Why Jeep Made the Right Call With the Next Wrangler
Earlier this year, Jalopnik posted a rant about how the next Jeep Wrangler will get the wrong diesel engine. The author of the article found it odd – and quite stupid – that Jeep will only offer the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6. He reasoned that the truck wouldn’t need such a big motor to haul itself around and that a smaller one would get better gas mileage.
While the writer had a somewhat valid point, he clearly hadn’t driven anything with that engine. Otherwise, he’d surely have had a different opinion. I was able to drive the Ram Tradesman with that very motor in it about a month ago. It’s one of the best power plants I’ve ever experienced.
The 3.0L diesel V6 is an absolute symphony of design and engineering. Sure, it’s a bit heavy, but the way in which the Ram’s engine and transmission put power to the street was effortless. That 420 pound-feet of torque scoots just about everything along and will make the Wrangler shine even brighter as the off-road-capable star it already is.
I hammered the Ram Tradesman for a good week, doing 0-60 pulls and chasing down a PreRunner on the 405. I wasn’t able to get anywhere close to half a tank of gas. Hell, I couldn’t even get below an average of 30 mpg for the week.
The Jalopnik contributor went on to ask why Jeep won’t also bring over one of the smaller Fiat engines. To put it plainly, it’s because those motors aren’t as refined as the EcoDiesel. The ED is quieter than most normal gasoline engines. Sticking a four-banger diesel in the Wrangler would be absolutely obnoxious. It wouldn’t be livable.
Jeep made the right call putting the EcoDiesel V6 into the next Wrangler. Installing anything else would have just been two steps back. Anyone that says different hasn’t driven a vehicle with it under the hood.
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