2021 Rubicon Gas Mileage

[Cripton805]

I had a manual Wrangler in CA at sea level. I ran 87 Octane. The thing was awful on the highway. Barely any power to pass. Terrible gas mileage. It doesn't surprise me that you get terrible gas mileage and have no power for small to medium sized hills on the highway. Other people with manuals seem to defend them to no end. I test drove an automatic JL and JT. It is a night and day difference. I traded to an automatic JT within a month. After 2 years of dreading driving a manual JL on the highway with small hills every time I drove it. I finally enjoy driving my automatic JT. I was typically in 3rd or 4th gear over anything that wasn't flat. If I needed to pass I was on 3rd. 6th was useless unless it was completely flat or any slight grade couldn't hold speed. This much downshifting kills gas mileage.

I owned a manual JL and now own auto JT.

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[Shmigy]

Meh, there is not much torque in top gear at that RPM ... In the manual both 5th and 6th are overdrives ... I would not expect either to do much for you in terms of passing power ...

4th gear (from the chart I found) is 1:1 ... Obviously this depends on your rear end and tires too ... Are you 3.73 ?

Also, 3000 RPM is nothing .. These are not long throw big block engines and they make power with RPMs ...

Running it up to 4k or 5k to pass in 4th or 3rd is par for the course ...

All of this is made worse by a 3.73 rear end ... I can see where 5th and 6th on a 3.73 would be lethargic ...

But as I said, 3000 RPM is where you need to be and above in order to get passing and climbing power ...

You may have no problem ...

I agree with you. The reason why I don't think I have a problem is because in every other type of driving it has a normal amount of power. It's just hills that seem to give it lots of trouble. It's also got the 4.10s too.

 

[Shmigy]

I had a manual Wrangler in CA at sea level. I ran 87 Octane. The thing was awful on the highway. Barely any power to pass. Terrible gas mileage. It doesn't surprise me that you get terrible gas mileage and have no power for small to medium sized hills on the highway. Other people with manuals seem to defend them to no end. I test drove an automatic JL and JT. It is a night and day difference. I traded to an automatic JT within a month. After 2 years of dreading driving a manual JL on the highway with small hills every time I drove it. I finally enjoy driving my automatic JT. I was typically in 3rd or 4th gear over anything that wasn't flat. If I needed to pass I was on 3rd. 6th was useless unless it was completely flat or any slight grade couldn't hold speed. This much downshifting kills gas mileage.

I owned a manual JL and now own auto JT.

Yep, totally agree with you on that too. The altitude where I live is 4,500 feet at the lowest point and can easily get up to 5,200 within city limits. I'm sure that doesn't help at all either. And I was hoping to put at least 35s on once I burn through the wildpeaks from the factory but this lack of power on hills is really making me question that decision.

 

[MrZappo]

TRANSMISSION: 850RE AUTOMATIC, EIGHT-SPEED OVERDRIVE

• Availability: Standard — 2.0-liter I-4; Optional — 3.6-liter V-6
• Description: Adaptive electronic control or Electronic Range Select (ERS) driver-interactive manual control and electronically modulated torque converter clutch
• Gear Ratios:
  • 1st - 4.71
  • 2nd - 3.13
  • 3rd - 2.10
  • 4th - 1.67
  • 5th - 1.28
  • 6th - 1.00
  • 7th - 0.84
  • 8th - 0.67
  • Reverse - 3.53

TRANSMISSION: D478 MANUAL, SIX-SPEED WITH OVERDRIVE

• Availability: Standard — 3.6-liter V-6
• Description: Synchronized in all forward gears and Reverse, multi-rail shift system with top-mounted shift lever
• 50% shorter throws
• Gear Ratios:
  • 1st - 5.13
  • 2nd - 2.63
  • 3rd - 1.53
  • 4th - 1.00
  • 5th - 0.81
  • 6th - 0.72
  • Reverse - 4.49
  • Final Drive ratio - 3.45 standard, 3.73 optional (4.10 Rubicon)

Here are the ratios ... As you can see 4th in the manual is like 6th in the auto ... My AUTO always downshifts to 6th and sometimes to 5th up hills and accelerating.

Seems like you are in the same areas I am and looking at this, Id say that you should not worry downshifting ... Going up a hill in 5th or 6th is lugging it ... My 2 cents ...

 

[MrZappo]

Yep, totally agree with you on that too. The altitude where I live is 4,500 feet at the lowest point and can easily get up to 5,200 within city limits. I'm sure that doesn't help at all either. And I was hoping to put at least 35s on once I burn through the wildpeaks from the factory but this lack of power on hills is really making me question that decision.

OH !

You didn't mention that ... A normally aspirated engine will be quite affected by those altitudes ... A Turbo not so much ...

You are probably down 10%=15% horsepower from published specs ...

That makes all the difference ...

 

[RubStingGray]

Everyone is going to have a different mpg. It all depends on driving/heavy feet, road/terrain and weather factors. I’ve average from 17mpg to now 12.3 mpg since I moved to Palm Springs. I’m ok with it since a jeep is a box on wheels and I knew that going into my second jeep now

 

[Shmigy]

OH !

You didn't mention that ... A normally aspirated engine will be quite affected by those altitudes ... A Turbo not so much ...

You are probably down 10%=15% horsepower from published specs ...

That makes all the difference ...

looks like it's time to turbo it then!

 

[Dryfly24]

Yep, totally agree with you on that too. The altitude where I live is 4,500 feet at the lowest point and can easily get up to 5,200 within city limits. I'm sure that doesn't help at all either. And I was hoping to put at least 35s on once I burn through the wildpeaks from the factory but this lack of power on hills is really making me question that decision.

We live at similar altitudes with similar variation. Lately I’ve been averaging around 17 - 19 mpg on 35’s. My truck feels like a powerhouse compared to the Tacoma I was driving previously.

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