2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel: What Is Its Real-World MPG And How Well Can It Tow?

There’s a big price to pay for a diesel Wrangler.

Is the extra $4,000 you spend on a 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel actually worth it? While I thought the Wrangler proved itself on the snow-covered trails, we had to find out whether the new powertrain could actually match its EPA-rated efficiency in real-world conditions. To find out just what it could manage, Nathan took it out on an abbreviated version of TFL’s MPG loop.

According to EPA figures, the 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel should get 22 City / 29 Highway / 25 Combined mpg. Our highway MPG loop should hit the higher end of that mark — see the video above for how that turns out. In that video, we also tested the updated 2020 Nissan Titan, which does not have official MPG figures yet (as of early January 2020).

How does the Wrangler EcoDiesel tow?

The towing video was sponsored by our friends at Bestop. Putting a soft top on your Jeep has never been easier. Get home installation with a qualifying soft top purchase – visit https://www.bestop.com/home-installation for more details.

While the 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel’s prospective fuel economy is much better than its Pentastar V-6 counterpart, towing is another matter. Like the gasoline engines, this diesel unit mates up to an eight-speed automatic. It’s also limited to 3,500 pounds of maximum towing capacity, so don’t expect to tow massively more weight with the diesel engine. The question isn’t how much it can tow, but how well it can handle the weight. 

To find out exactly how well it tows, we put it against the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. That midsize truck has a 19-inch longer wheelbase, and the Rubicon model is rated to tow 7,000 pounds. But, with its 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, does it have the power to handle towing that sort of weight? The EcoDiesel engine, by comparison, has 260 horsepower but 442 lb-ft of torque. 

Check out the videos above, and stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more Jeep Wrangler news, views and real-world reviews!