I've driven several passes right at 12,000' and on our last trip we drove over trial ridge road. The 3.6L engine performed well without any obvious problems at those altitudes. Having said that, a turbocharged engine will generally maintain its power better at high altitudes, the 3.6L has to lose some power, it just wasn't that noticeable to me.I'm going to buy a Wrangler that I'll use in Colorado some. I've searched and can't find any engine recommendation for engine at high altitude. Can anyone provide some insight?
At 10,000 ft a normally aspirated engine will have lost about 31% of power output. You will notice this if you have any sense of the vehicle dynamics you are driving.Hello. New member here.
I'm going to buy a Wrangler that I'll use in Colorado some. I've searched and can't find any engine recommendation for engine at high altitude. Can anyone provide some insight?
Somehow you got cheated out of 100CC.I also have the 3.5 V6
I think if the OP doesn't live in Colorado he shouldn't make the decision between the 2 engines based on occasional visits. The 3.6L is not a liability, has plenty of power for highway driving on any roads in this country. There are other pros and cons between the 2 engines, that would even apply for daily driving.I think the 2.0 would be a great choice if you plan on spending time at elevation. We spent a fair amount of pavement and trail time in CO last year with the 3.6. Definitely feel the loss of power when you are shifting gears yourself (6 spd manual).
However, based on reports by others it seems like the 8 speed auto does a really good job of working in the background to keep power available. Don't think you could necessarily go wrong with either option in that case, but I'd bet the 2.0 handles it a bit better.
Any of them will do just fine in the mountains. Don't overthink this one and get the other options you want.Hello. New member here.
I'm going to buy a Wrangler that I'll use in Colorado some. I've searched and can't find any engine recommendation for engine at high altitude. Can anyone provide some insight?
Hopefully the visits will be more than "occasional" in the near future! Eventually we'll just leave the Wrangler in Colorado.I think if the OP doesn't live in Colorado he shouldn't make the decision between the 2 engines based on occasional visits. The 3.6L is not a liability, has plenty of power for highway driving on any roads in this country. There are other pros and cons between the 2 engines, that would even apply for daily driving.