2020 2.0 Turbo and rock crawling

gbr

New member
Hi,

I know it's early in the game, but has anyone taken the new 2020 2.0 litre turbo (no etorque) rock crawling?

I have a 2014 JKUR (35s and 2.5" lift), and I'm looking at upgrading and going 37s. I was hoping to go ecoDiesel, but I'm really put off by the horror stories I hear about the gen 2 engine. Plus, we can go down to -40 here. Plus the MUCH higher price tag.

Gerald
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
So, Mel at EVO has a 2.0L Turbo on a Sahara and when it comes to rock crawling... I can't say that I was too impressed. Not sure if it was turbo lag I was seeing or the fact that he has a Sahara/Sport transfer case but he seemed to struggle a hell of a lot more than when he was driving his other JL Rubicon with a 3.6L.
 

gbr

New member
So, Mel at EVO has a 2.0L Turbo on a Sahara and when it comes to rock crawling... I can't say that I was too impressed. Not sure if it was turbo lag I was seeing or the fact that he has a Sahara/Sport transfer case but he seemed to struggle a hell of a lot more than when he was driving his other JL Rubicon with a 3.6L.

I was worried about turbo lag.
 

MrGiant

New member
I personally don’t like how they sound on the trail. I’m a faithful 3.6 guy. It’s tried and true and the 8speed really brings it to life


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
I totally agree. Just had the chance to listen to a 2.0 and I am sooooo glad to have the 3.6. The small one just sounds like a toy and not a Jeep

Mr.Giant - '92 YJ
Giant 2 - '18 JLUR
 

MRichaud

New member
So, how do you REALLY feel? :D

Having owned an '86 CJ7 - originally with the AMC 4-banger that I swapped in an AMC 304 - I can say that was fun to drive!

Then after a couple decades (3?), I'd moved on to British cars. Had a '69 MGB GT that I decided to do a swap. Having restored a Triumph TR8 with a Rover V8 and really loved that car, the first thing I thought about was swapping in a similar engine. Loved the performance and the "burble" of the V8. But then I started reading about the 60-degree GM V6 - its performance, weight, and most of all the easy conversion into the MG engine bay. Went with that and was VERY pleased.

We recently bought an '18 JLU, and again, first thought was going with the V6. But then I read the reviews about the turbo 4 and thought I'd drive one to see for myself. Suffice it to say I was impressed! This thing has almost no lag - at least not that I can detect - great throttle response and it steps right up to the acceleration plate as far as my needs/wants go. Haven't taken it off-road, and may never do so - at least not any serious off-roading. But I can't help but think it would perform well.
 

JTCO

Meme King
I own a 3.6L JL. You think the 2.0 sounds like a toy? I think the 6 sounds like vacuum cleaner motor with shards of glass stuck and bouncing around its copper windings. You probably haven't owned anything with a V8. I've owned a fair amount and currently have two LS powered vehicles as well as a big block 68 Suburban. To hear someone say they like the sound of a small V6 farting it's way to marginal mediocrity is strange to me.
I've done some type of exhaust mods to most vehicles I've ever owned. I had the pleasure of owning a 1.8 late 80s Jetta years ago. A fun little train station car. I loved it. I had the displeasure of putting a 2 chamber flow master on it thinking it might sound like a 1/2 scale version of my 5.0 fox body. Nooooooo. Terrible mistake. As is putting any type of after market exhaust on the vast majority of 4 and 6 cylinder cars in general. It's just so sad. I see and hear them almost every day. 99% of the time it makes me cringe.

Any half blooded American should be ashamed at trumpeting the sound of a small little pea shooter engine. And any human that's driven a proper V8 car....especially a manual one....is not going to think that something like a 3 point it doesn't matter FCA conglomeration abomination sounds good.

For what it's worth I've bought the wife a string of new VW's over the past 12 years. Havent messed with any of them. They don't sound "good" but they have remarkable little turbo 4''s that drive and perform above their weight class. And the last Golf R was a remarkable car all around. When I went JL shopping I WANTED a turbo 4. But they werent available. Why would I want a 4 cylinder instead of a 6? Torque and driveability.

Anyone talking about turbo lag on a modern 2.0T from any manufacturer vs the torque and power delivery of a high rpm only power making modern DI 6 is not living in reality. Most modern 6s sacrifice low rpm torque for high rpm HP aaaaaaaaaand..... steady stage fuel efficiency. The result? They fng suck to drive. Foot to the floor,banging off the Rev limiter they go ok. Trying to accelerate from 1800 rpm in anything but 1st? HHHAAA! Give me 1/4 of a second of nearly imperceptible turbo lag. All day. Every day. And then I'll just riiiide that ocean swell of torque and grunt. Downshift? Why? Nope. Got torque. Any geniuses out there know why every single car company sells turbo 4s in hohum pedestrian blobs of S?

Sorry for the rant. These entry level forums are a mixed, though heavily slanted, bag. Muscle cars and trucks are more my history and bag. And whIle I've spent most of my life DDing old and new American V8 vehicles... .. if it's American historically it's gotta be a V8 cuz we haven't done so well in other areas....I apreciate and have experienced a fair amount in general and give props to any car/drive train that is """""""""good"""""".

But to hear someone say that they do that like the sound of turbo 4 because it isnt Jeep V6? Omg.

Then again I haven't driven a FCA turBo 4 yet. So given the track record of those guys in general I may be way off base without realizing it. Because I've never been so disappointed with a vehicle in my life as I am with my Jeep. Which I love. But it's a decade or two behind the Koreans quality and development wise. Which is probably why MB lit themselves on fire and jumped out of a window when they realized their mistake.

All sorts of little issues with my JL. And my M6 is slower than S. But it's got a frame. Solid axles. A real transfer case. And I can take the door and top off. And beat it like a redheaded step child. Plus my daughter likes it.

Anyhoo.... there is no such thing as a Jeep that sounds good that hasn't been swapped. I apologize in advance. I shouldn't talk to people.

Sounds like you're trying to compare oranges to apples and someone told you that they're both supposed to be apples. If you want the V8 old American muscle, you don't buy a modern Jeep. Two completely different venues. And as far as 'entry level' forums, I can assure you the owners of this forum have been doing this for decades. So not sure who you're referring to there :idontknow:
 

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notnalc68

That dude from Mississippi
I own a 3.6L JL. You think the 2.0 sounds like a toy? I think the 6 sounds like vacuum cleaner motor with shards of glass stuck and bouncing around its copper windings. You probably haven't owned anything with a V8. I've owned a fair amount and currently have two LS powered vehicles as well as a big block 68 Suburban. To hear someone say they like the sound of a small V6 farting it's way to marginal mediocrity is strange to me.
I've done some type of exhaust mods to most vehicles I've ever owned. I had the pleasure of owning a 1.8 late 80s Jetta years ago. A fun little train station car. I loved it. I had the displeasure of putting a 2 chamber flow master on it thinking it might sound like a 1/2 scale version of my 5.0 fox body. Nooooooo. Terrible mistake. As is putting any type of after market exhaust on the vast majority of 4 and 6 cylinder cars in general. It's just so sad. I see and hear them almost every day. 99% of the time it makes me cringe.

Any half blooded American should be ashamed at trumpeting the sound of a small little pea shooter engine. And any human that's driven a proper V8 car....especially a manual one....is not going to think that something like a 3 point it doesn't matter FCA conglomeration abomination sounds good.

For what it's worth I've bought the wife a string of new VW's over the past 12 years. Havent messed with any of them. They don't sound "good" but they have remarkable little turbo 4''s that drive and perform above their weight class. And the last Golf R was a remarkable car all around. When I went JL shopping I WANTED a turbo 4. But they werent available. Why would I want a 4 cylinder instead of a 6? Torque and driveability.

Anyone talking about turbo lag on a modern 2.0T from any manufacturer vs the torque and power delivery of a high rpm only power making modern DI 6 is not living in reality. Most modern 6s sacrifice low rpm torque for high rpm HP aaaaaaaaaand..... steady stage fuel efficiency. The result? They fng suck to drive. Foot to the floor,banging off the Rev limiter they go ok. Trying to accelerate from 1800 rpm in anything but 1st? HHHAAA! Give me 1/4 of a second of nearly imperceptible turbo lag. All day. Every day. And then I'll just riiiide that ocean swell of torque and grunt. Downshift? Why? Nope. Got torque. Any geniuses out there know why every single car company sells turbo 4s in hohum pedestrian blobs of S?

Sorry for the rant. These entry level forums are a mixed, though heavily slanted, bag. Muscle cars and trucks are more my history and bag. And whIle I've spent most of my life DDing old and new American V8 vehicles... .. if it's American historically it's gotta be a V8 cuz we haven't done so well in other areas....I apreciate and have experienced a fair amount in general and give props to any car/drive train that is """""""""good"""""".

But to hear someone say that they do that like the sound of turbo 4 because it isnt Jeep V6? Omg.

Then again I haven't driven a FCA turBo 4 yet. So given the track record of those guys in general I may be way off base without realizing it. Because I've never been so disappointed with a vehicle in my life as I am with my Jeep. Which I love. But it's a decade or two behind the Koreans quality and development wise. Which is probably why MB lit themselves on fire and jumped out of a window when they realized their mistake.

All sorts of little issues with my JL. And my M6 is slower than S. But it's got a frame. Solid axles. A real transfer case. And I can take the door and top off. And beat it like a redheaded step child. Plus my daughter likes it.

Anyhoo.... there is no such thing as a Jeep that sounds good that hasn't been swapped. I apologize in advance. I shouldn't talk to people.

Could you elaborate? I just want to make sure we all understand what you are saying.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

DMF

New member
My 2.0 sounds like my old Honda Hurricane when I start it up in the morning. Part of me gets a little embarrass because it's such a loud whining noise and then I just look at my Jeep and see how nice it is I forget about the noise.
 

Camelot

New member
All Jeeps are toys regardless of engine ;)

It all depends on what you compare with.

Coolest of road vehicle I driven was a Centurion. 29 liter turbo diesel if I recall correctly.
 

I have 18 JLUR w/2.0L and I rock crawl all the time. This is my first jeep so I cannot compare to V6. I always wheel with a lifted and worked Tacoma and I never struggle. My buddy in the Tacoma does if either of us do. I would rather have Hemi but they don't come new with them. My last vehicle was Hemi Magnum. On the road the Jeep does better than I expected a 4cyl would, especially on 37's. Only time I experience lag, is if while on road coming almost to a stop, and then say turning sharply than gassing, you will get slight lag. But off roading I have not found it a disadvantage. We do steep grade long hill climbs on rocky slippery terrain, drive through tight trails, go through deep water crossings and the most fun is the big rocks.
I think I would have to be out with a bunch of other similar Jeeps off road to really compare. Maybe if I off roaded for a day with a V6 I would be bummed about the 2.0L? But I have wheeled with other vehicles (only one other Jeep JK) and have been impressed with mine.

EDIT: One thing I didn't mention...the sound. Yea I agree it's not very manly. But you know what...who cares? I would rather it be quiet. Sometimes while wheeling we end up somewhere...well...maybe somewhere we aren't suppose to be. Guess what...no one hear's us!
 

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ttfhell

Member
Only done one big rock trail and mine was fine with the 4.10’s and 37’s. Never felt I had to rev engine up to get to power anymore than my previous jeep. That 8 speed tranny and torque at lower rpms were good to go. The cooling fan however sounds like car wash vacuum. Need a race radio to communicate with your spotter when it comes on lol.


Sent from my iPad using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

ddays v2

Member
Sounds like you're trying to compare oranges to apples and someone told you that they're both supposed to be apples. If you want the V8 old American muscle, you don't buy a modern Jeep. Two completely different venues. And as far as 'entry level' forums, I can assure you the owners of this forum have been doing this for decades. So not sure who you're referring to there :idontknow:

Could you elaborate? I just want to make sure we all understand what you are saying.

:thinking: Where did Captain Blah Blah go?
 

MrGiant

New member
All Jeeps are toys regardless of engine ;)

It all depends on what you compare with.

Coolest of road vehicle I driven was a Centurion. 29 liter turbo diesel if I recall correctly.
Wtf 29 litres [emoji16]
Of course you are totally right, all Jeeps are toys [emoji6]

Mr.Giant - '92 YJ
Giant 2 - '18 JLUR
 

Camelot

New member
Well it was a tank :eek: I was a anti tank platoon chief at one time and had to “tank” school as part of the training.


Wtf 29 litres [emoji16]
Of course you are totally right, all Jeeps are toys [emoji6]

Mr.Giant - '92 YJ
Giant 2 - '18 JLUR
 

I think we can all agree there certainly isnt any advantage. I can say a huge battery bank hanging low with more coolant lines/demand ready to drag on rocks isnt an advantage either. They removed etorque since then for 2020 no?
 

Camelot

New member
I think we can all agree there certainly isnt any advantage. I can say a huge battery bank hanging low with more coolant lines/demand ready to drag on rocks isnt an advantage either. They removed etorque since then for 2020 no?

From car & driver:

pricing rises slightly across the board.
The new Jeep Wrangler JL is rearranging its powertrain options for 2020. Whereas it was previously available with either a conventional 3.6-liter V-6 or a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a mild-hybrid setup called eTorque, it will now offer conventional and hybrid versions of both these engines.


The eTorque hybrid powertrains are now limited only to the four-door Wrangler in Sahara trim, with the eTorque V-6 costing $1000 extra and the eTorque four-cylinder costing $2000 extra over the standard Sahara setup, a conventional V-6 with a six-speed manual.

Other trim levels continue on with the same nonhybrid 3.6-liter V-6 as standard and a nonhybrid turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as an option. Both have engine stop-start capability. The V-6 comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and offers an eight-speed automatic as an option, while the four-cylinder is automatic only. EPA ratings for the hybrid V-6 and nonhybrid four-cylinder aren't yet available.

There is also a new trim level called Black & Tan that includes an appearance package with—you guessed it—black and tan trim. It's available for both two- and four-door models, with the former starting at $34,685 and the latter starting at $38,185. Pricing for the rest of the lineup goes up slightly, with all trim levels going up by $250.

We assume that the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 promised for the new Wrangler is on its way for the new model year as well, although we don't have details about that powertrain quite yet. Stay tuned for more updates about the 2020 Wrangler, which will likely begin hitting dealerships this fall.
 

I think we can all agree there certainly isnt any advantage. I can say a huge battery bank hanging low with more coolant lines/demand ready to drag on rocks isnt an advantage either. They removed etorque since then for 2020 no?

FYI...battery below has been a non issue. It is covered with very durable skid plate and is up high. Like I've stated I rock crawl monthly and look under Jeep after every excursion and only scratches are on that skid. We will see how battery holds up before and after warranty is up.
In three years I may be cursing the 2.0l...who knows.
 

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