PART 1: EXTERIOR COMPARISON
PART 2: INTERIOR COMPARISON
PART 3: MECHANICAL / SUSPENSION COMPARISON
MECHANICAL:
Glad you made it back for part 3 of my Wrangler comparison blog! Here we will be going over the differences in the engines, transmissions, and suspension setups for the Wrangler JL and how they compare to that of the Wrangler JK!
So what's under the hood? If you owned a Wrangler JK, you only had one option, the 3.6L Pentastar V6. This is a very dependable 6 cylinder motor, and it can be found accross the entire Mopar lineup from Pacifica minivans, Charger sedans, Challenger coupes, Ram 1500 pickups, and that's right... also Wranglers! For the 3.6L V6 Pentastar, nothing has changed. It still provides you with 285 horsepower with 260 lb ft of torque. So if you loved your engine in your Wrangler JK, have no fear, the same engine is still available! This motor comes standard with the Aisin AL6 six-speed manual transmission, or you can choose to upgrade to the 850RE Torqueflite eight-speed automatic transmission.
If however, you are looking for something different, you may be interested in the newly available 2.0L turbocharged inline 4 cylinder. Nicknamed Chrysler's Hurricane engine, this engine may be small, but packs plenty of power! The 2.0L boasts 270 horsepower, but outperformes the Pentastar V6 in torque, providing a whopping 290 lb ft of torque! If you opt for the turbo, you will only be able to order this motor with the 850RE Torqueflite eight-speed automatic transmission.
Lastly, the Wrangler JL will eventually be available here in the United States with the 3.0L V6 turbodiesel motor that has been seen previously in the Jeep Grand Cherokee as well as the Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. We have yet to see any hit the ground yet, but once available, it will produce 260 horsepower with a monstrous 442 lb ft of torque! A different diesel motor will be utilized outside of the US.
SUSPENSION:
The all-new Wrangler JL will outperform it's predecessor in off-road capability on all trim levels. Standard on Sport, Sport-S, and Sahara models, the Wrangler JL comes with 10.9 inces of ground clearance, compared to the 10.1 ground clearance of the Wrangler JK. The Wrangler JL also continues to prove it's abilities aquatically, still capable of treking through water 30 inches deep like the JK!
If that isn't enough for you, then you can opt for the legendary Wrangler Rubicon. The Rubicon now comes with Dana 44 axles in the front and rear, has a crawl ratio of 84.2:1 on the two door model and 77.2:1 on the four door model respectively.
When the road ends, the Wrangler Sport and Sahara models are equipped to continue the journey offroad with the dependable Command-Trac 4x4 system. This system is designed for driving "off the beaten-path", trails, and beaches. If you are looking to trek further past the trails and climb boulders and rough terrain, then it's best you opt for a Wrangler JL Rubicon. Equipped with the Rock-Trac 4x4 system, the Rubicon provides a Tru-Lok differential system, undercarriage skid plates, tow hooks, and a 4WD Low ratio of 4:1.
Speaking of roads ending, that concludes our three-part blog on the differences between the JK and JL Wranglers. If you have questions that were not touched upon in this blog, please feel free to contact me at MoparMike@NielsenDodge.com and I would be happy to discuss any questions you may have!
- Mopar Mike
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