3.8L yay or nay?

[BABOOZLE]

Very good points. I'm currently swapping a 350 into my YJ to replace the 2.5 so that I'm not engine limited later on when upgrades get bigger. But to make everything worse my wife is now having second thoughts about getting a JK now. She's all worried about the "marginal" side impact ratings with kids in the back. This may have to go on the back burner for a bit.

 

[nmwranglerx]

I think it depends largely on where you live.

The wife's Jeep has the 3.8L and it does okay for what we need around here. It is a little doggy when compared to my Jeep with the 3.6L. To my point though: I couldn't understand why so many were ditching the 3.6L and going straight to V8s until I was out west. On long grades and hills my Jeep ran out of steam, there is no way I would be happy with a 3.8L there. it!

Ding ding ding....totally agree. Out in the southwest and Rockies the 3.8 is a real turd on freeway. Long grades and hills with higher elevations totally suck. I would change out the 3.8 engine in a heartbeat. Mind you, I'm running 37s and 4" lift, but even when I had 35s with 5:13 gears it had a hard time holding 80 mph. I hate driving in the slow lane....or worse....the fear of passing someone on 2 lane desert highway, not knowing if you've got enough gusto to avoid a head on. Off-road and around town power is not an issue, but we take 6 hour trips up to Moab and Colorado and it always takes a long time. Throw a nasty head wind in there and forget about it

 

[Rccrwlr]

Ding ding ding....totally agree. Out in the southwest and Rockies the 3.8 is a real turd on freeway. Long grades and hills with higher elevations totally suck. I would change out the 3.8 engine in a heartbeat. Mind you, I'm running 37s and 4" lift, but even when I had 35s with 5:13 gears it had a hard time holding 80 mph. I hate driving in the slow lane....or worse....the fear of passing someone on 2 lane desert highway, not knowing if you've got enough gusto to avoid a head on. Off-road and around town power is not an issue, but we take 6 hour trips up to Moab and Colorado and it always takes a long time. Throw a nasty head wind in there and forget about it

Ya. Will be going with a 2012 in our next one just to get the 3.6L. Even with the potential issues, the lack of power is frustrating.

 

[Shantz]

I don't understand the lack of power everyone talks about with the 3.8L. I scoot around very nicely. Is it the automatics that are the problem? I have a manual with the 410s and I love it... zero to 60 is very quick.

 

[MrHooah04]

My 08 has done everything I've asked. What's your plans for it. Daily or just a weekend toy

Same, my 07 is still crankin' along!

Edit: I also have 4:10 in my X model, pretty rare for a Sport/X and only in first year production.