Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The 2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 arrived at NWAPA Mudfest 2026 without any intention of being modest. While the Subaru Trailseeker Limited—this year's overall Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year—was the most accomplished vehicle across the two days of testing at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, it was certainly not the loudest. That honour proudly belonged to the Wrangler Moab 392, which I described as having "approached the entire event with all the subtlety of the Scarface chainsaw scene."This is a vehicle with a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 under a cold-air-intake hood scoop, 35-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, a Warn winch bolted to the front, and absolutely no interest in your feelings about fuel economy. At $85,425 as tested—built upon a $69,995 base price with a Customer Preferred Package 27X, Sky One-Touch Power-Top, Warn winch, Mopar accessory rail, all-weather mats, and destination charges—it is a purpose-built statement of extreme madness. And at Mudfest 2026, that intent was validated: the Wrangler Moab 392 walked away with the Extreme Capability Vehicle award, beating a field that included the 2027 Kia Telluride X-Pro, 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness, 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland, 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring, 2026 RAM 1500 Warlock, and every other purpose-driven vehicle in the 18-strong lineup of trucks and SUVs. There was, frankly, never going to be any other result here.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsOn The Road: Day OneTo be clear about what the 2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 is on a road course: it is a brick. A magnificent, bellowing, 470-horsepower brick, but a brick nonetheless. The 35-inch all-terrain tires that make it an instrument of destruction on the off-road course exact their predictable toll on tarmac—the moment the Wrangler encounters any sort of lateral force, it pulls power and retreats to the kinds of driving dynamics you might expect of a refrigerator.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392(C) 2025 Doug Berger | DBPicsWhere the Wrangler shone on track was when the tarmac straightened out. And on the straight sections, the 6.4-litre Hemi does something that no press release or marketing brief quite prepares you for. It doesn't accelerate so much as it screams bloody murder—a deep, operatic roar that starts beneath your sternum and ends somewhere in the next county. By an enormous margin, the Wrangler Moab 392 was the most emotionally stimulating vehicle at Mudfest, if merely for the brute force it exerted onto each and every one of us that took the bull by its reins.AdvertisementAdvertisement2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4 (0:06)The dual-mode exhaust offers a choice between loud and louder, and neither setting is designed with homeowner's associations in mind. The 0–60 time of around 4.5 seconds—absurd, frankly, for something as aerodynamic as a wooden wardrobe and wearing the tires it does—is delivered with a theatrical flourish that makes every acceleration feel like a drag race.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsOff The Road: Day TwoIf Day One was about managing expectations, Day Two was about exceeding them, and then driving off the course entirely because the obstacles alone weren't sufficient enough to demonstrate the Wrangler's sheer breadth of capability. The Mudfest off-road course is designed to be demanding for vehicles like the Mazda CX-5 and the VW Tiguan. Steep climbs, steep descents, deep mud crossings, axle twisters designed to maximize articulation and expose traction limitations, and technical sections that require both the right equipment and the right approach. The Wrangler Moab 392 didn't merely complete the course; it dominated it, clearing obstacles with a casual, almost contemptuous ease that made some of the more technical sections feel like speed bumps rather than genuine challenges. In certain instances, it wandered entirely beyond the designated course, finding its own lines through terrain that wasn't part of the official route, and managing them with the same unruffled composure.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsThe 35-inch all-terrain tires are the butter to the Wrangler's bread. Combined with the Wrangler's Dana 44 front and rear axles, electronic locking differentials, and Rock-Trac 4WD system, they provide a level of mechanical grip and traction capability that simply places the Moab 392 in a different category from every other non-dedicated off-roader in the field. The Hemi V8—never, at any point across the entire off-road course, feeling short on power—delivered torque with a freedom and breadth that made difficult terrain feel manageable and manageable terrain feel like a sick joke. The Extreme Capability award, in retrospect, was a formality, more than anything. Nothing at Mudfest 2026 was going to challenge the Wrangler Moab 392 on its own terms.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsThe VerdictThe 2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 is, by any rational measure, entirely ridiculous. It returns 13 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway on a good day. It handles paved corners with the grace of agricultural equipment. It is, at $85,425 as tested, a significant financial commitment for a vehicle whose core competency is making a lot of noise and going places most SUVs wouldn't dare go.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt is also an absolute blast—not just to drive, but even just to be in. It's the kind of vehicle that elicits involuntary grins, unsolicited commentary from bystanders, and a profound, lasting sense of automotive joy that far more capable and far more refined machines simply cannot replicate these days. The Hemi V8 is not a mere powertrain; it is a personality rich with character. And at Mudfest, surrounded by hybrids, EVs, and sensible family haulers of every description, its personality was the loudest—and most beloved—thing in the room.2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 4x4(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsBuy one if you know what you're getting yourself into. If you want rational transport, a capable daily driver, or a fuel economy figure you can verbally recite without wincing, get a life. If you want the most unashamedly, gloriously excessive vehicle that $85,000 can currently buy, the Wrangler Moab 392 has no serious competition that doesn't sacrifice its great, roaring V8 heart. It won the right award at Mudfest, and it did so proudly.2026 Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Moab 392 4x4 as tested: $85,425 including destination. Base price: $69,995. Notable options: Customer Preferred Package 27X ($10,000), Sky One-Touch Power-Top ($995), Warn Winch ($1,995), Mopar Multi-Function Accessory Rail ($275), Mopar All-Weather Floor Mats ($170). Engine: 6.4L Hemi V8. Output: 470 hp / 470 lb-ft. EPA: 13 city / 16 highway. Testing conducted at The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, Washington, as part of the NWAPA Mudfest 2026 Outdoor Vehicle of the Year Competition. NWAPA Extreme Capability Vehicle winner.This story was originally published by Autoblog on May 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.