Jeep JL Wrangler: 2019 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist

[JIMBOX]

Heh Heh--close BR close-thanx

My 3.6 V6--has all the power it needs for a JEEP and I really appreciate the advances in the NEW 6-SPD TRANNY !

JIMBO

Hey, it's @JIMBOX's ride!

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[Litfuse]

Heh Heh--close BR close-thanx

My 3.6 V6--has all the power it needs for a JEEP and I really appreciate the advances in the NEW 6-SPD TRANNY !

JIMBO

I have no problem with the power, but the power delivery.

 

[JIMBOX]

I'm sorry, I can't understand that problem--

If you correlate your gear choice/w RPM, you shouldn't have any power delay/hesitation--

I don't, unless I purposely shift to/stay in a higher gear

I have no problem with the power, but the power delivery.

r than the RPM is COMFY WITH--

JIMBO

 

[snowtx1]

I’ve had mine for a few weeks and I think they are right about the V6 and the manual. I expected more low end torque. I’ll often drive in 4th or 5th on the freeway. The engine is coarse when revved. Maybe by the time I’m ready for my next one, they’ll have a diesel/manual option.

 

[Titan2727]

I feel grumpy.
'SUV' comparisons, complaining about shifting, noise and pinched ingress/egress? How many SUV's on the market come in a 2 door, manual with a removable roof and doors.
Would they complain it's difficult to get in the rear seat of a Mustang or Camaro...no, because it's a 2 door. Golly gee-whiz.
If I had any friends, I'm sure they would have no issue getting in/out of the rear seat of my 4 door wrangler.

They're finding faults that people buying these typically don't care about.

If SUV is the category and you feel the need to compare the Wrangler to the market, don't use the 2 door manual as your tester when 99.9% (I'm spitballing) of the market you're comparing it with are 4 door automatics with fixed doors and panoramic sunroofs.

View attachment 110944 View attachment 110944

 

[Rubi]

I do agree the throttle response is better on the JL than the JK. I too have a JLR and I have no idea how you are driving 40mph in 5th gear or 45 in 6th. You are either coasting on flat ground or a declining grade. If you try to even slightly accelerate at the mph in those gears, you can feel the hesitation in the motor and the gaps in the oem tune.

You have to keep your momentum up in 5th or 6th gear. I can do short rolling; up, level and down terrain at 45 - 50 mph and stay in 6th. I do a 1-1/4 mile length hill, 10% grade at 52 - 55 mph in 5th gear every morning on my way to work. I’m at 50 mph at the bottom and it actually accelerates as I go up the hill, again keep up your momentum, give it some throttle. It also helps if it’s cool, 40 degrees, dry weather. The 3.6 doesn’t like humid air. Again; I have a 2 door Rubicon. The 4 doors weigh more and won’t have the same performance.

 

[WXman]

I feel grumpy.
'SUV' comparisons, complaining about shifting, noise and pinched ingress/egress? How many SUV's on the market come in a 2 door, manual with a removable roof and doors.
Would they complain it's difficult to get in the rear seat of a Mustang or Camaro...no, because it's a 2 door. Golly gee-whiz.
If I had any friends, I'm sure they would have no issue getting in/out of the rear seat of my 4 door wrangler.

They're finding faults that people buying these typically don't care about.

If SUV is the category and you feel the need to compare the Wrangler to the market, don't use the 2 door manual as your tester when 99.9% (I'm spitballing) of the market you're comparing it with are 4 door automatics with fixed doors and panoramic sunroofs.

So what are they supposed to do? Make two different rating categories for the contest? They can't do that because then people would gripe about how that isn't fair either.

There is nothing else in the U.S. like the Wrangler. Because of that, the Wrangler has to be compared to many other SUVs which all are similar to each other, and it must be compared along the same lines those SUVs are to make for a somewhat fair magazine article.

 

[Firecracker18]

Exactly. Nobody can compare a Jeep to anything else out there now days (I'm talking mass production and not one-off types). There was only 1 time they could and that was the original Bronco and that was early 70's. It's a shame that Ford dropped that and then later on went with the Bronco II which again made the Jeep a one of a kind ever since. It would have been fun seeing which would top the other kind of like Mustang and Camaro today. The new Bronco coming out soon(?) may if they play their cards right but I honestly think that Jeep has such a mass following now that no manufacturer would dare to encroach Jeep's territory. It would be like trying to go up against the Porsche 911. They just can't.

Suzuki and Geo came somewhat close with a smaller package and I think they did a good job at the time but still shied away from going head on with the only one - Jeep.

But going back to the original story it's great the Jeep was included but it will not make the cut with the model/options they chose. The Sahara at most would have been a better competitor for what it's up against out there.

Edit: meant to quote WXman but forgot after my rant and there's not a way to insert that now.

 

[MORTON]

@JIMBOX

Sounds like to me some folks don’t know how to drive a stick...

Been driving MT’s my entire life and my friends, this one is no different..

No issues here.

In relation to the actual article though, I do like how they give credit to the JL as being Jeeps through back to its old Willy’s MB! While it’s not likely, one can only hope that the JL will be a classic in due time given its old school relation!

Being my very first Jeep I’ve ever actually owned, I love it!!!

 

[Stingrey]

So what are they supposed to do? Make two different rating categories for the contest? They can't do that because then people would gripe about how that isn't fair either.

There is nothing else in the U.S. like the Wrangler. Because of that, the Wrangler has to be compared to many other SUVs which all are similar to each other, and it must be compared along the same lines those SUVs are to make for a somewhat fair magazine article.

I agree with you...and so do the Automotive Journalists that wrote the article here. They acknowledge that the Wrangler is so iconic and unique that it's essentially in its own category.
My slight beef is the model they chose. If they are to compare the Wrangler to the SUV market then use the model most similar to the 99% of the SUV's available out there today. A 4 door, Auto, i.e. the JLUS.

 

[WXman]

I agree with you...and so do the Automotive Journalists that wrote the article here. They acknowledge that the Wrangler is so iconic and unique that it's essentially in its own category.
My slight beef is the model they chose. If they are to compare the Wrangler to the SUV market then use the model most similar to the 99% of the SUV's available out there today. A 4 door, Auto, i.e. the JLUS.

Yeah, definitely should have been a 4-door, auto, with a few options to make it apples to apples. The Wrangler is actually not bad to live with in day to day life. We own a 2018 Cherokee also and I'd MUCH rather ride in the Wrangler for multiple reasons.

 

[DesmoDog]

Apropo to nothing here maybe, but back in the stone age when I had an XJ I was working with engineers on an SUV from a different OEM. Talk got around to what I drove, and when I mentioned I had a Cherokee one of them asked how liked it. When I went off about how I had it built to order and it was my favorite car, he shook his head.

"The Cherokee goes against just about every metric we have about what people want in an SUV, but everyone who owns one seems to love it!"

I guess you're measuring the wrong things then?

FWIW, I was later caught off guard by a different employee of the same unnamed company when we were casually discussing cars we liked. He asked "What about the (insert name of unnamed vehicle, above)". Without thinking I answered "you couldn't pay me to drive one of those".

I have no idea who the guy was, but he didn't look happy with my answer. I still work with people from that company so I'll save naming names until I retire...

 

[S2k Chris]

After all, how do you judge a vehicle that's nothing like anything else on the market

That's why I have one. It's like nothing else on the market; everything else on the market is BORING.

 

[Litfuse]

@JIMBOX

Sounds like to me some folks don’t know how to drive a stick...

Been driving MT’s my entire life and my friends, this one is no different..

No issues here.

In relation to the actual article though, I do like how they give credit to the JL as being Jeeps through back to its old Willy’s MB! While it’s not likely, one can only hope that the JL will be a classic in due time given its old school relation!

Being my very first Jeep I’ve ever actually owned, I love it!!!

This has nothing do to about not knowing how to drive a manual. It has to do with poor gear ratios in the transmission and an even worse oem tune.

 

[MORTON]

This has nothing do to about not knowing how to drive a manual. It has to do with poor gear ratios in the transmission and an even worse oem tune.

I will admit the gear ratios could be better but people are acting like it’s undrivable lol it’s fine unless you’re entering the IMSA circuits next year..