mac-1-0-1

I guess I wasn't making my point. I have been driving Jeeps for 20 years and loved every minute of it. (even the time with the 4 bangers). I just could never understand why my favorite vehicles got a Chryslers after-thought motor. Dodge had some great engine choices while Jeep got a very underpowered V6. The 4.0 was good in its day, but wouldn't cut it now. The difference was that the 4.0 was a jeep engine made for Jeeps and not a "one size fits all" cost savings engine. I guess the Pentastar is another example of that, but at least it has some acceptable performance. Jeeps are expensive and I shouldn't have to "settle" or just "deal with it" for the price of these things. I want Jeep to succeed and stay aroung for a long time. That means they need a competative engine. The faithful like us will buy them anyway, but you need to wow some Mall goers to sell some units and stay in business.

ronjenx

I don't understand the lack of engine choices from the factory, either.
But, when was the last time the Wrangler had a choice of engines beyond 4 or 6 cylinders?

If a small V8 had been available, I would have gotten it. I learned that lesson when I had my Dakota.

Yankee

srt8ftw, you still have not mentioned what your axle gear ratio is (unless I missed it). If your running 3.21's with 35" tires and won't regear, then just keep it in 4-lo is all I could suggest.

You have not responded if your turning off the ESP.

Because the 3.8 with proper gearing will do sand, even in 4-hi, as long as you anticipate the terrain and how much speed, what tranny gear and what RPM you need ahead of time.

And just like mud, don't stop in the middle of it if it is real deep.

I have no great love for the 3.8, but it ain't the freakin bad, especially offroad.

Skid_Kid

I like it!!!!

Yankee

Pretty much every review I have ever read about the JK did not have flattering things to say about power outside of 4-lo. Just like every previous Wrangler. People just buy with no research?

Probably insurance costs for the target market, how many they thought they could sell with a bigger motor, CAFE, and front impact crash safety all had some bearing on only the 3.8 being offered.

Really only three choices. Mod it, live with it, or sell it.

Well, four I guess. One can bitch about it.

MeatCurtains

I'm sure everyone will be pleased when they dump 500hp big blocks in this and make it so front heavy and over powered that its a waste. They will be able to do 70mph at idle though.

I came across a v8 TJ some years back, I can't tell you what the power was in it, but it was scary as hell to drive, you could feel the whole thing rock to the side so hard it felt like it was going to roll over. I drove it once, after using a 3500 to tow my shorts out of my rectum I stuck with my 4.0 and now 3.8.

roadking54

After installing 5.13's into my auto, adding the Superchip, exhaust and CAI.....I'm pretty happy with it's performance now. The exhaust and CAI probably just make it 'sound' like it's got power, but I like it. The Superchip was key for me, stock and now modded with 3.5" lift and 35's. With the tow tune, it's actually got balls....small ones, but they're their.

I get 16 mpg calculated in and around the city. 17-18 hwy trips. I'm sure this will drop when I add the front bumper and winch

JKlad

Yeah, you're spot on there! It always amazes me when I read people complaining on the forums about the performance of the JK's motor, auto gearbox, diff gearing, on-road handling, etc. Did they even take one for a test drive & if so was it just a 5 minute spin around the block before they shelled out 30 grand for a new vehicle? Did they read the window sticker which clearly states expected mileage? Did they even do any research on the vehicle (look at the Jeep website for specs & options, read product reviews, peruse all the forums, susbscribe to Jeep magazines, etc) prior to just driving past a Jeep dealership one sunny day, seeing all the shiny new JKs out front on the lot, & thinking to themselves "wow, those Wrangler things look badass; think I'll trade in my Camaro for one of those puppies right now"?

Since I had never owned a Wrangler/CJ prior to buying my JK, I took my time, did a lot of research, and did no fewer than 4 different test drives (Rubicon 6-speed soft-top, Sport Auto hard-top, Sport CRD auto soft-top, Sport 6-speed hard-top; kept this one overnight so I could do extensive city & highway driving on it as I was leaning towards this one) before finally signing the paperwork on Christmas Eve 2008, almost 2 years since I first began seeing the JKs appearing on the roads around here & said to myself "I like the look of those; think I'll find out a little more about them".

So when I finally drove it off the lot, I knew exactly what I was getting into regarding motor power, on-road/off-road performance, and mileage. The only performance surprise I've got after buying my JK is the increase in motor responsiveness & better mileage after the much documented "3K mile motor wake-up" when the motor & drivetrain had started to loosen up a little (and possibly as the ECU departed from it's "running-in programming"; discussed here at length in this forum but the jury's still out on that one).


Most people wouldn't buy a 300 buck TV without first at least seeing it switched on at the appliance store, quickly reading the specifications card next to it and maybe even briefly talking to the sales guy about its features, yet it seems many people have put far less thought and research into buying a new $25-35K vehicle of a type unfamiliar to them.

Zombie Hunter

This is what I thought I was spending 33k for! Should of taken a test drive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXOfdaBDKY

ronjenx

It must have a throttle body spacer, and possibly a Sprint Booster.