In fact, the "with mods" residual value is actually understated since I had the dealer transfer two high-ticket items (new 37s and ACE rock rails) from the EcoDiesel to the MOAB.
I bought the MOAB on the last day of the month, securing $6,400 off MSRP ($82,755). The dealer didn’t charge me to swap out the 37s and rock rails. I got to keep the MOAB take-off tires (currently listed in this forum’s marketplace), and the dealer covered the cost of putting new 35s on the EcoDiesel. Additionally, I added an 8-year, 60K-mile MOPAR bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for $1,175. Normally, I'm not a fan of extended warranties, but at that price, it was an obvious choice. Tip: It really pays to buy when dealers are pushing to meet their end-of-month quotas. I sent the same email request to six dealers. I was able to negotiate the deal—including the trade—without ever speaking on the phone to any of the dealers or bringing the trade in for inspection until I was ready to take delivery. The dealer pushing window etching was immediately dropped from contention.
Driving Impressions:
I was a fan of the EcoDiesel's menacing clattering, but the 392 takes it to another level. I had never heard or even sat in a 392 until the salesperson was doing the post-sale familiarization. When the engine first came to life, I told him that I knew it had a two-mode exhaust and asked how to turn it down. He smiled and replied, “It’s already turned down.”
For those forum members who’d like to see the 5.7 Hemi as an option (me included), I can tell you this: some time back, I owned a Grand Cherokee with the 5.7. Even though the GC was a full thousand pounds lighter, these two vehicles are in completely different power leagues. The 5.7 GC was sedate, whereas the 392 is a barely restrained beast—no PedalMonster required.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of "tip-in softness" in the throttle response in normal driving mode. The OffRoad+ mode acts as a sport setting: it sharpens throttle sensitivity, holds gears longer, and disables the MDS (Multi-Displacement System). Speaking of MDS, my thoughts are a bit mixed. While it does offer nearly 20mpg on city streets at a steady 45mph, it disrupts the exhaust note and engine sound that makes the 392 so fun to drive.
Fuel Mileage:
I’m still on my first tank, but based on my driving patterns, the MOAB is about 10mpg worse than the EcoDiesel. In fact, my EcoDiesel was getting around 22mpg, whereas the Hemi is averaging about 12mpg. I tend to do a lot of short (5-mile) trips around town, with little freeway driving. These short trips were the reason I gave up the EcoDiesel—unfortunately, it was eating the Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs), even though I loved the powertrain otherwise.
Seat-of-the-Pants Feel:
I mentioned that the MOAB’s power delivery is fierce, but in some ways, I still preferred the EcoDiesel’s. My EcoDiesel was tuned with a PedalMonster and a Bank’s Derringer, which still left it with a 200bhp deficit compared to the MOAB. However, it actually topped the MOAB in low-end torque (500lbft vs 470lbft for the MOAB), but more importantly, the diesel delivered its peak torque just off idle at 1,400rpm.
I’m still breaking in the MOAB, but I'm certain that if you mash the throttle at 10mph on both, the MOAB would leave the EcoDiesel in the dust in terms of acceleration. However, it would do so in a loud, “look at me” kind of way, while the diesel had a smooth, quiet, "hand-of-God pushing you" that felt way faster than it actually was. I always loved that effortless sensation from the EcoDiesel.
Modifications:
Here’s where the MOAB really shines—if you’re not planning on serious off-roading, it’s pretty much ready to go straight from the factory - it's totally loaded. I’ve added some cosmetics (37s and rock rails), as well as adjustable LCAs to improve caster (it came to me measuring at 4.5°), but that's it. The 37s even fit on the OEM spare mount without interfering with the backup warning sensors.
By the way, I’m sure that those wanting to off-road will want a lift, but the 1.5” factory lift accommodates the 37s in every way with absolutely no rubbing—even lock-to-lock.
My license plate frame reads: "No Replacement For Displacement".
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