Need help deciding - diesel, gas or e?

[JElexion]

I would wait for the new 3.0 turbo inline 6 motor. It’s due out soon and it’s gonna be a torque monster like all inline 6’s fuel economy should be higher was well with the single turbo. Or you can get it in the twin turbo

Thanks Brian. That's the first I heard of the new I-6. I'll do some additional digging.

Sponsored

 

[GtX]

Also do not buy a diesel IF most of your driving is short haul stuff-today’s Diesel engines need to get warm to clean out the dpf.

The DPF will passively clean out if temperatures are high enough. Or, actively clean out at 80% soot by injecting a bit of extra fuel. 80% to 8% takes about 10 minutes.

Not a big deal.

 

[Shibadog]

The DPF will passively clean out if temperatures are high enough. Or, actively clean out at 80% soot by injecting a bit of extra fuel. 80% to 8% takes about 10 minutes.

Not a big deal.

True but you do need to get the rig up to operating temps and keep it there for a few minutes. Consistent 10-15 minute runs will load the dpf and you won’t get a full regen. The rig will need a regular run of a few miles/minutes to get a decent regen. It’s not a big deal if you make occasional runs of sufficient length to get a complete regen. If not, it can be an aggravation. I love diesels, have for decades, but newer diesels, Blessed with all the emissions “goodies” are vastly different than diesels of years gone by. If one does an occasional blast down the slab it’s a non issue. On the other hand, if you rarely do so you will encounter issues.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

Diesel, all the rest are for plebs.

 

[jeproctor]

I just picked up a 22' JLR 2 door about 3 months ago. Originally I wanted either a two door 3.6 or four door diesel. The 4xe did not work well for me as I drive 70 miles a dayround trip to work. I decided I really wanted a 2 door over a 4 door so now it was down to locating a Jeep that was optioned the way I wanted it. After a little research it was becoming clear that if I wanted a 3.6 it was going to be a custom order. Ended up with a 2.0t and could not be happier. The money I save on engine upgrade I used on extended warranty, now I have a Jeep that is covered bumper to bumper for quite a few years and miles. I can't speak for the other Jeep motors, but this is the peppiest engine I have personally owned, and I have owned several V8's, two V10's and a Big Block. Peak torque at 3000 rpms, 0-60 in the 6's, fun to drive!!!

 

[JCarlos]

Diesels are okay for short trips, I have 3k miles so far and a lot of that is short trips of about 15 mins. You don't have to carefully devise your daily drive to make sure you reach a certain temp. I just refilled the DEF as I was also refilling my washer fluid, it's so much easier refilling the DEF. Does it suck to have to bother with DEF, yes, but it's the world we live in and it is not as bad as some posters here would have you believe.

The 2.0 is a nice engine as well, I am biased towards turbos though.

I agree man, I drive mine 12 miles round trip/day Mon-Fri no issues yet and it’s got 9300 miles, as far as DEF refill I go to the truck stop down the street and fill up at the pump

 

[scottijohn63]

Thanks. I forgot about the subsidy. I thought that was going away. Like you said, living in CA, that could be a real benefit!

Nope the $7500 is still available!

 

[zouch]

hey Joe!

one thing i see overlooked frequently in these conversations is that the EcoDiesel option automatically upgrades anything that doesn't already have them to Dana 44 axles both front and rear.

i'd suggest the OP consider something close to a base model or a Willys with the EcoDiesel. true, you probably won't need the torque of the diesel every day, but it's a joy to drive and is downright excellent for towing a light trailer. (rumors are that a few hundred bucks sent to Banks for a Pedalmonster make it even more fun to drive.)

and you'll read it elsewhere, but i haven't really seen it mentioned yet here; that ZF 8-spd trans works fantastically with the Eco-Diesel.

DEF? really not a big issue,... i put DEF in less frequently than Washer Fluid, and the DEF has a better gauge than the washer fluid to be able to tell when we're going to need it. (hint; it doesn't exactly sneak up on you as it takes thousands of miles to go through a tank of DEF.)

the EcoDiesel also gives you the option to consider if you want to try to help out with emissions and petroleum dependency by using Renewable Diesel and/or BioDiesel; not something you can do at all with any of the Gasoline options. (i don't count Ethanol as a viable option.)

I'm replacing a daily driver and looking into buying a new wrangler. I owned a FJ40 (as well as other Toyota trucks) for years, so I'm not totally new to off-roading, but I'm new to the Jeep brand. I'm not going to do any serious off-roading or rock crawling but I'll use it mainly for daily driving and camping/backpacking. I also plan on towing a small teardrop or camping trailer sometimes. With that said, I don't want a pure pavement pounder either. As for features I don't need a fully loaded model, but electric windows, nav and a decent sound system would be nice. I don't want to be a Rubicon wannabe, but having a decent tire/wheel setup with at least 32s is desirable as well.

Now the big questions:
1. Which model? I'm leaning toward a Sahara but open to suggestions.
2. Gas? I want diesel for the extra torque, but is it worth the extra cost and will it really save that much more gas?
3. Is there anything elseI should be considering?

Thanks,
Joe

Anything else I should be considering?

 

[GtX]

the EcoDiesel also gives you the option to consider if you want to try to help out with emissions and petroleum dependency by using Renewable Diesel and/or BioDiesel;

Only B20. Don't put fryer oil in the tank.

 

[JElexion]

Welcome to the forum, Joe.

1. Vehicle configurations are subjective, in terms of what each owner wants or believes he needs. The combination of features that you like, and will use, is the correct answer. That the Wrangler is seemingly available in 37 different trim levels adds a bit of work for the discerning consumer.

2. The break-even point for the diesel, vis-a-vis its buy-in cost paired with current and anticipated fuel price trends, is a years-long proposition. It's far enough into the future that the economic argument for the engine isn't easily made. Out-of-warranty repair costs for diesel engines can be breathtaking, too (as a family member learned with his Chevrolet Suburban diesel). The JL-generation Wrangler isn't yet old enough for us to have accumulated much intel on that particular subject, though.

What does support that engine choice is your use case: daily driver (diesels should be recurringly driven, and not just short trips) with a towing plan already in place. So there's that.

3. There are recurring threads here from 4xe owners which document the problems they've experienced with the tech on that particular model. This is not reassuring, and gives the impression that perhaps a few of them are unwilling beta testers (even if that isn't objectively true.) I'm old enough to remember when early adopters of the Pontiac Fiero buyers wrestled with their own issues in an identical manner. This is something to keep in mind if the electric Jeep is on your radar.

Best of luck with your purchase decision.

James,
You make very good points on a number of fronts. While monetarily, this isn't a huge decision, it's not small either and it's just crazy how many choices are available. Which is a good and bad thing. Regardless, more info is always a good thing and this all really helps. Thank you very much!

 

[zouch]

not sure why anyone is talking about Fryer Oil, but i hope nobody mistakes WVO for fuel for our EcoDiesels.

some BioDiesel is indeed made from Waste Veggie Oil, but there’s a big difference between BioDiesel, Renewable Diesel and Waste Veggie Oil.

please be sure you’ve educated yourself about the different Buofuels before using any, but know that VM Motori (and therefore J**p) recommend Biodiesel blends up to 20% (a.k.a. “B20”), requiring only slightly shorter oil change intevals for any concentration of BioDiesel over 5% BioD (“B5”).
know also that many people feel that a Biodiesel blend will actually help make up for some of the lubricity that our Fuel Pumps and injection systems were designed for but is lost in the process of removing the Sulfur from the Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel sold here now.

Only B20. Don't put fryer oil in the tank.

 

[GtX]

not sure why anyone is talking about Fryer.

You brought it up; "renewable diesel or biodiesel". I said B20 and you proceeded to agree with me with a long winded explanation.

 

[zouch]

i never brought up "fryer Oil"; you did.

in case you didn't get it yet, there's a big difference between "fryer oil" and "renewable diesel or biodiesel".

You brought it up; "renewable diesel or biodiesel". I said B20 and you proceeded to agree with me with a long winded explanation.

 

[GtX]

i never brought up "fryer Oil"; you did.

in case you didn't get it yet, there's a big difference between "fryer oil" and "renewable diesel or biodiesel".

Is there?
Both are plant based.
Both are chemically refined.

Hell, the oil that comes out of the ground was plant based at one point.

 

[dragoneggs]

Short trips (0-35mi): 4xe or 2.0T
Med trips (35-50mi): 2.0T
Long trips (50mi+) 2.0T or 3.0D

So, the 3.6L is good for nothing?

Sponsored