Wrangler 2.0 or 3.6

[entropy]

This is never going to end. It is like a curse.

Should I get the V8 or the V6? If you can afford it, get the V8, if you cant, the V6 is good enough. Easy answer done.

Imagine if we had a V6 turbo and the V6 pentastar? Also not a long discussion.

But naaaah. Freaking DEI hire at Jeep decides it is a good idea to throw a 4 banger that perfoms almost identical to the V6 pentastar as an option. But hey, you save $50 of gas a year.

Choosing the 2.0 vs the 3.6 is like going into an empty parking lot and you just cant decide where to park.

And on top of this, to make it even more confusing they troll us by changing the pricing every year. Some years the 2.0 is more expensive "premium" option, then 3.6 becomes the "premium" option.

I am telling you. It is a curse. A joke. And these posts are never going to end because we cant make up our mind. It was designed to be this way. To keep us arguing about this for eternity like absolute idiots. Tomato tomato.

A friend who works at Jeep told me when they were getting ready to roll out the gladiator a new hire asked "what about the 2.0?" They all laughed and that was it. I am telling you guys, they did us dirty.

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[yokramer]

Just like that million-to-one chance of you telling us that the RX-7 is now reliably roadworthy?

I mean its as reliable as any other RX7 with a brand new motor sitting in it waiting to be finished

 

[40Caliber]

wife has a 2023 JLU with 2.0 (41K miles on it and took it to 15,000 miles alaska hauling a 1900lb teardrop camper in 2024).
I have a 2024 JLUR with 3. 6 auto. (17,000 miles on it and took it 8,000 miles this summer hauling a 1900lb teardrop camper in 2025 out to Moab)

2.0 gets 23-25MPG without the trailer, 18-20mpg hauling the camper
3.6 gets 19-20mpg without the trailer , 14-15mpg hauling the .camper

I see no difference in pick up and power between the two. The 3.6auto actually strained more staying in lower gears and revving higher coming up the mountain going east to Denver.... The 2.0 had similar mountains in Alaska but no issues. (same tranny in both).

I bought the 3.6 as there were no 2.0s available in Sarge green and it was too late to order one.

I also had a 2021 JLR (35,000 miles) with a 2.0 that got up to 26mpg highway after it was broken in. ( I am retired and typically don't drive faster than 65)- I only got rid of the JLR because the new JLURs have a towing capacity of 5000lb and i am going to upgrade the camper.

IMO I don't see a difference beyond MPG, I would get the 2.0.
test them and get the one that has the best deal or you like more.

I always hear the pentastar is supposed to be a reliable 200K motor all tested out tried and true on youtube. What I read on the forums never seems to support that.

I assume it's no better/no worse than the 2.0,,

 

[BigRedRidinHood]

I think you should change oil at 3000, use 5w30, buy a catch can, and treat the oil with an added lubricant. I use Tribotex. No matter the engine. Also do not over tighten the oil filter or you will over crank the seal on the housing. I like my 3.6 etorque a lot. Owners report no problems with this setup. No longer available new unfortunately.

 

[mk7tristan]

Both have their issues, I liked the power delivery better on the 2.0 and it's been solid for 58k miles. I wish Jeep would fix their shotty valvetrain.

 

[73TAWM]

Get the 2.0 and listen to every single person who owns the 3.6 tell you that you have to regear for 37's.
I have driven both, in multiple gears and until this turbo blows up, I am very happy with performance. Maybe the 3.6 is better for crawling but 90% of the time my Jeep is on the road, not the rocks.

Now ask us which tire is best...

 

[Gio]

 

[WI_Sarge]

I went back through every 2.0 vs 3.6 thread and it was a completely unanimous agreement. All kind words and no offensive comments at all either.

 

[alphawolff]

both engines have a lot of reliability issues. the difference is the 3.6l is MUCH, MUCH easier to work on than the 2.0l. this means repair costs are overall much cheaper.

from a technician standpoint the 3.6l wins all day long purely due to ease of reparability.

 

[dmaxw]

Love my 2.0T. Just did a 6 day back country run in SE Oregon, it handled every climb and descent like a champ, and got better mileage the whole way compared to the other 3 wranglers running the 3.6. I ran to the Arctic Ocean in Canada and all around AK last summer, rig was great and I never worried where the next station was, unlike the 3.6s with me. My 2 cents

 

[Navyrigger]

I have a 25 base model 2-door Wrangler with 2.0L I bought this past May and has 3500 miles so far. I really like it and it gets about 22 mpg highway. It has enough power for me. It's my first Jeep and I'm in my 50s. I'm using 93 octane (Chevron/Techron) and changed oil first at 1200 and will do on the 5,000 marks from now on. I did buy the 8 year 125k extended Mopar warranty as I plan to keep it. I have no regret so far with this engine choice.

 

[WillysMeow]

2025 4door with 3.6 AT and 1800 miles so far, wheeled it at Fordyce with only 74 miles on the odometer, IME turbos are not long-term reliable and are much more expensive to drive and maintain, yes my mpg is lower, but as said easier to work on and crawls better. For example Subaru turbo engines state very bluntly in manual that engine oil/filter change interval is 3000 miles and no more! Test drive both and decide, good luck and keep us posted.

No matter what Jeep etc you buy sometimes you get a lemon. Proper maintenance is huge, never let oil/fluid changes go as long as 'recommended' but lets' not get carrried away with 1500 mile oil changes lol.

 

[Heimkehr]

IME turbos are not long-term reliable and are much more expensive to drive and maintain, yes my [Pentastar] mpg is lower, but as said easier to work on and crawls better. For example Subaru turbo engines state very bluntly in manual that engine oil/filter change interval is 3000 miles and no more!

I dig the spirit of what you're saying, WM, but Subaru might not be the brand to benchmark here. Their engines, forced induction or not, do seem to be a bit fragile, if the many YT videos of owners killing their engines while doing donuts in a snow-covered parking lot are representative. That the factory manual strictly states the need for comparatively frequent oil changes for the turbo engines is instructive, too. The necessity of changing the oil & filter every 3K miles in any modern vehicle is suspect.

Anyway, my 2.0T just turned over 107K miles. It continues to run as quietly and as smoothly as it did when new. I've performed all of the required maintenance myself. The only repair was the replacement of an upstream O2 sensor at 73K miles.

 

[WillysMeow]

@Heimkehr I've owned several Subarus and am now sworn off of them lol...some were good and a couple were money pits with problems...all fairly close to stock. Flat opposed engines are a different breed with different problems. I did have VW bug that ended up as a Baja and we beat the wee out of that little car for years and it almost always asked for more.

IMO most manufacturers these days lean the other way on maintenance in an attempt to make ownership look cheaper. I would never let any engine go beyond 5k max preferably 4k miles for an oil and filter change.

 

[DesmoDog]

I just got home after driving a 2.0L and a 3.6L back to back. I've had a 2016 JKU Sahara since 2019 and got a wild hair this weekend that maybe it was time to update my ride.

To add a little background, I worked in vehicle NVH for about 20 years and am probably more biased than most about this sort of thing. I was also driving with no media playing so I could better hear what was going on.

I drove the 2.0L first. Honestly I was a little surprised at what I'm guessing was intake noise. It improved as things warmed up, but even at the end of the drive I noticed that at around 3200rpm the noise came in stronger and then backed off as rpm climbed. oooh... peaks in the sound signature are not good... I found it annoying.

I drove the V6 right after I got back. It may have been louder(?) overall but was more steady with no peak, and IMHO a much better quality sound.

I ended up buying the V6. As far as torque/drivability, it didn't matter to me. The 2.0L noise at 3200 rpm would have driven me crazy. People who drive with the radio turned up and haven't had to experience of nasty meetings regarding a peak in a vehicle's interior sound may not be as sensititive to this sort of thing.

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