Owners thoughts please

[drdfblackm]

Having sold my Overland diesel last week and picked up a JTR I can honestly say I have zero buyers remorse. Initially, the difference was night and day but the more I drove the JTR the more I got used to what it did vs didn't and have come to appreciate the simplicity.

I checked with the dealer today and they can't sell it or certify it as the HPFP is under recall.

To your point....I have only owned I6 and original pentastar JKs....so I know nothing of the newer pentastar and 8 speed......so would I be disappointed....probably not.

I keep finding these dealers having the diesels listed on their website. Chapman Jeep in Scottsdale has 6 listed currently. I even responded to the general manager's email that he sent asking about them.....crickets of course since they cannot do anthing with them.

I am lookin very hard at a new pentastar.....they are getting very eager to move inventory.

This "debate" is hard...because some of you just love your ED so much....but I cannot shake that feeling of all the what ifs....but I am going to drive an JT and JTD (used one at a Honda dealership....don't think they know what they got into when they took it on trade) this weekend back to back. I think it's a bad idea because I know I will notice the difference. Guess we will see.

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[Sandevino]

To your point....I have only owned I6 and original pentastar JKs....so I know nothing of the newer pentastar and 8 speed......so would I be disappointed....probably not.

I keep finding these dealers having the diesels listed on their website. Chapman Jeep in Scottsdale has 6 listed currently. I even responded to the general manager's email that he sent asking about them.....crickets of course since they cannot do anthing with them.

I am lookin very hard at a new pentastar.....they are getting very eager to move inventory.

This "debate" is hard...because some of you just love your ED so much....but I cannot shake that feeling of all the what ifs....but I am going to drive an JT and JTD (used one at a Honda dealership....don't think they know what they got into when they took it on trade) this weekend back to back. I think it's a bad idea because I know I will notice the difference. Guess we will see.

Unless you know the history of it, buy it new or with very low miles, I would pass on an EcoDiesel until there is a fix for the fuel pump.

 

[Almost]

My turn - here is my 2 cents.

Q) Did you only want an ED or did you consider both?

A) Ecodiesel was the only consideration. Like others here I drove an underpowered 3.8 powered JKU with the 4 speed and dreamt of a diesel Wrangler one day. Just driving it around town the thing always felt like it was struggling to get out of its own way. The constant downshifting in headwinds and any slight incline drove me nuts. I drive lots of highway miles (20K+ a year) so it was a welcomed change.

Q) What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision?

A) Drivability. That's it. Once you are behind the wheel it's an effortless experience. The jeep never feels like its stuggling and it just chugs along. Close second was range. I fuel up about once a week now and regularly see 400-450 miles per tank. In my JKU I was fueling up every 280-350 miles. My only regret was not buying one sooner.

Q) Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix?

A) Absolutely. I don't worry about "what ifs" and things outside of my control. I personally think the issue is way overblown and those most vocal about this issue normally don't own one and have zero first hand experience. The actual failure rate is less then 1% based on the actual NHTSA safety report - link below. I'm not going to sweat a 0.4% failure rate.

RCLRPT-22V544-9892.PDF (nhtsa.gov)

The only drawbacks are increased costs for fuel, Def, oil and fuel filters but with my mileage increase I actually break even or come out on top. Either way I could care less. I would have been just has happy with a Hemi getting 12 mpg if that was an option and there was no diesel.

Overall, it seems there are two camps. The happy Ecodiesel owner camp, and the gassers that talk down on ED, but have zero real world experience with the platform and just regurgitate endless BS they read online. This is mostly info they regurgitate from the 2nd gen motor which shares zero of the same issues with the 3rd gen i.e. crank failure.

Emissions are what it is - you can choose to embrace it or make it go bye bye. Pick your poison.

 

[Sandevino]

My turn - here is my 2 cents.

Q) Did you only want an ED or did you consider both?

A) Ecodiesel was the only consideration. Like others here I drove an underpowered 3.8 powered JKU with the 4 speed and dreamt of a diesel Wrangler one day. Just driving it around town the thing always felt like it was struggling to get out of its own way. The constant downshifting in headwinds and any slight incline drove me nuts. I drive lots of highway miles (20K+ a year) so it was a welcomed change.

Q) What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision?

A) Drivability. That's it. Once you are behind the wheel it's an effortless experience. The jeep never feels like its stuggling and it just chugs along. Close second was range. I fuel up about once a week now and regularly see 400-450 miles per tank. In my JKU I was fueling up every 280-350 miles. My only regret was not buying one sooner.

Q) Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix?

A) Absolutely. I don't worry about "what ifs" and things outside of my control. I personally think the issue is way overblown and those most vocal about this issue normally don't own one and have zero first hand experience. The actual failure rate is less then 1% based on the actual NHTSA safety report - link below. I'm not going to sweat a 0.4% failure rate.

RCLRPT-22V544-9892.PDF (nhtsa.gov)

The only drawbacks are increased costs for fuel, Def, oil and fuel filters but with my mileage increase I actually break even or come out on top. Either way I could care less. I would have been just has happy with a Hemi getting 12 mpg if that was an option and there was no diesel.

Overall, it seems there are two camps. The happy Ecodiesel owner camp, and the gassers that talk down on ED, but have zero real world experience with the platform and just regurgitate endless BS they read online. This is mostly info they regurgitate from the 2nd gen motor which shares zero of the same issues with the 3rd gen i.e. crank failure.

Emissions are what it is - you can choose to embrace it make it go bye bye. Pick your poison.

There's three groups.

The two you noted and the third being previous ED owners that had the HPFP take a dump on them and cut their losses while Bosch and Stellantis / FCA sort the circus out. I fall into the third group.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Same here. No manual made the decision easy for me. If the diesel was available with a manual I would probably have one. It's hard to explain to people who prefer or even can "live with" automatics. I just don't like driving automatics, no matter how "good" they are.

Agreed…..

 

[Summitsearcher]

I have a friend who had an ED. So now I have gas.

 

[staying_tuned]

Hey one thing I noticed you mentioned is wanting something for winter commuting. The first few years of our EcoD glady ownership was while we were in the Pocono mountains. I've always driven my jeeps through winter but I'm also an avid fan of running dedicated snows. I have a set for my glady but after a few too many puckering experiences, I opted to drive my wife's AWD CX-9 (on snows). I could be imagining it but I'm convinced the JKU on snows performs better in the winter. I don't even recall ever wanting to drive anything else in the winter while we had the JKU.

Anyhow, the low-end torque of the EcoD, inherent squirrelly-ness in Jeeps and a light rear end (I had 200lbs of sand in the back too) on these is not fantastic unless your roads are pristinely maintained.

Aside from that, of course get the EcoD. Go drive both. Drive the 3.6 first. Hit us with pics of that oil burner when you bring it home!

 

[Almost]

There's three groups.

The two you noted and the third being previous ED owners that had the HPFP take a dump on them and cut their losses while Bosch and Stellantis / FCA sort the circus out. I fall into the third group.

Unfortunately you were one of the unlucky ones. But how much of your decision to get rid of it was based on the fuel pump vs horrible dealer experience? It seems like when they do fail it’s the frustrating dealer experience and wait for parts that really gets people fed up.

If they could quickly get people in and out of the shop I think a lot of people could overlook the issue for the time being until the recall is done.

 

[Sandevino]

Unfortunately you were one of the unlucky ones. But how much of your decision to get rid of it was based on the fuel pump vs horrible dealer experience? It seems like when they do fail it’s the frustrating dealer experience and wait for parts that really gets people fed up.

If they could quickly get people in and out of the shop I think a lot of people could overlook the issue for the time being until the recall is done.

I’ve purchased 5 Jeeps from the same dealer and their service and warranty work has been excellent. The dealer paid me actual cash value for the jeep and heavily discounted the new one.

I’d say my experience was atypical but so is my relationship with the dealer and ownership.

 

[drdfblackm]

Actually got an intelligent response from Chapman Jeep:

"Good afternoon Darrin,

Sorry to hear of the bad information our sales team provided to you.

The EcoDiesel Gladiators are on recall and therefore they can't be sold. I am being told we should have a fix for it around the 24th of August. I do however have a preowned Black one available that we can sell you. It has about 300 miles on it. I have attached the window sticker for your review.

Please let me know if this one might be of interest or if you would like me to contact you once the parts are available to fix the recall."

I am not interested in Black but nevertheless they did respond

 

[Snowcavemike]

Ok....I am seriously about to buy a Gladiator and I have owned diesels (not an ED) and I have owned pentastars (not with 8 speed trans). I had a 2011 Powerwagon for years, and it served me well. But a bit of overkill for what I need for a truck. Sold that. I want to get back to a Jeep but want the small bed for hauling a few things and I have a utility trailer if needed for more. The Gladiator will be for fun and winter commuting mostly. Certainly not a daily driver.

Question is....did you only want an ED or did you consider both. What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision? Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix? There is one relatively close to me that is a '22 with 22k miles. No not at a Jeep dealer. Might be able to get a bit of a deal for it. Otherwise as everyone knows there are little to none to buy right now. Is it worth waiting for or would you just go for the gas engine. What are the true drawbacks of the ED....other than cost of fuel and the def?

I would like to run 35s and do a 2.5 Rockkrawler or MetalCloak lift which is what I have used in the past for other wranglers.

Just trying to see true pros and cons from you the owners.

Thank you.

I have a 2021 ED and have not looked back. When we're out wheeling, my friends with JK's and Toyota's. I use half the fuel they do. When we're diving over big passes, they can't keep up. With all the torque, I hardly have any wheel spin. I rented a gas gladiator and it down shifted a lot more than my diesel which is more than 1000 lbs more. I love it

 

[drdfblackm]

I made the mistake of driving one this weekend. I'm ruined. I thought it was so good. I would have bought the one I test drove but it did not have the options that I think I want the most....it's not an extensive list.

My buddy drove an EcoDiesel Ram....he bought one. It was a 2022 with 15K miles. So plenty left on the factory basic and the full drivetrain warranty.

So I would have to say my mind is made up.

 

[Butch-R-Vols]

I own a 2021 JTOD, fully loaded and absolutely love this truck. the torque and power is amazing. I have 26000 smiles on mine and plan on keeping it forever. The recall is a recall. Every vehicle ever made has had recalls. As long as its fixed, who cares. You could buy a Rolls Royce and have recalls. That doesn't make them bad vehicles. To each his own. I love mine everyday its driven.! Smiles per miles!!

 

[Jakeyou]

I have a friend who had an ED. So now I have gas.

Sorry to hear your friend has Erectile dysfunction but it can happen to anyone and you trying stop eating taco bell that might help your gas problem.

 

[TurboHarley]

Test drove a 3.6, bought a diesel.

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