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Buying Soon: Engine Option Questions...

aldo98229

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My 2.0 JLUR is rolling 38x13.50's on 3.5" lift. Every linkage and arm in both the steering and suspension systems have been replaced with stronger and heavier pieces. Also, it's still on stock 4.10 gearing. Tire size has been reprogrammed with a Tazer so my speedo is correct, which gives the transmission an accurate baseline for it to properly adjust its shift points. I only drop down into 7th in a headwind or when I'm wanting to maintain a specific speed on an incline.

Most people that clamor about the diesel are interested in the mpg and/or the torque curve. What often gets overlooked, is the very long pay back period to offset the initial upcharge of the motor and its higher maintenance. Also, the taller 3.73 gearing, even in the Rubicon, negates a good chunk of the torque advantage.

I would highly suggest that you do multiple road tests, with different vehicles, to see for yourself how great the 2.0 really is.

Just this morning on my way to work on the highway, I was easily able to snap from 70 to 80+ to get around a leaking sand trailer. This motor is definitely capable of running at speeds that border on stupid, for even a stock wrangler.
The OP’s mind appears colored by that 3.8 V6 he owned. That experience leads him, to some degree, to overlook the capability of the new 3.6 V6 and 2.0T gasoline motors, and to glorify the wonders EcoDiesel shows on paper.

Personally, I just can’t get past FCA’s stupid premium and indifferent reliability on EcoDiesel. Add to that a worthless dealer network, and that’s a sure recipe for unhappiness.

Per a diesel being “better” on the trail...I guess. But a vehicle that spends more time at the shop than having fun on the trails used to called ... a “Land Rover.”
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JeepAdmin

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The OP’s mind appears colored by that 3.8 V6 he owned. That experience leads him, to some degree, to overlook the capability of the new 3.6 V6 and 2.0T gasoline motors, and to glorify the wonders EcoDiesel shows on paper.

Personally, I just can’t get past FCA’s stupid premium and indifferent reliability on EcoDiesel. Add to that a worthless dealer network, and that’s a sure recipe for unhappiness.

Per a diesel being “better” on the trail...I guess. But a vehicle that spends more time at the shop than having fun on the trails used to called ... a “Land Rover.”


There is truth in all of that. My old JK 3.8 has tainted my confidence in gas engines for a wrangler. I could re-gear I guess. But I just can't justify 15mpgs everyday. IMHO. I don't plan to tow anything and if so, very rarely. I will be modified though. And from that perspective, I see the 2.0 and 3.6 doing 14-16mpg and the 3.0 doing 22-24. Now, maybe the next question is "but what the hell does 6-8mpg do? But over 25K miles? It's over $100/mo in fuel savings. But I guess I'll just need to save that for maintenance? :)
 

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The OP’s mind appears colored by that 3.8 V6 he owned. That experience leads him, to some degree, to overlook the capability of the new 3.6 V6 and 2.0T gasoline motors, and to glorify the wonders EcoDiesel shows on paper.

Personally, I just can’t get past FCA’s stupid premium and indifferent reliability on EcoDiesel. Add to that a worthless dealer network, and that’s a sure recipe for unhappiness.

Per a diesel being “better” on the trail...I guess. But a vehicle that breaks down and spends more time at the shop than having fun on the trails used to called ... a “Land Rover.”
I was raised in diesel truck and heavy equipment repair. My first several vehicles were also diesel. I wouldn't even look at a diesel that was manufactured in the last 15 years. EPA ruined them in all the ways that used to benefit them over the gas equivalents.

The only benefit to a diesel wrangler is the higher mileage between fuel stops. Like in an extended overlanding excursion.

As far as general rock crawling and trail riding, there's no advantage. Well ok, if in a situation of a very tight squeeze around too sharp of a turn that doesn't allow a 3-point turn, than higher torque is great. Put it in 2 hi, steering at full lock, foot on the brake, inside slider up against the boulder or whatnot, and power slide the ass around the turn. The diesels torque would be great for breaking the tires, but they had to go and neuter the amount of torque that makes it to the wheels by gearing it with 3.73's.

Just my 2 cents, before tax.
 

aldo98229

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There is truth in all of that. My old JK 3.8 has tainted my confidence in gas engines for a wrangler. I could re-gear I guess. But I just can't justify 15mpgs everyday. IMHO. I don't plan to tow anything and if so, very rarely. I will be modified though. And from that perspective, I see the 2.0 and 3.6 doing 14-16mpg and the 3.0 doing 22-24. Now, maybe the next question is "but what the hell does 6-8mpg do? But over 25K miles? It's over $100/mo in fuel savings. But I guess I'll just need to save that for maintenance? :)
FWIW, my JKs with the old 3.6 V6, 5-speed auto, 2-inch lift and 35-inch tires were delivering 16 MPG in city driving; 18 on Hwy.

My guess would be a JL with the new 3.6 V6, 8-speed auto, 2-inch lift and 35-inch tires has got to be at least 1 or 2 MPG better. So I see 14-16 MPG highly unlikely. Especially on the Hwy. I think 17-18 MPG, combined would be more realistic.

Since fuel cost is a key consideration in this exercise, keep in mind that the recommended fuel for the 2.0T is premium gas which, around here, costs the same as diesel.
 

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There is truth in all of that. My old JK 3.8 has tainted my confidence in gas engines for a wrangler. I could re-gear I guess. But I just can't justify 15mpgs everyday. IMHO. I don't plan to tow anything and if so, very rarely. I will be modified though. And from that perspective, I see the 2.0 and 3.6 doing 14-16mpg and the 3.0 doing 22-24. Now, maybe the next question is "but what the hell does 6-8mpg do? But over 25K miles? It's over $100/mo in fuel savings. But I guess I'll just need to save that for maintenance? :)
$100/mo only gets you at best $1200/year (which isn't what the feds say - they estimate $1200 over 5 years not yearly!). Going to take what, 5 years of that much driving to pay back? Plus longer due to DEF and maintenance and more expensive oil changes. Your monthly car payment will be $100/mo more and so it'll cancel out.

I was raised in diesel truck and heavy equipment repair. My first several vehicles were also diesel. I wouldn't even look at a diesel that was manufactured in the last 15 years. EPA ruined them in all the ways that used to benefit them over the gas equivalents.

The only benefit to a diesel wrangler is the higher mileage between fuel stops. Like in an extended overlanding excursion.

As far as general rock crawling and trail riding, there's no advantage. Well ok, if in a situation of a very tight squeeze around too sharp of a turn that doesn't allow a 3-point turn, than higher torque is great. Put it in 2 hi, steering at full lock, foot on the brake, inside slider up against the boulder or whatnot, and power slide the ass around the turn. The diesels torque would be great for breaking the tires, but they had to go and neuter the amount of torque that makes it to the wheels by gearing it with 3.73's.

Just my 2 cents, before tax.
Longer distance between refueling is great but how many diesels are overlanding? I'd expect far more gasser out in the middle of nowhere so if you run out of fuel, you're probably screwed.
 

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I’m very happy with the 3.6 V6 as well: it’s smooth, responsive and refined.

But I can’t seem to break past 20 MPG. Of course the 33” KO2s don’t help, and most my driving is made of short trips around town.
So far I find it is a somewhat narrow window and I'm still on the stock 245/75/17 Michelins which are probably good for 1-2 mpg over the larger KO2s. Stop and go around town very quickly drops overall mpg below 20. I live in an area where I pretty quickly am either on rural-ish highway or freeway, and then as long as I stay below 70mph the mpg climbs. When making a 300 mile round trip that is mostly freeway, I can end up 25-26mpg calculated pretty easily as long as I am not mashing the loud pedal too hard.

Agree that the 3.6 is a nice engine to drive.
 

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FWIW, my JKs with the old 3.6 V6, 5-speed auto, 2-inch lift and 35-inch tires were delivering 16 MPG in city driving; 18 on Hwy.

My guess would be a JL with the new 3.6 V6, 8-speed auto, 2-inch lift and 35-inch tires has got to be at least 1 or 2 MPG better. So I see 14-16 MPG highly unlikely. Especially on the Hwy. I think 17-18 MPG, combined would be more realistic.

Since fuel cost is a key consideration in this exercise, keep in mind that the recommended fuel for the 2.0T is premium gas which, around here, costs the same as diesel.
Jeep amended their listed fuel requirements for the 2.0 motor. It can safely run on regular, but premium is recommended for optimal power and elevation performance.
 

_olllllllo_

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I’m very happy with the 3.6 V6 as well: it’s smooth, responsive and refined.

But I can’t seem to break past 20 MPG. Of course the 33” KO2s don’t help, and most my driving is made of short trips around town.
Living outside of the Tucson metro area helps as there are far fewer stoplights to deal with and more consistent 50-65 mph stretches, which helps mileage a lot.

When I was in Southern California I was only getting 16 mpg. The issue there is they have stop lights everywhere so that people can cross the streets safely, otherwise it would be Frogger. I was raised there and I am shocked at the number of traffic lights and the effect on traffic flow. It doesn't shock me that the air quality is so poor, everyone is sitting at idle waiting for a green light or the traffic to move on the freeways.
 

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$100/mo only gets you at best $1200/year (which isn't what the feds say - they estimate $1200 over 5 years not yearly!). Going to take what, 5 years of that much driving to pay back? Plus longer due to DEF and maintenance and more expensive oil changes. Your monthly car payment will be $100/mo more and so it'll cancel out.



Longer distance between refueling is great but how many diesels are overlanding? I'd expect far more gasser out in the middle of nowhere so if you run out of fuel, you're probably screwed.
I'm just passing along what I've read. I'm a member of an off road association that more recently started an overlanding sublet. Regardless of what the epa has done to diesels, it still remains that their mpg isn't as affected by added weight as a gas motor. Rooftop tents, mobile kitchens, a slew of other necessities, and the plan of roaming around the bush for days. A full tank and a few rotopax jugs could nearly triple the range between fill ups compared to a gas job. I fully agree with you about diesel not being available at all stations, so very careful planning is needed.
 

deserteagle56

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Longer distance between refueling is great but how many diesels are overlanding? I'd expect far more gasser out in the middle of nowhere so if you run out of fuel, you're probably screwed.
That depends on the region of the country you live in. Out here in the middle of nowhere, where towns are few and far between but ranches and mines are plentiful, every station carries diesel. Every ranch vehicle runs on diesel. Only the tourists run gas vehicles.
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