The EPA just published official fuel economy figures for the 2.0-liter Jeep Wrangler JL.
If you were looking to buy the Jeep Wrangler JL, the EPA has just released fuel economy numbers for the 2.0-liter engine. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission – you can’t get it with the six-speed manual – the Wrangler JL 2.0-liter returns 23 MPG city and 25 MPG highway, for a combined rating of 24 MPG. If you buy the four-door Unlimited version, that drops to 22 city/24 highway/22 combined MPG.
That is a pretty modest gain on the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which makes 18 city/23 highway MPG in the two-door model with the eight-speed automatic. The EPA estimates that owners will spend $2,500 on fuel over five years with the Wrangler JL 2.0-liter turbo. If you opt for the V6 instead, you may spend up to $2,750 over the same five year period. While the Pentastar does return worse fuel mileage, it only requires regular gasoline. The 2.0-liter turbo mild hybrid version, however, needs premium fuel to run at its best.
While you can net a few more MPGs from the six-speed manual on the Pentastar (17/25/20 city/highway/combined on the two-door), you have to take the eight-speed automatic with the 2.0-liter. That means paying $3,000 more for the car – $1,000 for the engine upgrade, and $2,000 for the transmission.
There are performance benefits with the 2.0-liter however. While it puts out less power – 270 horsepower, to be precise – it makes more torque, at 295 lb-ft. By comparison, the carryover 3.6-liter Pentastar makes 285 horsepower, but 260 lb-ft of torque.
