Which powertrain would you get?

[Strommen95]

Yes they are!

The new JL Wranglers, with all the complicated electronics that are leaving people stranded, are NOTHING like my old dependable TJs. The TJs didn't have all of this electronic crap that would disable the Jeep so I'm happy these "strangers" are informing me there's a problem!

If forums were more active 20 years ago, you'd be on a board like this reading all the complaints and crying over the TJ being unreliable crap like you do here. Outside of the 4.0 the TJ was frequently lamented for being junk. Instead of being a free thinker, you would've bought a Toyota and never developed the opinion that the TJ was dependable. The difference between opinions of the TJ and JL for you comes down to owning one, not owning the other. It's ironic.

There's always a boogeyman and nowadays it's electronics. 95% of JL electrical issues relate to the Auxiliary battery or unseated fuses. Replace the battery every 3 years pre-emptively and check fuses every oil change. It's really not that complicated.

Sponsored

 

[entropy]

Yes they are!

The new JL Wranglers, with all the complicated electronics that are leaving people stranded, are NOTHING like my old dependable TJs. The TJs didn't have all of this electronic crap that would disable the Jeep so I'm happy these "strangers" are informing me there's a problem!

So did you come to these forums looking for Self-validation due to your insecurities about having a TJ and not a JL?

I could post about how my sport JL is more reliable than the rubicon because my mechanical lockers dont have electronic crap to fail. ?

 

[bRett32]

Wow. Just Wow.

Are you the same guys I see on these forums having a conniption fit every time Consumer Reports rates the dependability of the Wrangler as below average?

I own a TJ. But I'm on these forums because I'm doing my research, trying to decide on a new vehicle - one a bit more comfortable on long off-highway trips than the TJ. (Local dealer has two of the new Broncos and I was NOT impressed.) Because of where I live and explore, dependability means a lot - quite often I'm a hundred miles from the nearest pavement. My previous Wranglers have been very dependable - I've kept each for many years. But now you guys, Wrangler owners, are telling me that you wouldn't trust one of the new JLs past the warranty period. Are you all going to force me into a Toyota 4Runner?

I think you're taking my words well beyond their logical context....

You're also merging cost exposure of a failure negated by warranty coverage and the discussion of overall reliability.

If you make decisions based on what Consumer Reports puts out ........ enjoy your fleet-trim Toyota Highlander in the SUV segment I guess.

If I expected a vehicle I wanted to utilize daily was likely to leave me stranded in my ownership I wouldn't consider it in the first place.

Warranty coverage won't un-strand you, but it will take the sting out of a massive repair should you be hit with some large scale or costly issue within that window.

One of the perks of a new vehicle is also the assumed/expected reliability over the early years - sometimes that doesn't work out for everyone.

If you're after something you want to keep for 10 or whatever years you'll likely weight this whole decision on a different scale.

 

[bRett32]

Yes they are!

The new JL Wranglers, with all the complicated electronics that are leaving people stranded, are NOTHING like my old dependable TJs. The TJs didn't have all of this electronic crap that would disable the Jeep so I'm happy these "strangers" are informing me there's a problem!

Sometimes if we get enough of a winter storm the electricity flowing into our house will be disrupted for a few hours - and that lack of reliability is quite an inconvenience.

Candlelight is likely more reliable but I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel based on the extraordinarily low failure rate of option #1

I've also never had to reboot a typewriter............... and on it goes......

 

[Carlton]

Even the least reliable vehicles I’ve ever owned, an 06 super duty and a 2013 Ford Focus didn’t have problems within the 1st year. Problems in the first year are exceedingly rare despite what the forums might have you think. Obviously more people have put more miles on the older engine that is used across more platforms, but that doesn’t make it more reliable. Most of the 2.0t owners like myself haven’t had a problem with that little engine for 40k miles or more. The 3.6L being reliable does nothing to prove or disprove the other engine choices reliability. It seems that quite a few diesel owners have had problems, but I haven’t seen much questioning the reliability of the 2.0t aside from those with no experience that are convinced that the little engine that outperforms the 3.6 can’t last. It seems to be proving otherwise in a lot of people’s experience including mine.

The 2.0 was not listed. The OP specically asked about the 3.6, Diesel, and 4XE.

 

[Zandcwhite]

The 2.0 was not listed. The OP specically asked about the 3.6, Diesel, and 4XE.

The 4xe is the 2.0t with an electric motor added between the engine and trans...

 

[mwilk012]

We are probably on the wrong forum if we are looking for highest mileage 2.0t. I'd be willing to bet there's a few Cherokee owners pushing 200k already. Those of us who commute 40k+ miles a year aren't rare, but I wouldn't do it in a wrangler. I've seen several post on here that are pushing 100k. I agree that the engine is unproven in a 200k plus scenario in a wrangler for sure, but most wrangler owners will never see that many miles anyway. The OP has a 2018 with ~8k miles on it if I recall, at his use rate it will be 80 years before he puts 200k on a new jeep.

why would a Cherokee have more miles than wranglers? It was first available in 2018/19 on the wrangler.

 

[rickinAZ]

why would a Cherokee have more miles than wranglers? It was first available in 2018/19 on the wrangler.

I think he is suggesting that Cherokees are more pavement-friendly, hence they are driven more on-road miles than Wranglers on average. Not illogical.

 

[Romans9]

Are we supposed to just pretend that the eco diesel isn’t going to cost extra time money and headaches compared to a NA V-6 gas engine?

Am I supposed to “pretend” that my actual experience with a EcoDiesel Wrangler is imaginary?

Should I pretend I have no working knowledge of most SCR, DPF and DEF systems?

Should I take your anecdotal question and emotionally charged latter comments in this thread and try to somehow respond in a rational way when your posts hint to irrational assertions about a problem that hasn’t happened yet? All too confusing for a simpleton like myself.

If you have any actual questions or actual observations we can discuss for the benefit of the original poster I’ll be happy to entertain them.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I think he is suggesting that Cherokees are more pavement-friendly, hence they are driven more on-road miles than Wranglers on average. Not illogical.

Exactly this, lighter, cheaper, more fuel efficient. Something a commuter might actually buy for racking up a hundred or more miles a day. Granted there are a few people who buy Wranglers for commuter cars, but it's a rarity and completely illogical.

 

[Headbarcode]

If forums were more active 20 years ago, you'd be on a board like this reading all the complaints and crying over the TJ being unreliable crap like you do here. Outside of the 4.0 the TJ was frequently lamented for being junk. Instead of being a free thinker, you would've bought a Toyota and never developed the opinion that the TJ was dependable. The difference between opinions of the TJ and JL for you comes down to owning one, not owning the other. It's ironic.

There's always a boogeyman and nowadays it's electronics. 95% of JL electrical issues relate to the Auxiliary battery or unseated fuses. Replace the battery every 3 years pre-emptively and check fuses every oil change. It's really not that complicated.

It's far to easy for a prospective buyer to become apprehensive after they spend some time reading these forums. The reality is that the total membership here only represents a drop in the bucket of global ownership, the enthusiasts and DIYer's looking for a fix to their issue. Even the number of members with problematic Jeeps only makes up a fraction of a percent. I get other members pm'ing me often enough that I spend half my forum time in the private threads. 95% of the issues stem from the use of budget parts and/or faulty installation. Most of the remaining 5% could be avoided by taking your advice of a 3 year battery swap schedule.

 

[mwilk012]

I think he is suggesting that Cherokees are more pavement-friendly, hence they are driven more on-road miles than Wranglers on average. Not illogical.

Perhaps, but the Cherokee sucks. It’s ugly and boring and nobody gets excited to drive one.

 

[mwilk012]

Am I supposed to “pretend” that my actual experience with a EcoDiesel Wrangler is imaginary?

Should I pretend I have no working knowledge of most SCR, DPF and DEF systems?

Should I take your anecdotal question and emotionally charged latter comments in this thread and try to somehow respond in a rational way when your posts hint to irrational assertions about a problem that hasn’t happened yet? All too confusing for a simpleton like myself.

If you have any actual questions or actual observations we can discuss for the benefit of the original poster I’ll be happy to entertain them.

This isn’t a truly new engine, it’s just new to the wrangler. These problems have existed for a long time, and yes, your anecdotal evidence / personal experience is not enough to counter the fact that Diesel engines will require more significant expenses to maintain over their life.

 

[azwjowner]

Yes, Wrangler owners have changed over the years. First with JK 4-door, now with JL’s complexity and astronomical prices.

Sergio Marchionne wanted to turn Jeep into Land Rover, and it is well on its way. Long gone are the days when blue-collar, DIY types and college kids bought Wranglers. Now is mostly dentists, lawyers, realtors, techies, well-off self-employed and retirees.

The cost of a Wrangler is why I haven't yet purchased one despite lusting after the JL since its introduction. It's not the actual sticker price (I can afford it) but the value. It becomes hard to feel like the Wrangler is anything other than way overpriced when I can buy a luxury SUV for the same price, and that luxury SUV costs the manufacturer way more to produce than a Wrangler. Or I can offroad in my modified WJ and go anywhere I'd drive a Wrangler, at a fraction of the cost. In my mind the JL is $8-10k over where it should be to still earn a good profit for Jeep and provide reasonable value for a consumer...

 

[Zandcwhite]

Perhaps, but the Cherokee sucks. It’s ugly and boring and nobody gets excited to drive one.

Before electric cars got to where they are now, I couldn't think of 1 vehicle that I'd call exciting to drive that makes sense as a dedicated commuter. Something cheap and mildly sporty like a miata is still under powered to be fun on the freeway. As a 6 foot 275lb construction worker, I would not want to spend 3 hrs a day in that tiny seat either. And forget about it on the days I have to actually transport tools or materials between sites. A truck only makes sense if you haul stuff on a regular basis. 30mpg, big enough to fit a ladder in the back, under $30k. I wouldn't say it's the choice but it certainly isn't the worst. Were I in the market for a commuter, the Volkswagen ID4 would be the clear choice right now. $40k, $7500 tax credit, free unlimited charging for a year, all wheel drive, quick enough to be fun. Ugly, but I can't see it from the driver's seat anyway.

Sponsored