{"id":24708,"date":"2020-01-22T19:20:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T23:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24708"},"modified":"2020-01-30T19:22:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-30T23:22:41","slug":"payne-jeep-wrangler-gets-an-option-for-diesel-grunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/payne-jeep-wrangler-gets-an-option-for-diesel-grunt","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Jeep Wrangler gets an option for diesel grunt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/7a83d069-38b8-4767-9f4a-f41e545b6ecb-jeep_fr3-4.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel joins a gas-powered V-6 and hybrid turbo-4 in the Wrangler lineup.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgRmf5k\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\">The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel joins a gas-powered V-6 and hybrid turbo-4 in the Wrangler lineup.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Now comes the first diesel-powered Wrangler. Hold the paradoxes. This may be the most harmonious marriage of Wrangler and drivetrain ever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The 3.0-liter V-6\u00a0 EcoDiesel offered on the Wrangler joins the standard 3.6-liter V-6 and 2.0-liter hybrid turbo-4 that hit the market a year ago. The 3.6-liter engine\u00a0is a reliable old nail that has been pushing Wrangler over boulders since 2012. The \u201ceTorque\u201d mild-hybrid (so-named because it gets 48-volt battery assist) turbo-4 was introduced to impress Washington\u2019s fuel-economy nannies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">If fuel economy is your thing in an off-road Wrangler,\u00a0then get the diesel. It will use less fuel while pulling stumps out of the ground.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgQ5AQ4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/50053dc9-d4e2-482d-858b-e81cb3beb071-jeep_wheel.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The controls for the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel are at close hand for cruise control, AWD transfer case and your favorite radio station.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/50053dc9-d4e2-482d-858b-e81cb3beb071-jeep_wheel.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/50053dc9-d4e2-482d-858b-e81cb3beb071-jeep_wheel.JPG\" \/>The controls for the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel are at close hand for cruise control, AWD transfer case and your favorite radio station.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With a jaw-dropping 442 pound-feet of torque, the turbodiesel is the same oil-burner that powers the hulking Ram 1500. But where the pickup has become a ridiculously refined ocean liner (notice trucks these days are as quiet inside as luxury cars?), the Wrangler is still at heart a musclebound, gravel-voiced Army dude.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Sure, the Jeep\u2019s been refined with all the electronic gizmos I listed up top \u2014 but this is still a vehicle designed to shed its doors and flatten the windshield so you can get close to nature. You can only insulate an interior so much when its doors are hanging off removable screws and the roof is a plastic cover clipped on to a giant rollbar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I used to haul my race cars behind an old Ram 3500 diesel that sounded like it was chewing nails for breakfast. The Wrangler diesel reminds of that old bull (absent the idle rattle that has been nicely refined).<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgQL_rw\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e344ef4f-514f-4394-ab2c-b5b9d446a1b4-jeep_shifter.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel comes with an 8-speed automatic only, and a second shifter for the transfer case to adjust the 4WD system.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e344ef4f-514f-4394-ab2c-b5b9d446a1b4-jeep_shifter.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e344ef4f-514f-4394-ab2c-b5b9d446a1b4-jeep_shifter.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel comes with an 8-speed automatic only, and a second shifter for the transfer case to adjust the 4WD system.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Unlike the 2020 Ram, which purrs so quietly it might be called the 2020 Kitty, the Wrangler\u2019s diesel grunt is apparent as soon as you nail the throttle. Only wind noise over 70 mph will drown it out. It feels genuine. Jeep-like.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It also sports serious torque. Despite weighing 10% more than the V-6 gas model, my 4,862-pound Wrangler diesel porker had 70%\u00a0more torque. It jumped out of stoplights. All that twist will really come in handy off-road when you need to claw up a hill, churn out of a muddy gulch or pull a buddy out of a ditch.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-69\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3,2,6\">But given the diesel\u2019s stiff price tag, I\u2019m betting it\u2019ll see more off-roading on\u00a0Metro Detroit\u2019s tony, suburban dirt roads than in Michigan off-road parks like the Mounds or Bundy Hill.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">So I did a day\u2019s grunting around the tony, rutted roads of Oakland County. It seems like the dirtier the roads, the more polished the homes. These wagon roads must seem daunting for folks at the end of the long day.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgQRJD8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/49eddbd7-b857-4def-b505-d58e29b9e1a7-jeep_tires.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Big 33-inch knobby tires are available on the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel Rubicon, for when off-road adventure calls.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/49eddbd7-b857-4def-b505-d58e29b9e1a7-jeep_tires.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/49eddbd7-b857-4def-b505-d58e29b9e1a7-jeep_tires.JPG\" \/>Big 33-inch knobby tires are available on the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel Rubicon, for when off-road adventure calls.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><em>I got my Cadillac XT5 detailed at Jax Car Wash this morning, and \u2014 dang! It\u2019s rained and I gotta slog the last half-mile home through mud!<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That\u2019s where my four-wheel drive, $60,000\u00a0Wrangler Rubicon diesel comes in. It looks even better dirty. Loaded to the gills with all the goodies, it costs $6,000 more than the gas-powered V-6-equipped model.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">One mansion-lined\u00a0muddy road in particular caught my fancy \u2014 it was being groomed by a backhoe. The grimy trail was alternately piled with fresh dirt or pocked with watery potholes from the winter season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Whatever. The Wrangler didn\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">True to Jeep\u2019s raw heritage, I stopped to mechanically select four-wheel drive via a second shifter in the console. Then the little tank happily chewed up the terrain,\u00a0its 10.8-inch ride-height well clear of ground nuisances.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgQaQm8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/f8bfd592-fbef-40dc-947d-4209a224e7b9-jeep_easter-egg.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Easter eggs. The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel is full of clever details like a rear-camera washer on the spare tire \u2014 and a graphic of the original WW2 Jeep on the wheel.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/f8bfd592-fbef-40dc-947d-4209a224e7b9-jeep_easter-egg.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/f8bfd592-fbef-40dc-947d-4209a224e7b9-jeep_easter-egg.JPG\" \/>Easter eggs. The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel is full of clever details like a rear-camera washer on the spare tire \u2014 and a graphic of the original WW2 Jeep on the wheel.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The diesel\u2019s 442 pound-feet of torque is also well beyond the 295 pound-feet of the hybrid turbo-4, which is $4,500 cheaper. You\u2019ll never get back the diesel\u2019s price premium over the turbo-4 in gas savings, but dang if the diesel growl doesn\u2019t fit the Wrangler\u2019s tough-guy\u00a0trucker mood better than the common gurgle of the four-cylinder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Unfortunately for passengers, the Wrangler rides like a truck. Based on a ladder frame, it can be unforgiving \u2014 even compared to its Gladiator pickup sibling which shares the Ram 1500 diesel\u2019s more-sophisticated\u00a0five-link rear suspension. The Ram also offers an air-ride option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Happily, the Wrangler\u2019s stereo speakers are cleverly located in the rear ceiling so passengers can hear the excellent UConnect radio. And air vents help keep the rear climate under control.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgQX5Ec\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/7ff310fb-c503-445d-9033-ace2883a50db-jeep_fr.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The familiar Jeep Wrangler face has changed little over the years. \" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/7ff310fb-c503-445d-9033-ace2883a50db-jeep_fr.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/7ff310fb-c503-445d-9033-ace2883a50db-jeep_fr.JPG\" \/>The familiar Jeep Wrangler face has changed little over the years.\u00a0\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For Wrangler owners who want to explore the woods beyond their ZIP\u00a0code, the diesel offers a healthy\u00a0500-plus miles of range. It should easily haul 3,500 pounds if you want to bring along dirt bikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Long trips can be tight, especially for the broad of shoulder. For your 6-foot-5\u00a0basketball-playing tester, the Wrangler is narrow inside. And with\u00a0the rollcage overhead, getting in and out\u00a0requires care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Driving the Wrangler is a visceral experience. The exterior oozes macho with big hood vents to better circulate engine air. The classic round lights and seven-slot grille are right out of a World War II\u00a0history book. Drop the windshield, doors\u00a0and roof \u2014 and throw on Rubicon\u2019s 33-inch knobby tires \u2014 and it has a personality all its own.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgRl-18\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e30ddb7a-b8b0-4874-94d9-687176277e08-jeep_vents.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The hood vents on the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel are functional for better engine air flow.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e30ddb7a-b8b0-4874-94d9-687176277e08-jeep_vents.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/e30ddb7a-b8b0-4874-94d9-687176277e08-jeep_vents.JPG\" \/>The hood vents on the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel are functional for better engine air flow.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Mix in diesel to the recipe and the off-road package is complete.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The common SUV has come a long way in the last three decades, from truck-based haulers to today\u2019s comfy\u00a0unibody-based\u00a0family wagons. The downside is that five-door, four-cylinder utes can appear to be cookie-cutter lookalikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Enter the Wrangler. Truck-based and diesel-powered, it&#8217;s an old-fashioned icon. The diesel option is available on all Jeep trims \u2014 Sport to Rubicon \u2014 though not available as a two-door.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">There is one paradox worth mentioning, however. The all-American Wrangler gets its diesel engine from Italy.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SbJJDgRDwss\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/a44d6b85-a0de-479a-aadb-627fe4472ae8-jeep_rr3-4.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel is for off-roading, or sometimes just getting home on Metro Detroit's suburban dirt roads.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/a44d6b85-a0de-479a-aadb-627fe4472ae8-jeep_rr3-4.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/15\/PDTN\/a44d6b85-a0de-479a-aadb-627fe4472ae8-jeep_rr3-4.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel is for off-roading, or sometimes just getting home on Metro Detroit&#8217;s suburban dirt roads.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\"><strong>2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel drive, 5-passenger compact SUV<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $39,290 including $1,495 destination charge($60,815 Rubicon Unlimited\u00a0as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power: 260 horsepower, 442\u00a0pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.7 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 3,000 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 4,862 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA\u00a0 22 city\/ 29 highway\/ 25 combined<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Report card<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Growly diesel matches tough Wrangler image; 25 mpg<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Noisy daily driver; pricey<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Ecodiesel joins a gas-powered V-6 and hybrid turbo-4 in the Wrangler lineup.\u00a0(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News) Now comes the first diesel-powered Wrangler. Hold the paradoxes. This may be the most harmonious marriage of Wrangler and drivetrain ever. The 3.0-liter V-6\u00a0 EcoDiesel offered on the Wrangler joins the standard 3.6-liter V-6 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24708"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24708"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24709,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24708\/revisions\/24709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}