My folks are in town for a little while, and I drove their Jeep around today for a short bit. I can comment on ride/handling, but it's so far removed from a stock Jeep that the comments wouldn't really matter. It's a FAR cry (in a positive way) from their old '06 TJ. The ride is very soft and isolated, but it's with an AEV 4.5" lift with hundreds of pounds of body armor and underbody skids, so it's not representative of a stock unit at all.
But the engine/transmission are the same as in other Jeeps. And the interior as well...mostly.
Let me start with the engine. First off, this is a fantastic improvement over the 4.0L, and the 3.8L it directly replaces. It's not the absolute smoothest V-6 I've driven in terms of NVH...it is very comparable to Toyota's 3.5L GR-series V-6 to me. It's not as smooth as the 3.5L J-series V-6 in our Acura, but it's definitely an improvement over the 3.8L. Power is good across the range, but this is in a 5,800 pound Jeep with 37" Procomps and 5.13:1 gears, so again, hard to really assess how fast they are in stock form. I'll say that this one is probably significantly slower, given the weight it's hauling around. It's definitely a higher-RPM engine than the 4.0L, and will freely hold gears until 4-5k RPM, even at mid throttle. But the engine noise is so muted, you really don't notice unless you're looking at the tachometer. It's great.
The transmission is pretty good, and shifts smoothly. At part throttle, shifting is almost imperceptible. Durability-wise, I know it's probably bombproof.
The interior is such an improvement, even over earlier JKs, it's hard to put into words. The fit and finish is absolutely fantastic for a Wrangler. It feels solid, no squeaks, no rattles, no loose panels. The same could not be said at all for the TJ. And my neighbor's '07 JK feels decidedly cheaper inside. They also have Katskinz leather seats, so that helps. You apparently can only get leather if you get tan. They wanted grey, so they had to go aftermarket for the leather.
Overall, I thought I'd like the engine more than I do, but the transmission is a winner. And I'm impressed with the interior more than I thought I'd be. Much more. Even professional photos don't do it justice. It's a REALLY nice vehicle.
But the engine/transmission are the same as in other Jeeps. And the interior as well...mostly.
Let me start with the engine. First off, this is a fantastic improvement over the 4.0L, and the 3.8L it directly replaces. It's not the absolute smoothest V-6 I've driven in terms of NVH...it is very comparable to Toyota's 3.5L GR-series V-6 to me. It's not as smooth as the 3.5L J-series V-6 in our Acura, but it's definitely an improvement over the 3.8L. Power is good across the range, but this is in a 5,800 pound Jeep with 37" Procomps and 5.13:1 gears, so again, hard to really assess how fast they are in stock form. I'll say that this one is probably significantly slower, given the weight it's hauling around. It's definitely a higher-RPM engine than the 4.0L, and will freely hold gears until 4-5k RPM, even at mid throttle. But the engine noise is so muted, you really don't notice unless you're looking at the tachometer. It's great.
The transmission is pretty good, and shifts smoothly. At part throttle, shifting is almost imperceptible. Durability-wise, I know it's probably bombproof.
The interior is such an improvement, even over earlier JKs, it's hard to put into words. The fit and finish is absolutely fantastic for a Wrangler. It feels solid, no squeaks, no rattles, no loose panels. The same could not be said at all for the TJ. And my neighbor's '07 JK feels decidedly cheaper inside. They also have Katskinz leather seats, so that helps. You apparently can only get leather if you get tan. They wanted grey, so they had to go aftermarket for the leather.
Overall, I thought I'd like the engine more than I do, but the transmission is a winner. And I'm impressed with the interior more than I thought I'd be. Much more. Even professional photos don't do it justice. It's a REALLY nice vehicle.