First Diesel Wrangler JL/JLU Reviews Are Out

[TennesseePA]

Overall, I'm happy with my Ram Ecodiesel. I have 76,000 miles on the odometer and have towed a 7,000 lb travel trailer through 17 states and over some of the steepest mountain passes in the Rocky Mountain region. I also use the truck to tow a dump trailer and equipment trailer. I can't wait for the Gladiator Ecodiesel.

Well that was a nice try but I’m sure you don’t know what you’re talking about because everyone knows that every single ecodiesel ever built is total junk.
Actually it is a very good testimony that if a person bothers to do any research they would find that your experience is quite common. That being said there are too many problems with the engines but there are many more good ones than bad ones.

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[biodiesel]

Well that was a nice try but I’m sure you don’t know what you’re talking about because everyone knows that every single ecodiesel ever built is total junk.
Actually it is a very good testimony that if a person bothers to do any research they would find that your experience is quite common. That being said there are too many problems with the engines but there are many more good ones than bad ones.

One reason for posting my pictures is to provide a few real-world images of what I'm actually doing with the truck. There are very few people who work their Ecodiesel as hard as I have. You mentioned Cloudcroft and Ruidoso in a previous post. My wife and I have been looking at investment properties. This past summer, we took the travel trailer though Angel Fire, Red River, Taos and down south to Ruidoso and Cloudcroft. (By the way, I think Mad Jack's Mountaintop BBQ is the best west Texas BBQ I've ever had.) Anyway, on our way to Alamogordo, we hit 104*F (outside ambient temperature) while towing a 7,000 lb wide-body (8' feet 6" inches wide) travel trailer. To prove that temperature, I will post the picture below and the odometer mileage as we were approaching Alamogordo.

 

[biodiesel]

Since we are on the subject of mountain driving, here are the pictures of our camper parked at Red River, NM (elevation 8,671' feet).

 

[TennesseePA]

I believe you I was making fun of the haters. One year we were there Cloudcroft got so much snow that the roof on the brand new equipment shed collapsed. And one night crossing the reservation my dad hit a bull elk in his Honda CRV. Didn’t even knock the elk down and did over $3500 in damage.

 

[biodiesel]

I believe you I was making fun of the haters. One year we were there Cloudcroft got so much snow that the roof on the brand new equipment shed collapsed. And one night crossing the reservation my dad hit a bull elk in his Honda CRV. Didn’t even knock the elk down and did over $3500 in damage.

I caught the satire in your original post. And I will admit, the Ecodiesel isn't without its flaws. There were quality control issues, but those quality control issues are mostly taken care of with the factory 100,000 mile engine warranty and the extra warranty from the AEM litigation. I haven't had any major problems, so it's been an overall positive experience for me. I do believe that the 2020 Ecodiesel will prove to be a better engine with more reliability, which is why I'm looking forward to hearing the reviews. We have a little hobby farm at 7,000' feet in the Zuni Mountains. A Gladiator Ecodiesel would be a perfect utilitarian truck.

Yup, we can get some big snows. We got a total of 76" inches of snowfall last year. We had our first snow back in October and more coming in the next few days. I live in a town at 6,500' feet and we've already seen 2*F for our nighttime lows.

Elk and mule deer can be a problem, especially with nighttime driving. If I leave our property early enough in the morning, I have to stop and let the elk cross the road before proceeding. I've seen 30, 40, 50+ elk herds. There's a mountain lake not too far from our property, so that's where they go and get water.

Going back to the Ecodiesel, I will say that the driveability is significantly nicer at altitude than the Pentastar. Besides low-end torque, the turbo is what makes the diesel shine. There's a lot less downshifting that occurs with the Ecodiesel than the Pentastar. As for long-term cost of ownership, I believe the Pentastar is probably going to be the safer bet. In my opinion, a Pentastar crate engine isn't considerably cheaper than an Ecodiesel crate engine, but the parts are more expensive on the diesel. Turbos aren't cheap, the CP4.2 fuel pump isn't cheap, the injectors aren't cheap, and the emissions components aren't cheap. But if given the choice, I would rather have the diesel engine.

 

[Dennisbeyle]

Have JTRD love it. Pull is way better than gas especially in the mountains. This my third jeep an I can only say finally. Always over 20 mpg and only 4K extra. Listen to people who actually own one.

 

[WXman]

Well since somebody decided to resurrect this thread....

After putting 25,000 miles and counting on two of these Gen 3 EcoDiesel engines, my opinion still stands. From a financial standpoint, it's not ever going to save money. Nobody should buy one of these thinking they'll save money. Won't happen. In fact, you'll likely spend more money to have the diesel in your driveway.

B U T . . . since it's obvious JT isn't going to get a Hemi, that makes the EcoDiesel the best option available. The power, towing ease, sound, cool factor, it's all better with the diesel. Fast enough to be fun. Strong enough to tow any trailer that'll hook up. Efficient enough to commute in daily. Cool enough to take to car shows and steal attention on Friday nights.

I wouldn't buy a Jeep JL or JT without a diesel.

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