Which Engine Is Right For You?

One of the most commonly asked questions about a Jeep Wrangler is which engine is the best? While best can mean a lot of things we believe the crux of the question relies in two areas. First reliability, which engine can you expect to get the most miles out of without major repairs and which engine performs the best.

To dive into those questions we need to take a brief look at Jeep engines over the past 20 years or so, anything older than that and it is likely the original motor is either not in the Jeep or has been completely rebuilt already.

Quick look into the past since 1986 Jeep has offered 4 different motors for the Wrangler:

1. The legendary 4.0L In-Line Six Engine (1986 to 2006)
2. The 2.4L In-Line 4 Cylinder Engine (1984 to 2002)
3. The 3.8L V6 202 hp and 237 lb-ft of torque (2007 to 2012)
4. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque (2012 To Present)
5. The 2.0L Turbo Charged Inline 4 Cylinder (2018 To Present)
6. The 2.2L EcoDiesel Turbocharged Inline 4 Cylinder Diesel 197 HP (2018 Europe, Coming To North America Soon)

The reality is the Turbo charged inline 4 Cylinder and the EcoDiesel are brand new and so until more long term data starts to come out judging these two motors by reliability is not really possible, or fair so for now we are going to exclude those.

That leaves you with the Legendary 4.0L In-Line Six, the 2.5L In-Line 4 Cylinder, the 3.8L V6 or the 3.6L Pentastar V6.

So Which Motor Should You Get?

The answer is… it depends. If you want a newer vehicle and must have 4 doors the answer is different than if you are okay with a slightly aged model with 2 doors. Here is our list of the best Jeep motors on the market.


1. The 3.6L Pentastar V6

The 3.6L tops the list for a few key reasons.

A. With around a decade under its belt the 3.6L has proven to be an incredibly reliable motor that produces solid horse power and incredible torque. While still not as proven as the 4.0L In-Line Six engine it is well on it’s way and it has better performance specs when it comes to horsepower and torque.
B. The motor has been the powerplant for Jeeps most popular model the JKU. So users looking for a 4 door rig can get the 3.6L engine in models from 2012 to present. The 4 door model is incredibly popular because it works for so many more buyers needs.

The legendary 4.0L In-Line Six Engine

Undoubtedly the 4.0L Six Cylinder Engine has the most long term history. Thousands of these motors have been pushed deep into the 200k mile range with little to no hiccups. Thanks to it’s simple design years of fine tuning and great design this motor has been pushing Jeep Wranglers all over the planet for years. It pumps out around 190 HP and great torque. It’s simple design is easier to maintain than other motors and relatively inexpensive to work on as well. In many ways it is a throw back to when cars could be worked on by a shade tree mechanic. There is really only one problem, it was discontinued in 2006 and was never put into a 4 door Jeep. Now the newest rig you can get it in is over 12 years old and if you need a 4 door outfit you are out of luck unless you turn to the Cherokee.


The 3.8L V6

The 3.8L V6 has grown to be somewhat of a sore point in the side of Jeep enthusiasts lives. Over time the engine has proven to have a host of problems that continue to grow as more and more miles are racked up on these vehicles. The only reason it sits above the 4 Cylinder Inline engine is that it that the 4 cylinder has so little power it is hard to recommend to anyone who wants to use the 4 Cylinder Jeep without major modifications to gearing.

Most notably are problems that have come up with oil consumption under 100k miles. In the modern era of manufacturing and technology, major motor problems occurring under 150,000 miles is just not acceptable. It is important to note that the issues are not completely widespread and many owners have reported no issues, if you want to learn more about the 3.8L engines troubles you will find this very helpful. The 3.8L V6 puts out a reasonable amount of horsepower and torque and again opens up the door to JKUs from 2007 to 2011. Additionally because many of these model years exist finding an affordable Jeep with the 3.8L engine is pretty easy. So despite it’s poor service record finding a well maintained one should be feasible.


2.4L Inline-Four Cylinder

The 2.4L sits at the bottom of our list because it was only used for a couple of years in modern Jeeps, and put out a paltry 150HP. Enough to get a lightweight Jeep down the road but not much else. It was originally designed to replace the older 2.5L AMC engines. Similar to it’s big brother the 4.0L it has developed a good reputation for being reliable, but it’s limited power leaves a lot wanting when it comes to anything but city driving or off-roading in low range.

Conclusion

There are several great options out there when it comes to choosing which Jeep engine is best, and while we recommend the 3.6L a well maintained 3.8L or classic 4.0L and 2.4L can meet your needs. The good news is Jeep has been doubling down on reliability to help alleviate the barriers to purchase that have in the past steered many would be Jeep owners to other brands. We can’t wait until the new Jeep engines have enough miles to really start to dig into the data and add see if the current order needs adjustments.