2021 Wrangler 392

[Chris142]

No, only 4 door auto.

Yuck. I hate the 4 door

 

[jeepman3071]

Yuck. I hate the 4 door

Supposedly the reasoning is because the 4 door auto combination is the highest seller.

 

[CheezWhiz]

they sure have come a long way from that 3.8 minivan engine!

 

[jeepman3071]

they sure have come a long way from that 3.8 minivan engine!

I'm curious how the turbo 4 drives. The 3.8 was awful, it had literally no redeeming qualities. No power, spun bearings, drank oil, same fuel economy as the 4.0L TJ. The 3.6L is better from a power and reliability standpoint, but it still has very little low end torque which means changing to lower gearing for larger tires is a must especially for off-road.

I haven't driven the I4 turbo, but a 5.7L V8 would compliment the JL nicely, especially a 4-door with larger tires. My 4.0L TJ isn't quick by any means, but the low end torque coupled with the 5MT makes it a pleasure to drive even with larger tires, a small lift and stock gearing.

 

[skrypj]

I'm curious how the turbo 4 drives. The 3.8 was awful, it had literally no redeeming qualities. No power, spun bearings, drank oil, same fuel economy as the 4.0L TJ. The 3.6L is better from a power and reliability standpoint, but it still has very little low end torque which means changing to lower gearing for larger tires is a must especially for off-road.

I haven't driven the I4 turbo, but a 5.7L V8 would compliment the JL nicely, especially a 4-door with larger tires. My 4.0L TJ isn't quick by any means, but the low end torque coupled with the 5MT makes it a pleasure to drive even with larger tires, a small lift and stock gearing.

A buddy of mine had a loaner 2.0T Wrangler while his Ecodiesel GC spent months in the shop. This guy is a huge diesel fan and even has his own business building turbo upgrades for the Colorado Duramax, Jeep Liberty CRD, and a few other diesel engines. He had nothing but good things to say about the 2.0. Said it pulled really hard.

 

[CheezWhiz]

I'm curious how the turbo 4 drives. The 3.8 was awful, it had literally no redeeming qualities. No power, spun bearings, drank oil, same fuel economy as the 4.0L TJ. The 3.6L is better from a power and reliability standpoint, but it still has very little low end torque which means changing to lower gearing for larger tires is a must especially for off-road.

I haven't driven the I4 turbo, but a 5.7L V8 would compliment the JL nicely, especially a 4-door with larger tires. My 4.0L TJ isn't quick by any means, but the low end torque coupled with the 5MT makes it a pleasure to drive even with larger tires, a small lift and stock gearing.

i've owned pentastar-powered JK's and a 4.0 32RH. the pentastar whips the 4.0 all over the place, but the 4.0 really isn't bad for what it is. for the cost of a V8 wrangler I'd probably rather just own a base model model wrangler and a pickup or hot rod, but i won't lie - if I see one for real, I'll be drooling all over the place.

 

[jeepman3071]

i've owned pentastar-powered JK's and a 4.0 32RH. the pentastar whips the 4.0 all over the place, but the 4.0 really isn't bad for what it is. for the cost of a V8 wrangler I'd probably rather just own a base model model wrangler and a pickup or hot rod, but i won't lie - if I see one for real, I'll be drooling all over the place.

The pentastar definitely has the edge in HP, but low end crawling and torque the 4.0 wins. FWIW I hated the 4.0 and 32RH combo. It felt like it had no power with only a 3 speed auto. The 42RLE in later TJs wasn't really any better as it was geared for economy (LOL). The winning combo is really the 5MT or 6MT behind the 4.0L. Mine has the 5 speed AX-15 and 3.73 gears. Even with 31" tires it does pretty good, and towing a small trailer isn't an issue.

 

[Chris142]

4.0L TJ isn't quick by any means, but the low end torque coupled with the 5MT makes it a pleasure to drive even with larger tires, a small lift and stock gearing.

It's great for teaching a kid how to drive a manual too

 

[CheezWhiz]

The pentastar definitely has the edge in HP, but low end crawling and torque the 4.0 wins. FWIW I hated the 4.0 and 32RH combo. It felt like it had no power with only a 3 speed auto. The 42RLE in later TJs wasn't really any better as it was geared for economy (LOL). The winning combo is really the 5MT or 6MT behind the 4.0L. Mine has the 5 speed AX-15 and 3.73 gears. Even with 31" tires it does pretty good, and towing a small trailer isn't an issue.

gotcha. both of my JK's were Rubicons so the 4:1 low ratio really helps out with the relative lack of low end in the Pentastar. Honestly I really liked that 3.6. The 4.0 does about as well as you can do with a three speed auto!

 

[Srt20]

I'm curious how the turbo 4 drives. The 3.8 was awful, it had literally no redeeming qualities. No power, spun bearings, drank oil, same fuel economy as the 4.0L TJ. The 3.6L is better from a power and reliability standpoint, but it still has very little low end torque which means changing to lower gearing for larger tires is a must especially for off-road.

I haven't driven the I4 turbo, but a 5.7L V8 would compliment the JL nicely, especially a 4-door with larger tires. My 4.0L TJ isn't quick by any means, but the low end torque coupled with the 5MT makes it a pleasure to drive even with larger tires, a small lift and stock gearing.

I have a 2.0T JLUR on 35" tires. It does very well. I think it would be fine on 37" tires probably too. I dont have any desire to tune it.

 

[Rand]

I have the 2.0 in my 19 cherokee
I MUCH prefer it to the 3.2 pentastar I had in my 2017 cherokee.

The 2.0 feels more like a V8 with more torque and lower redline, the v6 feels more like a 4cyl you wind out for power.

 

[MCompact]

The pentastar definitely has the edge in HP, but low end crawling and torque the 4.0 wins. FWIW I hated the 4.0 and 32RH combo. It felt like it had no power with only a 3 speed auto. The 42RLE in later TJs wasn't really any better as it was geared for economy (LOL). The winning combo is really the 5MT or 6MT behind the 4.0L. Mine has the 5 speed AX-15 and 3.73 gears. Even with 31" tires it does pretty good, and towing a small trailer isn't an issue.

My 1999 TJ is equipped the same as yours. I love it. I'm tempted by a two door JL, but I'd hate to give up the TJ...