I can’t decide which engine and transmission to get

[Old Dogger]

If a gas engine is your preference, this is the main reason I wouldn't consider the 2.0T....



I understand why all the mfg's are going this direction, (EPA CAFE standards), but I'll take a port injected engine every time (while I still can).

Welcome to the Forum, from Cave Creek AZ.

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[Nitehawk92]

Not seeing much diesel love so far but I agree, so fun to drive better gas mileage and torque is real nice

For 2023 the diesel in a Willy's is a $6500 hit over the 3.6 and manual transmission. Not very eco in this case. Not even worth it IMO. I will stick with my 3.6 and 6-speed. I only had one option with the 6-speed manual and that made it easy. I would take the 3.6 6-speed over anything else.

 

[Jiggs]

Had a 2013 JKU and 3.6 with a manual transmission. I now have a 2021 JLU with 3.6 e-torque and auto transmission. The 2021 drives much nicer. I don’t miss the manual in dtd driving. Fuel mileage is 2-3 mpg better for me as well.

I also have the 3.6 with e-torque , absolutely love it !

 

[Jihx]

What tire pressure are you running?

38 psi. Any suggestions?

 

[Slippery Pete]

38 psi. Any suggestions?

Not sure what is ideal for 35s. I'm around 36/37 which is what I ran on 33s.

 

[longfiredragon]

Do yourself a favor if you can, and do try and get a couple test drives in. I was fortunate in that I was able in 2019 to test drive 4 JLU's. I knew I wanted the JLU and I knew I wanted a Auto. I test drove the V6 first and it put a smile on my face, even though a big part of that was just because I was getting to test drive a wrangler. Not because the engine sells the jeep. Then I hopped in the 2.0 L Turbo, now it put a smile on my face from ear to ear, because of the engine and how peppy it was. It made the jeep way more fun to drive.

Then I went back later in the year and test drove both again, same results. Keep in mind also that Jeep surveyed over 60K jeep owners (Mostly JK owners) and one of the biggest complaints was the V6 engine. People were tired of it. They wanted Jeep to either give it more power or just give them more engine options. So, that's exactly what Jeep did with the JL.

Do you own research and be careful of what you read. Like people thinking Peugeot makes the turbo on the 2.0. Garrett makes it, and they supply over 250 turbochargers to OEM MFG per day and are the biggest and considered to be the best turbo manufacture in the world. Jeep picked the right MFG. Also things like direct injection, been around for over 20 years, and true it had some issues which mostly have been worked through. Plus 3/4 of all of todays vehicles use direct injection. So you will buy a Mazda, or Whatever with direct injection, but not a jeep? Also a lift with bigger tires, read on here, lots have done it and state that the 2.0L is awesome with a lift and bigger tires, and actually handles it better than the V6. The 2.0L is only 15 horsepower less the the V6 but makes 35 more foot pounds of torque than the V6. Logic would tell you it will handle a lift and bigger tires with having more torque.

Yes I love my 2.0L Turbo. Yes it does sound a little like a tractor, but then the wrangler is kinda a over glorified tractor anyway so I don't mind.

The 4xe IS the 2.0L Turbo.
The Diesel I can't speak for.
The 392 I can't speak for.

I was on a budget and could not afford these. You will most likely love the 8 speed auto, most do unless you decide you just have to have the manual.

Besides a few small issues most are happy with their Jeep choice and the JL is a much improved platform. So do your research and I hope it works out for you and enjoy your new Jeep.

 

[ajkitebrder40]

I’m new to this forum, but not new to Jeeps. Still driving my 2012 2 Dr Rubicon manual half doors. But it’s time for a new one, and all these engine choices have me wavering non stop. I’ve spent countless hours reading posts on here and and I’m stuck.

My Jeep will be an extra vehicle most of the year, driven weekly for sure. In the summer it will be a DD when my daughter comes home from college. I also will do some off-roading. Mostly trails and mud and a little rock crawling. I’ll probably put 35s on this one and a lift.

I started out thinking I would get the JLU Rubicon 4xe. I don’t have a commute and figured I could run all electric most days and rarely buy gas. That option is really intriguing. Plus it seems like that engine is really nice. But can I really go away from the manual (I’ve had multiple manual Jeeps)? The downside of the manual is I don’t love the 3.6 right now on my 2 door with 3.5 lift and 35s. I’d imagine it’s going to be worse on a 4 door. Then I looked at the 2.0 Turbo and now it’s all a mess. I’m afraid if I get an auto I’ll miss the fun of driving the manual, but if I get the manual I’ll be unhappy with the engine.

To add to the difficulty, I can’t find a wrangler within a reasonable distance to test drive so I can truly decide.

So despite all my research, I have not been able to come to a conclusion. Anyone want to share thoughts, opinions, and advice?

I’m going to order my 23 next week because I don’t want to put any more $ into the 12 and it’s going to start having some issues.

I was back and forth on the same, I had a '07 JKU that I bought in October 2006 (right when they came out) that I loved but for one thing - it was the first automatic I'd ever driven ('89 XJ, '93 Yota). I"m the same as you, no commute, basically drive 15 miles or so r/t to the beach 4 or 5 times a week and around town. Most of my driving in the JL is for trips.

I could have gotten the 4xe when it was almost cheaper than the JLUR last summer (with the tax credit). I kinda regret not going that route, but...........at the same time, I really like having a manual again. It is geared a bit tall for me, but from an off-road standpoint the gear ratio on the JLUR is excellent, creeps without any gas in 1st.

I think the main thing that kept me from the 4xe was the early reports of issues, and just the thought of something with the battery system leaving me stuck on a trail/trip. Yes, it could happen with the 3.6 but.....I just like to keep the variables to a minimum. Also.....for me, the 3.6 is much improved over the mini-van V6 I had in the early JK.

 

[JCarlos]

For 2023 the diesel in a Willy's is a $6500 hit over the 3.6 and manual transmission. Not very eco in this case. Not even worth it IMO. I will stick with my 3.6 and 6-speed. I only had one option with the 6-speed manual and that made it easy. I would take the 3.6 6-speed over anything else.

yep you’re right each to their own, is there much difference between the 2012 3.6 and the new one? I don’t recall if the OP said anything about money being an issue, but I do remember him saying he liked the Rubi 4xE(not cheap) so $6500 might not be a problem for the OP for night and day difference in engines. That being said……I’m good with you having a 3.6 if you’re good with me having the diesel

 

[KILROY_]

Rent one for a few days and spend some good quality time with it, worth the bucks to really know what the vehicle will be like. Much better than a few 10 minute test drives. A manual rental would be tough to find but not a 3.6 or 2.0 airport rental fleets usually have the best selection I will walk the lots to see one I want to drive before I go to the counter.

 

[NDRugby]

Thanks for all the feedback! Sorry to post and ghost. Work and other things got in the way, But yesterday I got my priorities straight and got back on my research. I won't let my priorities get out of what again.

I know a bunch said just test drive them. Well I wasn't finding any to drive. So I decided to see what I could test drive used to get a feel. I searched dealers for new and used within 2 hours of me and started a plan to visit multiple dealers. And I got lucky, one dealer I called was rolling 2 4xe's off their truck when I called. So I spent an afternoon test driving Jeeps and driving my Jeep all over southern NJ. Was a lot of fun. And I'm always shocked that I know more about the Jeeps than the sale people, almost always. Anyway, here is what I test drove and some early thoughts:

1st Dealer
2022 Rubicon 4xe - not charged enough to run in electric mode, which was a bummer. But ran it in Hybrid mode. It drives pretty nice. The all electric feature is a nice touch, The braking took a second to get used to, but I've driven electric cars with similar braking. Really really nice Jeep and I like the blue accents over the red.

2022 High Tide 3.6 Auto - in High Velocity. Wow that is bright color. And the color kind of grew on me as I drove it more. But I think I would get tired of it. Anyway, 3.6 Auto with the XR Package. Really enjoyed driving it. Handled the 35s better than my JK.The auto transmission is really nice, better than I expected. And I love the idea of the Jeep coming from the factory with the lift, bigger tires, gears and rims. Done and ready to go with warranty. Bummed you can't get that package on the 4xe or with a manual. I felt like the Turbo had better pep and then was a bit smoother in its ability (not sure how else to say that0. The 3.6 felt lumpier, and still felt like it might struggle with the XR at higher speeds on highways up hill.

2019 Sport S 2.0 Turbo - this thing had some pep. The turbo does take a moment to kick in. I could definitely hear the sound difference, but it didn't bother me enough to worry about it. I think I would get used to it and even like it. Felt like it might have driven better than the 3.6. But it didn't have the heavier XR package, so hard to compare perfectly.

2nd Dealer
2021 Rubicon Diesel - the only diesel I found in my range. Called them, they said they still have. Drove 45 minutes out of my way to test drive it and they tell me they have it at the fair down the street and I can't drive it. WHAT THE HELL. They couldn't tell me that on the phone. To make matters worse, the salesperson took my license to copy it for the test drive before realizing we couldn't and forgot it on the copier. I was pissed when I left and forgot about the license too. I was 45 minutes away before i ended up having to turn back to go get it. BRUTAL.

3rd Dealer
2018 Rubicon 2.0 - this thing had 35s on it and it looked like a small lift with aftermarket soft top. The 2.0 handled the 35s well. Drove really nicely. No idea if it had a re-gear or not.

2018 Rubicon 3.6 Auto - it was fun to drive and the auto was good, but on this one I could feel some of the same characteristics as my 12. Maybe because it's older. The 2.0 was a better feel for me.

2018 3.6 Sahara Manual - the only manual I could find. I like redesign of the reverse with the button or whatever to get into it. Man the clutch is loose. Barely a touch and it's to the floor. And the catch point felt super high. Lot of range in that clutch. I know if I drove it for a while I would get a better feel for the best shifting points for various scenarios, but the Auto 8 seemed to do a better job. All that said, it was till fun to drive stick. The one other thing is, ti felt more like a short stick from a car you're driving through the streets of Europe than a Jeep stick with a long shifter,. Definitely a more sporty feel than before. Not sure if that is good or bad.
2022 Rubicon 4xe - got lucky again. This dealer is the closest to me. They didn't have anything coming in as of last week other than custom orders. Well someone bailed. So I drove it again. I dig this thing, a lot. And the 150,000 mile warranty on the electrical system is comforting (apparently that warranty changes by state according to one dealer, and NJ is a green state so it's 150k instead of 100K). The 7500 tax rebate really brings it into play price wise.

Conclusion
I don't think i can go wrong. I had a ton of fun driving all of them! I really do like the idea of the XR package. So if I go that route, then it's 3.6 or 2.0. I think I may go 2.0. If not, and I go aftermarket on the upgrades, then it's manual 3.6 or 4xe. Both were fun to drive in different ways, and I'll need to think really hard about whether I want to give up on manual or go for one more round with it, or if I want the benefits and latest and greatest features of the 4xe.

I am considering one thing too. The Jeep coming with that XR package already on it may actually be better for trade in value vs aftermarket parts (could be wrong), and I may think about going that route and then if I don't love it seeing what I can get in 1-2 years (hopefully used market stays hot or warm) and switch out for whatever is next. I know the full electric is on the horizon (maybe next year) but I wouldn't touch that before the 2nd model year of it, possibly 3rd. Let them figure out some of the kinks.

And all of that leaves one last vehicle, the 392. None available to test drive. But I don't think I need to in order to understand why it would be a beast. But I don't think I can justify that price point, Plus I'm not a huge fan of color matched top and fenders and I want a soft top, so even more expense. I considered it for a moment, but I think it is off the table.

Again thanks everyone for giving your thoughts on a topic that may have been repeated multiple times on this forum.

 

[Slippery Pete]

38 psi. Any suggestions?

I'm still unsure on tire pressure for the XR. I'm sure there is an answer somewhere on this board. Actually, just checked this morning. I'm running 34 tire pressure, when driving it ranges 37/38. I'm currently seeing 21.1 mpg at 800+ miles.

 

[NDRugby]

I'm posting this just because maybe my thought process will help someone else if they find it Or maybe not, but can't hurt. The saga continues. I had hoped to have the Jeep ordered by now, but I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading.

I've trimmed the list to two. I was enamored with the idea of getting the XR package and having the Jeep show up at the dealership with 35s, and a lift. That's the only reason I was considering automatic 3.6 or 2.0. But then I realized a few things:

1) I enjoy researching and shopping for mods
2) I may not love the tires, rims or lift (or I might)
3) I can add the same functionality on my own, but what I can't do is turn the auto into a manual or a hybrid electric.
4) I got excited because I got to drive the XR package on a 2022 High Tide, and I dug it.

So it's manual or 4xe. Since it's summer, and my daughter is home, I drive my JK as a DD. And I've been loving driving it around. Top down, half doors or doors off, and rowing gears. All fun, and not much highway where it can struggle to pass at higher speeds uphill or into the wind,.

But today, I was going back and forth between the two, talking to fam etc, and I roll in to pick up my son from lacrosse camp, pull into a spot, and what's next to me? A 4xe! And the driver was just chilling. So I chatted with him for about 30 minutes. Man, I feel like it was meant to be. I haven't really seen a 4xe other than at dealer lots. And he had nothing but great things to say. It may have swayed my decision. And of course, a third Jeep pulled in on the other side of him later, plus a gladiator two spots down and a Tj 4 spots down. It was a Jeep fest.

That's my JK on 3.5" lift with 35s on the left of the 4xe. The 4xe sits pretty high stock. Didn't get a better picture as people were starting to stream by with their kids.

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