Choosing an engine for jeep gc

[danbouck]

Have a good look at the Pentastar. Anyone who says it doesn't have enough power for what you have described or says it isn't fuel efficient is ignorant in regards to that engine.

[pike slayer]

i have the 3.7 in my liberty and it has the power to get the job done. i'd go with the v6 if 90% of your driving is city

[scugpg]

So what are things to consider when going to diesel? Is it harder to find stations? What about ongoing maintenance and repairs? What about mostly doing 5 to 10km city trips is running cold quite a bit a concern?

 

It drives well from what I've seen and has the heavier transmission that the V8 has with much less fuel usage.

 

Right now they have a free diesel offer on the gc which is a $5000 value! I'm open to considering it but not familiar with the diesel world and long term costs.

 

Thanks

Edited August 6, 2014 by Spooled

[hutch4113]

In terms of cost i cannot speak to the Jeep. But with the RAM I knew there would be additional costs. For instance DEF that has to be filled. But that is a small cost really (under $100 for the year).

 

Then oil changes - will be more money, but unlike the Gas engine, my oid change interval will be about 16000 KM - so that is a wash.

 

Fuel -> I will save money on fuel costs - estimated about $1K per year.

 

Resale -> Diesel will always have a higher resale than a gas engine.

 

Diesels are more money to fix. You do have the DPF system which could cause potential issues. Also injectors/fuel rail/turbos which can all be expensive. I bought the Truck with 6 Year warranty - so won't worry about it.

Stations -> Pretty much any Gas Station that is near a major intersection/highway will have Diesel. The recommendation from others that I have talked to is look for new stations and/or where the big trucks buy from. The range on the vehicle is going to be long enough that you can plan your trips.

 

IMO - go for the Diesel - but that is me

Edited August 6, 2014 by Tupelo

[Raf]

I think you meant DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid, not DPF - Diesel Particulate Filter . So many acronyms easy to get them mixed up.

 

They share the same motor so I'd assume the engine maintenance costs on the GC will be the same as the RAM.\

 

Try this forum/thread for some info related to the WK2 diesels: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f309/diesels-2438921/

Edited August 6, 2014 by Raf

[hutch4113]

Oups...yes. DEF fluid. Will update my post. I had both on the brain, as they are often mentioned as being an expense compared to a Gas motor.

[Raf]

If the DPF goes, it is a very expensive part to replace -- fairly certain it is made of unobtainium. Fortunately, they are usually made to last the life of the vehicle provided you run the correct oil. Also fortunately, there will likely be a tune available at some point in the future that will allow you to eliminate the DPF as there is for the older Mercedes 3.0L diesel in the previous generation GCs. Passing emissions should not be an issue as the tune will not trigger a CEL (and we no longer have a pipe test), besides by the time these new RAMs/GCs become eligible for drive clean, let's hope drive clean has gone the way of the dodo.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Raf

[musky666]

Also consider that the 5.7 engine and trailer tow come with larger brakes, likely larger than is available with the 3.6- an important factor when towing. My 2011 needed 18" winter rims to clear the brakes, while my fathers 2012 V6 didnt.

[bassmasta]

I own a 2012 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6 Pentastar and use it just the way you intend to use it.

 

90% city driving from Scarb to Markham roundtrip for work. the other 10% I tow a boat at 1800 lbs dry (1950-2000lbs wet, batteries, gear) during the summer. the 4x4 is a godsend in the winter and on those slippery launches.

 

Performance on towing the boat is actually quite good!!! I have zero issues with power and passing with it. However, most of the GC's that come with the 3.6 Pentastar don't have the HD braking package. So in all cases of towing, be careful on the braking. Be mindful of your braking distance tolerances. The power has never been an issue. The Pentastar in the Grand Cherokee has been tuned to have a wider torque curve to get the most torque in the broadest rpm ranges. The pentastar shines in the upper RPM ranges thanks to the VVT system. Every instance that the Pentastar is in from the 300, Caravan, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, to the RAM is tuned differently. If you happen to get a Grand Cherokee with the tow package option I believe you get upgraded brakes (Heavy Duty Brakes) and the auto-levelling shocks in the rear.

 

I don't regret getting the Pentastar at all, The fuel savings over the 5.7 hemi is nice. I will say that if at least 70% of my driving was highway I would've went with the 5.7 hemi. I hear great reviews of the MDS system (cylinder shutdown at cruising speeds). I'm currently getting 17-18mpg in the city and 19-21mpg on the highway when not towing. When I am towing, my highway mileage drops down to about 16-18mpg. I've already put 94,000+ kms on the jeep with no issues and she drives just like she did on delivery.

 

Oh yea, a tip I gained from one of the Jeep Forums is to use the slapstick/auto-shift/tiptronic to keep the transmission from going into overdrive when towing. That transmission loves to hunt for the overdrive to get better fuel mileage but it hurts the towing performance.

 

Hope my real world assessment helps!

Edited August 7, 2014 by bassmasta

[Fisherman]

I'm currently getting 17-18mpg in the city and 19-21mpg on the highway when not towing. When I am towing, my highway mileage drops down to about 16-18mpg.

 

I would call that lousy mileage. I have a RAM with a Cummins and do far better than that, 21 city and up to 25 highway. Even towing the travel trailer I can get 18-19mpg.

[Raf]

Fisherman, he's talking US gallons, you're talking UK gallons. In the end you're getting identical mileage 24 uk mpg = 20 us mpg.

 

my older diesel GC gets 24 US mpg or nearly 29 on your scale.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Raf

[bassmasta]

Indeed I am talking US Gallons. Heck, if I had the diesel I'm sure I'd get better mileage. Plus I live in the Great city of Toronto where I tend to be heavy footed trying to get away from all the crazy drivers here

[scugpg]

I had a chance to drive the v8 hemi gc. Felt very nice but to be honest didn't feel that much more peppy than the diesel. Believe the 0-60 on the diesel is about a second slower than the hemi. Still thinking about the diesel but wondering about all the short 5 to 15k short trips I do.

 

Is there any concern about not getting the diesel warmed up often if I'm mostly doing city runs?

 

The in town torque with the diesel would be nice as its around 400 ft lbs at 2000rpm. Believe you need to push the hem much harder to get close to that.

 

The hd brakes come with both diesel and hemi. Both motors add about 300+lbs to the truck over pentastar.

 

Also checked average fuel costs over the last few years and not much difference between diesel and gas. Also believe the hemi is recommended to run 89 octane??

 

Some handy sites:

 

Caa gas calculator to compare vehicles

http://caa.ca/car_costs/

 

Average fuel prices

http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/fuel-prices/

Edited September 4, 2014 by Spooled