Manual vs 2.0

[jlewissystem]

Hello All,
New member here, coming from a WK1. My wife and I are in the market for 2 new JLURs. She is set on the 2.0 Auto. My old TJ was stick and i LOVED it. Havent driven stick in a while, but somewhat looking forward to getting back to it, hence the conundrum. When we test drove, i actually preferred the 2.0. Low end torque was noticeable and felt smoother to me. Could def tell a difference between the 2 engines, granted this was pavement.

Wanted to ask the masses:
Has any been in this position, what did they do and why? Just wanted some opinion.........yeah, i know i'm asking for it. Thanks for everything that flies my way! Looking forward to some fun on this forum!

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[WXman]

There's a ton of threads on this.

The 2.0L seemed to be selling poorly, because FCA had rebates going that were only valid on 2.0L equipped models, and forum members have reported seeing a flood of 2.0L JLs on dealership lots in various places around the nation.

There are myriad reasons why a person would not want the 2.0L, but I will try not to get into all that again right now because like I said, there are tons of threads on this topic.

 

[Jeepjunkie]

The 6 speed is really nice. I’ve had 4 TJs with Ax-15, NV3550, and NSG370... I still have the TJ with the NSG370 box.
This Aisin box puts them to shame. The clutch is also very nice. If you like rowing your own gears, the 6-Speed is about as good as it gets. The gearing is rather tall (2 overdrive gears in 5th and 6th), so if your going to put big tires on a sport or Sahara regearing might be in your future.

 

[LeoTheDragon]

Disclaimer: I just read the title and skipped your actual post because I feel like I know what you're asking.

If you like (or love, like me) driving a stick and debating on going to the dark side for the 2.0, all I have to say is you're going to be a sad, sad person down the road.

I test drove both even though I knew I was getting a stick. I just wanted to feel the difference between the two engines. Honestly, there wasn't enough of a difference anyway even if I were on the fence, but I'm already biased so take that with a truckload of salt. I'm loving every bit of the 3.6. And bigger is better, right?

12 times out of 10 I'll choose the stick option if it's offered, and there's a huge reason I went with Wrangler in the first place instead of the other off road vehicles.

I've driven a lottttt of sticks and this Wrangler has one of the easiest ones to drive. Get the stick. You're welcome.

 

[KNGOSRW]

Agreed with the above posters

If you know deep down that you enjoy the manual transmission experience, then there won't be any buyer's remorse later down the line. It became one more thing to love about this machine. This transmission is enjoyable and refined

I loved it on the test drive and loved it even more as time went on. This is coming from someone who's previous car was a manual 1995 Nissan 240sx .

 

[jeepthang]

Agreed with the above posters

If you know deep down that you enjoy the manual transmission experience, then there won't be any buyer's remorse later down the line. It became one more thing to love about this machine. This transmission is enjoyable and refined

I loved it on the test drive and loved it even more as time went on. This is coming from someone who's previous car was a manual 1995 Nissan 240sx .

What he ^ said. Solid and refined over previous models.

 

[MikeLewisMusic]

All of my previous Jeeps were manual, and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. On the JL, I decided to order the 2.0l Turbo with automatic. I have absolutely no regrets, love the engine, and the auto transmission is easily the best automatic I've ever had in any vehicle. I believe the pairing with the engine is very good.

That being said, if you highly value the manual experience, I would recommend going with the manual. There isn't any substitute for the manual experience, if that is what you are looking for. I dare say, you likely would regret it down the road (and down the trail, for that matter!). The 3.6 is a great engine, and the manual transmission is really exceptional, too, per the majority of the users that have posted on here. All indications are that you are definitely not giving up anything by going with the 3.6 V6/6 speed, based upon the priorities you described.

 

[porcusRex]

6 speed is good. i test drove one. tried 'floating the gears'. i can do this on my fiesta st. but could not on the wrangler. floating the gears is being able to shift without using a clutch at all and simply letting the greabox decide when its gonna allow you to shift out of a gear and when it allows you to shift into a gear. if you can float the gears in my opinion, the gearbox is very smooth. having said that i was surprised at how nice the 6 speed was. im still on the fence about the jl due to all the issues but when i get one its gonna be a 6 speed.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Hello All,
New member here, coming from a WK1. My wife and I are in the market for 2 new JLURs. She is set on the 2.0 Auto. My old TJ was stick and i LOVED it. Havent driven stick in a while, but somewhat looking forward to getting back to it, hence the conundrum. When we test drove, i actually preferred the 2.0. Low end torque was noticeable and felt smoother to me. Could def tell a difference between the 2 engines, granted this was pavement.

Wanted to ask the masses:
Has any been in this position, what did they do and why? Just wanted some opinion.........yeah, i know i'm asking for it. Thanks for everything that flies my way! Looking forward to some fun on this forum!

Get the stick. Best manual transmission the Wrangler has ever had. Smooth and fun. Plus, you'll save thousands of dollars to put into other options/mods.

 

[SecondTJ]

The new JL clutch is too soft in my opinion.

But I would take it with the 3.6 everyday over the $3k premium you pay for 2.0

 

[jlewissystem]

Thanks for all of the opinions everyone! I was finally able to find a manual to test drive in my area. I did like it. Potentially ironically, it felt smoother than the auto 3.6 that i test drove. The clutch was very nice. Seemed too nice for a wrangler, but i did enjoy it. The gearing felt good: i was cruising at 60ish in 4th at low rpm. I couldnt even imagine using 6th gear; I wasnt able to get out on the hwy with it. This wrangler was a Sport, so i would imagine the 4.11s might feel a little better? Can any Rubi manual owner comment on that?

I would like to get another test drive, as a Rubi, but it did feel really good for pickup and clutch was very smooth.

On the side, i was able to test drive my first Rubi, 2.0L. It felt good as well. My previous test drive was a Sahara 2.0, The Sahara felt quicker....not sure if that was less weight overall (body/tires/etc..) not sure. The Rubi felt slightly more sluggish, but felt more solid. I didnt do these back to back, so i could be a little off in my opinion.

 

[TrailTorque]

Get the M/T man!!

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Thanks for all of the opinions everyone! I was finally able to find a manual to test drive in my area. I did like it. Potentially ironically, it felt smoother than the auto 3.6 that i test drove. The clutch was very nice. Seemed too nice for a wrangler, but i did enjoy it. The gearing felt good: i was cruising at 60ish in 4th at low rpm. I couldnt even imagine using 6th gear; I wasnt able to get out on the hwy with it. This wrangler was a Sport, so i would imagine the 4.11s might feel a little better? Can any Rubi manual owner comment on that?

I would like to get another test drive, as a Rubi, but it did feel really good for pickup and clutch was very smooth.

On the side, i was able to test drive my first Rubi, 2.0L. It felt good as well. My previous test drive was a Sahara 2.0, The Sahara felt quicker....not sure if that was less weight overall (body/tires/etc..) not sure. The Rubi felt slightly more sluggish, but felt more solid. I didnt do these back to back, so i could be a little off in my opinion.

Gearing is different on Rubicon. It doesn’t feel more sluggish, it is more sluggish. I love my 2dr m/t Rubicon.

 

[Maverick909]

My thoughts. I read your post and it looks like your in the market for two JLUR Jeeps. Why not get an auto for the wife and the manual for you? Best of both worlds. I just bought a JLUS almost three weeks ago. This is my first owned manual trans. But I have driven manual work trucks for ever. Anywhom I drove three hours out of state to get a manual As California doesn’t seem to want to sell anything but the 2.0 8speed autos. I have zero regrets on buying a manual transmission JLU

 

[RSteckhahn]

I just bought a manual. Here are some things I considered.

1. I love manuals
2. I saved $3k vs auto with 2.0
3. No need for premium gas
4. The 3.6 will most likely be cheaper to maintain and reliability is well known.
5. I believe a manual JL will have resale appeal down the road due to scarcity.
6. Theft deterrence (this May be a reach)

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