The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Has 1 Loud Drawback

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is finally hitting the streets, meaning we get to see how it performs as an off-roader and daily driver. So far Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 391 reviews are mainly positive, but one potential drawback is to consider. 

Is the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 a good SUV? 

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 | Stellantis

Yes, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is a great SUV. It’s the most powerful Jeep ever, thanks to its beastly V8 engine that Jeepers have been patiently waiting decades for. It has everything fans love about Jeep Wranglers, with 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. 

But we won’t beat around the bush. The Rubicon 392 has one drawback to consider. According to Autoblog, this beast is loud. However, because the Rubicon 392 is an off-roader with a 6.4-liter V8, this isn’t exactly surprising. 

Autoblog noted that the factory exhaust sounds fantastic, but you’ll be heard for miles before you’re seen. It has 10.3-inches of ground clearance with a two-inch lift, so it has a high seating position. While this can be preferred for drivers, it also adds to the heavy feel. 

The Rubicon 392 feels larger than it is and can seem a little loose. The Car Connection noted that the Rubicon 392 has a bumpy ride and constantly requires steering wheel adjustments. Driving a Rubicon with extra power can be exhausting. But there are great things to mention about it as well. 

Also, if you don’t want your Rubicon 392 to be loud all the time, you can put it in Quiet mode to moderate exhaust sound. Performance mode opens the electronically-controlled exhaust valves, enhancing the sound. 

How does the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 perform? 

RELATED: The New V8 Jeep Wrangler Leaves the Ford Bronco Behind

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 excels with flying colors. Autoblog mentions that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 is fast, exciting, and built to dominate rough terrain. 

It has an approach angle of 44.5 degrees, a break-over angle of 22.6 degrees, and a departure angle of 37.5 degrees, which are better than all other Rubicon variants. Plus, it can traverse up to 32.5-inches of water. 

The unique air induction system can divert about 15 gallons of water per minute away from the engine. Also, it has a secondary air intake in case the hood scoop gets obstructed.

Jeep stiffened the frame and suspension to better handle the Rubicon 392’s weight and power too. This helps the heavy-duty widetrack Dana 44 axles with performance Fox shocks provide better responses to various driving conditions. 

How much does the Wrangler Rubicon 392 cost? 

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 driving around desert roads at dusk
2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 | Jeep

Alright, prepare your wallet. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 has an MSRP of $73,500. This price is listed before dealership fees, and the destination fee has been added. But this price is for the Launch Edition. Cheaper variants may come out later this summer. 

It also provides tons of value. You get embroidered black leather-trimmed seats with custom bronze stitching, wheel-mounted paddle shifters, a premium audio system, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen that features Unconnect 4C NAV. 

The forward-facing TrailCam Off-Road Camera will guide you through rugged terrain, and the display features crucial off-roading information to keep you informed. Plus, the seven inch Driver Information Digital Display can be customized to display key stats. 

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 may take some getting used to on the road as the most potent Wrangler ever. However, it provides comfort, style, and unique capabilities for the ultimate adventuring.

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Watch: Another Ferrari F40 Burns to the Ground On Turnpike

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The F40 is considered one of the most desirable modern Ferraris. With only about 1,300 made they’re rare as well. And now there is one less like this one in Japan after spontaneously igniting. Both the driver and passenger in the Ferrari F40 fire escaped after seeing smoke coming from the engine bay.

Unfortunately, the F40 won’t be rebuilt as you can see from the video

This happened on the Hakone Turnpike in the Kanagawa Prefecture over the weekend. The video was caught of the dramatic blaze. Unfortunately, the F40 won’t be rebuilt as you can see from the extensive damage; it’s a total loss.  

So far the fire department is not saying how and why the F40 caught on fire. The Hakone Turnpike is internationally known for hosting cars like the F40 due to its sweeping corners and turns. It’s the perfect place to work out an F40-at least until it catches on fire.

This is the second F40 to get torched to nothing in less than a year

Ferrari F40 fire | ANN News

This is the second F40 to get torched to nothing in less than a year. That one happened in Monaco. As rare and desirable as they are, you wonder if maybe someone will take a stab at rebuilding this one because the F40 seen in Monaco is being rebuilt now? 

As first reported by Yahoo! Japan, this happened back on May 8. Once the driver saw smoke he pulled over and both he and his passenger escaped without injury. With twin-turbochargers and a confined engine compartment, there is a lot of heat generated. There are a number of reasons a fire starts in an engine compartment but the higher heat doesn’t help. 

Some Ferraris have melted the glue holding wheel housing heat shields

black smoke from F40 fire in Japan
Ferrari F40 fire | ANN News

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Some have been known to melt the glue holding the wheel housing heat shields next to the engine. Mostly, fires are caused by poor engine maintenance. Especially, if a fuel hose is not replaced or is not attached properly gas can drip onto the exhaust manifolds causing a fire. 

These were powered by a 2.9-liter V8 hooked to a five-speed manual transmission. They were manufactured from the late 1980s until the early 1990s.

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What Does the Phrase ‘Kick the Tires’ Mean?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

“Ah, they’re just tire kickers,” is a commonly used phrase in the car selling business. It typically refers to when a car shopper comes into a dealership to look at a car and ask a few questions, but doesn’t do any further research or ask for a test drive. But where does the saying come from and what does it actually mean?

“Kick the tires” could have a lot of meanings

US Vice President Al Gore (L) kicks the tires of a concept car at an event showcasing cars from the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) in Washington, DC as General Motors Vice Chairman Harry Pearce (R) looks on. | (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Luke FRAZZA (Photo credit should read LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images)

RELATED: How to Pick the Best Car Dealership to Buy a New Car

While the aforementioned definition of a “tire kicker” technically holds true, the true meaning and origin of the phrase are a little hazy. An article published by the Chicago Tribune explains that the term “kick the tires” may have spawned from a multitude of meanings.

The article goes onto explain that some of the engineers from Goodyear chimed in on the question and responded with the following possibilities:

  • In the early days, when cars shared the road with horses, kicking the tires was an easy way to get manure off of the horse riders’ shoes. When motorists saw them doing it, they thought it was an easy way to test out a car’s tires.
  • The practice started with truck drivers that used to carry a tire billy, which is a tool akin to a billy club. They used to strike the tire with the club to see if it had enough air.
  • Kicking the tires was an easy way to vent your frustration when a tire would go flat while driving.
  • It’s derived from the Latin term E tira kikium, or “a kick for good luck.”

By the looks of it, any meaning that makes sense to you is probably correct in some way. Considering not even a Goodyear engineer could figure it out. But at any rate, it safe to say that it denotes that a prospective car buyer is “just looking.”

A salesman helps out a customer at a Ford dealership.
A salesman helps out a customer at a Ford dealership. | (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

RELATED: Are More Expensive Tires Actually Better?

Kicking the tires could work for car repairs

While the term “kick the tires” is a widely used idiom and a phrase for car shopping, it can also be used in the literal sense. For example, if a car has a bad ball joint or bearings, then you can jack the car up and wiggle (or even kick) the tires to see if there is any unwanted movement from side to side.

If there is, then the car most likely needs some attention to its suspension components or bearings.

It’s not the best way to check tire pressure

That all being said, if you go to check out a car, don’t kick its tires in an effort to check its roadworthiness. According to Action Gator Tire, kicking a car’s tire will not give you an accurate reading of a tire’s inflation pressure or anything else you might be looking for. Instead, kicking any of the tires will most likely only tell you if your shoes are hard enough to kick an immovable object.

And if you kick it incorrectly, you could actually do yourself more harm than good. If anything, do as much research as you can for the car that your planning to buy and leave the tire-kicking for after you drive it home. Whether it be in the figurative or literal sense.

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Why Is Milwaukee Police Giving Free Locks To Kia and Hyundai Owners?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Why is the Milwaukee Police Department handing out steering wheel locks to Kia and Hyundai owners? Car theft. The police say those two makes are seeing an uptick in thefts. Kia models from 2011 and up, and Hyundai models from 2015 and up are eligible. 

There is a design flaw in these vehicles that makes it easier to steal

Adams County Sheriffs Deputy arresting a suspect for attempted car theft of a truck | Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Officials say the reason is twofold. First, youth are not in school due to the pandemic, so they have a lot of idle time. And the second reason is that there is a design flaw in these vehicles and also Hondas according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

So far in 2021, there have been over 1,500 stolen cars reported in Milwaukee. That is almost a 140% increase compared to 2020. But it is not just isolated to Milwaukee. 

In Chicago, it has become a big enough problem that a State Representative has chosen a unique way to combat it. Representative Marcus Evans introduced a bill barring any video game that involves carjackings. In January alone there were over 200 carjackings in Chicago. Also in Chicago, there are over 30 guards that have been hired to patrol various gas stations in the evening the city calls “Operation Safe Pump.” 

In Washington, DC, carjackings were up over 140% in 2020

Car theft in progress
A man attempting to steal car | ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images

RELATED: Thieves Suck: 7 DIY Ways to Protect You Car From Theft

In Washington, DC, carjackings were up over 140% in 2020. Now the city has formed a task force to try and come up with solutions to the ever-growing problem. It is also seeing both Kia and Hyundais being the more popular target.

Thieves break the back window of Kias and Hyundais to gain entry. Then they break the column locks and drive off. Sometimes these stolen vehicles are used to commit other crimes, or they end up in dangerous chases pursued by the police. 

Milwaukee Police Captain Eric Pfeiffer told the Sentinel, “We are seeing kids as young as 12 years old.” Some residents are upset over the thieves’ not being held but instead, they’re let go. This in spite of there being damaged property, injured pedestrians, or a record of previous car theft.

Detroit used to be the poster child for theft but is surpassed by Milwaukee

The Club
A man in Los Angeles locks “The Club” on his steering wheel to prevent car theft | Photo by David Butow/Corbis via Getty Images

Detroit used to be the poster child for car theft. But this year it has been surpassed by Milwaukee. For January and February combined Detroit saw under 600 vehicles stolen. It sees 8.6 vehicles stolen every day. 

By contrast, Milwaukee is seeing 23.5 cars stolen each day. So Milwaukee in 2021 is having a definite spike in auto theft. And most theft experts say that the steering wheel locks like The Club are not much of a deterrent. That’s because thieves are using bolt cutters to cut through steering wheels to remove the locks. 

It is also suggested that if you have your car stolen you don’t post about it on social media sites like Facebook. That’s because posters get contacted by people offering to help find the stolen car for a fee. They ask that payment be sent through methods like CashApp where it is impossible to trace where the money went. 

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