Best Jeep Engines

Aside from the newest 2.0L turbo engine, Wrangler drivetrains have been tested and judged by many Jeepers over rigorous trails and daily driving endeavors for many years. While horsepower and torque are valuable, the more durable/reliable engines are considered the best. With that perspective the 3.8L in the early JKs was a mess. Slathered with a slew of problems, the 3.6L was a welcome change to the JK platform. In the smaller displacements, the 2.4L while reliable, wasn’t a powerhouse capable of extreme off-road fun. The 4.0L engine, on the other hand, is regarded as the best Jeep Wrangler motor. Its only downfall is that it hasn’t seen a 4-door Wrangler. That aside, the straight six-cylinder engine has more torque than horsepower, especially at low RPMs, making it a force to be reckoned with on the trails.

Depending on if you’re trying to increase MPGs or mud slinging power, you’ll be looking at a different set of mods. One upgrade those “does it all” in a sense is a tuner. The more involved tuners can adjust fuel maps and spark timing, adjusting both power and fuel mileage. In most cases, it’s either one or the other, but with a tuner you can balance between both. For raw and immediate power, especially in the lower RPMs is a supercharger. Easily the most expensive bolt-on, we only recommend these on healthy, slightly modified engines. While adding a couple of PSI will up the power numbers, a supercharger on a stock engine will see less gains than a prepared engine. If you have the extra money to spend, there’s nothing like supercharger whine.